In a nutshell, gamification is the use of game elements and mechanisms in a non-game context. Gamification has the potential to significantly increase learner motivation, engagement, and knowledge retention. We are well into the age of technology, where learners are somewhat bombarded with information and can pick and choose their sources of knowledge. In this type of learning environment, learners seem to be increasingly turning to each other (i.e. their social connections) as a primary source of information. It is for this reason that I have become interested in learning more about the possibilities of social media-based learning. I am particularly interested in social media-based gamification and learning. In this post I share my findings that include an example from academia of social media-based learning, as well as a corporate social media-based gamification platform.
In the article Gamification in a Social Learning Environment, I read about a web application called QizBox that was developed and implemented at Bowling Green State University. The goal of QizBox is to increase learner engagement. It is now used by hundreds of students at the university in over a dozen classes. QizBox aims to promote social engagement of students and features a chat room, questions area, notes section, quiz questions launched by the presenter, and lecture archives. Implementation considerations included how to measure the success of QizBox and how to use gamification methods to motivate students to participate. This is an example of using gamification to promote social learning and engagement in an academic environment.
So how can one promote social learning and engagement in a corporate setting? One tip that I read about was to include gamification from the beginning of employment. It was recommended to start by gamifying the on-boarding process and trainings. I started to think about my current employment as a software trainer and where I can imagine gamification as a viable solution to some of the hurdles I see. To begin, I would like to see compliance training that is interesting, personalized, and engaging. Second, while I love working on a team, I sometimes recognize times where our skill of working together can be improved. Next, I have the opinion that if recognition occurred more frequently, there would be significant increases in employee motivation and morale. The last thought I had was that I would like to know more about the products that other teams in our department are training.
I began a search for social media-based gamification in a corporate setting. I was looking for a platform that could encourage collaboration both within a team as well as between different teams. Gamified teambuilding, training, competition, and employee recognition were characteristics of such a platform that I identified as desirable. I indeed found a platform that offers all these things, plus more. The platform is called Eloops. Eloops is a gamification platform that is centered around social media-based collaboration, learning, recognition, and rewards.
I’d like to name a few things about Eloops that I found exciting and promising. There is a training and education app where employees can complete courses, take part in interactive trivia quizzes that allow them to compete with other employees, and take part in polls and surveys. It also permits streaming of live company events. Another application in Eloops is the Employee App. This app has pages such as Home, Feed, Inbox, Loops (e-coins), and People (contacts). Employees can therefore post work-related content, as well as comment on other employee’s posts (that show on the Feed page). There is also a marketplace where management can book activities to promote collaboration and teambuilding. Employees can earn e-coins for completing various activities and trainings and can therefore be rewarded by the company for their achievements. The last feature of Eloops that I would like to mention is that it offers integration so that actions taken on other platforms can be rewarded. If you would like to read more about this platform, visit the Eloops website. In my current employment, I can see the Eloops platform helping to build remote teams, promote cross-training team members on other products, and making these processes fun and engaging.
In conclusion, I have read that gamification, when designed well, can be highly effective. Combining this with my observation that learning has now become quite social in nature, I can say that I see a promising future in social media-based gamification.