Gamification in eLearning: Essential Elements
Games are addictive and have held people’s attention for ages. There has always been a conflict between gaming and traditional education, where games have been considered distractions for students. This is no longer the case, especially with custom EdTech software.
The gamification process has made eLearning much more effective and beneficial to students. Various companies have taken advantage of gamification in eLearning and are either using it on their custom corporate LMS for staff training or adopting it for training students in schools.
In the first part of gamification in eLearning, we covered the essentials of gamification in eLearning. We highlighted a few examples of the application of gamification for learners and also dwelt on its benefits. In this post, we will look at the 12 essential elements in the gamification process.
Twelve Essential Elements in Gamification
There are elements that are very important when executing gamification in eLearning appropriately.
Twelve Essential Elements in Gamification
Leaderboards
When it comes to gamification, leaderboards are an essential element. Leaderboards are used as rating systems for performance within the learning system and can take on a variety of formats, depending on the game being played.
When used effectively, it enhances competition and has the potential to assist learners in becoming more consistent in their education. It is vital to allow corporate learners to opt out of leaderboards if they feel uncomfortable competing with their coworkers. This ensures that introverted corporate learners are not alienated while allowing others to advance to the top tier.
Levels
Levels are another critical element in gamification. Many learning platforms now make use of levels. Levels can come with unique peculiarities depending on how the game was built. When used on learners, it can help learners know what skill level they have attained, and it can help them drive forward for improvements. When used directly on the learning platform, it can measure each learning level’s difficulty.
Quests
One feature that makes gamification appeal to learners might be the choice of terms. When you see the word quest, there is a motivation for an adventure, and learning platforms can use this to present assignments with rewards at the end. Students are more likely to respond eagerly to a quest and follow through than to a direct assignment.
Points
Gamers are no strangers to point systems. Points are a vital part of gamification as they help to track progress and have other uses. They can be used alongside leaderboards to rank top-performing students. Depending on the service, they can also be accumulated by students to get certain rewards. Points can also help with grading learners.
Badges
If you are looking for a virtual pat on the back, then Badges are just the right element to use. Badges can come in fanciful designs or be plain, but their aim is usually the same. They can be used as a reward system for taking specific actions or completing certain milestones. Learners are often encouraged to show off their badges after getting them.
Maps
Maps are an essential part of any adventure game and can translate into motivating factors for students in their learning process. A map can take various forms. It could be a one-line journey from one end to another, with progress reflecting on the bar as the student takes steps in the learning process. It could also take the form of a detailed map showing the entire learning journey to the learner from the beginning. Learners can grasp their tasks with a good map system.
Certificates
Certificates are like badges, but they are often given at the end of a course or module. Certificates often hold more weight than badges outside of custom LMS solutions. If used effectively, they could be a highly motivating factor for students to complete their learning.
Virtual currencies
Virtual currencies are an essential feature in games, and they can be adapted to a student’s learning process depending on what form of learning is being applied. Students can use virtual currencies to get extra perks while learning.
Daily Check-in
This gamification element can effectively keep learners on track with their learning. Daily Check-ins are effective when logins are displayed on entry into the learning platform. This element can work hand in hand with badges and point systems to increase students’ interest in the learning process.
Avatars
Avatars are an online representation of a character in a game. This online representation can be transferred into learning platforms. Each student can have their separate online avatars. These avatars can make it easier for students to receive badges and leaderboard placement. It is also crucial for students to give clear but not too private information concerning their details when creating their avatars.
Virtual Environments
Virtual environments refer to the way learning platforms are created. The more gamelike and interactive the platform, the more interested students are in learning. Creating a virtual environment is not compulsory. But a virtual environment would boost your odds of achieving the best out of the gamification of your training process.
Collectibles
Humans have a knack for collecting things, from baseball cards to coupons and other extrinsic or intrinsic value items. This can be used in making learning platforms more fun for students. Collectibles can be distributed occasionally across platforms and encourage learners to get. Corporate learners can aim to finish their course library.
Conclusion
Gamification in eLearning has gradually become an irresistible part of attracting students and ensuring they complete their learning process. This is because gamification in eLearning is a part of the learning process. Students benefit from an enhanced learning experience and longer-term retention of information when they are familiar with the components of gamification and the appropriate strategies to apply those components.
It is also essential to keep in mind that your learning platform does not necessarily need to incorporate each of these components. Some are required regardless of what subject is covered, while others are elective. Learning to combine the appropriate features will yield commendable outcomes for students and their instructors.
![List of the Best [Top] eLearning Conferences of 2022 [or Even 2023]](/static/7a9eaefcf5fabc44631209e91a7ab58c/4cfdc/List-of-the-Best-eLearning-Conferences-of-2022.webp)