How can you gamify your corporate learning course?

Designing Digitally

01/17/2018

gamification of learning

Gamified courses use principles of gaming to create engaging learning modules. When used effectively, gamification can help corporate employees learn and retain knowledge better. Gamified learning typically includes components of a storyline, characters, challenges, and rewards.

Here are a few things to keep in mind before you opt for gamifying your corporate learning

Where can you apply gamification?

Gamification can be used in the corporate sector to address a variety of training needs like induction, soft-skills, onboarding, and so on. Traditional e-learning courses and ILT training can be partially gamified with the help of gamified assessments. Corporate training can also be integrated with social learning. For example, you can use learner curated content, or provide access to SMEs to connect and clarify questions. The online gaming concept is quite popular where users from all around the world come together and compete against each other. This kind of collaboration can be implemented in corporate learning too.

What is the problem that you wish to resolve?

Gamification is effective when there is a defined goal, and the learner must demonstrate specific behaviors or tasks to achieve that goal. The first step is to identify the problem area along with the ideal results. Then, draw up a plan with action items that will guide the employees to achieve the target goal. The idea is not only to make training fun but make it relevant and effective.

What processes should you gamify?

First off, ensure that your process is not flawed. If it is faulty, adding game elements will not make it successful. Adding gamified learning to a robust process will add huge value to the processes and help you reach the targeted goal. Also, be realistic with your expectations. Gamified learning does have an immediate influence on the learner, but it may not be sustainable. Employees gradually get immune to the game and lose the effectiveness. So, make sure that the gamification process is agile and tracks behavioral patterns.

What elements should be present in the corporate gamification course?

Storyline with challenges. A compelling storyline is a must. There should be decision points in the story that are realistic. Provide choices to the learners and increase their level of difficulty as the learner proceeds. A best practice is to convert the learning objectives into challenges.

Protagonist. If the learners identify with the protagonist, they are more invested in the training. Try and put the learners into the driver’s seat.

Feedback and rewards. Instant feedback is imperative. If you let your corporate learners experience the consequences of the choices they make, they will learn and retain knowledge better. So, provide feedback at every step. Praise them or coax them, but do not let them feel neglected. And of course, provide them with rewards wherever possible. It can be badges, medals, material rewards, and so on.

At Designing Digitally, Inc., we create customized gamified learning that allows learners to practice skills in a real-life virtual environment. They can make mistakes and learn from them.

Get in touch with us and we will show you how games can be effective tools of learning.