Beware the Leaderboard

One common gamification element suggested for online learning is leaderboards.?It's sometimes hard for leaderboard proponents to imagine that not all learners will thrive due to the addition of a leaderboard.?In fact, leaderboards in online learning can be demotivating.?I should note that when I was younger I never wanted ANY attention – bad or good, because I was paralyzingly shy.?These days (I’m still shy at times, but) the main reason I don’t want to be on leaderboards is because some people look at it as an indication that

1. the “leaders” have too much time on their hands, OR
2. the “leaders” are looking for attention and recognition, OR
3. (my least favorite) the “leaders” are good targets when someone has questions or is looking for help.

The other things I don’t like about leaderboards (and these are the more commonly talked about issues) are 4) the competition can get unhealthy fast, and 5) participants who are below the fold may feel like they can never catch up or that they're “losers” from the start.

A better leaderboard, instead of focusing on who is “best” in class, could highlight who learned the most or made the most personal progress.?Further, instead of building continuously for the duration of the course, a better leaderboard might reset each week or each month, to increase the possibility of engaging more students AND to keep the high achievers engaged as well. Otherwise, a better leaderboard will offer an option for learners to opt-out.

#onlinelearning #gamification