Incorporating gamification into your learning strategy: A five-point checklist

Gamification can be tricky to pull off successfully. Especially knowing when and where to place it in your learning strategy roadmap for maximum effectiveness and engagement. In this edition of Experience Learning, we have put together a five-point checklist? to help you successfully incorporate gamification into your learning strategy

1.Define performance? objectives

To begin, you need to thoroughly analyse the performance objectives of the gamified module. Ask questions like:

• What are the organisation's business goals and desired results??
• Does the organisation want to promote a particular behaviour or a skill for a future business objective??
• Is it trying to solve a problem, etc.??

The answers to these questions will help you create a set of clearly defined and quantifiable performance objectives for your gamification module. These objectives are your desired end results of your gamification initiative.

2. Select the right gaming elements

There are many game elements. Which are the right ones for your gamified solution? Just because you have a feature or functionality available at your disposal, doesn't mean you must use it. Be strategic and optimal. Ask yourself:

• What are the elements I need at a minimum to meet my performance objectives?
• Is there any other element that I can use to enhance my audience's user experience?
• Have I added too many elements? What don't I need in this so my learner is not overwhelmed?

Curate and be judicious with your gameplay elements. Sometimes, "less is more".?

3. Pick the correct authoring tool

Organisations can turn to various authoring tools for gamification in learning. Selecting the appropriate one(or ones) that matches your gamification needs could be hard. Here are some factors to consider in attaining an informed decision:

• Addresses the learners’ needs
• Is user-friendly and has an intuitive user interface
• Enables collaboration
• Enhances compatibility
• Offers seamless LMS integration
• Applies gaming formats and tactics
• Offers a variety of assessment tools
• Permits posting interactive videos
• Generates outputs in formats supported by the organisation's learning management system?
• Is reasonably priced

4. Big picture the big picture

A gamified initiative is never an exercise in isolation. They are typically strategic initiatives (carry long-term and long-reaching value for the organisation), that are part of even bigger organisational strategies. A big picture within a big picture, if you will. You must therefore understand the exact positioning of your gamified initiative vis-a-vis the larger organisational strategy and position and market it accordingly.?

5. Co-opt your audience as your cheerleaders?

Gamification is one of the most participative forms of learning. Once you have launched your program, its success lies entirely in the hands of your audience. If your audience does not fall in love with your gamified learning module, it will quickly lose significance in the organisation's learning strategy roadmap. To mitigate this, co-opt your learners as your cheerleaders. Incorporate a communication campaign as part of your launch plan and entice your audience to talk about it using clever incentivised reward systems. Gamify your gamification.

Don’t know how to get started with gamification in your learning strategy? We can help incorporate gamification into various activities and goals that need encouragement for better results. Let’s Talk.

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