A recent report done by the National Institute of Health shows a clear correlation between gamification and learning. In short, when learning is fun, players learn more.
They also learn better, meaning they retain what they learn and can even teach others. In the corporate world filled with training, certifications, and advanced learning and development programs, gamified learning will be critical.
To help you better understand how to implement this relatively new (to the corporate world) concept, we’ve provided 5 real-world examples of gamified learning in corporate training.
To best understand gamified learning, for those still unclear, you can think back to when you were a kid and your parents or teachers turned learning opportunities into games. Sesame Street taught you to count with a silly vampire puppet. Mr. Rogers or Daniel Tiger sang songs about being brave or learning to share.
Now, you’re an adult, and more companies are realizing that there really is something to making learning fun.
Rather than sit in front of boring binders or videos force-feeding you information, you can learn through playful game elements.
That’s gamified learning — turning learning into a game. At the corporate level, it’s adding game elements to corporate training. And this can be applied to virtually any type of training, learning, or development in the workplace.
Among the many gamified learning case studies, Marriott offers one of the best. Marriott International is well known for its emphasis on hospitality. The company has won several awards for excellence, including Travel & Leisure’s Best 500 Hotels in the World and Forbes Travel Guides Best Hotel Five Stars.
In a push to do even better, Marriott executives added an interactive experience to its training programs. Specifically, the corporation offered training to employees through a mobile application called “Moxie.” The game introduced challenges and offered rewards, all in exchange for employees performing well in real-world task simulations.
As a result, Marriott saw a 20% increase in employee training participation and a marked rise in overall job satisfaction scores. These numbers show that employees want both training and engagement.
Still, the question remains for many in the corporate world: “What exactly does gamified learning look like when implemented?”
To answer that question, we’ve laid out 5 clear examples of gamified learning in corporate training for you.
Scenarios are a great example of gamified learning in training because they allow for a bit of escapism during the challenge. You can essentially integrate scenario-based games into any industry.
The key is to simulate similar experiences to what the employee might encounter while doing their job. Then, introduce a problem they have to solve based on what they’ve already learned and experienced.
Of course, employees will be able to earn points on the leaderboard for successfully completed scenarios, and they can earn badges for each critical learning metric they meet.
For example:
If you’re in hospitality, you could have a front desk manager run through a scenario with an irate customer. If they are able to calm down the customer, they earn points. If they hit certain metrics, like going above and beyond or thinking outside of the box.
Quizzes can be quick and fun ways to get some training in, act as benchmarks for learning, and allow your team members to rack up points and badges. So, what makes the quiz a game?
You can introduce interactive elements like building blocks or pathways for an avatar to walk along as they answer questions. And, of course, you’ll offer points and rewards as they answer correctly.
As players progress through short quizzes, the questions can become harder, but the right answers can become worth more points. And for a certain number of points, they can earn a knowledge badge.
For example:
In the finance industry, you could have employees take quizzes on financial products, the market, and even compliance issues. As they answer questions correctly in the game, they can earn gold coins that act as points and put them in their “bank” in the game to save up for badges.
Scavenger hunts are particularly entertaining and engaging examples of gamified learning. Why? Most likely because they are physical, requiring the whole body to get up and move to search for things. They are also collaborative. Scavenger hunts are almost always played in teams, which introduces both team-building and competitive elements.
You can make the scavenger hunt tactile and physical by hiding important items for learning. You can also introduce technology into the game through apps that incorporate GPS, QR codes, and video motivations that leave clues and drop hints. As teams find items, they can earn points on a leaderboard everyone can see, which hypes up the competitive spirit.
For example:
You run a health and wellness company, and you’re running a seminar. You challenge your employees to team up and find your products in and around the event, scanning the QR code of each item they find. For each item the team finds, they can take a quick quiz that will give them a hunt for the next item to be found.
Virtual reality simulations will put your employees directly into a scenario through a VR viewer. There, they can “play a game” that simulates a real-world experience they might have at work. VR simulations work well because there are no distractions. Employees are more likely to react how they really would.
For example:
If you run an automotive dealership, you could design scenarios that put your employees into situations that call upon features of the cars they sell.
For each scenario, they will experience what it would be like to have this power steering, that GPS system, or those new tires. In one such scenario, a player could be “driving” in the rain on slick roads and be called to stop quickly using the new tires.
This example could be followed up by a quiz that’s worth points.
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, storytelling is one of the most important examples of gamified learning.
People love stories; it’s the reason they will ignore facts about history but rush to see the latest historical blockbuster. The more you introduce storytelling elements into your games and challenges, the more you can engage your employees. Your employee gets to be the hero in a compelling storyline, save the prince or princess, and live happily ever after (with lots of points).
Now that’s learning they’ll remember.
For example:
Let’s say you run an architecture firm. You could have employees participate in a game that involves an earthquake in Haiti, and they need to design a building that will withstand the storm. As the pressure builds, employees can make adjustments, grow hot or cold, and earn points as they succeed along the way. The most important point is that they are the only ones who can save the day.
It works. In report after report and study after study over the last two decades, we see how adding elements of gaming into training enhances engagement, improves learning, increases employee retention, and positively impacts brand loyalty and revenues.
A recent focused study published by Science Direct showed that gamification, or gamified learning, effectively enhances learners’ interest and participation as long as the game is related to the subject material. In short, don’t gamify just to play games.
The bottom line: if you’re looking for greater employee engagement and retention and higher revenues, it’s time to consider gamified learning in your training programs.
We help company teams retain over 90% of what they learned using gamified learning. Trivie works alongside your training tools to help employees retain what they’ve learned, apply it on the job, and drive real performance.
Contact Trivie today for a demo and get started with corporate gamified learning.