Digital game-based learning is often dismissed as not real learning. However, there have been proven studies that have shown that game-based knowledge has a positive effect on students. Game-based understanding allows students to learn how to face challenges, teaches problem-solving, the students are engaged, and they can get how to work effectively as a team.
There are three main ways that teachers can use game-based learning in the classroom. These include pre-packaged ‘commercial-off the shelf’ games; teachers create digital ‘gamification learning’ and have students design their own digital games.  Pre-package games can be beneficial as they have been pre-designed for a specific topic. Pre-designed games can be engaging in and a fun way for students to learn content (All, Patricia Nuñez Castellar, & Van Looy, 2016). However, they have a limitation as they are pre-designed; they are unable to be modified to the level of the class and could limit learning and creativity. Teachers can use software’s such as “Scratch” to design games that are tailored to the learning outcome that students need to learn (Elmenreich, 2018). The third way that is that teachers can get students to design a game that relates to the content that they are teaching.
There has been significant research into the benefits of setting digital game-based learning activities. Games have been shown to improve focus and reaction time (Hung, Huang, & Hwang, 2014). Playing computer games has some benefits to teachers as well, these include being motivating, fun and engaging for teacher to set activities (Hung, Huang, & Hwang, 2014). It allows teacher to disguise the development of general 21^st century soft skill as well as catering for diversity (Hung, Huang, & Hwang, 2014). By teachers getting students to design computer games, they can encourage and foster creativity by allowing students to design and explore the process of project management. By utilising the design process, students can experience failure and learn that it is OK to fail as long as they learn and adapt to the process to try and avoid the same thing happening again (Kapur, 2014).
There is a limitation to implementing game-based learning in the classroom. A limitation can be the availability of time and resources that it takes to use the games (Lesgold, 2009). With gaming, the novelty of the activity can wear off, and students can become distracted, and the teacher may lose control of the classroom (All, Patricia Nuñez Castellar, & Van Looy, 2016). Students can also get distracted by the game and not learn anything from the lesson this is also linked with teachers need to ensure the game is linked with the learning content, so it is beneficial to the learning outcome that is required (Becker, 2007).
Game-Based learning can be an asset to earning as it allows for an increase in motivation and engagement to the content. Creativity is also fostered when students are allowed to design a game as it allows them to have different media to represent the content learnt.

References

All, A., Patricia Nuñez Castellar, E., & Van Looy, J. (2016). Assessing the effectiveness of digital game-based learning:. Computers & Education, 90-103.
Becker, K. (2007). Digital game-based learning once removed: teaching teachers. British Journal of Educational Technology, 478-488.
Elmenreich, W. (2018, April 27). How I designed a game with Scratch. Retrieved from opensource.com: https://opensource.com/article/18/4/designing-game-scratch-open-jam
Hung, C.-M., Huang, I., & Hwang, G.-J. (2014). Effects of digital game-based learning on students’ self-efficacy, motivation, anxiety, and achievements in learning mathematics. Journal of Computers in Education, 151-166.
Kapur, M. (2014). Learning from productive failure. Learning: Research and Practice, 51-65.
Lesgold, A. M. (2009). Computer resources for learning. Peabody Journal of Education, 60-74.