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Gamification
From hype to a powerful learning tool. It won’t always fit the content or the target audience, but there is a huge power behind gamification. Next to that, it’s so much more than just scoring points or drive competition. The power of gamification mainly lies in driving people to either get started or to continue learning. Motivation is the single most important driver in learning both new skills.
The power of gamification mainly lies in driving people to either get started or to continue learning. Motivation is the single most important driver in learning both new skills and knowledge and improving existing ones.
What is my score?
Basically, a game defines a balance between freedom and rules. In e-learning we look for the perfect balance between playing and learning. We do that based on 5 parameters:
- Competition
- Challenge
- Opportunities and rewards
- Immersion
- Fun
Game on...
A little competition can often help as an incentive. Some clear, predetermined goals, and an online leaderboard, a dashboard, or a ranking that provides transparent insight.
Learning (with or without gamification) should be challenging, not too easy nor too difficult.
Rewarding the desired behavior or the right knowledge matters, whether this is one with badges, trophies, certificates, points, or bonus content. Maybe there is even a real price attached to an achievement. It’s about getting the feeling of being appreciated.
Immerse yourself, with avatars or fictional characters. Within the rules of the game, you decide your strategy, sometimes you lose, and you will have to redo a level. But in the end, you will achieve your goal.
Like gaming, learning should also be fun, look graphically appealing, and be a real experience. Playing either alone or together.
Learn on…
Life is more fun if you play games.
What type are you?
And then there are different player types. Specific gamification interventions work better or worse on each of these types.
The theory behind all this is a bit much for this page. Nevertheless, you can read more about this in the article “Bartle’s Player Types for Gamification”.
Feel free to contact us to find out more about this.
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