eLearning Gamification: 3 questions to help you start playing

‘Gamification’ has been a buzzword for a while now, yet not many eLearning teams have ventured down the road of implementing it. So, is it a fad? Or do you need to get playing?

Gartner predicted that   by 2017, gamification would be the primary mechanism used by 40% of Fortune 1000 companies to transform business operations. If that prediction isn’t enough to get you playing, consider this: during    a University of Colorado study  on the impact of simulations and games in adult learners, participants in gamified eLearning experiences:

• Scored 14% higher in skill-based knowledge assessments
• Achieved 11% higher in terms of factual knowledge
• Had a 9% increase in retention rate

This shows that gamification not only helps online learners acquire knowledge and skills more effectively, but also it allows them to retain information and commit it to long term memory for future use.

The benefits of gamification are now well-documented and implementation is under way. The question is no longer ‘should you be playing?’ but ‘why are you not playing?’

So, with that in mind, where do you begin?  I’ve comprised 3 questions to kick start the process of gamification in your organization effectively.

1. How will we measure its success? 

   Knowing what you want to measure and how you will track the analytics are paramount to putting purpose behind the play. Taking the time to finalize what you want to measure will optimize both the efforts and money spent to convert your materials into gamified content, and highlight the return on your investment.One way to measure the success of any eLearning course, including gamified courses, is to measure learning success, i.e.   90% of learners passed the end-of-course assessment, or you can measure application, i.e.   60% of those who went through the course demonstrated improved skills.

2. What do we want our learners to retain and recall? 

   Gamification is the one of the most effective ways to make sure participants retain and recall information. This is a powerful tool not to be squandered, so make sure the play matches the mission of your organization, focusing on the information that you feel is most important for your learners to retain and recall.

3. How can we ensure that the gamification has real world application? 

   Playing is one of the best ways for participants to get real world experience without risk or fear of failure. Gamification can be used to better prepare your teams for any real world obstacles they will encounter before they begin. For example, gamification can be great for developing negotiation skills before putting your sales team in front of clients.

These three questions will help you move from thinking about gamification, to implementing it, whilst keeping you focused throughout. However, if you would like some more help, our eLearning experts are here to offer advice and guide you through the gamification process.  Set up a free consultation with one of our experts today    to discuss your current eLearning initiatives.