Friday, June 13, 2014

Gamification important in corporates, but is Game-based learning?

Gamification is one of the most hip, tech-based and popular methods used to induce a certain behaviour in employees nowadays. It's a way for employees to showcase their accomplishments, compete and participate in various company activities. All this clearly ties back to how engaged an employee is and talks about the employee's performance in the company.

The bigger question that comes to our minds is: "Has this method been implemented in an employee's daily projects and processes?" - Maybe, maybe not! But it can be! Every HR or leader wants their employees and team members to function and engage in a particular way to accomplish milestones which contribute to the larger projects/goals. And all this not just for specific instances like on-boarding but generally at all times. Here we find a missing link between the desire and the milestone to be accomplished. The missing link is the EDUCATION that must be provided to the employee to start thinking, acting and behaving in a manner that will help to achieve the larger company or project objective. Every employee's efforts in the Gamification process should add up to something that is useful and beneficial for the organisation and not just to distinguish between the different levels of performers. This is where Game-based learning comes into the picture!

Game based learning is slightly different from Gamification as Game-based learning culminates in defined learning objectives. It keeps the employee highly engaged in what could be otherwise a boring learning process and increases recall value and retention of the training material. All this in a simulated environment that enables easy transmission of the training /learning into his work. This is especially true of a noob employee that you're trying to latch onto the company work flow. It is more or less ensured that the employee won't fall asleep or zone out when the training module is being "meted" out on him. Much more efficient than traditional training modules?

Also, it is a way to set a company expectation through an experience that allows the employee to be in and learn from it before experiencing the situation in the real-world. It tracks not just completion but the behaviour of an employee, time taken to complete a task and the method used to complete the task. Now you're awarding a true badge to the real performer!

All in all, we believe the Gamification methods and technology coupled with Game-based learning reflects the true performer in the company!