Today is the time to impart highly engaged and collaborative learning. The future of e-learning cannot be monotonous courses lacking motivation or emotional response. Instead, they need to be interactive and interesting so that learners feel enrolling for courses the next time also. Games are integrated with e-learning to provide a huge scope for communication between learners as well as engagement. The trick with gamified learning is to adopt effective learning approach in order to meet tailored learning needs. The perfect way is to start learning by examples and then utilize those techniques at workplace.
Understanding the Key Concepts of Gamification
It is important to deliver-learning solutions that cater to individual training requirements, solve critical business issues and have an impact on the organizational growth. Simulation of games with e-learning is an added advantage to attain organizational goals. Let us discuss the basic concepts and terminology associated with game-based learning:
Game mechanics: It is about rules and feedback loops to make the game complete fun. For example: Bonus, points, badges, status, level and progression. A real-life example of adding game mechanics to training content is the airlines’ frequent-flyer loyalty program where members earn points for flying on the airlines.
Status level: As participants earn miles and points, they can redeem them for free flights. As the total points are collected, learners gain an opportunity to attain different status levels.
Game thinking: It is essential for learners to involve in game thinking process. Organizations include several game elements such as stories, characters, avatars and quests to give complete control of the game to the player.
Gamification: Its Features at a Glance
While games have some defined rules, gamification is merely a collection of activities with some points, rewards or badges.
Losing may or may not be there, because the aim is to motivate learners to perform better at the workplace.
It is a cost-effective approach.
Generally, game-based elements are added without making too many changes to the original training content.
To sum up, games hold a major contribution towards interactive experience of the learner. Unlike classroom training, learners are more occupied from start to finish of the session, being engaged to the core. In today’s ever-changing learning environment, challenges of traditional learning approach are overcome by introducing gaming elements.
Gamification is implemented to motivate learners and train them on complex topics. What makes games so engaging and exciting is a frequently asked question. The answer to this is the in-built learning design customized as per the needs of learners. Gamified learning is an innovative approach to both learning and teaching. It creates an imaginary world for learners where they are free to plan and analyze new things without any hurdle. Also, unlike classroom sessions, it provides instructors the means to develop a course which can be taught in a more amusing way. The bottom line is that the integration of games with e-learning has stimulated the creation of interactive gaming environments to engage learners with ease.
