How to Judge the Effectiveness of a Game | Designing Digitally, Inc.

Elearning Development CompaniesHow to Judge the Effectiveness of a Game

The explosion of the elearning market has been a good thing for elearning development companies. That’s not a surprise. However, one result of this tremendous growth hasn’t been as much of a good thing.

An industry report shows that between the years 2009 and 2010, the amount of money spent on employee learning in the U.S. increased by 26%. Mobile learning is also on the rise, making up 40% of Fortune Global 500 investments in types of training methods.

What, then, is the downside? The tremendous growth creates an urgency to produce and produce quickly. There comes a point when rapid creation results in a lower-quality product. A product that isn’t up to par has the capability to give the entire industry a bad name. A few bad apples really can spoil the whole bunch when it comes to poorly executed elearning games.

What are the hallmarks of an effective game?

Elearning development companies need to set the bar high and keep it there. Here are some standards that should remain intact.

Sound instructional design. Each eLearning program should lay out clear learning objectives. The program should be evaluated to make sure that the content is in line with those objectives and that the end result shows the objectives being met.
High level of engagement. An eLearning program that is considered “good” will offer plenty of opportunities for the learner to engage with the content. The more interaction there is with the activity, the higher the chances are of maximum retention of the content. Being able to recall and apply what has been learned is the sign that real learning has taken place.
High-quality graphics. Appealing interfaces and eye-catching graphics will draw a player in. It’s important for the look of the graphics to match the content and tone of the program. For example, a serious topic shouldn’t have cutesy graphics.
Smooth technology. An eLearning program with glitches will quickly frustrate the user. A frustrated learner won’t be learning much at all. Make sure all of the technical components are working the way they should.
Stick to a reasonable timeframe. The activity shouldn’t last so long that users lose interest. If there are several learning objectives, divide the course into multiple lessons or modules.
Positive return on investment. The elearning program should be profitable for the company that developed it, as well as the consumers who choose to implement it.

It’s a good idea for an eLearning development company to put a team of people together to evaluate an activity before it is released for consumers. Exposing a diverse group of test subjects to the program will give a better overall view of what works well and what may need to be tweaked. Revising the program based on feedback creates the best product possible.

The growth of eLearning as a viable corporate training method has prompted many companies to try to churn out as many programs as possible. The ones that will stand the test of time as truly effective learning tools will adhere to these standards. For more information on how to create, implement, and track an effective serious game contact us today!