Employee Training & Why Learning Games Work

Research suggests that learning games appeal to employees because they drive engagement and result in better learning outcomes. A report by Gallup demonstrates that there is a significant difference between engaged and disengaged employees. Employees who learned through games were better engaged than the ones who received training through traditional learning methods. They outperformed the non-engaged employees in productivity and profitability.

Successful learning games bring about a sense of progress. Elements like points, badges, competition, and levels transform the boring content into something highly engaging. As a result, learners learn faster and retain the concepts better.

Gamification, games, and simulation – all the same?

Nope. They are three different ways to impart training. In gamification, game elements and mechanics are embedded in a non-game environment. Badges and leaderboards are examples of gamification. You may want to chunk your content under different levels, where the learners are awarded points or badges for clearing each level.

Game-based learning happens when all of the learning content is presented in a game. Game-based learning encourages learners to discover or test themselves on the content through fun and games. The more the learners play, the better they learn.

Simulations, on the other hand, replicate the real-life environment in the virtual world. Learners are presented with an environment or situation they may face in their regular job role. The simulated environment recreates their job environment. This platform provides an opportunity for the learner to practice their regular tasks without any fear of failing.

What are the advantages of learning games for corporate learners?

#1: They are highly immersive.
Games make learning fun. When the learners enjoy what they are doing, they are likely to be immersed in the task. When they are hooked to the course, they will take an effort to understand the concepts, retain the information, and actually apply it at work. It is important to ensure the level of challenge in the game is neither too high or too low. In either situation, we are likely to lose the learner.

#2: They offer a platform for trial and error.
Failure should be considered a learning experience. Employees need to take away wisdom every time they fail at something. It may not be possible to experiment in their jobs. Certain hazardous situations may even cause loss of life and property in case of failure. Games provide a fail-safe environment for the employees to practice as many times as they wish. If they make mistakes there is no real-world damage. Once they gain confidence during the practice sessions, they are likely to make fewer mistakes in real life.

#3: They tap into the cognitive and emotional components.
The cognitive part of the brain is not solely responsible for learning. Some decision-making activities happen in the affective part, too. Games tap into both parts of the human brain. The cognitive portion deals with analysis, comprehension, and similar parts of the learning process. Games allow the learners to use hints to assimilate information and resolve tasks. From an emotional perspective, games encourage employees to develop the right attitudes. They create situations where the learner has to use the correct response and emotion to resolve tasks.

With the advancement of technology and the younger generations entering the workforce, games are an effective way to impart training.

At Designing Digitally, Inc. we offer engaging, entertaining, and educational custom game-based learning experiences that are used to train employees and customers alike. Each learning module is built with specific game mechanics that are aligned with your learning objectives. Our aim is to help learners retain information while also enjoying the training experience.

To learn more about how a game-based training approach could work for your company’s needs, contact our team today.