Getting Serious About Gamification: How A Gamified Learning Environment Can Benefit Corporate Learning
Learning is a constant process – especially in the context of the modern corporate world. With introduction of technology, training and learning are fast becoming more accessible as well as palatable. With technology-aided learning, not only do organizations save costs, they also reap ROI in terms of learner engagement and retention of learning. But is eLearning just about sharing information that can be readily accessed? To make learning truly, impactful, the learning experience also has to be enhanced. Modern learners are technology-savvy and use technology platforms that provide the finest in terms of experience. Should this not get reflected in learning as well? To make the learning experience more enjoyable, impactful, and memorable, many organizations are now adopting a gamified learning environment, which make sure that learning is fun as it is informative.
Gamification of the learning platform is to integrate it with game mechanics such as points, leader-boards, narratives, completion achievements, and other forms of recognition or feedback. This is very integral to the process of learning, as it encourages the learner towards course completion and help attain a better rate of knowledge retention. This carrot-stick approach may sound simplistic but is very effective for most learners who enjoy the validation of their hard work – in seeing points being added to their kitty or just their names flashing on the leader-board. Applying gamification in order to transform training into a game-like experience has many benefits:
- For starters, more learners are encouraged to try the technology-aided platform.
- More learners are likely to complete the training program.
- While striving for more points or better rank, learners are more likely to grasp knowledge better.
- And finally, resulting from a better learning experience, they will undoubtedly, retain and apply the knowledge better
So how would you go about it?
6 Effective Gamified Learning Best Practices
Here are 6 preliminary steps that you need to take to successfully implement a gamified learning experience.
1. Set The Goals.
Learning and Development managers need to decide and finalize the kind of eLearning the training would deliver. Gamification elements have to be then aligned as per the logical progression of the training event.
2. Understand The Learners.
In order to deliver appropriate gamification elements, it is necessary to first understand the learners. Or some learners, an expert’s badge might be the thing that they crave for. But for another group, a discount coupon at their favorite game store might do the trick. Choose wisely to deliver the right kind of gamification.
3. Connect Learning And Gamification.
Identify appropriate learning content from the array of learning material available on the corporate Learning Management System to gamified elements. Short learning courses are more popular among all learners, so it is a wise decision to connect them with the gamified experience.
4. Design Learning As Well As Gamification Elements.
If need be, create learning content that that aligns well with gamified elements.
5. Market The New Experience.
After the learning content has been duly aligned with the gamification elements, it is crucial to make sure that learners are well aware of the developments. Sell them the new way of learning, by highlighting it benefits.
6. Analyze And Evaluate.
Gamification allows Learning and Development managers to evaluate learners through quizzes or other challenge-based competitive activities. The results of these can be continually evaluated to assess learners and ascertain the efficacy of the new learning process.
5 Features Of Gamified Learning Environment
Once implemented, the gamified eLearning platforms can have different features that create an interesting learning experience for the learners:
- Gamification can include a narrative scenario where a context and a story is utilized to introduce gamification elements. To provide relief and increase interest, gamification elements can be introduced in between modules where finishing the entire course is a race and the game is a rest-stop where one can get ‘refreshed’ by learning a few summary points and answering a quiz.
- Game elements can track employees against a personal or team benchmark. These benchmarks cab provide an aim for the learners and a goal to aspire to. However, in case the learner doesn’t achieve success, he or she should be given multiple chances till the aspired success can be achieved. For workers with performance issues, replace failure with more training.
- Game elements should be individual-centric and learner-driven. Even if learners have peers, they still feel as if they are the hero of their game and not belittled by the existence of star performers.
- Gamified learning platform can maintain the levels from novice to master and their recognition through badges and quizzes.
- The gamified learning environment should also allow the employees a privy to the bigger picture of corporate objectives and performance goals, leaving lasting organizational change and improved communications.
eLearning is not just learning that is delivered in electronic form. It is a means to make learning more exciting and meaningful as well. Gamification is a proven way of increasing learner interest and delivering effective training. By exploring the many ways of implementing gamification, we can truly make corporate learning effective.
