Badges @ E-Learning Gamification

Continuing from yesterday’s post on “Points”, when it comes to gamification, Badges are quite popular along with Points and Leaderboards.

While badges have been around for a really long time in various walks of life and some of them are quite hard to earn, they can bring an edge to gamification of your e-learning programs- if implemented well.

Here are a few simple tips to use badges to enhance the effectiveness of your corporate e-learning interventions.

1. Make it a journey, not just a destination

a.     Learning is a continuous process and no-matter what course your learners take up, the objective is that they need to keep learning over a period of time to get the best results. 

b.     Taking a cue from the martial arts belts, every color clearly means that there is something you have achieved and there is the next color you are gunning for! Both  “pride of possession” and the “desire to achieve the next one” keep the learner in good practice and spirit.  The same concept can wonderfully be applied to corporate e-learning too!

1. Earned it? - Flaunt it!

a.     When a learner earns a badge, give him/her enough reason and opportunity to flaunt it. While there are many APIs which enable a badge to be reflected on various social media platforms- what matters is how many people actually know about it and appreciate its worth?

b.     Promote the badge over various internal platforms like the corporate intranet, common area etc. and create a buzz among the learners to “want” it.

Rewards and Privileges- in addition to recognition

         a. While a badge by itself is a symbol of recognition, adding certain exclusive real-life                             rewards/privileges to it, give the learner a consistent reason to connect with it and feel proud                to associate with it.
          b.     Also for the ones who don't have the badge, it serves as a motivator to work towards being                    a part of the privileged lot.  However this element needs to be implemented with caution to                 avoid going over-board and creating an unnecessary divide.

Increase Visibility

If you have created a “coveted” badge that many learners wish to achieve, I strongly recommend that you give every possible chance for the learner to flaunt it. For example, you can provide a complete kit with objects depicting the badge like..

a.     Digital badge

b.     Icon for the email signature

c.      Tabletop object

d.     Coat pin etc.

Badges are a wonderful and creative way of defining an achievement. If you are already using badges- it’s time to take quick look at how best you can use them. If you are not- then it’s high time you launch your first badge!

The world of PBL is not complete without discussing about Leaderboards after Points and Badges.

Checkout the next post in this series on PBL to explore ways to use Leaderboards for corporate e-learning.

Till then happy badging!

Gamification of E-Learning: Beyond PBL

When it comes to gamification, usually the first three things that come to the mind are Points, Badges and Leaderboards (PBL).

While these may be the most popular game-mechanics used for e-learning, they are only as good as the way they are used!

Let’s take a look at “Points” today.

Points are the easiest ways to keep and compare scores. If you reflect back on the many games you have played in life and the many points you have scored, you will realize that in all these games there was usually an opponent you vanquished with a higher score (and got a wonderful kick out of it!) or the reward for scoring a certain number points was something you really…really wanted!

There may be a few exceptions here and there but primarily these are two prime motivators for scoring points.

Now when we bring this particular game-mechanic called “points” and dove-tail it with an e-learning course by using gamification, which of these motivators is going to drive your learner to gun for the best possible score?

If you don't already have an answer….re-visit your course and fine-tune its functionality before its too late!

A couple of quick tips:

1.  A client of mine announced “real rewards” for online points won for a Gamified Induction Program. The learners could literally redeem their points for some highly popular goodies at the L&D desk. It actually worked! (I guess that’s why credit card points are always a big hit!)
2. Another client put up an LCD screen in the reception area that showed a leaderboard with the latest points scored by various departments (yes..they made it inter-departmental competition) for a particular compliance program, where the points scored by all team members were cumulated for the department. This was one instance that got the managers to swing into action and get their team members to not only take up the course but also do well!

Lesson: Points are very good; only when there is juicy reward or a fierce competition attached to them!

Check-out the sequel of this post to explore some interesting ways to use “Badges” to maximize the effectiveness of your gamified e-learning courses.