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Remember? That time when you were sitting in school and listening to your teacher? It seemed to take hours. While the subject matter was being discussed, you slowly strayed further and further. Until you suddenly heard: “This was about it. Are there any questions?” It remains eerily quiet. Breathe a sigh of relief and leave the classroom.
What a pain. But why? Because the teacher didn't inspire you. He did not appeal to your intrinsic motivation. And above all: he didn't cater to your interests and learning style!
Then the bell rang: time to go home. Time for less serious things! At home, you could play. Outside, you competed with your friends, who was the fastest to run or who was best at hiding. The fanatic in you woke up and your concentration before the game was all that mattered at the time. And that was really fun! This allowed you to express your creativity and playfulness. At half past six, you were called: “At the table!” Hey, too bad, you thought.
Wouldn't it have been so much fun if the teacher would have played games in the classroom? Or what if your homework included a game element so you could compete against your classmates? Would that fanatical side also have been reflected in the school desks? That opportunity is huge! At least, according to the principle of gamification well...
Fortunately, a lot has changed in education in recent years. research has shown that you can keep your focus on things through gamification. So it's no wonder that gamification is one of the e-learning trends of 2022 has become. So you are completely up to date when you decide to apply it.
Due to the successful stories about using gamification in various contexts, there is an increasing need for information and tips on how to apply it. In this blog, we will therefore discuss exactly what gamification is and how it is applied. We give a threesome gamification examples that hopefully help you a lot further.
What is the meaning of gamification well exactly? Let's start by formulating a definition.
Gamification is using game elements to make learning activities more challenging and fun. It is also described as the process where people use critical thinking while solving a problem.
You've probably had to deal with gamification yourself before. Just think back to when you collected “wild animal tickets” at the local supermarket. And do you remember how wonderful it felt when you got a sticker from the teacher when you had successfully completed a task? The joy and pride you felt when you got that sticker undoubtedly made you do your best to get one again from that moment on. After all, we humans are naturally driven to want to receive rewards.
A few examples of gamification applications from everyday life:
However, gamification is not simply “playing a game”. It is the effective use of game elements to enrich the learning experience and make it more interesting. Ultimately, the goal of gamification is for your students to become motivated and remember more. Having a clear goal and getting feedback on your learning process are essential here.
Take this example. You can see that your colleague has earned more points than you in a week. That doesn't feel entirely easy. Is that childish? No, that's very human and everyone, of any age, knows that feeling. It encourages you to do your best and get your name higher on the leaderboard. Although such a scoreboard isn't really about anything, it can feel like it. After all, earning points provides a sense of satisfaction and joy. This has to do with the release of the hormone dopamine, which is released as soon as we are rewarded or earn something.
Such a game can also lead to interesting and funny conversations among themselves. Suppose your goal is to make sure that all your employees complete the satisfaction survey, a long and tough survey that nobody really wants to do. Except, if you were to use gamification and divide the research into a number of parts. After completing each part, someone gets points. The division with the most points wins a cake. You'd be surprised how combative people can become, especially when it comes to eating ;-) And the moment people start talking about it in the corridors, it really comes to life.
Perhaps you are also wondering: in what contexts is gamification all used?
First, the marketing field makes grateful use of the effectiveness of gamification. As a marketer, you could integrate this into your website, for example. Add valuable content, such as an online training, e-book, or manual, and make sure that website visitors only have access to this information once they have achieved x points.
It is even better if you ensure that your online learning environment (including valuable e-learning content) is linked to your webshop. This way, the newest customer gets access to your online training immediately after purchase. Take a look at the options of Pluvo to connect to your website or webshop.
For example, are you a marketer for a watch brand? Develop an e-learning about how best to keep your watch in good condition. This is how you turn your website into a real experience, where your customers must take an active role!
Make your recruitment and selection process a party by letting your applicant play a game. Something like that is much more fun than a dusty questionnaire and difficult conversations. Develop a gamified test, to measure someone's relevant skills and talents. By the way, try not to make it a too light-hearted thing. Humour is fun, but the goal is still to find the most suitable candidate.
Plus, it's important to take into account who you have in front of you. What is someone's job going to be? What does it take to successfully fill that position? And how are you going to ensure that you can compare candidates in a standardised way?
Learn more about a gamification assessment read it here :-)
Not to be missed: the application of gamification in education. Children and young people love each other when it comes to fighting games. There are endless ways in which it is used, but a real-life simulation is perhaps the most striking. Here, the student can “talk” to a human figure on the computer, who provides automated answers based on the student's behavior.
This can be very effective, for example, during a training on professional interviewing. Have the student have a conversation with the computer, each time giving a number of options to choose from. Afterwards, you show automated feedback so that the student can learn how he or she could have responded better in a challenging situation.
Another application is a virtual escape room, where children have to get out of the classroom in a digital environment. They do this by solving problems and working together. Anything but boring, if you ask us.
Learn more about digital education tools you can read in this blog.
Example 1: Quiz with a time limit
The first example is about quizzes. They have been part of the standard assessment options for years. What is new, however, are the elements that you can add to quizzes through gamification.
For example, you can:
Tip: A quiz is a good example of microlearning!
Example 2: A realistic case
Of course, we've talked about this for a while: a realistic case. Also known as, virtually recreating a real-life scenario. This way, you can measure someone's different abilities.
For example:
The Macdonald's also uses this technique to train new cashiers. The e-learning mimics a real cash register, including various scenarios that could take place with customers. A good and fun way to prepare for practice as a future cashier!
Example 3: the crisis simulator
The third, and last, example concerns crisis situations. You can probably imagine that things like this are difficult to practice in practice. Fortunately, gamification is an extremely suitable solution for this! In this way, for example, students can master the basic skills of business assistance.
A crisis simulator is therefore a useful tool for familiarising students with certain scenarios without having to experience them in an actual stressful environment. After all, there is no real danger lurking.
In short, gamification is an effective way to make e-learning more challenging and fun, both in marketing, recruitment and education. Integrating game elements increases motivation and engagement. some gamification elements are easy to apply, others require broader knowledge of software and application options.
Pluvo would love to help you discover the possibilities of gamification within your e-learning.
As an educational expert specialising in online learning, I have been writing blogs for Pluvo for 5 years. My focus is on powerful learning solutions for organisations. Universal Design for Learning and inclusive learning are my passion; I believe that education should be accessible and fun for everyone.
I've been combining my 35 years of HR experience with copywriting for over 15 years. And even then, I learn new things over and over again. That's what makes writing blogs for Pluvo so incredibly interesting!
