6 ways to make studying as addictive as online gaming

Are today’s students addicted to studying?

Do they wake up excited about going to school? Are they thrilled about exams?

Definitely not.

More likely, they’re addicted to online gaming. It could be Minecraft, Blackshot, Audition, League of Legends, World of Warcraft, ArcheAge, DotA, Call of Duty, or others.

I’ve worked with thousands of students, so I know that many students see their academics as a distraction from their gaming – not the other way around!

What makes online gaming so addictive? 6 key characteristics

The reasons vary from game to game, but these are six common characteristics of the most addictive ones:

1. The game is ongoing, and doesn’t have a fixed end point.

2. Players feel like they’re making constant progress. (Every time you play, you see your points or level or rank increasing.)

3. Players get to explore imaginary worlds and discover new, unexpected things.

4. The missions or quests involve teamwork, and a sense of community grows as friendships form.

5. Every player’s efforts and contributions affect the team’s success.

6. The game is challenging enough to keep players engaged, but not so challenging that players become discouraged.

In lots of ways, children can meet their real-world needs through online gaming. They can gain acceptance and approval; they can make friends with little fear of rejection; they can rack up achievements and get a sense of accomplishment.

And much more.

It’s no wonder that many students who aren’t doing well in school – and even some of those who are – turn to online gaming as a fun distraction. Unfortunately, this can quickly become an unhealthy obsession.

But are there lessons we can learn from online gaming, which we can apply to education? In other words, can we make studying and learning more addictive?

6 ways to make studying and learning as addictive as online gaming

Based on the six characteristics of online games listed above, here are ways that each one can be applied to education:

1. Focus on the process of learning, not the “end point”

Parents and teachers tend to overemphasise the importance of the “end point”: the end-of-year exams, the O-levels, getting a diploma or degree.

Students confess to me that they feel as if their entire future hinges on their performance on the next exam!

Goal-setting is useful. But if too much focus is on hitting these targets, students begin to dread learning. Learning becomes something they “have” to do to achieve these goals, which their parents and teachers have forced upon them.

That’s why few students read books for pleasure once they leave school. They’ve accumulated too many negative associations with reading and learning.

Instead of emphasising the “end point” of learning, parents and teachers must emphasise the process of learning. They must also set an example by showing students that they’re lifelong learners themselves.

2. Help students to track their progress on a daily or weekly basis

Students relish the feeling of making progress. But tests and exams are too infrequent to give students this feeling, especially for students who aren’t already doing well.

To stay motivated, students must be able to track their progress daily or weekly. If not, they’ll lose interest.

Khan Academy has devised a brilliant way of tracking, on an ongoing basis, the specific skills that students have mastered. The teacher can monitor the students’ development too.

If we want to make learning addictive, we must adopt a similar approach – and we’ll need the help of technology.

3. Encourage students to explore topics outside the syllabus

Most teachers do the opposite of this. If a topic isn’t going to be tested, teachers will typically tell their students not to learn it. (This is linked to Point #1, and the overemphasis on exams.)

School timetables are already packed, and there’s barely enough time to cover the topics that are in the syllabus. So I don’t blame teachers at all for doing this.

But there’s no “syllabus” in the “real world”. Real-world success belongs to those who never stop learning and growing.

I suggest that we reduce the number of topics in the syllabus. We can then allow students the flexibility to explore related topics that interest them. At a policy level, I know this is easier said than done. But I don’t think there’s an alternative in the long run.

If students take responsibility for their education in this way, they’ll become more engaged in their own learning.

4. Make group work the norm and individual work the exception

Today, the converse is true. Individual work is the norm, while group work is the exception.

But is this how the real world works?

Not quite. The world is a complicated place where you can’t work alone. Collaboration and cooperation are vital.

Through group projects, students learn life skills such as leadership, teamwork, communication, public speaking, and conflict resolution.

To make the projects more meaningful, students could define the objectives and outcomes themselves, within certain guidelines. This would empower students to take ownership of the projects.

5. Allow students to make a real, immediate impact through their work

Students desperately want to make an impact. They often feel, however, that little of what they do in school makes an impact.

In many ways, they’re right. If they refuse to study, they’ll incur the wrath and disappointment of their parents and teachers. But other than that, their academic performance doesn’t affect anyone in a tangible way, at least not immediately.

And students are impatient people who want to make a difference right now.

But what if the projects they’re assigned directly benefit others? What if they could share what they’ve learned (even if it’s primarily with their parents and relatives) through a class blog post or video?

Students must recognise that knowledge isn’t meant to be hoarded. It’s meant to be shared. It’s meant to be used as a tool to touch lives and impact the world around them.

6. Give students challenges that are appropriate for their skill level (using technology)

If a task isn’t challenging enough, students get bored. But if a task is too challenging, students give up.

Being an educator is tough work, isn’t it?

Students need challenges that are appropriate for their skill level.

This simply isn’t possible with the current classroom setup. We can’t expect one teacher to accommodate the learning needs of 30 or 40 students at the same time – especially not without the aid of technology.

Technology isn’t a substitute for teachers. But it is a tool to help teachers assume the role of coach, rather than lecturer. This way, lessons will be more efficient, and learning will be more addictive.

The bottom line

If you’re a parent or educator, you might be thinking that my suggestions aren’t practical.

I disagree. My suggestions are simple and practical, but they won’t be easy to implement.

Our education system is one of the best in the world, but there’s always room to improve. By applying the principles that make online gaming so addictive, we can reform the education system.

I dream of the day when our students are all lifelong learning addicts – students who run to school, and walk home.

To turn that dream into a reality, we need to get to work and make a change.

Today.

Daniel Wong is a learning and teen expert, and is also the bestselling author of “The Happy Student”. He offers 1-to-1 programmes to help students attain exam excellence while also finding happiness and fulfillment, and to empower parents to motivate their unmotivated teenagers. Download his FREE e-book, “16 Keys To Motivating Your Teenager”. The views expressed are his own.