Interactive learning games are quite the craze! However, the eagerness to produce content for this trend often leads to poor design choices and execution. On the one end you get games for games’ sake, often leading to poor learner engagement and training results. On the opposite end you get a quick retrofitting of knowledge-check questions into a premade Jeopardy-style template. These are the exact types of experiences that give gamified learning a bad name and often turn both learners and stakeholders off to the idea of gamified learning. As designers, what should we do?

In this collaborative, group-based session we will explore the types of learning content that make a good “fit” for gamified approaches, explain core gaming principles and how and when to apply them, and analyze key elements to developing gamified learning. In essence, we will “power up” your gamified learning design from initial concept to completion!

The topic of gaming attracts a wide variety of skills and experiences. To meet this varied need, this session will focus on three critical parts for designing effective gamified learning. Each of these three parts will begin with a discussion using real-world examples to introduce common concerns and best practices and techniques to resolve them. Attendees will then split into groups to share ideas surrounding each topic. Each part will conclude with the groups sharing the thoughts of their collaboration with the entire audience.

We will begin with instructional design, considering what qualities of learning content make a good fit for a gamified experience. Next, we will apply game design concepts. Using real examples, speakers will highlight the core design concepts, strategies, and elements that drive engagement. Finally, we will discuss the development process, diving “under the hood” of the examples to explore the inner workings of the actions, triggers, and variables used and where these features reside in common authoring tools.

Attendees will leave this session with a better understanding of how customized games are designed from start to finish. They will be able to evaluate existing learning content to determine the most engaging topics for gamified learning, apply design concepts and techniques to create customized gamified learning, and apply foundational programming concepts and best practices for integrating gaming mechanics into their learning.

In this session you will learn:

• How to move beyond surface-level games by integrating gaming concepts and mechanics to create fully customized gamified learning activities
• Techniques for evaluating your existing learning content to determine the most engaging topics for gamified learning activities
• Design concepts and techniques you can apply to boost learner engagement
• Foundational programming concepts and best practices for integrating gaming mechanics into your learning

Technology discussed:

Articulate Storyline, dominKnow | ONE