“Playing to learn” is the philosophy behind gamification, which has come to revolutionize the training industry, especially in areas such as continuous education and skill development. The key is that it truly engages employees, and it’s clear that interactive learning is much more effective.
But why do people respond so positively when employee training programs incorporate game elements? There are three key aspects:
Engagement Mechanisms
If we think about all the elements that made Super Mario, Pac-Man, and Tetris so addictive, it’s because the game revolved around achieving goals: earning points by acquiring certain items or solving puzzles. Moreover, games reward behavior in a satisfying way, such as leveling up or earning badges after reaching certain objectives.
Game mechanics can also help your workforce stay absorbed in the learning experience. If employees enjoy the training, they are more likely to complete the course and retain knowledge, especially when working with millennials who statistically are more likely to enjoy video games in their free time.
Rankings to Enhance Interactive Learning Dynamics
Many games have public leaderboards where players can track and see who is performing better and who is falling behind.
Although the goal is not to encourage a competitive culture, managers and training and human resources personnel can use this information internally to better understand which employees grasp concepts and which ones require additional training, or to gain a better understanding of the team’s progress and competencies.
Microlearning as an Aspect of Interactive Learning
One cannot truly appreciate gamification without exploring the psychology behind microlearning. This methodology has changed the way we create e-learning training courses, benefiting everyone!
Microlearning breaks down a large concept into smaller pieces and then teaches each piece. Studies show that microlearning methods increase a learner’s knowledge retention by at least 50 percent. So, by using gamification, you are adopting the mindset of microlearning and implementing interactive learning!
