Games motivate learners to stay focused on the content, throughout the course. Let’s learn about top five elements that add value to games in eLearning.
U sing games in eLearning courses is the new trend. But, why do we use games? Games in eLearning are used for two main reasons – communication and motivation.
Communication
Games can be used to make complex and difficult content easy to learn. Games can be used as a strategy to help learners remember facts and apply guidelines to their job. Retention of knowledge is increased as games facilitate effective engagement of the learner, especially when the games are based on the learner’s work environment.
Motivation
Games motivate learners to stay focused on the content, throughout the course, without any distractions. Motivation is the most important factor in eLearning, as it challenges the learner to win and complete the course.
In this post, we will look at the top five elements that add value to games and motivate learners.
Visually rich backgrounds:
To make the eLearning course interesting and engaging, add appropriate visual elements. Shown below is a screenshot of a game, where learners need to analyze the key requirements of various stakeholders of an organization. The theme used is an office background with different stakeholders.
Real images/ Characters:
Using ‘real’ people makes the screen rich and learners can easily relate to the role. On clicking each point icon (above screenshot) the stakeholder appears simultaneously displaying the question and options.
Score/ Points:
Every game needs a score.This element is important in motivating learners to do well and improve their score. The score is displayed on the left corner. If there is more than one game, the score is carried forward to the next game.
Feedback:
Feedback is another important aspect. Make sure that feedback is not missed in games. Give explanation for correct and incorrect answers to reinforce learning.
Sound clips:
Consider adding sound clips for correct and incorrect answers. Also, you can add sounds on the introduction and result pages. Appreciate learners by adding sound of applause or ‘well done’ sound.
These are some of the elements that enrich games and motivate learners. I hope you find them useful.
