he way we learn is evolving, and learning through games is becoming an increasingly used tool to help motivate and strengthen development across all areas of study.

We were once taught parrot-fashion learning, where you simply study through repetition. This type of learning promotes short-term retention without any understanding. In order to learn something, you have to assimilate it by taking in the information with full comprehension. That’s where gamification comes in.  

In this post our HowToo Xperts will take you through the three main reasons why games should be used in the workplace learning and training space to generate positive results that stick.

Learning through games is all a part of upskilling your team through new and innovative methods, and will have a profound impact on your team.

What is gamification?

According to the Australian Government Department of Education, Gamification is about increasing student engagement and learning by including game-like elements in learning.

Gamification promotes motivation and engagement by using elements of game design to eLearning programs. Learning something new doesn’t have to be daunting or boring, and the more interactive and fun it is, the more information will be retained and understood.

It’s a hot topic in the workplace today with employers looking for new ways to promote learning. There are many different types of games depending on who uses it and what it is needed for, but they all have one common goal: to engage the player.

3 reasons to use gamification in learning

Gamification can be used to increase resilience and commitment in learners, to promote learning, and to make the learning process fun. Let’s take a look at all three of those in more detail.

#1 Games build resilience and commitment

If someone hands you a medal without completing a race, it means nothing. If someone hands you a medal after you’ve spent months in training, failing, getting up again, failing, getting up again, and finally crossing the finish line, it means everything.

You learn by doing the task, by committing yourself to seeing it through from the start to the end, and by having the resilience to keep going.

Learning through games gives you the skills needed to see something through to the very end, and it is through this sort of commitment where the real learning takes place. The game cannot be too difficult or you’ll give up too soon, or too easy as you won’t learn much. By finding the sweet spot you’re guaranteed incredible results.

The best team players are those who are fully committed to the job, no matter what hurdles they have jump to get to their goal.

#2 Games promote learning

Learning through games is a particular helpful way to retain the information because it promotes knowledge retention through active participation.

Motivation through recognition – Whether it’s intrinsic (a sense of achievement) or extrinsic (physical rewards or external praises), people are motivated through recognition. Due to these acknowledgements, employees have a tendency to want to work harder. The best outcome comes from those who actively enjoy the process of learning.

Learning something new requires work – At the end of the day, you cannot take away from the fact that the learning still has to take place. You can, however, make the process more enjoyable. It is through this enjoyment, that learning takes place.

Learning happens when you feel something – The memories and facts you most remember are those that evoke a feeling. Games are an active way of learning that will leave more of an impression on you than if you were to simply learn through reading.

You learn through reflection – Gaming gives you an opportunity to look back on your work to analyse what you might have done different to get a better outcome.

#3 Games are enjoyable

Who doesn’t want to have fun? In the world we live in today, work is imperative. However, there is alarming amount of people who not only detest their job, but they shudder at the thought of learning anything new. Why? Because we’ve been taught that learning is boring and difficult. Life is hard enough as it is without having to add those two words into our day. The good news is that it doesn’t have to be this way. Learning can actually be fun.

Games are enjoyable, and if used correctly, can make the process of learning much better for the end user. Learning something new satisfies a deeply personal need to have confidence and feel competent. Due to most learning techniques, many fail to accomplish this and give up before gaining anything new. By making learning fun, it strips away the fear of failure and promotes a better learning experience.

Having fun promotes intrinsic happiness, which therefore makes learning more sustainable and long-lasting.

It is through gamification that you create a way for the learner to measure their own progress and development, and to enjoy the process along the way.

Are you interested in adding gamification to yournext eLearning project? Contact one of our Xperts today.