Intro
In 2024, the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) reported that 61 percent of Americans ages 5-90 play video games for at least one hour per week.
Recognizing the influence games have on our culture, ed tech companies are racing to incorporate elements of “gamification” to their courses to make them as engaging as playing a video game.
What is Gamification?
Karl Kapp, an expert in gamification and instructional design, describes gamification as “using game-based mechanics, aesthetics, and game thinking to engage people, motivate action, promote learning, and solve problems.”
The key advantages to using gamification in e-learning include:
- Increased engagement and motivation
- Improved retention and recall
- Instant feedback and reinforcement
- Increased active learning
- Increased behavioral change and skill development
- Reduced learning fatigue
Game companies use technology to transport audiences to fantasy worlds for recreation, while ed tech companies use it to transport learners out of the classroom to kickstart their training.
Gamification won’t suit every course, but when the material calls for it, e-learning professionals can create virtual surroundings for users to explore, dropping them into realistic training scenarios where they can use critical thinking and handle complex equipment from their workspace or classroom.
These products not only reinforce learning objectives; they act as a primer for experiencing the real thing.
Wayne Elsey, a Forbes Council Member wrote, “When a company gamifies employee training, it leverages tech in much more enjoyable, interactive and fun ways. It makes it easier for workers to learn new technologies, processes and ways of doing things in a world that continuously uses the power of technology to exponentially increase productivity.”
In the past, users would interact with these environments using a screen and a mouse. As virtual reality technology improves, KeyBridge will be able to create more authentic training solutions that blur the line between scenario and actuality.
Travis Feldler and Natalie Proulx of the New York Times co-wrote, “…students are no longer mere spectators, reading about an event or watching it unfold, but participants in it. Virtual reality can create a visceral experience, evoke memories, and foster empathy and emotional connection in a way that is rare in other mediums.”
Some of KeyBridge’s past courses have even gone as far as incorporating points systems and badges. These scoring systems foster extrinsic motivation, making it more likely learners will complete a course and retain the information.
