What the Gamificaiton of Learning and Instruction is Not

There are many misconceptions about the gamification of learning and instruction, here are some things that gamification is not.

Trivialization of Learning—Gamification is not a cheapening or dilution of “real learning.” Serious learning scenarios are undertaken within game spaces all the time from military games, to sales incentives, to practicing medical procedures or preparing for standardized tests gamified learning can, and is, difficult, challenging and stressful. Well design games help learners acquire skills, knowledge and abilities in short, concentrated periods of time with high retention rates and effective recall. Do not think of games for learning in the same way as you think of games for children. Gamification is a serious approach to accelerating the experience curve of the learning, teaching complex subjects and systems thinking.

New—In spite of the rapid growth of the concept of gamification, the elements of gamification are not new. The military has been using “war games,” simulations and goal driven experiences to train personnel for centuries. In fact, many historians believe that a 6th century game called Chaturanga may be the first game that used pieces to serve as military figures on a fictional battlefield. The pieces represented foot soldiers, elephants, and chariots, which moved about on a playing board much like the modern chessboard. Teachers, faculty members and corporate trainers have been using game-like techniques for a long time as well. Instructors, trainers and professors embed stories in the form of case studies to wrap experiences for learners, create challenges to engage the learners and set goals and provide feedback on progress while providing a safe environment for learners to practice skills. All of these are elements of gamification. What is new is the emphasis of bringing all of these elements together in an engaging manner under the single concept of gamificaiton. The focus on the relationships and dependencies these elements is new. The rapidly growing acceptance of game thinking and game mechanics applied to non-traditional game environments is new and is forcing a re-examination of how games impact learning and performance.

Foreign to learning professionals—It is critical to remember that learning and development professionals are uniquely qualified to lead the gamification effort within organizations. The elements of interactive design that are buried in good instructional design strategies need to be surfaced and applied to the creation of online and face-to-face learning events to create compelling interactive experiences while leveraging the best from game-based experiences.

Perfect for every learning situation—There are many situations when gamification will not work. Too often the learning profession embraces a new concept as the answer to all learning problems and overhypes the concept to the point of backlash. It is important to approach the gamification of content and learning carefully and methodically. If gamification is seen as a panacea and applied to every single learning event all the time, it will quickly become trivialized and non-impactful. Stay focused on using gamification for the right learning outcomes.