Gamification in e-learning

Virtual learning is transforming the EdTech sector and gamification is more than just a buzzword these days. It is a unique approach and engages the users with its benefits. Infusing gamification in learning, not only increases the competitiveness but also makes learning dynamic and increases the level of engagement. As gamification has seen huge popularity in the marketplace, we need to consider the impact of this technology on virtual learning.

With EdTech becoming a reality, several businesses and institutions are adopting gamification. Gamified environments are improving learning engagement to increase the outcomes. Gamification has proved to be a new way of learning and researchers are looking into new techniques and methodologies to improve the quality of virtual learning. Let’s now see how gamification has transformed the education industry.

How Has Gamification Transformed Virtual Learning?

Information transfer and transparent communication have become omnipresent and the education sector is heavily relying on new techniques to prepare better MOOCs for the virtual classroom. Gamification offers several advantages for the structure and game dynamics to have expected relationships with the content. Several advantages play an important role in transforming eLearning and virtual classroom sessions. The main advantage is the level of interactivity students and participants love. Let’s check some advantages and learn how gamification is improving the education section.

Advantages Of Gamification In eLearning

Unique Interaction

With gamification, the interaction models and the levels of user engagement have increased as students now have access to a different environment to learn online through MOOC. A good strategy with a high level of engagement increases the retention rates of the students. Learners can easily engage in the academic content and develop a positive attitude while learning. This leads to student learning productivity. Different e-learning platforms allow the content creators and designers to incorporate interesting games, quizzes, and dynamic content that can deliver academic concepts in a fun way. This keeps the learners and participants engaged and improves the interaction.

Improved Motivation

The young students and learners are interested in games. They are always motivated to play and win. Gamification can easily harness this interest to develop a positive attitude towards learning while playing a game in an interactive environment. In a gaming environment, the learner is challenged to finish quests, accomplish goals and unlock achievements to move forward with the chapter. Developing dynamic content that is not only interactive but also challenging, keeps the learners engaged. Gamification offers interactive roles when incorporated into the learning process thereby increasing the motivation of the students.

Increased Reception

Gamification offers an effective learning environment that is quite informal and engaging. Learners face real-life situations, decision-making scenarios, and challenges in an interactive learning environment. This increases their level of reception while playing an interesting game. Instructors develop customized MOOCs and leverage gamification to teach complex topics in a fun way. This results in an engaging environment, smoother information flow, and increased attention. Interesting simulations can increase reception and keep the learners and participants engaged.

Increased Involvement

In virtual classrooms, learners have no option but to participate in game-based learning modules. Gamification allows the learners to take on new challenges, play different roles, unlock new chapters, level up their characters, and do much more. Apart from that, several MOOCs engage the learners differently and prepare them to handle in-game decision-making scenarios from different vantage points. Thus, there is increased dedication and involvement of the learners to effectively interact with the subject matter.

Increased Longevity & Quick Feedback

Gamification increases the overall outcomes of the virtual classroom. Game-based MOOCs not only engage the students but also offer learning conditions that build a better understanding of the subject through quick feedback. Quick feedback increases the interest level of the students and participants. Quick feedback offers a feeling of accomplishment. Game elements such as rewards, level-up points, badges, leaderboards, and challenges help the learners to understand their level and improve to finish their current quest and unlock the next one. Clear and immediate feedback is very important to have higher engagement in an immersive game-based e-learning session.

So these are a few parameters of how gamification is changing the face of education. Let’s now check out a few elements of a game-based e-learning module that can be incorporated into an Open edX® learning management system.

Elements Of Gamification

Action & Events

eLearning platforms allow the learners and participants to perform certain actions. These actions are called events and they depend upon various dimensions and locked achievements that are defined by the instructor in a MOOC. Game-based virtual classroom sessions keep the learners engaged by offering them different challenges and interactive events to unlock. This increases their interest levels and improves engagement.

Points

Different game-based online learning modules offer point-based MOOCs to improve the learning process. Points offer instant feedback that increases the motivation of the learners. Points can be combined with other game-based elements to improve the overall effect. When learners complete particular tasks, they can earn points that can be used to upgrade their skills and unlock new content.

Badges

Based on the points obtained, the learners can acquire badges. Badges work as social elements that allow the learner to compete with one another to reach the same goals. Badges offer a few positive aspects and improve the learners’ engagement.

• Increase the participation by encouraging the learners and offering rewards
• Motivate the learners to engage with the MOOCs
• Making the learners feel satisfied after completing tasks and unlocking more content

Performance Dashboards & Leaderboards

With gamification, the learners learn throughout their journey and performance dashboards offer the learners all the required game information and flow to see the distribution of all the activities. A performance dashboard allows the learners to view all their achievements, the total number of badges acquired, points earned, unlocked content, rewards, locked quests, and more.

The leaderboard displays the scores and names of the current learners and participants in the entire system. It helps the learners to view the following parameters.

• Compare the performance with that of the other learners
• Evaluate and analyze the percentage towards the next goal
• Achievements locked and unlocked

Win With Gamification

Businesses are vying to see if their gamification strategies can make a difference by increasing the level of learners’ interest. With an effective gamification strategy, organizations can channelize increased engagement into career growth and better opportunities.

Gamification elements within your MOOCs encourage the learners to invest their time in the opportunities that are available to them. Recognize the learners’ desires to increase engagement in your virtual classrooms. Our learning management systems offer you the right gamification elements to have the expected engagement of your learners. Gamify your e-learning strategy with DRC Systems right away!