7 Things You Should Know about the Gamification of Learning & Instruction

As more and more organizations implement gamification, it’s important to understand the various aspects of gamification so it can be implemented and used properly to gain desired organizational results.

Here are seven things a professional in the L&D field should know about gamification.

1)  There are many different “flavors” of gamification. Gamification is not a one-size-fits-all solution. There are two major types of gamification, Structural Gamification which means that game elements are placed around learning content but the content doesn’t change and Content Gamification which means the content changes to be more game like. Underneath the categories of Structural and Content gamification are other sub-types of gamification such as competition-based gamification, game-based gamification and progression-based gamification all under Structural Gamification. For more see Types of Structural Gamification.

2)     There will be losers. Often a great deal of time is spent thinking of how gamification is motivational and interesting for learners but there is a downside. Usually there can only be one or a few winners and many people who don’t win (called usually “losers”). Serious consideration needs to be undertaken to decide how to fashion a gamification strategy so the “sting” of losing is minimized and the focus remains on winning.

3)  Good, sound questions need to be written. In almost all Structural Gamification platforms a major element is the use of questions. Questions are used to determine winners, provide points and assess knowledge of the learners. If your organization does not have a good bank of questions, one of the early aspects of implementing gamification is to create a bank of questions. And the questions need to be written to gage many levels of knowledge from comprehension to application and synthesis of knowledge.

4)  You have to be vigilant to deter cheating. While the main point of gamification is to provide learners with an engaging and meaningful learning opportunity, some folks may only pay attention to the winning aspect and, therefore, do anything to “win”. You must look for unusually fast completions, amazingly high scores and other anomalies that might indicate a person or a group is leveraging an unfair advantage. Don’t assume that just because people are at work that they won’t cheat. They will. And in an academic environment, the temptation is even greater.

5)  Points, Badge and Leaderboards can actually be effective for learning, if implemented correctly. While PBLs often get a bad rap (and often deservedly so), there is a correct and incorrect way to implement PBLS. Take the time to understand how these three elements can be best implemented to avoid just slapping “lip stick on pig” as the saying goes. Since every major Structural Gamification platform uses PBLs, you need to know how to use them correctly.

6)  Well-designed content gamification can look awfully close to a learning game. With Content Gamification, there is a great deal of design that goes into making the content like a game. In fact, if a designer adds a large number of game elements, dynamics and or mechanics, content gamification can actually shift into a learning or serious game. At the outer edge of the definitions of a learning game and content gamification, there is overlap.

7)     In content gamification, create “Juicy” feedback. Feedback is an important element in any type of content gamification because feedback informs the learner of the level of correctness of his or her actions while simultaneously providing interest, immersion and guidance. Juicy feedback is the idea of designing for visceral reactions in the learners so they experience emotions. A juicy experience is engaging from the moment you begin until the moment you end.

Gamification can be an effective tool for engaging learners but it needs to be implemented carefully, monitored continually and designed to ensure learning and performance are the desired outcomes.

Learn More

If you are interested in learning more about gamification or exploring the seven points discussed above in more detail. Sign up for my newest Lynda.com/LinkedIn Learning Course: Gamification for Interactive Learning

About the Author

Karl Kapp: Professor Bloomsburg University, Founder of The Wisdom Learning Group, LLC. A researcher, analyst, speaker, professor, consultant and designer of instructional games and gamification, Karl Kapp is author/co-author of seven books on the convergence of learning and technology included the best selling gamification book "The Gamification of Learning and Instruction." He is the creator of the Lynda.com courses "The Gamification of Learning" as well as "Gamification for Interactive Learning"

Want to learn more about gamification, the future of learning or how to design learning environments for organization? You can see Karl at  Masie's Learning 2017 where he is once again a featured keynote and ATD ICE Conference and Exposition. If you are attending those events, stop by and say "Hi". He will also pop-up at other online and face-to-face locations throughout the year.

Follow Karl's blog https://karlkapp.com/kapp-notes/.

Follow Karl on Twitter @kkapp.

Need insights, input, ideas, a gamification strategy or an energetic keynote speaker or some industry insight? Karl provides evidence-based guidance, design and advice for creating engaging, meaningful learning (as well as some awesome gamified workshops and learning events.)

Visit www.karlkapp.com for more information on gamification and learning.

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