10 Best Examples of Gamification in Online Learning
Employee training has come a long way from those days when attending long presentations in dull conference rooms or poring over text-dense manuals was the norm. Online learning is in vogue nowadays, especially when companies need to teach and train a massive, distributed workforce. And gamification is lending that online learning culture a whole new edge. In fact, you might be interested to know that those who engage in gamification (or game-based learning) are known to score 14% better during assessments. Plus, over 70% of corporate employees say that the use of gamification in learning motivates them to work harder and more productively.
These interesting statistics suggest that effective gamification in learning makes any employee training program much more fun, creative, and engaging. Having said that, gamification learning is not simply about making a video game – but about including various elements and practices that make learning fun.
So, let us look at the 10 best examples of gamification in online learning to get a better idea.
Storytelling A great story can captivate any online learner, as it can forge an emotional bond quickly. Storytelling is an effective medium to gamify learning through an engaging plot, central characters, and the use of avatars (for the participating employee). Apart from making learning fun, storytelling adds to the unpredictability and curiosity factors, egging on online learners to find out “what happens next”.
Visual designs Another example of combining gamification and learning is the use of eye-catching visual designs and graphics that can stimulate the learner. The use of bright colors and designs in the right place can enhance the employee training program. Visual designs on an online learning platform are not just about "attractive graphics and images", but they also include other elements like interactive videos, typography (that complements the design), and animations.
Quizzes Quizzes are an effective mode of interacting with online learners and keeping them engaged for a long time. Gamified quizzing can be highly effective in assessing the participant’s knowledge and finding out more about an individual’s profile and interests. Quizzes can also be integrated into gamified competitions and can motivate learners when combined with rewards and badges.
Competitions Gamification used in learning can spark healthy competition among employees. Through regular competitions, an employee can be motivated to perform better than their peers or even superiors. As a tip, include a leader board to rank employees based on their performance. Gamification expert, Mario Herger, talks about gamified competition as a way to learn “how well people deal with competition.” He adds that while “some are hyper-competitive and thrive with competition, others fail under stress scenarios.”
Beginner-level coding Previously, gamification of learning and instruction has been successfully used in beginner-level software programming (or coding) to make it more interesting for children or young adults. By including gamified elements like animated characters and stories, children were able to grasp the basic concepts of HTML and JavaScript coding. With the growing awareness about the importance of coding skills, educational platforms like Codeacademy are enabling adults to learn basic coding using gamification tools and techniques.
Learner feedback Instant feedback shared with online learners using gamification is a great way of updating them on the progress they have made. As each learner completes a task or a quiz, instant feedback on their progress can encourage them to move to the next task or level. Additionally, feedback can be collated from each learner at the end of a training module to learn about the quality of the module and gather suggestions for the next module.
Rewards Gamified rewards are among the best ways to trigger human emotions like fulfillment and excitement. Rewards can boost younger employees to complete tasks or learning modules and can provide instant gratification. Gamification rewards can be offered in the form of stars that can be accumulated to be eligible for a "real" gift card. Additionally, rewards can be a great way of acknowledging good learning behavior and can even be personalized based on individual employee profiles.
Badges Badges are another good example of using gamification in education and learning at an organizational level. Badges can be given out to recognize a learner’s professional expertise and skills. Moreover, digital badges from recognized companies indicate that the person’s expertise has been validated and can be shared on online social platforms. Apart from that, simple badges in gamification can be awarded to motivate learners and encourage higher learning outcomes.
Simulations Simulation-based training is a highly effective solution if you are wondering how to gamify learning of complex or hazardous tasks, like operating a flight or working at a construction site. Typically, technologies like Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) are widely used for gamified simulations. Additionally, simulation-driven gamified learning can be used to recreate real-life scenarios like customer interactions or a sales process.
Assessments Gamified assessments are the best way for companies to determine “how much their employees know” in a low-stress environment. Based on the current skill assessment, future training programs and gamification methods can be devised. Besides, gamification can be effectively used in the recruitment process, making the process more attractive and engaging to job seekers.
Conclusion The above 10 examples elaborate the benefits of gamification in learning and how it can boost online learning for employees of different ages. If you need more guidance to implement different gamification techniques, approaching the right platform will help.
Among the leading gamified learning platforms, Oust Labs has carved a special niche for itself by empowering over a million users with the best microlearning tools on their mobile phones. With over a million app downloads, this learning-based gamification platform has helped its clients to optimize workforce training affordably.
Want to know how gamified learning can work for your organization? Just book a demo with us today.