A Complete Guide on eLearning Gamification Solutions
eLearning Gamification Solutions is the current demand in the training domain. In today’s changing learning environment, training containing only theoretical concepts is not adequate. How best you present your content is more important than the amount of content. Unless the learning content is engaging and interactive, today’s learners will not retain the content effectively.
What is eLearning Gamification?
Gamificaton in eLearning fulfils learning needs by offering an immersive and enjoyable learning experience. Gamification involves the use of gaming elements and gaming principles in a non-gaming environment, to create an engaging and effecting learning experience.
Gamification is the building of games into the content. These games must suit the context and should use gaming mechanics and dynamics that best work for the learners. The primary purpose of gamification is to engage the learners so that they retain the training content.
Gamification works by guiding the learners as they move forward in the game, helping them make the right decisions and in the process, understand the concepts in the course. Learners receive immediate feedback on their performance and are guided to the next steps for new achievements. Scenario-based or story-based concepts are interlinked with gamification to make the content more interesting.
Game Mechanics and Dynamics
In gamification, game mechanics and game dynamics help learners by guiding them with proactive directives and feedback. Game mechanics serve as the instructions and rewards that appear in a well-developed program. Game mechanics include points, levels, missions, leader boards and badges. They help learners move to their next steps and give learners feedback on their achievements.
Game dynamics on the other hand, denote emotions and behaviors that resonate with people. For example, competition through leaderboards, collaboration in completing team missions, newsfeeds, earning unique badges, and unlocking new missions. Game dynamics works along with game mechanics to foster engagement and to motivate learners.
Benefits of eLearning Gamification
There are several benefits of gamification in eLearning, including:
Fun: For majority of learners, a training activity in general, can evoke boredom and a feeling of compulsion. Gamification changes this perception altogether. Learners enjoy the challenges, competition, rewards, and the overall learning.
Immediate feedback: One of the biggest advantages in gamification is that learners understand concepts more closely, because of the situations they face and the immediate feedback they receive.
Consider a situation where the learner is forced to decide. Once the decision is made, feedback comes immediately guiding the learner to the next step. This type of activity-based learning gives immediate feedback, and helps learners grasp the training concepts more effectively.
Important tips to make gamification more effective
Unlike video games which are designed to entertain, gamification in eLearning has a purpose, which is to train the learners. The best practice is to choose gaming elements which are educational, engaging, and motivational. Here are tips that can help you develop gamification effectively.
Scenario/Story based gamification: Learners always enjoy a compelling storyline. Create a captivating scenario or storyline with characters that take the learners along the storyline path.
Build the story/scenario in such a way that the learners become a part of the plot. They must try to achieve success, which results in training them with the required knowledge. Scenario or story based gamification is one of the best ways to create engaging content.
Making the gaming activity challenging: Introduce the gaming in the form of gradation levels and make it more challenging as learners overcome one obstacle after another. The more challenging a gaming activity is, the more learners enjoy the gamification. As they complete one challenging task after another, offer rewards and badges as a gesture of encouragement. Ultimately, all challenges turn into reasons for learners to grasp and understand the concepts.
Make it competitive: The real crux of a gaming experience is to have healthy competition. Allow learners to compete against others in their own team or outside their team. You can also allow the learner to compete with their earlier efforts. This way, they strive harder to learn more.
Using simulations: If you want to train your learners on life-saving activities for example, using simulations combined with gaming elements is the best tool. Allow learners to take chances and make their own decisions to practice the skills they must learn.
The eLearning Solution has been offering effective gamification solutions for our many clients across the globe. We create the best learning experiences that use the latest technological advancements while combining compelling eLearning elements, such as gamification and simulations, to create effective corporate custom training solutions.
Related FAQs
Why should eLearning development companies consider gamification in eLearning?
Gamification is an extremely effective teaching tool. In this fast-paced learning environment, learning solutions should also be quick, straight forward and engaging. Incorporating gamification in eLearning is an ideal approach to make learning more retentive and effective.
Which authoring tool is good for gamification?
Many rapid authoring tools available in the market are good for gamification. Examples include:
Articulate Storyline
Elucidat
Adobe Captivate
Articulate Rise
Lectora
DominKnow
What learning methods need to be used to implement gamification in eLearning?
There are many ways to implement gamification in your course.
You can build a story/scenario around the gamification.
You can make it more challenging and engaging by using points, levels, missions, leader boards and badges.
You can include simulations in the gamification activity to enhance the learning outcome.
What are the primary benefits of gamification in elearning?
Gamification is the method of using gaming elements in a non-gaming context. There are many benefits of gamification in courses. They include:
Increasing motivation levels of the learner
Improving knowledge retention
Enhancing learner engagement through social mechanisms like badges, points, or leaderboards.