Learning Technology Through Games: How to Choose a Format

Choose a format for learning technology through games based on the goal and audience: game-based assignments can introduce digital tools, simulators and creative kits can provide practice, and collaborative game projects can support teamwork. The key is for the game to help learners master a specific skill rather than distract them from it.

Learning technology through games can make complex topics easier to understand and let learners learn by trial and error. But there’s no one-size-fits-all format: the choice depends on participants’ ages, the course content, and where they will need to apply what they learn. Here’s how to assess the options and find the right one.

• не менее 1 недели stated guideline for developing and testing a serious game
• 2 примера serious game-based solutions named: IKRA-GAME and Go Practice
• 2 варианта places to play: indoors or outdoors
• 3 формата approaches compared: business game, simulator, and role-playing game

What counts as learning technology through games?

Learning technology through games is practice in which participants work on a real job skill or play through a game-based version of a workplace-like situation. Examples include the IKRA-GAME business game and the Go Practice simulator. They can serve as concrete reference points when assessing whether a format really teaches people how to act, rather than simply holding their attention.

An educational game can help learners master a subject, while game-based skills training focuses on choosing an action and understanding its consequences. A business game models a work task, a role-playing game lets participants try communication strategies in a safe setting, and a simulation lets them make decisions within a model of a more complex system.

How to check the outcome

• Skill: Specify the action participants should learn, such as choosing a strategy in a workplace situation.
• Independence: Define what the person should be able to do after the game without in-game prompts.
• Assessment: Decide in advance what observable action will show that the skill has been mastered; completing the game alone does not prove this.

How is a business game different from a simulator or a role-playing game?

A business game models a specific business situation, a simulator models how a complex system works under conditions close to real life, and a role-playing game teaches interaction through different roles. The difference lies in what participants are practicing: making decisions within a scenario, managing a system, or communicating.

Choose based on the desired action.

• Business game: Participants follow a given business scenario, make decisions, and then discuss their consequences. This format works when the goal is to examine a choice and its impact on how a specific situation develops.
• Simulator: Recreates a more complex system to train decision-making under conditions close to those in the workplace. Go Practice is an example of a serious game-based solution.
• Role-playing game: Centers on roles and interaction between participants. It helps develop communication skills and lets participants try different behavioral approaches in a safe environment.

IKRA-GAME and Go Practice are examples of serious game-based solutions for developing workplace skills. But names alone aren’t enough to choose a format: check what action a particular scenario trains, who will play, and whether the level of difficulty is appropriate.

How can you tell whether a gaming skill will be useful outside the game?

To check whether a gaming skill transfers to real life, compare it with a workplace task: participants should complete the task without game rules or prompts, then explain their choice. A successful round on its own doesn’t prove that the skill will be useful outside the game.

What to check in a game scenario

• Relevance to a real task. If a role-playing game trains communication, ask participants not only to complete the scenario but also to justify the strategy they chose. This shows whether they have learned how to act or are simply following in-game prompts.
• Feedback. In a role-playing game, a debrief helps participants notice the consequences of their behavior and compare different courses of action. Find out what participants are shown after making a choice and whether they can try a different strategy.
• Testing without in-game support. After a round, give participants a similar task without game rules or prompts. This is a practical way to check skill transfer, but it does not prove a product is effective.

For Go Practice and IKRA-GAME, find out which specific workplace action the chosen scenario models and how the results are reviewed. If a scenario ends with an in-game success but offers no way to discuss the decision or test it on a similar task without in-game support, skill transfer remains unverified.

How do you choose a format for children, adults, and different group sizes?

Choose a game format based on participants’ age and developmental level, physical readiness, group size, and venue. If children will need to move around, check in advance that the activity is suitable for them; for a role-playing game, assign tasks so that everyone takes part instead of just watching.

• Age and skills. Match the complexity of the rules and tasks to what children can already do and where they need support. For example, a role-playing game lets them try different ways of communicating and behaving in a safe setting.
• Number of participants. For a role-playing format, assign everyone a clear role and task in advance. If there are many players, make sure there are enough tasks for everyone.
• Venue and session setup. A game can be held indoors or outdoors. For the chosen space, plan the session structure, participant layout, and roles.

Teacher preparation starts with the rules: they need to learn them, select equipment and materials, and then check that the activity matches the children’s abilities and challenges. For game-based simulations of real workplace situations, such as “IKRA-GAME” and Go Practice, it’s also important to allow time for development and testing: the format description gives a guideline of at least one week.

When does game-based learning fail?

Game-based learning fails if participants don’t connect their in-game actions with the skill they need, the scenario doesn’t match their level of preparation, or there isn’t enough time to develop and test it. In that case, the game activity alone cannot guarantee that the experience will be useful beyond the session.

Check the balance between playing and debriefing

In a serious game, such as IKRA-GAME or the Go Practice simulator, participants practice a workplace skill in a game scenario. But if they don’t discuss how their decisions relate to a real task, the simulation may remain just entertainment. After the game, review the decisions and how they relate to the skill participants need to master.

• Timing: The source material gives a guideline of at least one week to develop and test a serious game. If you need to launch quickly, this format may not be suitable.
• Fit for participants: Before the session, check the rules, roles, participants’ ages, and levels of preparation; for children, also check the game’s physical requirements.
• Fit for the goal: Don’t choose a simulator based on its name alone. Match its scenario to the skill you need; consider a role-playing game for communication practice and a serious game for workplace skills training.

How do you compare formats before buying or launching one?

Compare formats across four criteria: the target skill, scenario, feedback, and conditions for running the game. For each option—for example, the Go Practice simulator, IKRA-GAME, a business game, or a role-playing game—fill out the same evaluation form. This makes the differences clear beyond the descriptions and in-game rewards.

• Go Practice simulator or IKRA-GAME: Specify the workplace skill participants apply in the scenario and how they will know whether they got it right. A serious game models a workplace situation, so check whether participants can perform a similar action after the session without the game interface.
• Business game: Note which business situation is being acted out and which observable actions participants receive feedback on.
• Role-playing game: Note which communication skills are being trained, which behavioral strategies participants can try, and how the results are discussed.
• Venue and participants: Check whether the game takes place indoors or outdoors, what equipment and materials are needed, and how many participants can take an active part. Also consider the group’s age and level of preparation.

Check timing and skill transfer

Allow at least a week to develop and test a serious game. Compare formats based on whether participants will be able to apply the skill they practiced in a similar real-world situation—not on promises or in-game points.

Frequently asked questions

Written byValentina Soloveva

Валентина занимается новостями технологий и гаджетов, уделяя особое внимание последним трендам и инновациям. Она стремится делиться своими наблюдениями и анализом с читателями, чтобы помочь им оставаться в курсе быстро меняющегося мира технологий.