If the idea of gaming at work conjures images of isolated employees hunkering over their laptops and secretly playing Minecraft in their cubicles—think again. Gamification training, or the use of game play elements in a learning experience, is one of the hottest trends in corporate training.
What is Gamification Training?
At the most basic level, gamification training or gamification of learning is the use of game play elements in a learning experience.
At ELM, we know that gamification training, when backed by an understanding of brain science, can be a powerful tool for inspiring learners to challenge themselves.
At the heart of gamification is dopamine, which controls the pleasure center of our brains and affects our mood, memory, and thinking process. We—like lab rats in a maze getting food rewards for correct navigation—also respond to rewards such as levels, points, quizzes, badges, progress tools, timers, and sounds, which are all elements in gamification.
Not only that, when your brain releases dopamine while you’re learning, you’re more likely to retain what you learned long-term, and have a pleasurable experience at the same time, making gamification a powerful AND fun eLearning tool.
If gamification is so great, why haven’t we been doing it all along?
In truth, gamification in eLearning has been around for a long time. Astronauts spend years playing games on terra firma before leaving the bounds of gravity, and there’s a reason the military exercises that simulate battlefield conditions are called “war games.” If games can keep these heroes alive, just think what gamification could do for your training programs.
Why Gamification Works in Corporate Training
Here are some of the reasons why gamification is a great tool for corporate training:
- Motivation. Because gamification rewards learners and challenges them to keep going, they are motivated to improve and/or beat the competition. According to Zippia, gamification can increase learner motivation and engagement by up to 48%.
- Engaged learners. The key to engagement is variety and interaction. Gamification is a small slice of the eLearning pie along with storytelling, scenarios, audio, video, graphics, and social learning.
- Learner autonomy. Gamification allows individuals to learn at their own pace and level as well as tapping into intrinsic motivators like competition, improvement, and completion.
- Instant feedback. Games provide feedback as players demonstrate their mastery. If they do well, it’s on to the next level; if not, they get another chance to see what they missed.
- Social learning. Friendly competition and collaboration allow learners to forge new connections. A 2020 article in Educational Psychology Review found that learners respond positively to mild social pressure when they are competing with members of a community.
- Emotional connection. Gamification often uses storytelling to help learners apply what they’ve experienced in simulated situations, which creates an emotional connection (and, in turn, stronger neural connections).
- Meaningful goals. Leveling up and completing games gives learners meaningful, tangible goals to work toward.
- Cognitive relief. Brains love to multitask, but multitasking can hurt training efforts. Games direct attention to one task at a time, which increases focus and reduces the cognitive load on the brain.
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3 Common Mistakes in Gamification
It sounds like a no-brainer: Getting learners excited about training and development by throwing in a game-based element. But just because you offer something other than PowerPoint doesn’t automatically mean gamification will be a success.
Just like any other training method, learners can lose motivation, and you could end up shelving your efforts. Want to avoid a total game-over scenario? Make sure these three common mistakes are out of your design.
Examples of Gamification in Corporate Training
Here are a few examples of gamification training we created for our clients.
From live sessions to gamified learning
Sony Music, a global entertainment company, struggled to deliver consistent training across its geographically dispersed workforce. Employees stationed in various countries and working for different record labels (RCA, Columbia, Epic, etc.) made traditional live training workshops expensive and logistically challenging.
ELM Learning was tasked with creating a more cost-effective and scalable training solution to ensure consistent knowledge and skills development for Sony Music’s employees.
We transformed Sony Music’s existing live training sessions into an engaging, gamified online course. The course captured the interactive and conversational tone of the live sessions while offering the flexibility and convenience of self-paced eLearning. To enhance learner engagement, ELM incorporated several gamification elements throughout the course.
Sony Music’s gamified eLearning program was a huge hit among employees. They appreciated the flexibility to learn at their own pace and found the gamified elements a great motivation. The program brought significant benefits to the company, including cost savings of around $100,000 by eliminating the need for live workshops and travel expenses.
Additionally, the gamified eLearning program proved to be more effective in retaining knowledge compared to the previous live training format. The online format also allowed Sony Music to deliver consistent training to a wider audience more efficiently, making it highly scalable.
Powering up inclusion with gamification
Omnicom Media Group (OMG) sought to create engaging diversity and inclusion (D&I) training for their millennial workforce. Traditional D&I training often struggles to capture attention, leading to a less impactful experience.
ELM Learning’s challenge was to develop a program that addressed these sensitive topics in a way that resonated with younger employees while keeping them engaged.
ELM Learning took a unique approach to interactive learning by incorporating gamification elements centered around robots. This approach offered several benefits, including a more engaging learning experience design that was transformed into a game where learners interact with robots representing diverse backgrounds.
The gamified elements focused on the robot’s “battery life” to combat bias through play. Correct answers and demonstrations of inclusive behavior kept the robots charged, while biased choices or incorrect responses drained their power. This playful approach provided a safe space to explore unconscious bias and its impact.
The OMG D&I training program, powered by gamification, proved to be a success. The robot theme, combined with the game mechanics, made the training fun and memorable for millennial employees.
More importantly, the program sparked positive conversations about diversity and inclusion within the company. ELM’s creative approach demonstrates how gamification can transform serious topics into engaging experiences that foster a more inclusive and positive work environment.
Car Rental Company Training
ELM was tasked with making a compliance course for a car rental company more “tolerable.”
We went with a road trip theme and issued each user a Compliance Passport, which they used to collect stamps after completing each micro course along the simulated road map.
The stamps worked liked badges, rewarding employees for completing a module, and the map showed users where they were going – and where they had been. The following image shows the course map for the compliance training, and the Compliance Passport.
Beer Maker Training
Our client wanted an engaging way to teach their employees about the history of malt beverages, how to set up kegs, and pour the perfect pint. We created an adventure theme where learners navigated through three different scenarios in “Joe’s Bar” using drag and drop functions. During each scenario, learners received instant feedback from the narrator and other staff in the bar for correct and incorrect answers. After learners completed each scenario, a virtual chalkboard appeared with a satisfying checkmark.
For the final test—serving a beer to a customer—we upped the dopamine release with an element of uncertainty. If the customer reacted with a smile, they were good to go! If the customer frowned and complained—it was back to the bar. Rewards presented with just the right level of uncertainty are very powerful. Read the full study here.
How do I know if gamification is right for my corporate training?
Considering gamification for your next training program? Before diving in, use this self-assessment to determine if it aligns with your organization’s needs and culture:
1. Learner motivation and engagement
- What motivates your target audience? Understanding your learners’ preferences is key. Do they respond well to competition, challenges, and rewards? Or do they find such elements distracting?
- Is your training content dry or complex? Gamification can breathe life into dull topics and make learning more engaging.
2. Alignment with training goals
- What are your specific learning objectives? Can gamification elements be effectively integrated to support those goals?
- Does the game directly relate to the skills or knowledge you want learners to acquire? Avoid gamification for the sake of fun; it should enhance learning outcomes.
3. Workplace integration and productivity
- Will the gamified elements translate seamlessly to the workplace? The goal is to reinforce learning, not create a game addiction.
- Can learners complete the game within a reasonable timeframe without sacrificing productivity? Ensure the game doesn’t become a time-consuming distraction.
4. Organizational culture and resources
- Does your company culture embrace innovation and playful learning? A gamified approach might not be suitable for a very serious or traditional work environment.
- Do you have the resources (budget, time, expertise) to develop and implement a well-designed gamified training program? High-quality gamification requires careful planning and execution.
If you’ve decided gamification might be a good fit for your training program, ELM Learning can assist you every step of the way. From concept development to implementation, our team of experts can create engaging and effective gamified learning solutions for your organization.