Games have always been a fundamental part of the human experience. Traditionally, play has been associated with ideas of entertainment and leisure, for both adults and children alike. Today, however, we can use games for far more than just play. In fact, they can help us to learn, actively engaging us in educational experiences and allowing us to develop professionally.
Gamification itself has undergone a fascinating evolutionary process, from its early first steps right the way through to its prominent position in modern corporate training. It could even be said that the very first forays into using game elements in non-gaming environments were born out of a desire to make learning more attractive and effective.
Nowadays, gamification has managed to establish itself firmly in the educational sector as a comprehensive learning strategy. In this article we’ll discover its role in corporate training, consider its many advantages, and show you how to integrate it into your professional training programs.
What is gamification in education?
Gamification is a strategy that applies gaming elements and mechanics to contexts that traditionally have nothing to do with them – in this case, to an educational context. The use of these elements aims to transform learning into a more fun, attractive and interactive experience, as well as to create bonds between students so that their learning becomes more meaningful and memorable.
The idea that games can be effective tools for teaching and skill development has, perhaps beyond expectations, seriously challenged traditional concepts of education. Its effect has been so pronounced that, in 2022, the gamification in education market was valued at $567.8 million, and this figure is expected to grow dramatically, reaching $4,937.3 million by 2030.
The role of gamification in corporate training
Gamification has been used for years in the business world to achieve a range of objectives, for example improving customer engagement or increasing sales. But, without question, one of its most popular uses is in employee training and development.
When used for strengthening professional training programs, gamification has been proven to yield a positive impact. Game elements transform learning into something exciting and fun for employees and, as a result, increase their commitment to training. Thanks to these features, gamification has the power to increase employee productivity by 50%, and engagement by up to 60%.
The business advantages of implementing gamification in education
The positive impact of gamification reaches far beyond just improved knowledge acquisition, enhancing engagement, collaboration, well-being, and even organizational culture. Let’s take a closer look at its advantages:
Improved engagement and involvement
Gamification has the unique ability to capture employees’ attention, keeping them engaged throughout the learning process. The introduction of game elements creates an interactive and exciting training experience, and this approach motivates employees to participate actively, beating the apathy and boredom often associated with traditional training methods.
Critical skills development
Gamification can be used not only to help learn concepts, but also to develop skills. Games developed to address specific, real-world situations allow employees to apply and hone their skills in a contextualized way. In this manner, the development of problem-solving, decision-making and other soft skills become a natural part of the learning process, significantly contributing to employees’ professional growth.
Closer collaboration and teamwork
Gamification helps to foster an environment conducive to strong collaboration and teamwork. For example, introducing individual or team competitions gets employees involved in tasks that require cooperation, communication, and the shared resolution of challenges. This dynamic not only strengthens interpersonal relationships within the work environment, but also improves efficiency in collaborative projects more generally.
Heightened wellbeing and knowledge retention
The positive and rewarding experience encompassed by gamification greatly enhances the overall wellbeing of employees. The feeling of accomplishment they derive from overcoming challenges and earning rewards also creates a healthy learning environment. Additionally, knowledge retention gains a significant boost, as employees better remember concepts learned through meaningful gaming experiences.
Reduced stress
The various mechanisms featured in gamification, such as achievements, rewards and badges, reinforce employee motivation, positively influence their behavior, and also stir feelings such as satisfaction and relaxation. Rewarding employees for overcoming challenges releases a combination of dopamine, serotonin and endorphins – the perfect mixture to help reduce work-related stress and anxiety levels. Discover more about how gamification can help reduce workplace stress in this article.
The key elements of gamifying training in the business world
An effective gamification system is based on including a set of key gaming elements to motivate and engage participants. The most common of these include:
Challenges
Challenges are at the heart of gamification. They pose students with a variety of tasks that must be overcome in order to make progress. Because they can vary in complexity, they offer employees meaningful opportunities to apply their knowledge, overcome obstacles and grow professionally.
Badges
Badges are simple visual rewards that employees can earn for completing challenges or reaching milestones. They act as a symbolic representation of students’ achievements, but are also the perfect means of recognizing and highlighting employee skills.
Point systems
These systems add an element of competition and motivation to gamification. As employees complete more challenges or achieve goals, they accumulate points, marking their standing and driving participation and engagement.
League tables and rankings
Leaderboards illustrate users’ performance within a wider group. They encourage healthy competition between employees and serve as an incentive to continuously improve performance.
If you want to learn more about the gamification elements that can transform and enrich your employees’ training experience, then we invite you to examine this article.
How to integrate gamification into your professional training programs: practical strategies
Integrating gamification into professional development programs can make a significant difference to the way employees learn. By introducing game mechanics into the learning process, you can truly capture the attention of participants and motivate them to make progress. However, in order to achieve this, it pays to keep certain strategies in mind:
1. Design meaningful and relevant challenges
To successfully integrate gamification into your corporate training programs, you’ll need to design challenges that line up with your professional development objectives, as well as stimulate the practical application of skills. These challenges should always be relevant and specific to your work environment and goals, so that employees are consistently moving in the right direction.
2. Personalize the learning experience
Personalization is another crucial factor when implementing gamification. Offering custom learning options and pathways allows employees to choose the challenges that best align with their career ambitions and goals. This gives them a greater sense of relevance and motivation when it comes to training. So, by offering greater flexibility in the choice of challenge you offer, you’ll ensure that training is more impactful and enhances individual development.
3. Offer attractive rewards
Rewards are a great way of motivating professionals during training. A points system may come to mind as the easiest way of implementing this technique, but in fact there is far more that you can offer your employees. Try offering attractive rewards that drive motivation, such as certificates, professional development opportunities, or public recognition. Tangible rewards like this appeal to the emotions and reinforce intrinsic motivation, producing a more sustainable commitment to the training process.
4. Make strategic use of technological tools and platforms
Technology plays a key role in integrating gamification, making the process even more flexible, simple and effective. In fact, incorporating technologies and learning platforms that adapt to modern content consumption patterns is crucial to creating an immersive learning experience.
Consider the example of mobile phones: over 55% of Generation Z use their smartphones for 5 or more hours a day, and they currently make up the largest part of the available workforce. Adapting to this habit can greatly improve the success of your gamification program.
5. Provide continuous feedback
Finally, continuous evaluation and feedback are essential components to ensure the effectiveness of your training. Gamification makes it easy to provide immediate feedback to students after each challenge or activity. Not only will this allow employees to chart their training progress, but also help them identify areas for improvement.
Future perspectives: the evolution of gamification in business training
Although the future is always uncertain, gamification is a part of professional training that is expected to continue evolving, encompassing newly emerging technologies such as virtual reality and artificial intelligence as it does. These innovations are likely to drive the learning experience to the next level, providing students with even more interactivity and personalization.
Today, online platforms are one of the easiest and most effective ways to distribute and manage gamified learning. Through e-learning, students can enjoy the freedom to advance at their own pace, and at the time most convenient to them. However, perhaps the greatest advantage of e-learning is its interactive nature, which allows you to easily include gamified features like challenges, interactive questions and virtual rewards.
So, if you’re looking for the ideal solution to gamify your team’s learning, then it’s time for you to discover isEazy Game. Our gamification app will help you transform your training into a unique, exciting experience, through games, challenges, levels and challenges that are 100% tailor-made for you and your team. What’s more, all our training content can be easily customized to adapt to your corporate identity. So what are you waiting for? Request a demo today and take your training to the next level!
