Gamify your MOOC

Gamification and massive open online courses (MOOCs) are two of the biggest trends in education. The power of these tools to create accessible and engaging educational programs is already being realized in many education and training sectors. For corporate trainers, the need to motivate employees to improve their knowledge and skills cannot be underestimated. According to Badgeville, a gamification platform, the dropout rate from organizational L&D programs can be as high as 75 percent, that is, three quarters of employees failing to complete their learning courses. Clearly, this trend must be reversed. Gamified corporate training programs can increase user engagement by more than 50 percent, and MOOCs have incredible potential to reduce costs and increase benefits associated with training. It is time for these two gigantic forces to come together.

So what is the best way to gamify a MOOC? Well, the answer is that there is no single answer to this question. Gamification involves the use of game elements and game design techniques in non-game situations, but there are many different ways to do it. Gamification is just an extra, though very powerful, a tool that organizations can use to increase motivation and commitment in their training programs. The specific game elements and design techniques that are most effective will depend on the organization’s training goals and resources. Here we will review how some basic game elements can be applied in a MOOC context.

Basic gamification: the progress bar

Have you noticed that almost every website you interact with has some sort of progress bar or integrity meter? Believe it or not, the slow progress bar is a very powerful gameplay element (just ask LinkedIn). Nearly 30 years ago, Brad Myers of the University of Toronto demonstrated that in human-computer interactions, people want progress bars and that progress bars enhance both the attractiveness and efficiency of computer interfaces. Adding a progress bar to your MOOC interface is a simple way to increase employee engagement within the training program.

Intermediate gamification -PBL

Points, Badges and Leaderboards (Policy-Based Loans in gamification jargon) are the most used game elements.

Points they are used to keep score, determine levels, unlock rewards and determine who wins. In a MOOC, points can be accumulated for visiting the site, watching videos, completing activities, participating in simulations, asking and answering questions in the discussion forum, and just about any other activity imaginable. Points are like a universal currency: they can represent just about anything depending on your training goals.

Insignia represent greater achievements. They are very flexible and serve as publicly visible status symbols. In a MOOC, badges can be awarded for specific achievements, such as completing a module, completing a series of related activities, or acquiring a new skill, or for more abstract achievements, such as teamwork and leadership. Badges are great motivators and give users something to display in recognition of their achievements. There are several options for designing and awarding badges. For example, the Mozilla Open Badge project allows instructors to create specific badges for what they teach and students to collect and display the badges they earn on the web.

Leaderboards display player rankings, which are often determined by the number of points earned. Leaderboards provide participants with feedback on where they stand relative to others. In a MOOC, leaderboards can be used to compare the progress of individuals within a department or departments within a company.

*A word of warning: Gamification is an amazing tool to improve training motivation and effectiveness, but gamified training programs need to be well designed based on the needs of the organization and its employees. Simply putting PBL into a MOOC is not good gamification, and in some situations these game elements can be really demotivating. For example, the points and badges must be achievable: some should be easier and some should be more challenging, but they must be achievable within the context of the training program. Similarly, leaderboards can be very motivating for the people at the top of the list, but very demotivating for the people at the bottom. Experience has shown that leaderboards work better on a small scale, such as within a single department, where people can see their scores relative to their friends and neighbors, rather than on a large scale, such as across the company.

Advanced gamification – Fill the toolbox

There are many other game elements and design techniques that can be incorporated into a MOOC.

• Avatars: Employees can create their own digital learning characters.
• Bonuses – Special rewards may be available for employees who reach certain milestones.
• Quizzes: MOOCs offer a range of possibilities for quizzes. For example, departments can compete for everyone to complete each learning module, or teams can compete in problem-solving and idea-generating activities.
• Content Unlock: Employees who earn a certain amount of points/badges can unlock advanced course modules.
• Levels – “Level Up” is one of the biggest motivators for players. Reaching a higher level is generally associated with higher value rewards.
• Rewards – Rewards can take many forms. Points and leveling up are rewards earned within the game. Rewards can also be external, for example, accumulated points can be redeemed for real goods (eg, a company-sponsored lunch) or virtual goods (eg, new avatar options).

These are just some of the many game elements and mechanics that can be incorporated into a training MOOC. In a well-designed gamified training program, these tools can greatly improve employee engagement, performance, and success. Besides that, the games are fun. Like Kevin Werbach, author of For the victory and the professor behind Coursera’s Gamification course says, “Go ahead and gamify.”