With hybrid working set to stay, the need to find new and innovative solutions to build and develop disparate teams has grown. The use of gamification in professional learning and development looks set to meet this demand, and some studies show that when gamification is used, particularly in a task-oriented simulation, it has an important role to play for team interaction and recognition. Individuals who achieve highly in gamification and virtual tasks are also twice as likely to be rated as ‘top performers’ by their supervisor and are considered more engaged and likely to stay.
In order to gain maximum impact, adding gamification to digital learning solutions must be purposefully targeted on desired results. Just like any other methodology in the professional development and team-building toolkit, defined objectives are needed if fun, engaging game-like learning experiences are to achieve lasting impact.
Combining gamification with active learning methods can further enhance the impact of digital learning solutions. By skilfully designing collaborative learning activities around real business challenges, it is possible to create an environment for participants to develop mission-critical skills as they gain knowledge.
Cyndy Sax, Vice President, Development Solutions at Talogy (formally PSI Talent Management), discusses best practices for gamification and action learning, providing five areas to consider, including whether it is possible to cater for individual learning needs, and how to ensure learning is measured and deliverable.
She says: “Adult learners, from generation X to Z, have grown up with gaming as part of their social lives, and engaging online content can help overcome virtual learning fatigue. Gamification can increase engagement and impact in a multitude of ways, including critical thinking, teamwork and co-operation. Before committing to gamification as a learning and development tool, organisations/HR professionals should first ask what other design elements they might consider including, what they want the application to achieve and how they tailor the program to meet the unique learning needs of each participant.”