What is gamification and how can we implement it effectively for talent development? We examine the evidence surrounding gamification techniques as a way to increase learner engagement and performance.
What is gamification?
Let’s start with some basic game context; gamification is not playing video games like Fortnite or Call of Duty, or taking quizzes on social media. Gamification of learning means applying gamified elements to courses or platforms, but it doesn’t have to mean blowing up difficult customers to unlock Revenue from the tower.
Applying gamified elements to a learning solution can tap into some human engagement senses such as, achievement, improvement and perhaps a bit of healthy competition. At a simple level, it may be applying points-scoring and leaderboards to help motivate employees. It can also mean using game mechanics, such as spaced repetition to enhance mastery, or time-bound activities to heighten attention and focus.
Why use gamification features?
But should serious learning providers and employers really be providing game design elements to corporate training programs? After all, making the learning process more ‘fun’ and ‘engaging’ does not necessarily lead to better performance on the job, so why do it?
According to HR Technologist.com, the answer lies, at least in part, in the need to modernise workplaces and take advantage of new technologies.
“...gamification makes corporate learning programs measurable, helping you better optimize your programs to meet future learning/skills requirements of the organization.”
The best employee gamification platforms don’t just record data like a traditional course on a learning environment. They draw on that data to prioritise and personalise learning and integrate with other systems, such as social sites and CRMs, for a more holistic solution.
Gamification impact on engagement
Technologies like Fitbits are hugely popular because they are specific to the individual and they’re goal-driven. As consumers, and learners, we want to challenge ourselves and we want personalised goals and experiences. Applying game-based learning experiences can also tap into our need for recognition and reward with: points, badges, mastery levels or even formal accreditations.
And learners are actively looking for gamified experiences. According to this year’s TalentLMS survey results:
“83% of those who receive gamified training feel motivated, while 61% of those who receive non-gamified training feel bored and unproductive.”
So gamification can lead to an increased level of engagement and enthusiasm, but can it really contribute to improved performance? The evidence would suggest so.
This article on The Startup, cites the example of the LiveOps customer contact solutions company in India. In a bid to counteract high turnover and low employee morale, they launched an app that awarded points for learning, KPI achievement and knowledge-sharing with colleagues.
“Within a week of launching the program, 80% of LiveOps agents opted in and three-quarters of them return on a bi-weekly basis. Participating agents outperformed peers by 23% in average call-handle time and boosted customer satisfaction by 9%.”
Effectiveness of gamification
Striking the right balance between effective and engaging is important. Clever tools, such as the Teach on Mars mobile app, allow you to do just that. It provides a large selection of gamified question templates to create fun and engaging quizzes that are pushed to learners via their mobile phones. Learners can challenge other learners across communities, teams and timezones and the practice recall element ensures that real world learning is embedded; not instantly forgotten.
Video: Teach on Mars
The solution is designed to support and enhance the full learning cycle including before, during and after classroom training. It encourages and supports learners each step of the way with personalised learning challenges. An analytics Dashboard allows Managers and Trainers to gain meaningful insights into learning outcomes and progress.
Gamified learning ecosystems, such as learningCloud, offer another way of providing engaging, video-based learning experiences that can be combined with badges, leaderboards and learning communities to suit specific training needs.
Potential risks and how to manage them
Overuse of the same templates could lead to learner boredom. Good gamification strategies should have a wide range of game-types to allow for novelty and diversity. Push notifications - reminders to complete today’s training ‘moment’ - can be helpful, but have the potential to be annoying and stressful if overused. Giving learners and admin staff some control over notifications can mitigate against this.
Likewise, points-scoring and Leaderboards can be motivational for some staff but not for others. Analytics Dashboards give Managers visibility to see who is engaging and who might need some encouragement.
Perhaps the biggest potential failing, however, is organisations spending too much money for too little gain. Beware of ‘shiny’ gamified learning that is of little or no value to the learner or the organisation. Like any learning, gamified solutions must have clear and measurable learner and business outcomes.
Future of gamification
There is now plenty of evidence that gamification increases the user experience and engagement with learning content, which is half the battle for any training. If the learners don’t engage with the content, they certainly can’t learn from it.
Gamified content can be pushed to learners in short bursts at regular intervals to ensure optimum engagement and retention. That makes is a very useful addition to any online or blended training programme; we ignore it at our peril.
Adding a badge to badly written, unfocused or overly-long content will not solve any training problems. But gamified content has the potential to be very effective if it is data-driven and learner-centric and is aligned with performance and business objectives. It’s not enough to offer ‘pretty’ and ‘fun’ experiences without backing that up with substance. You also need gaming elements and mechanics that optimise learning retention and actively support increased job performance.
Good gamification of the future will facilitate Personalisation, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Analytics; the three biggest trends in the industry according to this year’s L&D Global Sentiment Survey. Used appropriately, gamified content can be the driver of holistic, engaging and effective learning experiences.
If you’re interested in exploring gamification work solutions as part of your learning solution for a customer or employee, we’ve got the tools and expertise to help, get in touch:
Gamification ni nini na jinsi gani tunaweza kuitumia kwa ufanisi kwa ajili ya maendeleo ya vipaji? Sisi kuchunguza ushahidi kuzunguka gamification mbinu kama njia ya kuongeza kujifunza ushiriki na utendaji. Gamification ni nini? Hebu kuanza na baadhi ya msingi mchezo muktadha; gamification si kucheza michezo ya video kama Fortnite au Wito wa Wajibu, au kuchukua maswali juu ya vyombo vya habari vya kijamii. Gamification ya kujifunza ina maana ya kutumia gamified vipengele kwa kozi au majukwaa, lakini haina maana ya blowing up wateja vigumu kufungua Mapato kutoka mnara. Kutumia gamified vipengele kwa ufumbuzi wa kujifunza inaweza tap katika baadhi ya hisia za ushiriki wa binadamu kama vile, mafanikio, kuboresha na labda kidogo ya ushindani afya. Katika kiwango rahisi, inaweza kuwa kutumia pointi-scoring na leaderboards kusaidia kuhamasisha wafanyakazi. Pia inaweza kumaanisha kutumia mitambo ya mchezo, kama vile kurudia kwa muda ili kuboresha ustadi, au shughuli za muda ili kuongeza umakini na umakini. Kwa nini kutumia vipengele gamification? Lakini je, watoa mafunzo na waajiri wenye uzito wanapaswa kutoa vipengele vya kubuni mchezo kwa programu za mafunzo ya ushirika? Baada ya yote, kufanya mchakato wa kujifunza zaidi <unk>fun<unk> na <unk>kujihusisha<unk> haina lazima kusababisha utendaji bora juu ya kazi, hivyo kwa nini kufanya hivyo? Kulingana na HR Technologist.com, jibu liko, angalau kwa sehemu, katika haja ya kisasa mahali pa kazi na kuchukua faida ya teknolojia mpya. <unk>...gamification hufanya programu za kujifunza za ushirika kupimwa, kukusaidia kuboresha programu zako ili kukidhi mahitaji ya kujifunza / ujuzi wa baadaye wa shirika. <unk> Jukwaa bora la gamification ya mfanyakazi halirekodi tu data kama kozi ya jadi kwenye mazingira ya kujifunza. Wao hutegemea data hiyo ili kupanua na kuharakisha kujifunza na kuunganisha na mifumo mingine, kama vile tovuti za kijamii na CRMs, kwa suluhisho kamili zaidi. Athari ya Gamification juu ya ushiriki Teknolojia kama Fitbits ni maarufu sana kwa sababu ni maalum kwa mtu binafsi na wao ni lengo-kuendeshwa. Kama watumiaji, na wanafunzi, tunataka kujishindania na tunataka malengo ya kibinafsi na uzoefu. Kujifunza kwa kutumia michezo ya kubahatisha pia inaweza kuvutia mahitaji yetu ya utambuzi na thawabu na: pointi, beji, viwango vya ustadi au hata vyeti rasmi. Wanafunzi wanajaribu sana kupata uzoefu wa michezo. "Kwa mujibu wa utafiti wa mwaka huu wa TalentLMS, ""83% ya wale wanaopokea mafunzo ya gamified wanahisi kuhamasishwa, wakati 61% ya wale wanaopokea mafunzo yasiyo ya gamified wanahisi kuchoka na yasiyo na matokeo."" - Gamification inaweza kusababisha kiwango cha juu cha ushiriki na shauku, lakini inaweza kweli kuchangia kuboresha utendaji?" Uthibitisho unaonyesha hivyo. Makala hii juu ya Startup, inataja mfano wa LiveOps kampuni ya ufumbuzi wa mawasiliano ya wateja nchini India. Ili kukabiliana na mzunguko wa juu na morale ya chini ya wafanyikazi, walianzisha programu ambayo ilitoa pointi kwa kujifunza, mafanikio ya KPI na kushiriki maarifa na wenzake. Katika wiki moja ya uzinduzi wa programu, 80% ya mawakala wa LiveOps walichagua na robo tatu yao hurudi kila baada ya wiki mbili. Wakala walioshiriki walifanya vizuri zaidi ya wenzao kwa 23% katika wastani wa muda wa kushughulikia simu na kuongeza kuridhika kwa wateja kwa 9% - Ufanisi wa Gamification: Kufanya usawa sahihi kati ya ufanisi na kuvutia ni muhimu. Vifaa vyenye akili, kama vile programu ya simu ya Teach on Mars, hukuruhusu kufanya hivyo. Inatoa uteuzi mkubwa wa templates za maswali ya gamified kuunda michezo ya kufurahisha na ya kuvutia ambayo huendeshwa kwa wanafunzi kupitia simu zao za mkononi. Wanafunzi wanaweza changamoto wanafunzi wengine katika jamii, timu na maeneo ya muda na mazoezi kukumbuka kipengele kuhakikisha kwamba kujifunza dunia halisi ni embedded; si mara moja kusahaulika. "Mafunzo ya ""Mafunzo ya Mars"" ni mfumo wa mafunzo ya Mars ambayo inasaidia na kuboresha mzunguko kamili wa kujifunza, ikiwa ni pamoja na kabla, wakati na baada ya mafunzo ya darasa." Inatia moyo na kusaidia wanafunzi kila hatua ya njia na changamoto za kujifunza za kibinafsi. Analytics Dashboard inaruhusu Wasimamizi na Wafundishaji kupata ufahamu wenye maana juu ya matokeo ya kujifunza na maendeleo. Mifumo ya kujifunza ya Gamified, kama vile LearningCloud, inatoa njia nyingine ya kutoa uzoefu wa kujifunza wa video unaohusika ambao unaweza kuunganishwa na beji, bodi za uongozi na jamii za kujifunza ili kukidhi mahitaji maalum ya mafunzo. Hatari zinazowezekana na jinsi ya kuzisimamia Matumizi ya kupita kiasi ya templates sawa yanaweza kusababisha kujifunza kuchoka. Mkakati mzuri wa gamification unapaswa kuwa na aina mbalimbali za michezo ili kuruhusu novelty na utofauti. Push taarifa - kukumbusha kukamilisha mafunzo ya leo 'wakati' - inaweza kuwa na manufaa, lakini kuwa na uwezo wa kuwa annoying na stressful kama overused. Kutoa wanafunzi na wafanyakazi wa utawala baadhi ya udhibiti juu ya taarifa inaweza kupunguza dhidi ya hii. Vivyo hivyo, pointi-scoring na Leaderboards inaweza kuwa ya kuhamasisha kwa baadhi ya wafanyakazi lakini si kwa wengine. Paneli za uchambuzi huwapa Wasimamizi mwonekano wa kuona ni nani anayehusika na ni nani anayeweza kuhitaji kutiwa moyo. Labda kushindwa kubwa uwezekano, hata hivyo, ni mashirika kutumia fedha nyingi sana kwa faida kidogo sana. Jihadharini na "shiny" gamified kujifunza ambayo ni ya thamani kidogo au hakuna kwa mwanafunzi au shirika. Kama kujifunza yoyote, ufumbuzi gamified lazima kuwa wazi na kupimwa mwanafunzi na matokeo ya biashara. Kuna ushahidi mwingi kwamba gamification huongeza uzoefu wa mtumiaji na ushiriki na maudhui ya kujifunza, ambayo ni nusu ya vita kwa mafunzo yoyote. Kama wanafunzi si kushiriki na maudhui, wao hakika hawawezi kujifunza kutoka kwake. Maudhui ya Gamified yanaweza kushinikizwa kwa wanafunzi katika milipuko fupi kwa vipindi vya kawaida ili kuhakikisha ushiriki bora na uhifadhi. Hii ni muhimu sana kwa programu yoyote ya mafunzo ya mtandaoni au mchanganyiko, lakini tunapuuza kwa hatari yetu. Kuongeza beji kwa maudhui yaliyoandikwa vibaya, yasiyo na lengo au marefu kupita kiasi hakutatatua matatizo yoyote ya mafunzo. Lakini yaliyomo ya gamified yana uwezo wa kuwa na ufanisi sana ikiwa inaendeshwa na data na inaelekezwa kwa mwanafunzi na inalingana na utendaji na malengo ya biashara. Si vya kutosha kutoa 'pretty' na 'fun' uzoefu bila kuunga mkono kwamba juu na nyenzo. Unahitaji pia vipengele vya michezo na mitambo ambayo optimize kujifunza kuhifadhi na kikamilifu kusaidia kuongezeka kwa utendaji wa kazi. Gamification nzuri ya siku zijazo itawezesha Personalization, Artificial Intelligence (AI) na Analytics, mwenendo mkubwa wa tatu katika sekta hiyo kulingana na L&D Global Sentiment Survey ya mwaka huu. Kutumiwa kwa usahihi, maudhui ya gamified yanaweza kuwa dereva wa uzoefu wa kujifunza wa jumla, wa kuvutia na ufanisi. Kama wewe ni nia ya kuchunguza gamification kazi ufumbuzi kama sehemu ya ufumbuzi wako wa kujifunza kwa mteja au mfanyakazi, tuna zana na utaalam wa kusaidia, kupata katika kuwasiliana: