Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/207525
TekTober Hands-on Learning Using gamification can increase the participation in and retention of training initiatives. By Nic McMahon Games are an excellent component of a blended learning program that includes both web and virtual components. According to the Kauffman Foundation, learning by actively engaging in gaming can improve retention by more than 108 percent, making it an attractive learning tool. But how do you enlist an effective gamification program into your business? The first step to developing a solid, compelling game is to identify the objective. In order to develop the game with intention, start by asking the following questions: • • • • • • • • • • [16] What do I want learners to remember or walk away with? What behavior do I want to change? Is a game an appropriate tool to solve the problem and the training challenge? What type of game is best for this situation? How interactive should it be? How long should it take to play? How many levels and players should it include? Will everyone playing the game have access to the same technology? What are the demographics of the different audiences that will be using the game? Will it be reusable? HRO TODAY MAGAZINE | OCTOBER 2013 • How will I measure return on investment? Once these questions have been answered and everyone has a thorough understanding of the objective, the team can scope out the project and build in check points. Part of the learning strategy should also include metrics. A common way to do this is to establish base line knowledge, deploy the game, and then conduct a test after to determine knowledge transfer and retention. For example, Intel wanted an interactive and engaging game that the more than 70,000 Intel Retail Edge Program could access on their smartphones and tablets to reinforce quarterly sales training on new products. Enter Bot Blast, a story-based game in which the players create an Avatar, then answer a series of questions throughout three levels of play to gain points and defeat the bad guys. The game was designed as a desktop web application, as well as an app, and included a leader board so learners could see how they stacked up against other co-workers. The program was designed to help third-party retailers provide just-in-time information to their sales teams while on the floor. In addition, the game and app development process was established in a way that can be replicated throughout future cycles.