gamification of elearning blog by angel green (allen interactions)

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Page 1: Gamification of eLearning Blog by Angel Green (Allen Interactions)

Gamify Your e-Learning Solutions: A Trend 20 Years in the Making

The term gamification is new, but the concept is not.

If, like me, you’ve been in this instructional design world for some time now, you may find yourself a bit hesitant to jump on the latest bandwagon in learning. After all, if you asked me in 2004 what training would look like in 2014, I would’ve likely said, “virtual reality, instructor-led courses taught on training islands in SecondLife, and perfectly meta-tagged learning objects that align to competencies available in the corporate university.”

Enter reality. Unfortunately, it’s not looking much different than it did back then. LMS’s are filled with outdated courses collecting cobwebs, new e-learning reflects the simple cookie-cutter “text and next” format, and does SecondLife even still exist?

But, ever the eternal optimist that I am, I have hope. I hope that if you ask me today what training looks like in 2024 that it won’t look like this. Why? Because I think there is a “trend” worth your consideration to adopt – gamification.

The term gamification is new, but the concept is not. Over twenty years ago, Dr. Allen started Allen Interactions to overcome the very problem of content heavy, boring e-learning. Ten years later, in 2003, he published his Guide to e-Learning,

a book that made me an instant Allen fan and introduced me

to the concepts of Context, Challenge, Activity and Feedback

and the Seven Magic Keys for Motivation. These instructional

design models that Dr. Allen wrote about 11 years ago align

strikingly well with game design. And yet…here we are today

and gaming is made to sound new and fresh.

I ask that you give the trend of gaming consideration in your

instructional design for the sake of your learners. Today’s

learners have the information they need for virtually any subject

with the swipe of a finger. Why should they continue to tolerate

listening and waiting for a next button to appear 18 times to

find the information they need? Learners can get information

anywhere today. Therefore, we can go back to what we were

hoping to do all along—help them learn something in training.

And, as instructional designers, we know how people learn.

We understand, through theory and research that practice,

repetition, and failure help people learn. So, let’s start using

those very techniques to train our workforce.

How do you incorporate gaming into your learning? How do

you create something that is more than just “gaming for the

sake of gaming”? How do you move beyond the cool fad of

gamification and really produce performance-changing games?

By aligning tried and true instructional design theories to your

games, that’s how. And when you do, watch out! People will

have fun, they’ll learn, and best of all—they’ll perform.

If you want to learn more about techniques to align instructional

design theories to gamify your learning, join me for a

complimentary webinar hosted by SABA. During our time

together, I’ll demonstrate the Allen Interactions Taxonomy

Alignment for Gaming, a tool to help you decide the appropriate

type of game to meet your performance objectives. I hope to

“see” you then!

Angel Green is a senior instructional strategist for Allen Interactions’ Tampa studio, where she is responsible for providing consultation and instructional design expertise to clients, partnering with them to build engaging, interactive learning experiences. With nearly 15 years of experience, Angel has worked for organizations such as IBM, MetLife, and PricewaterhouseCoopers, and holds both MS and BS degrees from Florida State University. An accomplished speaker, Angel has held positions as an adjunct instructor of public speaking and is past president of a Toastmasters International chapter. She also frequently blogs on Allen Interactions’ e-Learning Leadership Blog and is co-author of the new Leaving ADDIE For SAM Field Guide.