The Emerging Trend Of Gamification In eLearning

The Emerging Trend Of Gamification In eLearning
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Summary: With the increasing proliferation of social media networks, mobile technology and Millennials in the workforce, gamification is gaining more popularity. It makes a perfect sense to implement modern technology to train the workforce.

Why Using Gamification In eLearning Helps New-age Learners Increase Their Workplace Efficiency And Stay Ahead Of The Curve

In today’s time, advanced communication technologies are changing the face of classroom training around the globe at a rapid pace. In the wake of this influx, trainers face daunting challenges as they need to teach modern learners who use technology that is evolving every day. eLearning is gaining huge popularity at workplace from the virtual classrooms to on-the-job training and personalized training. To make learning more entertaining and memorable, the use of gamification in eLearning is introduced. Initial engagement of learners can be the start of a new customer relationship, but continued engagement is the significant key for any business to be successful. To increase engagement, companies are adopting several gamification strategies to involve maximum audiences, resolve issues, and introduce novelty in everyday tasks.

It makes perfect sense to implement modern technology to train the workforce; advanced technologies that include mobility, analytics, and cloud-based services help putting the use of gamification in eLearning into the foreword.

Gamification is the use of game elements such as points, leaderboards, and achievements to enhance learning experience. Let us think about a game element - progress bar. If you apply it to eLearning, then it whelps driving more audiences and knowledge exposure. You can motivate learners to complete learning tasks so that they also experience a good feeling of a task done well. If you reward participants with an expert badge, it improves their retention and engagement levels.

Core Practices Of Gamified Learning

Taking learning out of the classroom environment and blending it with the day-to-day working methods is a good practice to follow, enabling employees to choose what to learn and when. Here are some of the practices that are followed:

  • Communication and collaboration in an organization is very important. Gamification is used as an effective way of communicating business goals and expected results. This, in, turn, bridges the gap between organizational objectives and employees’ performance, driving more retention.
  • Gamification in eLearning is one of the most influential forms of on-the-job training. It should be combined with different types of gamification projects as an additional activity. Sometimes when employees are not happy with their individual performances, they are prompted to attend eLearning programs which enable them to follow a realistic path to enhanced workplace productivity.
  • It is essential to integrate varied game elements with learning management systems to analyze employees’ workday. This implies that while workplace activities are gamified, learning strategies are also served within the same gamification project.
  • Games are used to encourage team participation at workplace. As no one wants to let their team down, the engagement levels grow exponentially, participants answer questions related to presentations and collaborate more to score the highest. Employees are more loyal to team challenges in comparison to individual ones.
  • Gamification can also be applied to enterprise learning during the on-boarding process by enabling self-paced learning for new employees.

Gamified Learning: Its Features At A Glance

The concept of gamification is not globally accepted as a learning strategy so it is essential to impart more learning to train workforce about the value of such tools. Some of the core features of gamified eLearning include the following:

1. Narration

Narrative learning which includes a story with some context should be included. For instance: In a car-racing scenario, training is given in the ‘pit stop’ area where drivers come to revive their car’s ability and employees train for improved work-related knowledge.

2. Game-Style Elements

These elements are encompassed to track employees’ learners’ progress, team challenges, questionnaires, and more. In addition, team-based elements such as karma points should also be included.

3. Leveled Learning

Learning should be divided into levels from new employees to experts, recognized with reward points and badges.

4. Reinforce Learning

Performance issues of employees are addressed with training. By reinforcing positive action, employees are encouraged to complete training tasks, score more in the game and improve their skills set.

With gamification, participants access their own activities by evaluating their decisions and taking the required actions. The main characteristic of game is challenge and learner should remember that challenge should match the skill level of the participant and adapt to multiple levels of the game.

Gamification applies robust game design techniques to online learning courses. These tactics help organizations inspire diffident workers and enhance learners’ participation, retention and achievements. Games also provide a secure environment that leverage different skill acquisition. The basic skills set starts from the eye-hand coordination skills and continues to complex decision making and problem-solving skills. In gamified learning environment, learning by doing and experiential learning are in foreground. Using games, a plethora of learning opportunities can be introduced followed by an exploratory approach. Consequently, learners are more active in knowledge procurement, engaged in reconstructing, reinventing and experimenting to make it more organized and eloquent.

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