Ethics & Compliance Learning
Gamification in eLearning: Turning Corporate Training into Interactive Play
Gamification in eLearning is more than just adding flashy visuals or rewards. Done right, it’s about fostering an emotional connection with the learner while driving lasting engagement.
As Christopher Stoppiello, Senior Learning Designer at SAI360, explains:
“Gamification is taking elements of video games, phone games, and the like and incorporating those features into something that is not a game. It’s leveraging those engaging characteristics of games for a purpose other than leisure.”
The Three Levels of Gamification in eLearning
Gamification can be broken into three distinct levels, each offering unique ways to enhance the learning experience.
Level 1: It Plays Like a Game
At this foundational level, gamification takes on the aesthetics of a game. Here, training visuals may include tokens, trophies, and other game-related imagery, with the language used being more casual and playful. The experience? It’s linear. Like a game show that you can follow along with or a puzzle that you work to solve bit by bit. The goal? Make the learner feel as though they are participating in something fun and light. Even though the content itself remains structured and educational.
Though simple, this approach sets the stage for deeper engagement by creating a friendly and approachable learning environment. The gamified elements at this stage serve primarily to capture attention.
Level 2: It Acts Like a Game
The second level introduces more interactive components via a complex branching experience. In this level, learners have some degree of control over their experience. Here, you gather points, collect rewards and earned tokens.
For example, at SAI360, we often use a “choose-your-own-adventure” style of storytelling. In this format, learners make decisions that affect the narrative, mimicking real-life scenarios. This safe environment allows them to experiment with different choices. The result is that people can better learn from their consequences in a way that is engaging and immersive. Learnings that last, in other words.
This level moves beyond the surface and into the realm of practical application. This way, learners understand the impact of their decisions without real-world consequences. It’s a safe space to try something, fail, and then try again.
Level 3: It Is a Game
If you love racking up points, keeping score, seeing your name rise and fall on a leaderboard, and tracking your progress, this will be an especially fun level for you. This final level of gamification involves creating a fully immersive game experience. At this stage, the experience includes game mechanics. Think scores, leaderboards, and the rush that comes with competition and wanting to win and perform well.
In this level, learners can replay the game over again, building familiarity with the topic. Multiple endings or challenges further incentivize engagement.
Christopher highlights the social component of this approach: “Think of sharing the colored blocks of your Wordle score in a group text. Companies can leverage an employee’s competitive side to encourage effort and foster success.”
When applied thoughtfully, this approach drives competition and collaboration among teams. This helps drive clearer long-term learning outcomes.
Final Thoughts on the Power of Gamification in eLearning
Gamification in eLearning is not a one-size-fits-all approach. Each level has its place depending on the desired learning outcome.
As Christopher concludes, “It’s important to ask yourself what you hope to achieve with gamification and whether you’ve identified the right program for a gamified experience.”
Whether you’re looking to introduce a more engaging visual experience, build simulations for real-world scenarios, or create a competitive learning environment, gamification has tremendous potential to transform how your employees interact with learning content.
What Gamification Solutions Are Offered by SAI360?
SAI360 offers a range of gamified experiences designed to engage learners and maximize retention, particularly in Ethics & Compliance training. These experiences are goal-oriented in order to ensure gamification aligns with the learning context and serves a clear purpose. Additionally, SAI360 prioritizes accessibility and provides support for neurodivergent learners to create an inclusive learning environment.
One of the key approaches SAI360 employs is, as mentioned above, the use of badges, tokens, and immersive visual designs. All help provide immediate feedback to learners to reinforce the right response.
