How do you choose the right tools and platforms for gamification and storytelling in instructor-led training?

1 Gamification tools and platforms

Gamification is the utilization of game elements, such as points, badges, leaderboards, rewards, and feedback, to enhance the learning experience and outcomes. Gamification tools and platforms are software applications that enable designing, creating, and managing gamified learning activities and scenarios. When selecting a gamification tool or platform, consider features such as the ability to customize game elements to meet learning objectives and audience preferences, compatibility with an existing learning management system (LMS) or other delivery platforms, ease of use and accessibility for both instructors and learners, and availability of analytics and reports to track and measure learning progress and impact. Some examples of gamification tools and platforms are Kahoot, Quizizz, Classcraft, and Badgeville.

2 Storytelling tools and platforms

Storytelling is a powerful way to communicate messages, illustrate concepts, and inspire change. Storytelling tools and platforms are software applications that enable you to create and share interactive and immersive stories for enhanced learning. When selecting a storytelling tool or platform, consider features such as the ability to create rich multimedia content, add interactivity, adapt stories to different devices and formats, and integrate with an existing learning management system (LMS) or other delivery platforms. Popular storytelling tools and platforms include H5P, Storyline, Twine, and Adobe Spark.

3 How to align gamification and storytelling with your learning objectives

Choosing the right tools and platforms for gamification and storytelling requires aligning them with your learning objectives. These objectives should be specific and measurable outcomes that learners achieve after completing training. Questions to ask yourself when aligning gamification and storytelling with learning objectives include: what do you want learners to know, do, or feel after the training; how can game elements and story elements motivate, challenge, and support learners; how can they reinforce, apply, and transfer learning content; and how can they assess and provide feedback to learners?

4 How to choose the right tools and platforms for your audience

When choosing the right tools and platforms for gamification and storytelling, you should consider your audience. Your audience is the group of people who will participate in your training, and they have different characteristics, needs, preferences, and expectations. Therefore, it’s important to tailor your gamification and storytelling strategies to suit your audience and make sure they are relevant, engaging, and accessible. Ask yourself questions such as who your learners are and what their backgrounds, interests, goals, motivations, learning styles, preferences, abilities, technical skills, devices, and internet access are. Additionally, consider how they will access, interact with, and collaborate on the gamified and story-based learning activities.

5 How to choose the right tools and platforms for your budget

When deciding on the right tools and platforms for gamification and storytelling, your budget should be taken into account. You must consider your budget alongside your learning objectives and audience needs to get the best value for money. Ask yourself questions such as: how much money do you have to spend? What are the costs and benefits of different tools and platforms? Are there any free or open-source options? Can you optimize your budget by using a combination of tools or leveraging existing resources or partnerships? Answering these questions can help you make an informed decision.

6 How to choose the right tools and platforms for your evaluation

When choosing the right tools and platforms for gamification and storytelling, you should also consider your evaluation. This process involves collecting and analyzing data to measure the effectiveness and impact of your training project, as well as identify areas for improvement. For this reason, you should select tools and platforms that make it easy to collect and analyze data accurately. You should ask yourself questions such as: What indicators or metrics do you want to measure (e.g. engagement, retention, satisfaction, performance, behavior, or impact)? How will you collect and store the data (e.g. surveys, quizzes, feedback forms, analytics, or reports)? How will you analyze and interpret the data (e.g. descriptive statistics, inferential statistics, or qualitative methods)? And how will you report and communicate the results (e.g. dashboards, charts, graphs, or narratives)?