Games can be a great way to engage learners and deliver content. If you are thinking about trying gamification in your training programs, this article outlines some of the initial steps to consider.
Selecting a Game Over Another Learning Modality
Be sure that the content you are trying to convey lends itself to a game format. Questions based on scenarios with multiple-choice selections work well. Before diving into building an online game, try it out on paper or as a board game. This step can help you decide if investing time and resources into an extensive online version is truly feasible.
Buy or Build?
Look at your timeline and software, and determine if it makes more sense to build the game yourself or hire a vendor to co-develop it with you. Building a game can consume more than 500 hours of development time, depending on the development team’s skill level. If you determine that your organization does not have enough skill or time to develop a game, consider using a vendor. When you hire a vendor, you are not only paying for the development of the game; you also gain the team’s knowledge and skills. Be sure to outline in the statement of work that you want to own all the rights to the content and assets of the game so that you can use them in future work.
What Project Team Members Do You Need?
Ensure you have the right players at the table when building your project team. You will want a strong project manager to ensure all resources are used appropriately and deadlines are met. Subject matter experts are key! Surround yourself with a team of highly motivated SMEs who can dig into the details of the content.
Use Branching Scenarios to Build Complexity.
When making a scenario-based game, use multiple paths of answers and feedback. The graphic below is a one way to organize your branching scenarios in a game. SMEs will need to create content for these points.
What Criteria Should You Use for Scoring?
It’s a good idea to provide learners with a score to determine how well they are competing in the game. Your content drives your criteria, whether it’s a customer service score or a quality assurance score. You can use one or multiple scores, based on the complexity of your material. Make sure that the numbers add up to a total score. The learners need to know what the highest possible score is to set their goal. Build graphics that reflect the score.
What Rewards Should You Offer?
When you design a game, you need to make it fun to play. Adding fun features increases the desire to play and learn and helps keep the learners engaged. Earning a reward is part of the fun of playing a game, so consider creating badges as rewards. As the learner proceeds through the game, these badges offer encouragement. The image below is an example of badging.
How do I track the learner’s progress? When publishing the game, use a learning management system or another type of portal that tracks answer-level detail. Then, develop reporting that tracks the learners’ results throughout the game. Use the reporting to identify areas of opportunity, and then revisit the topic with the learners to ensure understanding.
Games can be a great way to engage learners and deliver content if they’re used for the right reasons and developed with careful planning and thought. When you follow these steps to implement gaming at your organization, your learners can be more engaged in training and more successful in learning and applying new knowledge and skills.
