A fresh perspective on learning and how it happens has been made possible by neuroscience. Game-based learning is one of our other teaching methods (the system also uses problem-based learning, project-based learning, cooperative learning, flipped learning, and the Harkness Table). For facilitators, game-based learning is among the most engaging, and it deserves more consideration. Today, we'll examine game-based learning from a neuroscience perspective, particularly because studies in this field have demonstrated the many advantages that gaming can have for the brain and learning processes.

The following are some conclusions drawn from brain research on game-based learning:

Engagement and Attention: Games are meant to be interesting and entertaining, which helps improve focus and attention. The brain releases dopamine when people are fully engaged in a game-based learning environment. Why does dopamine play a role in learning? One neurotransmitter that is essential to both the body and the brain is dopamine. This release of dopamine has been shown to enhance alertness, maintain focus, and enhance learning outcomes. It takes part in a number of crucial procedures and roles. The brain and body are impacted by dopamine in the following ways:

Pleasure and Reward: Dopamine is frequently linked to the brain's pleasure and reward system. It is released in reaction to enjoyable or fulfilling events, supporting actions that result in favorable consequences. Dopaminergic impulses pleasure, encouraging the brain to seek out and repeat rewarding activities. This reward pathway is implicated in motivation, learning, and the formation of habits.

Mood and Emotion: Dopamine plays a role in regulating mood and emotion. It is involved in the brain's limbic system, which is associated with emotional processing. Imbalances in dopamine levels have been linked to various mood disorders, such as depression and bipolar disorder. Low dopamine levels may contribute to symptoms of depression, while excessive dopamine activity can be associated with mania or elevated morphinergic activity.

 Movement and Motor Control: Dopamine is involved in the regulation of movement and motor control in the brain. Parkinson's disease and other movement disorders are linked to dopamine deficiency in specific brain regions, such as the substantia nigra. Dopamine is required for smooth motor function and for the coordination and modulation of motor signals.

 Attention and Focus: Dopamine plays a role in several cognitive processes. It facilitates the regulation of the brain's capacity to block out distractions and focus on activities. Maintaining motivation, focus, and cognitive functions like working memory require optimal dopamine levels. Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and other disorders involving dopamine dysregulation are typified by problems with impulse control and attention. 

Memory and Learning: Dopamine is involved in memory and learning functions. It facilitates the creation of new memories and the recall of preexisting ones by strengthening the connections between neurons in the brain. Rewarding events can improve memory consolidation by releasing dopamine, which makes it simpler to recall knowledge linked to favorable results.

Sleep and Wakefulness: Dopamine plays a role in controlling sleep and wakefulness. It helps promote wakefulness and alertness by inhibiting sleep-promoting pathways in the brain. Disruptions in dopamine levels can affect sleep patterns and contribute to sleep disorders.

Memory development: Recalling and remembering knowledge is a common requirement in games, which helps improve memory development. According to neuroscientific research, learning through games activates the hippocampus, a part of the brain that is important for remembering. Retrieval practice, repetition, and interactive gaming can improve memory consolidation and retrieval functions.

Multimodal Learning: A lot of educational games offer a multimodal learning experience by combining visual, aural, and kinesthetic features. Multimodal learning has been shown to improve memory recall and retention, according to neuroscience study. Diverse sensory stimuli have the ability to simultaneously engage different brain regions, strengthening neural connections and fostering deeper learning.

Critical Thinking and Problem-Solving: Games frequently put players in difficult situations that call for critical thinking and problem-solving abilities. Studies on the neurosciences have demonstrated that solving problems activates parts of the brain linked to executive processes, including the prefrontal cortex. Learning through games can enhance analytical, decision-making, and cognitive flexibility. 

Feedback and Reward Systems: Most games offer instantaneous feedback as well as incentives for accomplishments or right answers. According to Neuroscientific studies, prompt feedback and rewards can turn on the brain's reward system, boosting motivation and reinforcing learning. Neurotransmitters like dopamine can be released when positive reward is provided through game-based learning, which can improve memory and learning.

Motivation and Emotion: Games have the power to arouse feelings of challenge, excitement, and curiosity. Studies on the brain have demonstrated that emotions can have a big impact on how memories are formed and information is processed. During game-based learning, positive emotional experiences can improve focus, motivation, and the encoding of new information. 

It's crucial to remember that a variety of elements, such as game design, how well learning objectives and game mechanics coincide, and the incorporation of successful teaching techniques, all affect how effective game-based learning is. Individual preferences and variances should also be taken into account when applying game-based learning strategies.

CHILDREN WHO PLAY VIDEO GAMES MAY FARE BETTER COGNITIVELY. 

1. Relevance 

Research on the relationship between video gaming and cognitive skills has yielded conflicting results, despite the majority of studies connecting video gaming to a subsequent rise in violent behavior in children after controlling for preexisting aggression. 

2. Goal 

to use information from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study to investigate the relationship between children's video gaming and cognitive development. 

3. Participants, Design, and Environment 

Using task-based functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) on a large data set of 9 and 10-year-old children from the ABCD study, this case-control study compared the cognitive performance and blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) signal during response inhibition and working memory in video gamers (VGs) and non-video gamers (NVGs). Good control was maintained over demographic, behavioral, and psychiatric confounding effects. Using a population neuroscience approach to recruitment, a sample from the baseline assessment of the ABCD 2.0.1 release in 2019 was primarily recruited across 21 sites in the US through public, private, and charter elementary schools, with the goal of mirroring demographic heterogeneity in the US population. Children with reliable behavioral and neuroimaging data were considered. MRI contraindications that are frequently seen, a history of major neurologic disorders, and history of traumatic brain injury.

4.  Exposures 

Children were asked to indicate the amount of time they spent explicitly playing video games on a self-reported screen time survey that was completed by participants. Each participant completed each fMRI task.

5. Principal Results and Measures 

Using fMRI's n-back and stop signal tasks, video game duration, cognitive function, and BOLD signal were measured. Data that had been collected were examined between October 2019 and October 2020. 

6. Outcomes 

Participating in this study were 2217 children in total, with a mean [SD] age of 9.91 [0.62] years and 1399 [63.1%] female. 679 VGs who played at least 21 hours per week and 1128 NVGs (0 gaming hours per week) made up the final sample used in the stop signal task evaluations. The final sample used in the n-back analysis was made up of 800 VGs who played at least 21 hours per week and 1278 NVGs who had never played any video games (0 hours per week). When compared to the NVGs, the VGs did better on both fMRI tasks. During inhibitory control, nonparametric analysis of fMRI data showed a higher BOLD signal in VGs in the precuneus. VGs showed a lower BOLD signal during working memory.

 DOES GAMING ROT THE BRAIN?

The brain is not ruined by gaming. Playing video games recreationally as a part of a variety of healthful activities usually raises no red flags. The majority of the detrimental impacts of video games are brought on by overuse or underlying problems:

• Physical health risks including repetitive strain injury, headaches, back and neck problems, obesity and heart-related issues
• Poor personal hygiene, laziness
• Insomnia and other sleep-related problems
• Mental health conditions including anxiety, stress and depression
• Mood swings such as irritability, anger, aggression and violence
• Family conflict and relationship issues
• Lack of motivation, concentration and energy
• Cognitive biases that affect decision-making skills and problem-solving abilities
• Loneliness and social disconnection
• Exposure to online toxicity and harassment
• Poor academic performance and missed career opportunities
• Loss of interest in other activities.

For a small percentage of players, the negative effects of gaming can include addiction. Take our video game addiction test to see if your gaming habits are potentially problematic.

TOP BRAIN-TRAINING GAMES 

There are numerous brainteasers and memory-boosting games available. Additionally, these games might be superior substitutes for intense multiplayer video games.

Sudoku 

This numerical problem with a logic component helps with focus and memory. To find the ideal level of challenge, there are various degrees of difficulty. 

Wordle 

Wordle challenges problem-solving abilities, releases a modest amount of dopamine (there is only one puzzle posted per day), and facilitates social engagement if you share your answers on social media. 

Puzzle pieces 

Jigsaw puzzles challenge your brain's left and right hemispheres. They reduce tension effectively and enhance visual-spatial thinking and problem-solving abilities. 

Chess 

Chess It's a good idea to play chess on a board rather than digitally. It is proven to be an excellent cognitive exercise that boosts logical reasoning and memory.

Puzzles for crosswords 

Completing crossword puzzles on a regular basis helps enhance concentration and focus. According to a research published in the Journal of the International Neuropsychology Society, crossword puzzles can help dementia patients postpone the beginning of memory loss. 

You can get positive effects from gaming on your brain rather than negative ones by selecting the correct games to play. 

In conclusion 

In this study, it was discovered that VGs performed better cognitively than NVGs in terms of response inhibition, working memory, and changed BOLD signal in important cortical regions involved in visual, attention, and memory processing. The results align with the notion that playing video games enhances cognitive functions such as working memory and reaction inhibition by changing the cortical networks that underlie these functions.