Gamification in e-learning, or how to create fun in learning

Doing things while having fun turns constraint into pleasure. This is the very principle of Gamification, which makes learning more attractive, entertaining and enjoyable. But also more effective, by exploiting some springs of the game. An interesting tool, especially in terms of digital learning, provided it is customized according to the training objectives and the profile of the learners.

Gamification, a serious concept

Gamification or, for those who do not like anglicisms, Ludification is the use of codes and mechanisms from the gaming world in professional fields. A company can thus «gamify» its customer relationship, its work tools, some aspects of its internal communication, and of course its training programs.

But why gamify? To make more acceptable, even attractive, tools or situations that are not necessarily by nature. Thus, some e-learning courses, potentially seen as boring, can become an appointment that no one would want to miss!

But be careful, Gamification is just a way to approach training. Not content per se. “Gamification can help make learning sessions engaging, but first you need quality educational content!” , warns Lionel Taponard, Multimedia Educational Engineer at ITycom.

As the condition for quality content is fulfilled, Gamification will then play its role of “facilitator” to:

• Replace the constraint of learning imposed by pleasure and surprise.
• Increase the engagement and motivation of learners.
• Promote memorization and make learning more effective.

The effectiveness of Gamification is through tailor-made

“There is no magic recipe for Gamification,” says Vincent Gaillard, ITycom’s Multimedia Educational Engineer. “To be effective, Gamification must be approached in a personalized way, based on the training program and the profile of the targeted learners.”

Indeed, if Gamification transposes the codes of play into training, it is still necessary to rely on games or cultural references that «speak» to learners. This depends largely on age, socio-professional background, sector of activity and even company culture. Schematically, we do not amuse thanks to the same springs a doctor or an engineer, nor even two professionals of the same branch having 30 years apart...

It is therefore by taking the targets into account that Gamification will be able to fully enrich learning concepts of strategy, creativity and even competition. For example, with quizzes sanctioned by scores, «levels» to pass, challenges... This allows to create an emulation between collaborators or between teams, to propose a reward, to certify achievements...

De la privation aux Pokemons, optimiser les leviers de la participation

Au-delà des références culturelles, la Gamification s’appuie aussi sur des grands principes de la psychologie humaine. Les réflexes liés à la privation par exemple : « Il suffit de limiter le nombre d’actions quotidiennes réalisables dans une application ou un module d’apprentissage, pour accroitre comme par magie la participation, » illustre Lionel Taponard. « Si l’action devient rare, nul ne veut perdre une occasion d’agir. Alors que si les possibilités d’actions sont illimitées, il n’y a plus d’urgence ni d’importance à agir », poursuit-il.

Another example is the mechanisms of positive motivation. Just by looking at the children, you can see how important it is to understand learning. Thus, while most children struggle to learn the multiplication tables, they instead memorize hundreds of Pokemons, their names, their evolutions and their respective abilities. Why? Because the playful approach takes precedence over the rest.

To trainers tempted by Gamification, therefore, to identify their own “Pokemon” to integrate into their e-learning programs.