E-learning has become an integral part of people development. Finding ways to motivate participants and support them in their development process is particularly important with digital formats. How can organizations improve the user experience and promote the joy of developing? One way of boosting motivation to learn and achieving higher completion rates is through the use of gamification.
What does gamification even mean?
The term gamification describes playful content that can be found in many aspects of everyday life and is intended to increase or maintain the motivation of users. This principle is not only used in the e-learning and blended learning sector, other businesses also use elements such as bonus programs or progress bars to keep engagement high.
Gamification in people development – the theory behind it
Many philosophers and humanities scholars have already explored the human play instinct. One basis for gamification is the self-determination theory of Edward Deci and Richard Ryan. According to them, three basic psychological needs must be met for intrinsic motivation.
Competence
Effective and successful interaction
Autonomy
Freedom of choice and options for action
Relatedness
Belonging to a group
Gamification can ideally fulfill these needs and thus contribute to intrinsic motivation.
Csikszentmihalyi’s flow theory offers further insights into the effects of gamification. It deals with the flow state in which people are immersed in their tasks and experience joy in the process. This deepened flow state is influenced by the needs and abilities of the individual. It is important that there is neither a state of being overwhelmed or anxious, nor a state of boredom.
Gamification elements can promote the flow state because they provide participants with stimuli and make the development process more varied. On the other hand, content can be broken down and conveyed in manageable chunks, thus preventing overload.
Why is it important to choose e-learning with gamification?
Gamification offers numerous advantages and opportunities in the field of people development. The goal is to help employees remember the content long-term, without the feeling of having worked hard for it. Different interactions and tasks are designed to draw the attention of the users, which supports engagement and therefore the development of the employees. Gamification in the e-learning context ensures that participants can absorb offered content better, concentrate on it longer, and it improves their user experience compared to one-sided methods. A varied and playful development process can increase the motivation and engagement of users.
Examples for gamification elements in e-learning
Whether it is quizzes, learning nuggets, interactive videos, serious games, surveys, or achievements: there are many elements that can make personal development playful and immersive. Here you find a small selection that we use on our platform and in our learning programs.
A, B, C or D? – Quizzes
Quizzes allow you to test and deepen your knowledge in a targeted way and are also a lot of fun! Not without reason are quizzes popular with all age groups. With different media used, quizzes become a creative tool to lighten up content and make it more practical for users. Point systems can also be used. Users can put their knowledge to the test with multiple-choice questions and collect points.
Keeping track – Progress bar
Having an overview and feeling like you are progressing: Progress bars make this possible. Seeing their learning progress gives users the opportunity to transparently track their own development path. This mechanism is also suitable for motivating users to work towards percentage milestones and can contribute to the aforementioned flow state. Alternatively, levels can also be integrated – depending on the structure of the learning platform and the content. In this way, employees are constantly looking forward to a new level and are motivated to continue.
Visualize success – Rewards
Not only progress bars can visualize milestones, but also reward systems. On our learning platform, users can look forward to a very special surprise effect: confetti rain! With this element, users can celebrate their learning progress and at the same time receive encouragement for what they have achieved. In addition, these sequences provide a little break between the modules. At the end of a learning program, users should also be rewarded for the work they have done – for example in the form of a certificate, badge, or award.
Playful elements – interactive learning and exercises
Participants are more likely to remember what they have learned if they activate, apply, and practise the learning content. In adidtion, long sections can be exhausting for users in the long run. This can be remedied by challenges and gamified elements where users need to take action. These learning situations add variety to the learning experience and increase engagement.
Enabling practical transfer – Challenges
Small challenges not only spice up the learning process, but also help users to put what they have learned into practice. Hands-on activities make content memorable and can be applied to everyday working life. By reflecting on one’s own situation, the learning content is linked to emotions, which also has an impact on engagement and motivation.
Learning platforms and training courses with gamification elements have a positive impact on employees’ learning outcomes. There are various options for integrating playful elements. The design must be appealing and suit the learning format and storytelling. If you want to learn more about our approach to implementing gamification in e-learning, take a look at our learning programs, or have an exchange with our L&D consultants. No obligations – you can simply create a free demo account or schedule a meeting.
