The demand for gamification as a tool for valuable knowledge transfer has increased drastically. This is because the application of game principles in learning interventions increases interaction and engagement with the material and has been shown to contribute to the efficiency of the learning process. A by-product is that it ‘makes learning fun again’.

“It used to be that ‘gaming’ and ‘learning’ were seen as opposites,” says Tommie Wildschut, visual designer and UX (User Experience) expert at AWAREWAYS, responsible for gamification and storytelling in our learning programs. “Particularly in the early years of gaming, it was seen as a hobby with no distinct value beyond the entertaining pastime itself.”

“Fortunately, that has changed tremendously. Gaming can make a very valuable contribution to everything from brain development and problem-solving skills to motor- and social skills. In addition, people have also come to recognize that it is a hugely effective way to convey information.”

When you develop a learning environment with gamification – or gamified learning platform – and participants are approached as gamers, the training approach must match that approach. Do you want to know how? Then be sure to request our whitepaper level up your security awareness.

Gamification as an application in learning programs offers creative opportunities to make topics more interactive and challenging, so that you engage with them in a stimulating way. The social element of gamification as an application in training (processing learning material in groups and/or in the form of competition) is an additional factor of stimulation, as social interaction promotes engagement as well. On top of this, game elements – winning, positive feedback and the social interaction with, in this case, colleagues – further increase the effectiveness of learning.