At Safety Mentor, our goal is to provide the best training and education. We aim to give helpful training tips so that trainers and providers can effectively improve learning outcomes. One such method that should be considered adding to any online or in-person course is gamification in training. However, it’s important to understand the definition of gamification as well as best practices in order to meet learning outcomes.
What is Gamification in Training?
Put simply, gamification is the act of transforming training lessons into a type of game that encourages learners to absorb information through an exciting and memorable approach. This method is comprised of three main components:
- Mechanics: The mechanics of gamification include the pieces of your training that have been inspired or chosen from games and adapted for training materials. These often include point systems, rules about how players progress, levels, awards, and more.
- Behavior: Another component of gamification in training is the behavior of the players. The player’s, or learner’s, behavior toward test taking, sharing what they’ve learned, and more, can be influenced by using games in the learning environment,
- Emotions: This method also involves emotions within learners. These emotions can be positive or negative depending on, of course, how players perform in a game.
Benefits of Gamification in Learning
There are plenty of benefits of incorporating this method into your training. These benefits include:
•Boosting participation & engagement
•Fostering a comfortable environment to share skills and knowledge
•Creating learner empowerment
•Providing a space for feedback
•Motivating learners
Making training stick for learners matters. Utilizing the gamification method as part of your strategy is just one of many ways to help improve learning transfer among those who are being trained. The key is to create games that are not only fun, but also educational and relevant to the subject matter at hand. Mixing this into a curriculum with other proven methods, such as scenario-based learning, will expose learners to many different approaches that will appeal to various learning styles.
Safety Mentor’s LXP is the perfect training environment to incorporate gamification strategies. Contact us to learn how we can help you craft better training programs for your learners.
