The drive to play is one of the best motivators for people of all ages. We explain what the buzzword "Gamification" really means – and how you can effectively leverage the drive to play in further education so that your training participants learn with fun and motivation!
What is Gamification?
Gamification is not only interesting for further education but has already been a well-known term in other areas for several years.
Gamification means the transfer of game principles into a non-game environment. (…) Gamification uses our natural drive to play to enhance motivation, so that monotonous, unpopular, or complex tasks can still be enjoyable.”
(Source: SWR. Gamification: How the drive to play engages us)
This principle works not only for children: The drive to play can also fade in adulthood and is evident everywhere in everyday life. Board and computer games are typical examples. Perhaps you collect bonus points for rewards while shopping, or earn accolades in sports? Wonderful, that is also Gamification!
Not only children like to play: Adults can also be motivated to learn through the drive to play.
How does learning through Gamification work?
There are two types of motivation to learn something new: Either the motivation comes from outside, such as from school or an employer, and you have to learn. Or you want to learn because you gain advantages from it, such as good grades or a higher professional position.
Gamification aims to provide people with specific incentives and thus promote the wanting to learn. Incentives can include:
Gaining experience points to fill a progress bar.
Unlocking new challenges and levels.
Receiving rewards for one’s performance.
To gain these incentives, new skills must be learned or solution strategies developed. In short: The player learns quickly, effectively, and purposefully – while having fun!
Games are not just a pastime. We learn about strategic thinking, solving problems, and continually improving our own skills through games.
How do you implement Gamification in further education?
How Gamification can be effectively implemented in further education is explained by Martin Röhsner in an interview for the magazine "Training Aktuell". I summarize the examples of incentive systems in corporate training for you:
Offer participating employees a small reward for answering questions correctly in the in-person seminar, such as a piece of chocolate.
Promise a special gift if the content has been learned and retained well, such as a book on the seminar topic.
Supplement in-person training and offer matching online games or tasks.
You can read the entire interview with Martin Röhsner here: Interview on "Gamification in Further Education"
Gamification in Online Courses
Especially in online extensions, I see many possibilities to incorporate playful components: I am thinking of online courses with
“Awards” at the end of a quiz based on the learning material.
“Learning Levels” with increasing difficulty of the content.
“Bonus Content” that is released after passing difficult exams.
Motivate your participants in the online course with very special incentives and awaken their drive to play!
Such offers awaken the child in every learner and bring fun into the seriousness of professional learning. And let’s be honest: “Final Boss” sounds much more exciting than “Final Exam,” doesn’t it?
By the way: Creating online courses with playful elements can be very simple. Quizzes, exams, learning chapters, and diverse content can be created with blink.it in just a few clicks. Try it out now easily and for free!
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