The Role of Gamification in Corporate eLearning

Gamification refers to the application of game-design elements with rewards such as points, badges, leader boards and storylines to educational concepts for improved user engagement. It is certain that gamification has redefined expectations in the eLearning sphere.

The technology’s impact on education has resulted into this form of learning for more interactivity and engagement and is a new way of learning that is poised to have a great impact on the way we teach.

New technologies have revolutionized corporate learning. The way learning and interaction take place has completely changed.

Gartner reveals in its Gamification 2020 report that ‘Gamification is going to have a significant impact along with emerging technologies and trends’ in terms of:

One of the key factors to take into account is that the structure and dynamics gamification need to have a relevant relationship with the content. And whilst gamification definitely makes eLearning more fun, it provides many other benefits including:

A big advantage of gamification is that engagement and interaction levels increase for learners when they learn through gamification techniques. Having an effective gamification strategy with a high level of engagement leads to increased recall and retention. This is what encourages learners to actively engage in the academic content and develop a positive attitude towards learning. This ultimately results into increased learning productivity.

The motivation to play and win creates a positive attitude towards learning when playing a fun game. There is no doubt that making mistakes are essential for intellectual growth. Gamification allows learners to learn from their mistakes. In a gaming world, learners are constantly challenged to grow and adapt to the game. For instance, the decision of taking a risk in a virtual setting helps control the downside of intellectual risk-taking for learners. Having the freedom to fail through games helps employees to be more motivated to try until they succeed.

Another advantage of gamification in eLearning is that it produces an effective, informal learning environment. This allows learners to understand real-life situations and challenges in a safe setting. They are more likely to retain what they are learning when they enjoy playing an interesting game. It’s wise to leverage gamification to teach complex topics, as it can lead to a more engaged learning experience and enhanced knowledge retention.

Game-based learning modules have proven to increase the engagement factor by involving the learner. This higher level of interaction, leads to higher interest in the content, and therefore completion rates for these types of training courses. This is certainly backed by insights from our own gamified learning content.

Learners can take on new identities and roles through the games, asking them to make in-game decisions from new vantage points. As a result, there is an enthusiastic participation throughout a game-based module, allowing learners to closely interact with the subject matter.

It’s certain that gamification techniques for corporate training improves overall learning outcomes and learning effectiveness. Learners are more engaged and are building their understanding through immediate and instructive feedback loops, which increases the impact of your employees’ training.

The best part is that, after finishing a game-based learning module, learners feel a sense of achievement. This is mainly due to the use of certain features that are linked with the idea of success, such as points, levels, badges, leaderboards, etc. Having immediate feedback helps learners understand what they know or should know leading to better engagement and enhanced retention.

The frequency, intensity, and immediacy of feedback are important elements to consider for improved learner engagement. As a result, the more frequent and immediate the feedback is, the greater the learning effectiveness and engagement. Clear and immediate feedback is the key for increased engagement.

There is no doubt that the use of gamification in corporate training is bringing it one-step closer to the future. When companies include gaming concepts and game-based principles in their training solutions — online, blended or face-to-face — they are more likely to experience improved learner attitude and motivation. The main objective of gamification in eLearning is to create something that captivates learners’ attention, challenges them, and engages and entertains them while learning.

Taking advantage of gamification in corporate learning will enable you to apply gaming mechanics in the non-game situation. It is in fact the magical and powerful tool to build an environment where you can learn things in the real-life situation. Additionally, it is the cost-effective, trustworthy and easy-to-adopt approach, which can transform any learning environment.

Explore Skill Dynamics’ Beer Game or earn more about our elearning solutions for corporate training