Games, by their very nature, are designed to be interesting, interactive and competitive. And the more immersive a game is, the greater the drive on the part of the player to continuously improve their performance.
And isn’t that exactly what learning is about? Diving deeper into a subject, gaining greater knowledge, building expertise, and simply working to get better?
That’s why “game-based learning” and “gamification of learning content” have become such buzzwords – because they regularly offer better outcomes from the learning process.
Here are some of the most important ways in which gamification improves eLearning outcomes.
Making interactions more fun
Users don’t play video games only to keep score – they must find the game itself interesting enough to engage with. That’s true of eLearning courses too. Some ‘gamified’ corporate courses gamify only the rewards system – the leaderboard, points, levels, etc. Beyond that, the content and structure of the course itself must also be designed to fit the same requirement. The way to keep users coming back is to make the core action interesting in itself. Gamification perfectly integrates entertainment and the learning experience, every step of the way.
Keeping users engaged for longer
As a result of gamification in content and structure, the courses are more interesting to the learner. In standard, non-mandated corporate courses, many users drop out of the interaction midway or never log in at all. They have other important work to do during working hours, and the course just isn’t engaging enough for them to take it on during off-hours. With game-based learning, courses don’t just become more fun. Users can consume them more regularly and continuously, while absorbing the core message more effectively.
Leveraging the competitive spirit
A clear understanding of relative standing can be a wonderful motivator. By designing course structure and assessment in terms of wins, comparisons, and point scoring, users are enthused to perform and triumph. A public leaderboard adds visibility to the user’s successes. Other elements of gamification such as badges, levels and awards, points and progress records, perform a similar function.
Gamification in eLearning is the most effective way to get users to log in; to learn the content; to keep coming back; and to collaborate and compete with each other through the course, thus increasing engagement with each other and with the course. If you’re looking to enhance your corporate eLearning experience with gamification, get in touch with our experts today.
