Using game elements in learning helps employees better retain and apply what they learned by keeping them actively engaged in the training process. But how do you practically use game design to actively support long-term retention and real-world applications?
To help you incorporate game elements into your learning, we’ve asked our Game-Based Learning Online Conference speakers to share their best tips:
- The game design process can support the instructional designer during design and development. When the designer considers the appropriate game mechanics or actions during gameplay, these triggers can be used to deliver learning that sticks. A well-chosen game mechanic can provide a bit of stress which triggers dopamine and provides a mechanism for the brain to pay attention. - Deborah Thomas, President & Owner, Silly Monkey LLC.
- One of the biggest mistakes in game-based learning is starting with the game instead of the performance objective. Begin by asking: “What must the learner be able to do tomorrow at 10:15?” Then design the game mechanics, elements, and aesthetics so that the “game” becomes meaningful practice, not just engagement. – Karl Kapp, Professor, Commonwealth University
- By redefining the success of gamification as the transition from information to skill, we’ll see a transformation from the well-known initial engagement driver to a tool that helps guarantee long-term encoding. This is the path to providing learners with the ability to apply knowledge outside of trainings through gamification. - Jenny Sun, Staff Experience Designer, Intuit
- To transform your learning objectives into a winning game plan, break them down into X’s and O’s: small, repeatable challenges that mirror real workplace decisions. This strategy keeps gamification scalable and sustainable while driving meaningful behavior change. – Lauren Ross, Instructional Designer II, Emory University
- Game-based learning works best when play serves a purpose. Use narrative and problem-solving to create meaningful practice, ground games in real work tasks, provide supportive feedback, and apply gamification intentionally boosting engagement without overshadowing learning outcomes. – James Brack, Senior Learning Experience Developer, BDO USA
- Establish context, premise, and characterization. Embracing narrative storytelling during the gamification process is how you move beyond puzzle-making and into world creation. Narrative storytelling gives learners purpose and promotes retention. – Alan Orr, Learning Experience Designer, BDO USA
Found these tips helpful? To get more wisdom from these experienced pros, attend the Game-Based Learning Online Conference on June 10 & 11.
