I work with salespeople in my job almost every day. This technique of gamification immediately jumped out at me for this reason. Gamification is basically using game elements in non-game context. Whenever we launch a new product or want to push sales over a certain period, the number one motivator is contests. People love to win and be ranked up against competitors, and it is a huge motivator for that reason. Contests are a perfect example of a way to use gamification as a technique of learning. The idea of the winner is what makes gamification so useful. Anything can be fun if you make a game out of it and the players have a desire to win.

The idea of gamification is so great because it can people socializing in a learning environment and builds teamwork. I am hoping to use learning tools like this in corporate America, and I think a big challenge for corporate learning is keeping people engaged and providing benefits to learners. Adults especially do not like the idea of wasting time, so just listening to lectures may not be enough to motivate adults to learn. This tool of contests or games is great because it basically forces engagement. Having scores and even a scoreboard to track where you/your team are, is a huge motivator for people. Additionally, failure is not as harsh in a game setting because you move on quickly and just try again. This also puts the learner in charge and lets them control their learning journey.

If I was to host a corporate learning event, I would utilize gamification as much as I could. This is something that can be done in a virtual environment as well. Using websites or applications like Kahoot, an instructor can easily build out a game or contest to encourage learning. How do you feel about gamification? What are the pros or cons you see using gamification in both corporate and school settings?

https://www.trueeducationpartnerships.com/schools/gamification-in-education/