Why You Should Consider Game-Based Learning For Increased Learner Engagement
For organizations, what matters most is ROI on training, while for learners engagement and transferring the acquired knowledge & skills to their work. As a training manager, you make every effort to balance both knowledge transfer and ROI. When you focus on effective knowledge transfer among employees, the ROI parameter will be taken care of automatically. So, how do you do that? It’s simple – turn your online training into a game.
This facilitates higher learner engagement and better knowledge and skills transfer, and thereby a greater ROI to your organization. It’s not just logical reasoning; a number of studies have proven this.
According to a meta-analysis by the University of Colorado Denver Business School, students who played learning games ended up with 11% higher factual knowledge, 14% higher skill-based knowledge, and 9% higher retention rate than those who used other approaches. Players also developed 20% higher self-efficacy rates than other students.
So let’s see how game-based learning (GBL) benefits both learners and organizations.
For Employees
1. Improves Learner Engagement
According to a study, in a multi-device world, the average human's attention span is eight seconds; less than a goldfish’s. To overcome this obstacle and gain learners’ attention, you have to provide an interactive learning experience. Designing your online course as a game will help you engage your learners better.
Unlike other methods, game-based learning is active learning, where learners use their logical and kinesthetic abilities, so they are involved in the learning process naturally.
Opportunities to interact, react, experience failure in a risk-free environment, and retry lead to better engagement.
2. Triggers Extrinsic And Intrinsic Motivation
When you design your training as a game, you add game elements such as scores, levels, badges, leaderboards, and other incentives to provide the extrinsic motivation for learners to take up the online course.
Once they get started with the gamified course, factors such as curiosity, the urge to overcome the challenge, control, and fantasy will engross learners and fan the ‘intrinsic motivation’ for learning.
3. Facilitates Effective Knowledge Transfer
Game-based learning facilitates effective knowledge transfer so that employees can apply the knowledge and skills at their workplace and to their daily lives.
Game-based learning creates a simulated environment for learners to work toward an objective, where they can choose their actions and make mistakes without fearing the consequences in a risk-free environment.
4. Makes Learners’ Lives Easier
Learning games help learners relax and teach complex concepts effectively. Difficult concepts such as decision-making, critical thinking, and problem-solving can be taught easily using game-based learning.
Different game formats are used for various types of training. For example, simulation games are useful to impart skills on using software applications, and character-based games are used for soft skills.
5. Provides Prompt Feedback
The feedback facility in games in the form of lost powers, lives or reduced scores, points, and reward structures is prompt and helps learners know how they are performing. This helps your employees learn from their mistakes and correct themselves as they progress. Losing a power or a life will only compel them to play gain, avoiding the mistake – thereby perfecting the skill. The feedback option also shows training managers how effective and well-received the training is.
For Organizations
1. Offers Better Return On Investment (ROI)
When employees are better engaged and knowledge transfer is effective, that reflects in your workplace performance and productivity. Thus the aim of the learning game is fulfilled. In this way, your organization gets the best returns on the training investment in the game-based learning initiative.
2. Appeals To Workforce Of All Ages
Young and old, everyone like playing games. I heard about a grandmother in her 60s who plays Candy Crush on Facebook. Game-based learning appeals to a multi-generational workforce because the learning process is subconscious.
3. Builds Multiple Skill Sets
Game-based learning improves multiple skill sets of your employees, at various levels; thus it benefits organizations by equipping their employees to multitask. Learning games improve eye-hand co-ordination skills, decision-making, problem-solving, social skills, and more.
4. Get More For Less
Designing a game-based learning solution is cost-effective with the latest technological developments. New tools and software that are widely available have made game-based learning affordable. For the easy integration of games in learning, organizations can buy easy-to-modify game templates. However, when the level of complexity rises, 3D animations and graphics are involved and costs can go up. However, more than visual sophistication, the treatment of content and skill in using learning strategies are important to build engaging learning games.
Considering all these benefits, both from the learners’ and organizations’ perspective, game-based learning is worth the investment. So, go ahead and infuse games in your learning environment.
