Adding gamification to a learning experience is a hot trend in corporate training. A TalentLMS survey found that 61 percent receive training with gamification and 83 percent of those who receive gamified training feel motivated, while 61 percent of those who receive non-gamified training feel bored and unproductive.
In this blog, we review some of the basics of gamification in training and provide insights about how to incorporate it into your learning experiences.
What is gamification?
Where is gamification used?
What are gamification techniques?
How to design gamification
More best practices for gamification
Gamified learning platforms
Benefits of using gamification in training
Companies that use gamification
How LEAi supports gamification
What is gamification?
Gamification is the process of adding game mechanics or elements, such as points, badges, levels, and leaderboards, into the learning environment.
The purpose of gamification in training is to avoid long, boring sequences of raw information. It makes learning more enjoyable and effective by leveraging our natural inclination towards competition, achievement, and rewards and help learners achieve specific learning goals.
Gamification in training goes beyond traditional methods by transforming content into interactive experiences that promote active participation and knowledge retention. By adding game-like elements, such as challenges, feedback loops, and progress tracking, gamification creates a sense of achievement and progression, driving learners to stay motivated and engaged throughout the training journey.
A clear distinction to make is that gamification is not the same as adding in a game. Gamification is simply a matter of enhancing material so that it becomes more fun and engaging for a trainee, rather than designing an entire game that contains related content.
Where is gamification used?
Gamification is not limited to any specific type of training. It can be applied to a wide range of learning programs, including employee onboarding, compliance training, sales training, customer service training, and even academic courses.
The flexibility and adaptability of gamification make it suitable for diverse industries and learning objectives. Whether it’s teaching employees about company policies, training sales teams on product knowledge, or helping students grasp complex concepts, gamification adds a layer of engagement and interactivity that traditional training methods often lack. With gamification, learning becomes an exciting journey that keeps participants motivated and invested in their own development.
What are gamification techniques
A common gamification technique is tests or quizzes, which improves learner engagement and reinforces knowledge. Another gamification technique is offering challenges where the learner is required to complete a task but is not penalized if they fail or complete the task incorrectly. Adding points, tracking, badges, leaderboards and levels to tests and challenges helps learners gain the benefits of gamification.
According to the TalentLMS survey on gamification techniques
- 71% mention badges as the most common gamification element.
- 59% say they’re granted points by an app or software at work.
- 56% are awarded virtual or physical rewards for accomplishments.
- 51% put leaderboards fourth.
- 47% work with levels.
How to design gamification
Add personalization: Give learners the ability to personalize their online persona that best represents them. This may include allowing learners to change their user Id colour and avatar which are used in leaderboards. Other ways to personalize learning is to use their name throughout the course and allowing them to choose their own learning path versus prescribing one for them.
Incorporate storytelling and narrative: Incorporate storytelling and narrative elements into your gamified training modules to create a compelling and immersive experience. Develop a storyline that connects the training content with real-world scenarios or challenges. Introduce characters, conflicts, and objectives that resonate with learners and provide context for the learning material. By weaving a narrative throughout the training, you create a sense of purpose and engagement that keeps learners invested in their journey.
Make games challenging: If you have ever played a game, you will know that easy games become boring very quickly. This same principle applies to gamified training. While game mechanics might seem innovative and fun to a learner at first, creating very easy interactive activities will make the learner quickly lose interest. Make the material challenging to force the learners to know the material well and “pass” to the next “level” in the gamified content.
Experiment with different activities: There are a variety of interactive activities that can be implemented into an online course, such as tests, mini-games, and competitions between learners. Consider experimenting with different activities to create variety in a course and prevent the feeling of repetitiveness.
Break longer sections into shorter parts: Break up longer text sections into shorter parts, and mix in plenty of interactive elements to avoid boring training. This will also allow you to have activities that focus on specific information, instead of ones that try to cover large segments at a time and that may overlook key details.
Add time pressure or urgency: Adding time pressure and urgency in gamification helps to emulate real-life scenarios and increases focus and attention and encourages quick decision-making. A sense of urgency also adds excitement and adrenaline to the learning experience and boosts motivation.
Add rewards: Many people enjoy playing games with rewards or the ability to “win”. Ensure that there is some form of incentive for continuing to progress through the course.
Add levels: Having learners earn experience after completing tasks or having them “level up” after certain activities will promote a feeling of accomplishment. It can also help trainers, facilitators and management understand how the learner is performing relative to others.
Create a reward/leaderboard system: Another way that games motivate players is by having a scoreboard that shows the names and current scores of leading competitors. Called leaderboards, these can motivate learners to complete the course and work harder in order to be the top “player”.
Add social interaction and collaboration: Promote social interaction and collaboration within your gamified training modules. Incorporate features that allow learners to interact with their peers, such as discussion forums, chat rooms, or collaborative activities. Encourage learners to share their experiences, insights, and challenges with others, fostering a sense of community and peer learning. By providing opportunities for social interaction, you enhance the overall learning experience and tap into the power of collective knowledge and support.
Test games extensively: As with any form of training, make sure that all of the implemented game mechanics are well thought out and have been tested thoroughly. Ensure that any gamified features work properly, that learners can interact effectively with others (if that is part of the course), and that any reward system is functioning. Try going through the course many times, to make sure that all relevant content is also presented at appropriate times, and that nothing was skipped during the gamification process.
More best practices
Define clear learning objectives: Before incorporating gamification into your training programs, clearly define the learning objectives, including specific skills, knowledge, or behaviors you want participants to acquire or improve you want to achieve. Understanding the desired outcomes will help you align game mechanics and activities with the intended learning outcomes.
Identify target audience and preferences: Consider the preferences and characteristics of your target audience when designing gamified training programs. Different demographics may have varying levels of familiarity with gaming concepts and preferences for certain game mechanics. Conduct surveys or interviews to gather insights about their gaming experiences, motivations, and preferences. This information will help you tailor the gamified elements to suit the interests and needs of your learners, increasing their engagement and motivation.
Don’t implement entire games: The focus of gamification is not to create entire new games to be used to try and teach content, but rather supplement existing content with interactive activities. Make sure that you don’t lose sight of your learning objectives while gamifying training, and remember that the priority is always to teach material or skills.
Refresh information constantly: Relevant information is always changing, and as such, gamification training and development should also be constantly tweaked in order to keep up. It is always a good idea to periodically review the material being taught, either through the gamified content or by evaluating learners that have completed it, and then modify the course to match new company needs.
Focus on intrinsic learning, not external rewards: One of the largest goals with gamification in training is to encourage learners to seek more learning opportunities outside of the training or course, rather than finish the course and never consider the topic again. As such, any gamification for learning used should aim to make the content more enjoyable to learn and should help motivate them to continue to expand their knowledge on the subject.
Foster a sense of competition and collaboration: Gamification often involves elements of competition and collaboration, which can significantly enhance engagement and motivation. Incorporate leaderboards or rankings to encourage healthy competition among participants. This friendly competition drives learners to strive for better performance and can create a sense of excitement and camaraderie. Additionally, incorporate collaborative activities, such as team challenges or group discussions, to foster collaboration and peer learning. Encouraging participants to work together towards a common goal enhances the social aspect of learning and promotes knowledge sharing.
Ask for feedback on the training: One of the best ways for developers to gamify training effectively is to ask for feedback on the game mechanics implemented in a course, and then use what they learn to improve the training. For example, if through feedback developers find that learners think that a certain activity is too tedious, they can choose to shorten or simplify the activity, or omit it altogether.
Gamified learning platforms
Many Learning Management Systems (LMS), offer gamification features to complement learning delivery. Here is a list of common gamification features to look for in your learning platforms.
- Built-in game mechanics – Game mechanics are the structure to build games. Look for learning platforms that already include features like badges, points, and other rewards that motivate your corporate learners.
- Customizable badges – Many LMS offer the ability to customize the colours, graphics and other aspects of the badges.
- Social learning – Some platforms provide the opportunity to engage with peers and pit their talents against the top performers.
- Personal progress tracking – This feature gives learners the power to see how far they’ve come and what they have left. More advanced implementations of this feature allow creators to go beyond simple progress bars.
- Leaderboards – This feature tracks points for positive behaviour and provides a fun way to create friendly competition between learners.
Some examples of learning platforms that have gamification features include TalentLMS, Docebo, iSpring Learn, Thinkific, and UpsideLMS.
Benefits of using gamification in training
Makes training fun and engaging: Arguably the biggest benefit with using gamification for training is that it creates an enjoyable learning environment for learners. It replaces conventional training techniques with interactive activities and various motivating factors, all of which are designed to make learners have more fun while being trained. Giving them an enjoyable experience will improve overall company morale, and will make them more open to being trained further in the future.
Improves information retention: When learners are more engaged with the training that they are doing, they will naturally retain more information. Adding in tests to earn points or experience, small competitions between learners or even just a scoreboard to show top players will play into learners’ competitive sides and motivate them to learn the information better and improve their performance, which in turn also results in them retaining more information after the course is completed.
Improves learning outcomes: Gamification has been shown to improve learning outcomes by fostering a deeper understanding of the subject matter. Through interactive experiences and practical application, learners are encouraged to think critically, analyze situations, and make informed decisions.
Encourages active learning: By creating motivating factors for learners, they will often pursue their learning on their own, and will strive to complete the training without being prompted to. This establishes a habit of active learning, where learning is sought out rather than forced on them. By gamifying training, it will no longer feel like a responsibility or a chore to complete, but rather an opportunity, which will make for a better training experience.
Personalizes learning experiences: By incorporating adaptive elements, such as branching scenarios and personalized feedback, gamified training programs can adapt to the learner’s progress and provide targeted support. Learners can navigate through the training at their own pace, focusing on areas where they need more practice or revisiting content for reinforcement. This personalized approach enhances the effectiveness of training by catering to individual learning styles and ensuring that participants receive the right level of challenge and support.
Allows for easy performance assessment: By using gamification in training and including some type of level or experience system, trainers can easily see how any learner is performing at any given time by checking what level they have reached, or how much experience they have earned.
Certain levels can also be set to only be unlocked through the completion of certain evaluations, and thus trainers will know which learners have completed key parts of the course. Leaderboards will show which learners are performing the best, and which ones require assistance with their training.
However, the addition of gamification does not have to stop other assessment methods typically used with online courses. Trainers can still check assignments or look at performance on tests in a gamified course to know exactly what level of knowledge learners have reached.
Companies that use gamification
Whether it be through gamification apps for training or simply online course gamification, there are many companies who already employ gamification in order to improve their training.
Domino’s
As they expanded, Domino’s needed an effective training method that could be used globally. The restauranter created a gamified online system that taught new skills in small modules and included scoreboards and levels. This new training method was so effective that they launched a mobile app called Pizza Hero, which incorporated even more game mechanics and further improved the competency of new hires. Overall, with their success of gamification, they reported an increase in sales by up to 30 percent.
AstraZeneca
In order to train a large volume of staff on a variety of new products, AstraZeneca decided to invest in a gamified system that would help train 500 sales agents about their new drugs, increase agent engagement and foster team-building. Not only did they succeed in getting employees excited for the new products, but they also reported a completion rate of 95% for each module included in the system.
McDonald’s
The fast-food company used gamification to train front-line servers to use new cash registers. The gamified course led learners through a series of increasingly challenging exercises of serving customers. Within the first six weeks, the course was played by 50,000 employees and it saved the company £1/2 million in direct training costs.
How LEAi supports gamification
LEAi is our training content creation tool that imports the raw documents and presentation from your subject-matter experts and using AI, creates well-structured training content for you. Not only does LEAi help create the training content for you, it also creates your learning objectives, course description and test questions that can be used for your gamification.
If you would like to get a demo of our LEAi or discuss how to incorporate gamification into your program, give us a shout.
Last Updated : October 12, 2024
