Local governments are jumping on board the elearning train. Game-based learning and gamification increasingly are standard practice for corporate training programs in many businesses across the country. The benefit of using these practices in other areas is becoming increasingly apparent.
Elearning content development isn’t just for classrooms and corporate training anymore. Developers are creating games for different genres and local government, towns, and communities are among the top of the list. For good reason! There are a number of different ways that gamification can play a positive role in communities.
As the world shifts to a more tech-based society, communities have found ways to include gamification strategies to better their towns.
Take a look at the different ways that elearning is working in communities around the world:
- Safe driving. Stockholm has devised a clever way to encourage its citizens to be mindful of safety on the roads. Using a traffic camera, drivers who obeyed the speed limit were entered into a lottery. How was it funded? With the money from fines paid by other drivers who were caught speeding or committing other infractions on the roads. In three days’ time, Stockholm successfully reduced the traffic speed by 22%.
- Sharing ideas. The Work and Pensions Department in the U.K. tried out a program called Idea Street. This allowed employees to share ideas that they thought might change their workplace for the better, no matter how big or small. They had the ability to trade stock in each other’s ideas. A leaderboard was used to show who was garnering the most-liked ideas. No one was paid for their participation, but the fun of the “game” was enough to get a high rate of involvement. Idea Street was successful enough that it spread beyond the small office it was started in, to other branches. The impact of recognition had previously been unnoticed. As time went on a pattern emerged. Most of the suggested changes were small, but added together resulted in big savings for the department.
- Educating citizens on local issues. Citizens in Boston have been exposed to a program called Community Planet whose purpose is to educate the public on issues that are prominent in their community. They had found that community meetings were largely attended by those who were already well-versed on the issues. Community Planet allowed others to learn about the issues, rewarding them for participation. The citizens could then use what they had learned when it came time to make their decision on a ballot.
With local governments and communities utilizing elearning and gamification, there’s no limit to where they can be used to better the world. As is evidenced by the change in Stockholm, great elearning content development has the potential to not only make businesses more successful and educate voters, but also to make the world a safer place. When that’s the case, everyone benefits.
Reach out to Designing Digitally Inc. to learn how your community can benefit from elearning to make your area of the world a better place.
