For this week’s blog post I thought it would be cool to share a video we made a couple years ago about gamification in the context of everyday life. I came across this video when going through our YouTube channel looking for a specific demo video to show a client. Having not encountered this particular video before (it was before my time here at DDINC), my curiosity got the best of me and I had to check it out! But before we get to the video, I want to take this opportunity to share a little about what gamification is and how it can be used in corporate training. (If you just can’t wait any longer and the suspense is literally killing you, scroll to the bottom of the page to find the video)
So, what is Gamification?
Gamification is the use of game elements in a non-game context. For instance, using badges and leaderboards in corporate training. The badges and leaderboards are the game elements, and, obviously, corporate training is the non-game context.
Why Gamify?
Because that rhymed, that’s why! But seriously, gamification does wonders for employee engagement, motivation and knowledge retention. Additionally, gamification makes training far more interesting than a slideshow presentation.
Boost Engagement, Increase Motivation and Knowledge Retention
Employee engagement is imperative when it comes to training; if they arent’ engaged, how do you expect them to retain any information? By using game elements such as badges and achievements, employees are more likely to be engaged with your content. Corporate training may not always be the most exciting or engaging activity for employees. However, by rewarding employees with badges and status indicators (achievements) you are giving your learners a reason to get engaged. No, I am not saying your employees should marry each other; I’m sure that violates an HR policy or two… What I am saying is using gamification engages employees and gives them a reason to interact and pay attention to your content. If employees are paying attention, they are more likely to recall and retain information.
Using gamification in online corporate training is a great way to motivate employees. For example, using a dynamic leaderboard to display scores that are a few above and a few below a learner’s score. This way, the learner sees an attainable goal, instead of seeing the top 10 scores when they may be well into the bottom 10. By showing scores that are just above that learner’s score they are more motivated to pass up their peer that is only a few points ahead of them.
What About the Video You Promised Us?!
Ok, folks. Check out this video we made on gamification in everyday life!
To learn more about gamification or how your organization could benefit from a gamified learning experience, give us a call! 866.316.9126