Integrating the Elements of Entertainment and Education

Entertainment optimizes an individual’s tendency to learn. It puts people in a good mood that is conducive for learning and having new experiences. Most students find education boring because it is devoid of the elements of entertainment. The quality of education and its effectiveness can be enhanced by integrating entertainment into it. This article discusses proven ways and strategies that can make education more enjoyable and entertaining for the students so that they learn better.

Classroom Activities That Promote Social Skills

The typical idea of a classroom most students have is that they will have to sit on their chairs, watching the professor give the lecture on the stage. Since a teacher has to demonstrate the concepts to all students, he/she cannot give individualized attention that is required to keep the learners active and attentive. As a result, students start losing engagement and interest. They either involve themselves in trivial activities or feel overcome with drowsiness and sleep.

This imparts a need for the teachers to take steps to retain the interest and attentiveness of students at all times. Luckily, they can get help from the students. Group activities in class are an effective way of revising the interest and engagement of students and making them learn new concepts. Teachers should create groups of children and assign them activities. Different kinds of activities can be created customized to the nature and theme of a subject.

Examples of an Entertaining Classroom Activity

Let’s take an English class, for example, where students are learning about Shakespeare’s plays and are reading Romeo and Juliet. A teacher can foster a better understanding of the psychology of the various characters of the play by making children perform the acts on stage. As students perform the roles of hero, heroine, and villain, they understand how different characters interact with each other, comprehend their unique goals and desires, and the psychology behind their distinct acts and dialogues.

Teachers can also hold contests wherein students try to outperform their peers. The one with the best performance gets a reward. Such activities are not only full of entertainment, but they also make students realize their innate abilities and hidden potential.

Another example of entertainment filled activity is conducting an online search in the classroom to brainstorm ideas and concepts related to a subject. Have you ever got such a task in school? Probably your teacher asked you to study the layout and design of websites online. Website that writes papers for you can be one such platform to explore. Students involved in such tasks feel active and engaged in the activity. They also learn from each other in addition to getting the concepts from the teacher.

Integrating Video Games Into Education

Everybody loves games these days, particularly students. They spend most of the time using cellphones and laptops to play video games or interact with each other on social media. Playing video games has become a routine activity for most students. Selecting suitable games and using them to promote an understanding of course concepts in the students is a very effective strategy that teachers can adopt.

Many video games have been created that relate to different subjects. For example, there are games for the characters of Hamlet and Romeo. Students play the characters and roles in such games and hence acquire a concrete understanding of the characters’ psychology.

Benefits of Integrating Video Games Into the Lectures

Teachers find it very easy to get the attention of the students. They can use technology to optimize the interest of students in education. Students develop a positive perception of school as a fun-filled place with carefully designed and crafted activities meant to promote understanding and learning. Such an instructional methodology radically changes a student’s approach towards and perception about education in general.

Extra-Curricular Activities for Students

The purpose of education is to prepare a student for challenges in practical life, along with giving him/her the knowledge and skills needed to secure a decent job. Students need confidence, social skills, emotional intelligence, and soft skills to perform well in social and professional life. Schools can enhance students’ tendency to develop these skills by engaging them in extra-curricular activities.

Such activities include but are not limited to debate contests, marathons, and cooking contests. All such events are full of entertainment for the students. The best aspect is that they break the monotonous routine of lectures in schools. Accordingly, students’ academic performance increases.