One of the fundamental principles of e-learning design is to vary learning activities to keep learners engaged. As a result, an online course is typically structured as a sequence of content presentations interspersed with discovery and knowledge-check activities, such as matching exercises, quiz questions, fill-in-the-blank exercises, and similar interactions.

Yet many of the world's most successful video games follow a very different pattern. From beginning to end, players repeat essentially the same core activity—albeit with different variations. Think of answering multiple-choice trivia questions (Trivia Crack), matching colorful candies (Candy Crush), or launching birds at structures to knock over pigs (Angry Birds). Despite this apparent lack of variety, these games are remarkably effective at capturing and maintaining players' attention. How do game designers pull this off? In short, by incorporating a wide range of motivational mechanics.

With that in mind, let's explore some of the design techniques used in video games that can be adapted to make online training more engaging. We'll also focus on motivational mechanics that can be implemented realistically within the scope of typical e-learning projects and with the authoring tools most commonly used to develop online training.

Here are a few ideas to get you started:

1. Organize Learning into Levels

At its core, a level is a sequence of activities with a defined success criterion. If learners meet that criterion, they complete the level and move on to the next one. If not, they try again. Levels are almost always designed with progressively increasing difficulty to maintain motivation and engagement. This concept is relatively easy to implement using most popular e-learning authoring tools.

2. Make Performance Metrics Visible at All Times

Another technique that is easy to implement is to keep performance metrics visible at all times. This simply involves displaying information such as the learner's score and the time remaining to complete the level on a persistent presentation layer (or layer) throughout the activity.

3. Use Bonuses and Power-Ups »

You can make levels even more engaging by incorporating these two simple techniques. For example, award 10 bonus points when a learner answers four questions correctly in a row. Those bonus points can then become something the learner chooses to risk. For instance, they could be asked whether they want to wager their bonus points in a double-or-nothing challenge by explaining the reasoning behind one of their answers or by correctly answering an additional question. As for power-ups, these are special advantages that learners can earn under certain conditions. Examples include extra time to answer a question, the ability to skip a particularly difficult question, or a free mistake that doesn't cost any points. These mechanics add variety, increase learner motivation, and give participants a greater sense of control over their learning experience.

4. Award Badges

Badges are used to recognize a wide range of achievements, including participation, performance in specific skill areas, reaching defined milestones, and much more. They are typically represented by an icon paired with a title or label that reflects the accomplishment being recognized. There are several ways to issue badges within an organization and make them visible to learners, their peers, and even their employers. Some Learning Management Systems (LMSs) include built-in badge functionality, while others can integrate with existing credentialing platforms such as Open Badges.

5. Use Leaderboards to Encourage Friendly Competition

You can publish leaderboards that highlight, for example, the top ten performers or the learners who have progressed the furthest through a particular learning path. Depending on your Learning Management System (LMS), generating these rankings may require a custom report, but it is generally possible to implement.

In conclusion, it's entirely achievable and the benefits are well worth the effort.

All of the techniques described above are within reach for many organizations that already offer online training. The key is to adopt a different instructional design mindset and continue refining your design techniques. The greatest impact often comes from combining several motivational mechanics rather than relying on just one. So don't hesitate to incorporate a few more engaging elements rather than too few. The rewards can be significant: greater participation, improved learning outcomes, and higher learner satisfaction. And that's what we're all aiming for, isn't it?

Republished: Originally published on November 9, 2015 on aliaconseil.com