Power of Gamification in eLearning
Why gamification of learning is efficient
Education has already been partly gamified. At school, the student who performs exercise correctly in the lesson gets a good mark. If he makes numerous mistakes — earns a negative one. After each academic year, there’s “level up” and transition to another “level”. Portraits of the greatest “gamers” proudly look from the board of honor. Why stop there? After all, any learning course may use gamification tools.
Gamification is approximately using game rules to accomplish realistic goals. At the cost of the game, you make boring tasks interesting, avoidable and complex things become desired and simple ones. Regarding eLearning, gamification helps to motivate students to learn, to see the website of eLearning gamification platform more frequently, and finally, to accomplish training.
Why does eLearning need gamification techniques?
Learning is work. The game is a sweet seasoning. It makes learning fascinating and enjoyable so that students willingly go back to it.
A person remembers better what brings emotions. No issue, positive or negative — any strong impression leaves a deep indentation in the memory.
Splitting the entire educational course into feasible “quests” lets you control the eye of users and offer students a sense of victory with each performed block of exercises.
Linking assignments to the real goals of the learner removes the feeling of the meaninglessness of the exercises.
Visibility of progress. A visible indication of the present situation along the way to performing the tasks embedded in the teaching game lets you keep carefully the motivation of the “player”.
eLearning gamification mistakes to prevent
Do not believe that gamification is a panacea. Of course, it helps in achieving goals, nevertheless playing for the sake of the game does not make sagacity. Inappropriate usage of gamification in learning may be the direct road to disappointment in the methodology itself. Let’s review the most common mistakes in this stare
Awards for nothing
Virtual awards are a simple and practically free way to offer non-material motivation to your students. Assorted awards in the form of badges or medals add excitement to the learning progression. At once, this process of motivation can depreciate very quickly in the perception of “players”. It’s ideal when the medals are made out only for real wins, i.e. for what is an indubitable and objective accomplishment for all.
Short strategy
Even the most fascinating game over time gets boring and, usually, it happens sooner rather than later. With appropriate implementation, gamification becomes the common and essential attribute of the learning bustle.
Concentrate on the competition
Of course, competitions play a large role in gamification. A rivalry is among the main elements in the strategy of gamification, nonetheless, it is very significant not to lose sight of other aspects, such for instance positive striving, cooperation and teamwork. To captivate your audience, the target of the gamification shouldn’t be just competition. Concentrate on involving your students in the primary task of the application, and not in taking the first place in the leader board.