Many company training programs fail because employees can learn but don't want to. This is exactly where gamification comes into play! We'll show you what gamified learning is, which methods work best in learning environments and how you can integrate them into your own training program. Let's play!
Definition: What Is Gamified Learning?
Gamified learning (or gamification) integrates game-like mechanisms such as scores, levels, achievements, instant feedback and time pressure into the learning process.
The right use of gamification elements makes the learning experience more entertaining and increases learner motivation and engagement.
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In corporate training, companies generally use gamification to liven up training content and motivate employees to take part in and complete training courses.
This is because the integration of playful elements can demonstrably make learning processes more exciting and effective and contribute significantly to learning success!
Advantages: How Professional Development Benefits from Gamified Learning
Various study results show that gamified training courses increase effectiveness and learning engagement:
- When playful elements are integrated into in-company training, learner motivation increases from 28% to 83%; boredom decreases from 49% to 10%.
- Training courses with gamification elements are demonstrably better than conventional methods in terms of course completion, knowledge retention and performance results in everyday working life.
- Gamified learning including the use of points, badges, leaderboards, challenges or narratives positively influence learning outcomes.
Valuable arguments for gamification in further training can be derived from these findings for personnel development.
Five advantages of gamified learning in company training courses are
- Increasing Motivation and Commitment to Learning: Playful elements transform dry learning into an entertaining experience in which employees enjoy participating and getting actively involved. For example, recognizing performance through reward systems (learning points, badges, etc.) can be motivating.
- Improving Learning Outcomes: Gamification in the form of storytelling can improve learning outcomes. Interactive and narrative elements in the learning process help to better anchor what has been learned. A playful competition between learners also promotes learning from one another.
- Positive Impact on Employer Image: Gamified learning offers can have a positive impact on employer branding and strengthen employee retention. The working environment appears more dynamic and the innovative learning approaches not only appeal to the company's own employees, but are also attractive to new top talent.
- Promoting Teamwork and Collaboration: Team-based challenges and competitions encourage communication and cooperation within the team. Gamification and social learning strengthen team spirit and collaboration. This in turn can have a positive impact on the corporate culture.
- Concrete Measures of Learning Progress: Gamification data such as learning points, quiz results and rankings provide valuable information on how successfully learning is taking place. Conventional methods may not provide such clear insights into the actual learning progress of employees.
8+2 Examples: Gamification Elements for Captivating Training Courses
What does gamified learning look like in practice? How do you improve the learning experience and achieve more learning success?
Here are 8 (plus 2) gamification elements that enrich the learning experience – for learners and managers:
1. Points Systems
Points systems motivate employees by allowing them to collect points for completing learning activities. These points can be displayed in ranking lists or linked to rewards.
The visible reward for learning efforts increases commitment and the visible progress and clear goals further boost motivation.
Language learning apps such as Jumpspeak, for example, make effective use of such systems by allowing learners to collect points for spoken words. This measures progress and encourages competition.
2. Rankings
Leaderboards are a key gamification element that encourages competition among learners by publicly displaying their scores and ranking them based on their performance.
This motivates particularly competitive employees to improve and learn more. Rankings not only provide transparency about learning progress, but also recognition for high rankings, which can increase status within the team.
The language learning app Duolingo, for example, uses rankings to create an incentive to move up into higher leagues.
3. Certificates & Badges
Certificates and badges are awarded for the achievement of learning objectives or milestones.
Certificates can be digital or physical and serve as formal recognition that can also be presented in professional profiles (for example on LinkedIn). Badges, usually digital symbols, are awarded for completing courses or specific tasks and appear on learners' profiles.
Both awards increase motivation, set clear learning goals and provide verifiable evidence of acquired skills.
Learning platforms such as Masterplan.com, for example, use these elements to visualize learning progress and celebrate learning success.
4. Progression Systems
Progression systems divide the learning process into clearly defined stages or steps that help learners to track their progress and stay continuously motivated.
These systems show learners what steps they need to take to achieve their goals. They encourage long-term professional development by unlocking milestones, levels and new stages, making progress visually trackable.
A well-known example from a sporting context: the fitness app Freeletics measures how long users need for workouts and displays their best times. This motivates users to surpass their previous top performance in further sessions.
5. Interactive Scenarios
Interactive scenarios increase engagement and motivation by integrating game-like elements such as quizzes, simulations and role-playing.
These methods promote interactive learning and facilitate the understanding of complex concepts through practical applications. While quizzes repeat and reinforce what has been learned, simulations and role-plays allow students to reenact and practice specific situations.
In addition to quiz elements, Masterplan.com also uses personalized AI coaching, for example, in which learners receive immediate feedback and employees' decision-making and task skills are strengthened.
6. Storytelling
Storytelling makes the learning process more exciting and memorable by integrating stories and adventurous tasks.
A well-told story helps to make complex content more understandable and increase learner engagement. Such narrative learning paths take learners on a journey where they have to overcome various challenges.
This not only leads to increased interest and better recall, but also motivates them to achieve goals.
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7. Social Interactions & Collaboration
Social interactions and collaboration enrich learning through collaborative activities.
By cooperating in teams and supporting each other, employees not only improve the learning process, but also strengthen team spirit and work culture. This collaboration promotes knowledge transfer, motivates through mutual recognition and improves creative problem-solving skills.
One example of this is “friend missions” in the language learning app Duolingo, in which users who are friends tackle tasks together and spur each other on to better performance.
8. Time Pressure
Time pressure is an effective gamification element that appeals to learners' efficiency and focus through time-limited challenges and deadlines.
Countdown timers, daily and monthly challenges or time-limited rewards motivate employees to complete tasks within a set time frame. This not only promotes productivity, but also helps with prioritization and timely completion.
The meditation app Headspace, for example, displays streaks, i.e. periods in which users have meditated each day. If they miss a day, the counter resets to 0.
9. Progression Systems (for Managers)
Gamification doesn't just work for learners: Progression systems also offer HR and L&D managers the opportunity to track the learning progress of their team members in real time.
Dashboards on digital learning platforms give them clear insights into completed courses, progress made and open learning goals. This creates transparency and enables the creation of individual development plans.
With Masterplan.com's e-learning software, for example, managers can view the progress of their teams directly – this not only increases employees' motivation to learn, but also the commitment of L&D managers to actively support their team members.
10. Intuitive Usability (for Managers)
An intuitive digital learning platform not only improves the training experience for learners, but also simplifies the work of managers when designing training courses.
Thanks to a user-friendly interface, learning managers can easily create training courses and structure communication with employees. This allows learning content to be customized to the needs of employees and motivates managers to offer tailor-made training opportunities.
At Masterplan.com, for example, managers can use a learning path creator to create customized learning paths that meet the specific needs of their team. You can see what this looks like in a free tour here!
L&D Tip: How Gamification Works with an E-Learning Platform
The mix of individual gamification elements and the balance between knowledge transfer and playful entertainment is the big challenge in gamified learning.
Models such as the Octalysis Framework, the MDA Framework or Richard Bartle's player types help to strike the right chord with employees and motivate them successfully.
Ideally, you should combine all elements in one system, and digital learning platforms are generally suitable for this. The advantage of these platforms: Learners move around in a self-contained (learning) landscape, just like in computer games, and can discover it in a self-directed manner or along personalized learning suggestions.
As a learning engagement platform, Masterplan combines an entertaining learning experience for learners with intuitive training management for L&D managers – from cinema-quality e-learning courses to a playful learning path creator.
Ready for the next corporate learning level? Discover Masterplan!
Manfred Rump
