With the proliferation of many social platforms, users are more connected than ever. We anticipate a growing potential trend to combine social elements with e-learning gamification to engage users.
Social learning through peer collaboration is powered by innovative new technologies and the world's ever-increasing interconnectivity. Learners collaborate on numerous social media platforms such as Facebook, Google+, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Slack. This has led to a growing trend to combine the gamification of e-learning with social elements such as chat options and forums to foster collaboration and knowledge sharing.
One of the strongest driving forces behind gamification is the social and community factors that help keep people committed to the cause.
Apart from formal structures and channels, learning takes place through various informal learning channels such as social media websites and apps. For example, there are social forums like Quora that use gaming elements such as badges and points to engage users. Quora used to have an upvoting system that allowed users to vote for the most relevant answers. The answer with the most upvotes appears first in the list.
Simple game mechanics allow users to provide quality content and contribute more. This is only just the onset of the true application of social learning tools and other social elements in learning and it will be a while before it reaches its full potential.
Increased penetration of gamification in mobile apps
The increase in mobile devices like smartphones, tablets, etc. has led to the evolution of app culture. It is driven by the numerous mobile apps that aim to make our life hassle-free, especially through mobile learning apps and advergame apps are no exception.
The prevailing accessibility of gamified initiatives across mobile and tablet devices has led companies to create high-quality, long-term engagement efforts that can be downloaded and used at any time by the user at their own convenience. We've seen a huge rise in entertaining branded games and engaging gamified learning platforms, and their success is only going to pave way for further gamified app creations.
Measuring what matters
In a few cases time quality, meaningful data, and reporting have been lacking in the market. Previously, the focus was on interactions and clicks, and some platforms charged on that basis. Fortunately, we are seeing a shift towards more actionable and meaningful information tracking around data such as Net Promoter Scores, field usage, real-world performance feedback, retention, and turnover. I think the industry is finally ready to create the data executives have been looking for. A data-driven approach also starts with clear goals, then measurable values, where almost every detail can be tracked, but not shared with the client.
Final thoughts
Gamification appeals to our natural human behavior. As trends come and go, the quest to make activities such as learning, marketing, and business performance more engaging is a perpetually ongoing process. Our understanding of gamification needs to evolve, and the evolution of the gamification process will only help change the general perception of the user engagement process. Therefore, to stay one step ahead and increase conversions, we need to be better at creating customized conversational content, especially audio and video content, to share with a more targeted audience. If you think gamification could help increase engagement with your target audience, get in touch with us today at Reward Rally.