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Reinvigorating healthcare training: Gamification for medical professionals

Gamified solutions have become a popular tool for training and education in a variety of industries, including healthcare. By even just incorporating simple mechanics such as levels that break down learning materials, interactive quizzes to test knowledge, and engaging, energising game-like experiences, gamification can facilitate a more effective way to teach complex concepts and procedures. They can also provide a safe, low-risk environment for learners to practice and make mistakes without real consequences. Online games have been used to train healthcare professionals in areas such as infection control, patient communications and emergency response. In appropriate settings, the use of gamification as a training tool for healthcare professionals can contribute towards improving the quality of support and patient care, as more engaging and effective study methods help improve the retention of knowledge and skills needed for safe and effective treatment. 

The importance of training in the healthcare sector  

Continuous training and educational support systems are crucial for healthcare professionals to provide the best possible care for patients. While healthcare is constantly evolving through valuable research and breakthroughs, it is also a sector under tremendous pressure in terms of time, resourcing, and investment.  It is understandable that medical and care professionals need to stay up to date with new information or emerging technologies that can help improve patient outcomes or even make their own day-to-day work easier, but for the majority and especially those on the front line, it is hard to find time to squeeze extra work in. Even just with the rise of electronic records and online medical services, ongoing training is essential, but also amounting, for staff to keep up with these changes all while provide optimal treatment.  

Faced with little time, high stress, and working days that require great focus and attention, traditional methods of healthcare training, such as lectures, textbooks and seminars, may be less effective and less engaging. These methods often do not offer opportunities for hands-on practice and tend to be less interactive, making it harder to retain information or consider how it works in practice. Digital or gamified approaches to learning can present simulated but realistic scenarios where the learner can test their understanding of core concepts, put theory into practice, or run through example situations to improve knowledge retention – particularly valuable for nuanced or less theory-based areas of learning, such as communication, collaboration or leadership skills for example.   

 

Gamified medicall app for professionals to provide a safe, low-risk environment for learners to practice and makes mistakes.

“Understanding the different ways of learning, motivations and preferences of different users increases engagement and improves the learning process. At Motivait we try to use eye-catching designs, compelling narratives and gamification elements help the user to delve deeper into more complex topics.”

Whether mobile or desktop based, digital solutions can leverage the agility and accessibility of technology to instantly make learning paths available to learners whether they’re on the go and wanting to squeeze in 5 minutes on a quick course module, or in a more relaxed environment and keen to look at information in a different, more dynamic way. While the market may be saturated with options, there is no denying that one of the benefits to digital or online based learning approaches is that they can take into account different learning styles, which may make it easier for some people to learn more effectively. Certain learners may prefer hands-on learning, while others lean toward visual or auditory learning.  

Then, by taking digital learning and training methods one step further to include gamification, the experiences can cater to diverse learning needs while also providing a much-needed support to driving sustainable engagement throughout the learning process. Game elements such as tracking progress to encourage participation, providing feedback, nudges or prompts to avoid people feeling lost or unsupported, or even just offering warm up rounds or quick game-like experiences to boost motivation can go a long way to enriching the learning journey for participants faced with complex or time-consuming themes as seen in healthcare. 

Gamification in action 

So, what can gamified solutions look like in practise?  

A clear example of this can be seen in an innovative app that uses gamification to reduce unnecessary procedures in the Spanish National Health System. Created by a team of experts from the Ramón y Cajal University Hospital, FISABIO and the Miguel Hernández University, the app seeks to reduce procedures linked to ‘Do Not Do’ practices, in reference to all those unnecessary procedures that have been shown not to be useful, have questionable effectiveness, are not cost-effective or are not a priority. According to José Joaquín Mira, Professor of Health Psychology at the Miguel Hernández University:

 “We have chosen to use gamification to draw attention to the problem of overuse of certain practices in a fun and practical way… It actively engages the practitioner, sparks curiosity and invites them to compete with themselves while internalising what not to do to achieve safer practice and higher quality care”.  

The app works through a reward system, with scores being stored and added to the user’s profile. In addition, in the game settings you can choose the level of difficulty of the questions, the field of speciality and whether they will be repeated in the future. There are more than 100 questions (on a wide range of practices, linked to different specialities). The user will have a justification for the answer, a link to the official recommendations document, and information on which scientific society endorses it.  

Using a gamified solution in the learning process can be an effective tool for improving knowledge retention and performance on certain medical tasks. For example, a study published in BMC Medical Education found that medical students who played a game designed to teach cardiology concepts performed better on a post-exam than those who received traditional classroom instruction. Another study published in PMC PubMed Central found that nurses who participated in a game designed to simulate medication administration had a higher rate of correct medication administration than those who did not participate in the game.  

Bringing theory to life, putting skills into practise  

There are few sectors where training is so important as within healthcare. Whether in hospitals, care homes, local medical centres, or wherever their work takes them, health professionals are under pressure to stay informed and well versed in evolving approaches, processes and practices or even new legislation they are expected to follow. Recognising the fact that many organisations and institutions within the sector won’t be able to invest endlessly, what solutions that are provided need to be creative in ensuring they impact the learning experience.  

The ripple effect of participating in a positive, enjoyable session or experience, as opposed to leaving feeling drained and disillusioned, means learners feel valued (“how great that my organisation chose to positively invest in me and understand my needs”) and well equipped to tackle future challenges and situation. Gamification may just be one tool of many able to invigorate digital or hybrid approaches to learning, but it is certainly one methodology with proven impact on user engagement and optimised knowledge retention. At the end of the day, given the hurdles and stresses healthcare professionals and students handle, delivering solutions that put them at the heart of the process for once could just make the difference to them.  

 If you are interested in learning more about how gamification and technology can improve the learning experience and engagement, check out our work in this area:  

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Preventing Digital Learning Fatigue in an Era of Interconnectivity

We all saw how technology helped people during the pandemic; without tools like Teams, Zoom, online learning platforms and social media, working effectively and staying connected with friends, family, colleagues and peers would have been incredibly difficult, if not impossible. As people become more comfortable and familiar with technology, the risk of fatigue heightens and therefore more preventative measures need to be taken in order to keep audiences engaged, motivated and intrigued.

Take learning and development platforms for example which, when facilitated digitally, offer a consistent experience for all participants irrespective of where, how or when they’re logging on. However, a digitally interconnected world does present some issues, the most stated of which is the concept of ‘Digital Learning Fatigue’ – also referred to as ‘Zoom Fatigue’ or simply ‘Online Fatigue’.

What is Digital Learning Fatigue?

Digital Learning Fatigue is a state of exhaustion, both physical and mental, where individuals reach their saturation point of using digital tools.

If this sounds familiar, and you feel like you have experienced this burnout, you are not alone. In 2021, 70% of people said they had experienced it, and dealt with frustrating side effects like sensory overload, irritability and restlessness.

One quick Google search and we’re flooded with ways to combat or at least limit these types of effects, whether it’s ‘only spend essential time online’, ‘make sure you take adequate rests’, or ‘adjust your screen brightness and ensure you have a comfortable, ergonomic set up’. Undoubtedly helpful to a certain degree, but the sustainability of such measures does raise questions, especially considering how increasingly online we are becoming.

A more sustainable and longer-term solution is diversifying the way people work and learn. Employing a ‘microlearning’ approach to studies, weaving in methods of gamification and experimenting with hybrid working are three great examples of how we can cut down our screentime, without compromising on these new, innovative and effective ways of working.

Microlearning

Microlearning is a way of teaching and conveying information to learners in bite-sized chunks, with a focused and specific learning outcome. It may also incorporate multiple forms of media to break up the format.

One study shows that microlearning has improved focus and supported long-term retention by up to 80%.

Stats source

Given that digital fatigue can be the result of having to process large quantities of information, incorporating elements of microlearning is one way to help break up the process and facilitate continued participation. Breaking large amounts of information down into smaller chunks makes learning materials much easier to digest, less overwhelming for users to approach and less exhausting to become immersed in. Not only is this universally beneficial, but it is a more accessible method for people with learning disabilities to retain information.

Microlearning can also maximise workflow. When learners complete a section of work, they develop a sense of accomplishment which can lead to a greater sense of purpose and achievement. Therefore, when you split a piece of work into these smaller sections, it can provide the learner with a greater sense of achievement more often, which in turn increases their motivation to engage with the teaching further.

Microlearning also encourages the formation of good habits and gives users more flexibility while working. Incorporating microlearning practises in combination with other methods of engagement can be an excellent way to engage people digitally while preventing learning fatigue, but it is important that these techniques are intertwined with one another as continued engagement is about diversification and enjoyment. Microlearning uses repetition in short bursts which has been linked to memory retention comparatively to large volumes of information in one go.

Using the agile methods of workflow, although ridged in nature, can be a great way to improve workflow and productivity while moving at a pace that embraces microlearning. Following this methodology facilitates reflection and inspection ensuring results are to a higher standard, while simultaneously being more engaging for users. This method of work can easily be gamified to engage users further, while simultaneously making workflow more productive and enjoyable.

Similarly, to Microlearning, gamified learning elements have also proven to be more engaging for people with learning disabilities. Gamification encourages outside-of-the-box thinking and leans away from ‘traditional’ forms of learning that are often not catered to the needs of these groups of learners. Digital methods of learning can help people with Dyslexia as digital text can be edited e.g., text could be made bigger or a different colour to be more accessible for someone with differing needs, or visual recourses to aid reading.

Gamification

Gamification is the enhancement of systems, typically educational or workplace systems to create an experience similar to a video game in order to motivate and engage the user.

Incorporating elements of gamification into digital learning can encourage continual engagement over longer periods of time by making it more enjoyable. Gamification can also provide a sense achievement and pride to the learner, through elements such as interactive tutorials, progress bars, mini games and quizzes.

Gamified educational platforms have already seen success in the workplace and in educational environments. Universities around the world are investing a significant amount of money on creating engaging platforms for students to use alongside their in-person studies.

Additionally, 55% of teachers agree that using digital games in class motivates low-performing and special ed students.

Stats source

Imagine the impact of a student or employee going through compulsory training in a mixed media format; consisting of core written materials in bite-sized chunks, interspersed with informational, engaging videos, with game elements and quizzes, collaboration with other users, team exercises and mixing methods of in-person and digital learning; versus an experience solely consisting of lengthy written materials over long periods of time, which the learner is expected to read on their own and complete within a set timeframe.

Hybrid Learning

Hybrid or blended learning is an innovative approach to learning that combines online educational materials and in person or place-based opportunities together to create an environment that is more interesting and more inclusive to the user.

Integrating physical and digital learning elements can ensure learning is more memorable, enjoyable and productive. Although traditionally thought of as a distraction to learning, embracing the capabilities of smartphones and weaving them with other forms of learning has the potential to engage disengaged audiences. A good example of this is the use of mobile technology during physical learning sessions – such as smartphone polls, quizzes, or a group activity. The popularity of smartphones has allowed people to embrace the use of them in learning, a good way to engage people with technology. People are familiar and comfortable with mobile phones, especially younger audiences who are often the target market for digital or hybrid learning.

65% of students prefer in-person learning

Stats source

Although young people may respond well to digital tools, they also respond well to in-person activities, and studies have shown that up to 65% of students prefer in-person learning. A way in which this could be implemented is by starting the learning experiences physically and then allow the journey to continue and be enhanced digitally. QR codes are a staple for this and could encourage students to scan to continue their experience within a virtual environment, perhaps to play an interactive mini-game based on something they’ve learnt in-person.

Students digitally learning

Engaging people using emerging technologies such as Augmented Reality (AR) is a great way to combine digital capabilities with the real world. AR is now available through smartphones, making the technology not only more accessible, but also portable. Mobile AR means learners can easily interact in a digital way with their physical surroundings, presenting opportunities for interactive learning. Incorporating hybrid learning into practises such as onboarding is a great way to increase engagement. Traditionally onboarding is either online or in person but combining the two and adding gamified elements could be a great way to prevent fatigue during this process.

 

Conclusion

As people’s familiarity with technology increases, digital fatigue increases parallel to it. Therefore, innovation is important in its prevention, ensuring technology is developing alongside people, growing with them and being adapted to meet their needs. Digital fatigue can also have some serious physical and emotional consequences so is important to deploy solutions and embrace technology designed to prevent it and engage the user across all sectors, whether it be education or within the workplace.

Although it may seem like a popular buzzword, digital fatigue could cause serious disengagement with a huge proportion of people and that’s why considering it during any digital design process is crucial. Due to market oversaturation of learning technologies, diversifying platforms using unique features such as gamification and hybrid learning is a great way to stand out among competitors. Digital fatigue can affect all users, but it can often depend on the users’ needs and the type of platform and type of learning. Therefore, designing and developing platforms with this in mind from the start is the path to preventing digital learning fatigue.

 

Discover a real-world example of how technology can be integrated into learning effectively.
Read our case study on ‘Partnership in Action: Newcastle University Business School & Motivait’

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Latest Trends in Gamification

Gamification is the technique of integrating game characteristics and mechanics into a digital environment, making use of technology to improve the user experience, foster loyalty and increase engagement. In other words, it is the application of game aspects in a non-game context.

Gamification is gaining popularity at an increasing rate. Today, it is a widely used tool in many fields, such as sales, education, health and wellness, design, employment, business and commerce. For example, gamification is used by stores and e-commerce companies to encourage good consumer behaviour, and used in the corporate environment to increase productivity, efficiency and personal skills.

In this blog you will be able to explore and learn about the diffrent trends in gamification.

Six examples of gamification in various sectors

The following industries have seen significant increases in revenue and customer retention as a result of incorporating gaming aspects into their applications and platforms.

Health and wellbeing: Apps reward you and prompt you to use them more to drive engagement and make daily tasks more enjoyable, turning actions into healthy, daily habits.

Education: Game concepts such as teamwork, objectives, points, and badges are often used to create and engaging atmosphere that encourages deeper learning while still making a subject interesting.

Foodservice: Using gamification to design engaging customer retention programmes and to animate dining experiences. Actions such as ordering through the phone and order tracking functions have created significant changes in this sector.

Transportation: A common feature of many ridesharing and cab apps is a real-time tracker where users can see exactly where their driver is and when they will arrive. As well as numerous loyalty programmes that encourage users to use them more frequently and receive rewards.

Retail: To engage its users, build brand awareness and promote sales, brands and stores use a variety of gamified elements to increase customer engagement such as VR/AR, mini games, pop-up interactive installs in-store, referral rewards and interactive contests.

Banking: Gamification is used to enhance the customer experience. From apps with personalised saving goals to competitions with rewards, gamification is used in banking to  produce personal finance management applications that inform their users and help them better understand and manage their finances.

Motivait’s response

At Motivait, our solutions create more engaged and interested customers, no matter the sector. We employ games in a practical way, from badges, goals to quick feedback, that activates customer motivation and builds brand affinity. Gamification is a practical approach to business growth, regardless of whether you run a restaurant, fitness app, retail store or anything in between. If you want to better understand how we work, take a look at our video on how we can help you innovate an improve the way people feel and experience your brand.

(Sources: FinancesOnline, Trio, Motivait)

 

Employee onboarding can be a time-consuming task. However, onboarding is a crucial factor for a company’s new employees. The importance of first impressions cannot be overestimated. You only get a small window of opportunity to describe the type of experience potential employees can expect when working for your organization. This is where gamification comes in. Studies have revealed that delivering information through a gamified form results in greater assimilation and retention. The two main objectives of gamification as an onboarding method are to make training enjoyable and to accelerate the pace of learning.

Six advantages of using gamification in Onboarding.

  1. Positively represents the company – Employees say gamification makes them feel: 89% more productive and 88% happier at work. (Source: Talent LMS)
  2. Offers the ability to receive instant feedback – Gamified Onboarding programmes typically include: 59% points systems, 51%leaderboards, 47% levels and 71% badges. (Source: Talent LMS)
  3. Improve retention – 12% of new hires voluntarily leave their company during the onboarding process (Source: Brandon Hall Group). Finding ways to make work more fun can increase skills retention by 40% (Source: Forbes)
  4. Increases employee engagement – 87% of employees say that gamification provides a sense of belonging and social connection in the workplace. (Source: Talent LMS)
  5. Aligns onboarding with important business objectives – Tools employees would like to see gamified: 33% training software, 30% communication software, 15% customer relations/HR software, 10% documentation software, 12% collaboration and PM software (Source: Talent LMS)
  6. Decreases employee attrition – The cost of replacing an employee range from 90-200% of their original salary (Source: Talent LMS)

Motivait’s response

At Motivait, we use technology to create an engaging, interactive and game-based process to meet your onboarding objectives and help new employees become competent in their future responsibilities. It could be the perfect opportunity to change things up and incorporate some gamification into your onboarding to make new hires happy and productive workers. If you want to better understand what we do, take a look at our work with Zebra Technologies, where we developed a global onboarding process with an immersive experience.

(Sources: Motivait, FinanceOnline, Staffbase, Talent LMS, Brandon Hall Group, Forbes)

 

Gamification offers users highly engaging and immersive experiences. To further enhance its impact, companies can start by implementing customised gamification strategies to improve both employee and customer engagement.

74% of consumers are frustrated when they receive content that has nothing to do with their tastes and interests. 94% of companies say personalisation is critical to their success.

We all know that “one size does not fit all”. For example, in the learning environment, today’s learners want to invest time in training created or selected specifically for them in order to get the most out of their time.

The following points serve as an example of how tailored-made gamification can benefit the increase of student engagement:

Personalised learning route: Suggest the most suitable path for the user or provide the ability to customise the user’s own route.

Individual performance indicator: Personalised gamification can go beyond scores/badges and leaderboards by providing users with information on their performance in relation to learning objectives.

Real-time personalised feedback and suggestions: Set up suggestions to cover any tips on how to improve their skills.

Calls to action: Can be used effectively to motivate change through specific calls to action to help users meet their training objectives.

Continuous learning: Gives the user the opportunity to maintain the learning connection even after the main training has ended.

While gamification in itself is a strategy that fosters a huge degree of engagement, methods such as personalised gamification can serve to further increase participation, motivation and performance.

Motivait’s response

At Motivait we stand out for providing our clients with the best personalised solutions tailored to their needs. One of our success stories is ‘Tir Na Nóg’, the mythical island that transformed the concept of mathematics for many children in a public school in Madrid. The experience was a clear example of the effectiveness of engagement solutions and the use of gamification in training and learning. If you want to understand better how we did it, take a look at our Case Study.

(Sources: Motivait, GrowthEngineering, eLearningIndustry)

 

More than half of the population now uses social networks. The same neurotransmitters that make games so addictive are released when people use social media. Dopamine, for example, is released whenever we learn something new. Similarly, when we engage in rewarding social interactions, we experience a rush of oxytocin.

Many companies today are gamifying their social media campaigns to increase trust and one of the key KPIs such as brand engagement. Large companies have included gamification components in their social media strategy, such as M&M’s, LinkedIn and Waze in order to promote user interaction with their posts. Gamification has the potential to be a game-changing marketing tactic for companies looking to increase engagement, attract repeat customers and gain crowdsourcing capabilities.

Gamification can be as basic or as complicated as one chooses. Here are some possible examples:

  • Live video games on a website
  • Surveys
  • Offer prizes to people who review, like, comment or contribute content
  • Posts contests on social media
  • Create a ‘scavenger hunt’ type game on social media

The impact of gamification on social media

  • Website with gamification experience a 29% increase in page shares.
  • Gamification increases comments by 13%
  • Gamification increases social sharing by 22%
  • Gamification amplifies content discovery, increasing engagement in the activity feed by 68%

(Source: GrowthEngineering)

It is expected that more companies will soon follow suit. Gamification has the advantage of introducing some fun into the social media approach, which is a benefit. Your audience’s engagement is likely to increase dramatically as a result of their entertainment. After all, research has shown that social media can increases engagement metrics by 100-150%. In addition to growing your community of followers, you may also be able to capture long-awaited leads.

Motivait’s response

We recognise gamification as a versatile tool that can be used for both business and educational as well as marketing purposes. Our work with gamification can help companies build a strong online presence and improve audience engagement. By incorporating the features of prizes, immersive storytelling and competitions, these can be used as a powerful tool to amplify any social media campaign. If you would like to find out more about how we can help you promote your brand while creating a fun experience for your customers, don’t hesitate to contact us!

(Sources: GrowthEngineering, Meltwater, Spectrio, Motivait )

 

 

To achieve their acquisition and retention goals, today’s businesses are gamifying their marketing initiatives. Gamification is used to engage people at every stage of the customer journey.

Gamified content improves the sales funnel (Awareness, Consideration, Preference, Purchase, Loyalty, Promotion). It is an engaging process, so people tend to remember it. This, in turn, creates better brand awareness.

Here are some benefits of using gamification in marketing and sales activities:

  • It drives customer engagement. Users are less likely to pass over content.
  • When users are encouraged to complete tasks for rewards, conversion rates soar. The reward can be a badge, a trophy, points or any other specific feature.
  • As visitors become more engaged with your content, brand awareness and loyalty increases.
  • Finally, gamification is fun!

According to the Demand Gen report, 93% of marketers love gamification and plan to use it in their future activities. Here are some key takeaways from the report on what marketers are saying:

  • According to 81%, interactive content is more attention-grabbing than static material.
  • 88% say that interactive content is effective in differentiating their brand from competitors.
  • 79% agree that interactive content can have reusable value, which translates into repeat visits and multiple views.
  • Around 70% believe that interactive content successfully engages users.

Gamified marketing also gives users the impression that they are in control. They are free to decide how to interact with the content. This provides a new level of fun and excitement that is rarely present in other situations.

Motivait’s response

At Motivait we make sure we live up to our client’s expectations. Most of our clients are looking for rewarding and innovative experiences. When it comes to marketing campaigns, we can provide such experiences with gamified solutions that make your content and optins fun and engaging. Today, we are subject to so many influences that it is difficult to focus on a single message. However, people always try to make time for entertainment because it is a time when they can switch of and enjoy themselves. Therefore, we can conclude that gamification is an accessible and very beneficial method of self-promotion if we combine this feeling of joy with the pleasure of receiving rewards. If you want to know more about our engagement and loyalty solutions click on our video!

(Sources: GrowthEngineering, OptinMonster, DemandGen, Motivait)

 

 

Human-Centered Design is a problem-solving technique that places real people at the centre of the development process, enabling the creation of products and services that appeal and adapt to the need of their audience. The goal is to take into account the desires, pain points and preferences of users at every stage of the process. In turn, you will create more intuitive and accessible products that are likely to generate higher profits because your customers/employees have already examined the solution and feel more interested in using it.

Studies show the growing importance of human-centred design in meeting the needs of today’s workforce. Furthermore, empathy from managers is what drives 92% of employees to stay in their jobs. Therefore, employee input now influences the design of gamification methods. Companies are now starting to coordinate their organisational goals with the values of their employees.

Gamification and human-centered design are based on the same principles of focusing on the user, finding and approach that maximises desirability with feasibility, and adopting an experimental approach to find the best solution.

There are the same three phases, which are:

  1. Intention discovery, empathising with users and defining the future state
  2. The iteration and creation of ideas and prototypes
  3. The delivery and launch of something in the real world

Motivait’s response

For us, gamification is a crucial aspect when creating our solutions. Human-centered design encourages us to focus on behaviour. With today’s social, environmental and business challenges, changing user behaviour is the cornerstone of tackling modern problems. Technology also allows us to create more engaging user experiences, through interactive components, real-time data and information, and social connectivity. Our inherent purpose of applying gamification is to provide an engaging experience to incentivise behaviour and increase user engagement in solving real problems. If you want to better understand how we deliver user-centric digital solutions visit our website for more information, and don’t hesitate to contact us!

(Sources: HBS Online, BCG, TTISI, Medium, Motivait)

 

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Optimising learning through digital technology

In an increasingly digital world, the education sector is in a period of transformation driven by technology and new working models and methods. This digital strategy requires flexible education that encourages students and academic institutions to be active, innovative and entrepreneurial.

Electronic devices and the broader digital environment have become much more accessible to students. In terms of tools, technology has given rise to a wide range of platforms, equipment, systems, networks and applications that are already in use in many educational institutions and are expected to become even more common in the future. From the traditional textbook to a variety of digital materials, courses and support systems, content is expanding and diversifying.

As part of the Digital Education Action Plan (2021-2027) the European Commission conducted a public consultation at the end of 2020 to obtain the views and experiences of citizens, institutions and organisations on the impact of COVID-19 on education and training, the consequent evolution towards remote and online learning, and the future of digital education in Europe.

Respondents expressed that online learning resources and content should be more relevant, interactive and user-friendly, and not dependent on the financial resources of a city or local council. More than 60% felt that their digital skills had improved during the pandemic, and more than 50% confirmed that they wanted to improve them further.

The study conducted in the Action Plan helps to reiterate the current trend towards online and hybrid learning that has been accelerated by events in recent years. These changes have led to the discovery of new and innovative ways in which learners and educators organise their online learning and teaching activities, engaging in more personal and flexible interactions

Support and motivate students with digital technology

Digital motivation is about applying the capabilities offered by new technologies to increase students’ confidence. Thus, making them feel more comfortable in their educational environment and ultimately improving their performance. Active engagement, cooperation among students, quick feedback on work or assessments, and the ability to put what they learn into practice are some of the conditions for students to learn effectively using technology.  Students’ lack of motivation is not only a barrier to understanding topics, but also a challenge for teachers in their everyday work.

Academic institutions can support students on a personal level while providing a comprehensive and integrated understanding of university systems. Digital and interactive portals provide connections to all relevant systems, as well as ‘live sections’ that display grades, upcoming assignments, timetables and other information and encourage participation before, during and after different activities. Access to information and course materials anytime, anywhere.  A way of communicating with students and guiding them through their work giving them assistance, focus and reinforcement.

As shown in a study published by McGraw-Hill Education, students prefer digital learning to traditional learning. According to the study, 81% think digital learning technology is helping them improve their grades, and 71% say digital course materials have increased their engagement. The clear majority of students believe that digital learning technology has benefited their schoolwork by encouraging concept retention and improving grades, and that more than half (53%) of students feel much more motivated in classrooms that incorporate such tools.

Towards a new university student experience

Increasingly, students want higher education institutions to provide them with a personalised and individualised experience. They expect the same level of interaction and experience offered by consumer brands such as Amazon and Netflix. To respond to these needs, leaders at universities, business schools and other education institutions are beginning to see a connection between the student and the consumer, and how digital transformation is necessary to meet the demands and aspirations of today’s students.

Consequently, students no longer want to be treated uniformly and anonymously, but are looking for tailored notifications and suggestions, customized to their own interests, as well as a perfect experience. They want to be seen, heard and appreciated, as well as receive attention that is specific to them. According to the Connected Student Report, 90% of students want universities to interact with them as frequently as possible, using email, tailored communications and notifications, as well as other means. Around 40% say they would prefer more individualised communications, and 25% say they would like a more personalised university experience in general.

For a higher level of success, digital solutions must include procedures that encourage reciprocity and interaction, thereby increasing knowledge retention and avoiding monotony. It is essential to ensure that students apply what they have learned to solve problems, practice decision-making and skills development in a safe environment where their understanding can be tested.

At the same time, digital solutions can lead to improvements in educational institutions to operate more efficiently in capturing new students, in ensuring the performance of students along their journey and also in maintaining contact with alumni. In addition, they serve as a digital basis for 360-degree monitoring of the educational process. An integrated platform that allows students to customise their university experience from start to finish.

Some examples of the benefits are:

  • Collaboration and cooperation: experiences, work and projects can be shared, facilitating engagement and joint learning.
  • Autonomy and flexibility: there are a variety of methods through which information can be obtained, as well as sufficient freedom for their own organisation and planning. (Asynchronous education)
  • Interactivity and communication: Students can connect and talk to their peers, greatly enhancing their ability to communicate and learn. Even student-teacher conversation can take place outside the classroom.

 

 

Gamification in education

Gamification is one of the educational innovation techniques that has provoked most interest and success in recent years. It is a method that consists of introducing game aspects and dynamics into the teaching and learning process. Examples include ‘scoreboards’ that record students’ scores in various activities, ‘badges’ that are awarded to students when they reach certain learning milestones, and the use of applications that allow multiple-choice tests to be transformed into interactive competitions.

Let’s imagine an immersive narrative (initial motivation) in which we find ourselves on a deserted island and, in order to survive, we have to go through different levels, challenges and obstacles. There are many elements and strategies that we can incorporate into the island to encourage motivation, reinforcement, various stimuli and a greater sense of involvement. For example, through interesting and fun activities for students to work on concepts and exercise the basic skills that the subject is intended to promote. As you explore the island you earn small rewards that give access to badges and levels; all achievements will be added to a scoreboard (increased participation, continuous reinforcement and short-term motivation). In addition, a help or hints option can be included in which students can ask for assistance from both the teacher and other students (social immediacy). Within each challenge or activity there may be the possibility for students to choose different options or routes, i.e. depending on their choice, they may reach one outcome or another. For each completed task, quality and immediate feedback can be received in order to learn beyond mistakes. The experience can also encourage group work and systems of competition between teams (team-based learning).

This immersive experience can be part of any academic subject and for students of different ages, from different levels of school to university, postgraduate courses, etc. It all depends on the narrative, the approach, the design concept, the catalysts, etc. that are applied in each case. A way to exceed the mastery of the concepts of a subject and to discover and intensify fundamental values of personality and teamwork.

Therefore, we can conclude that the education sector has undergone a significant digital transformation, encouraging both students and academic institutions to become more engaged, creative, and entrepreneurial. Learners and educators have discovered new and imaginative methods to organize their educational activities as a result of recent changes and adjustments during the pandemic. There is now a much easier access to electronic tools, and technology has resulted in a variety of platforms, equipment, systems, networks, and applications. Digital transformation is necessary to meet the demands and aspirations of today’s students, who are increasingly seeking a personalized and individualized experience and concepts such as gamification can further improve student performance and motivation while also making a topic more enjoyable.

 

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A New Opportunity for Enhanced Digital Onboarding

First impressions count. A statement that without a doubt applies to new employees starting a new job, and how they will perceive their team, managers, and organisation as a whole. They’ll have an initial picture built up based on the recruitment process and their own research. But it is only during the onboarding process that they get their first “real” view into the company: the first exposure to other people they are likely to be working with, to the true corporate culture and to some of the more practical aspects of their new day to day life. The early days of their new working journey and the experiences within it will shape their feelings and attitudes towards their role and future with the company or organisation. So, if they aren’t being made to feel excited, engaged and inspired from day 1, it will inevitably impact their engagement and loyalty, their willingness to stay long term and how they speak about their experience to others.

At some point we have all had to sit through monotonous, repetitive and disengaging training or learning modules when starting a new role – PowerPoint presentations and ice breakers – and 58% of organisations studied admit their onboarding programmes revolve solely around processes and paperwork. Can this really be the best first impression to give someone who you’re looking to develop into a productive, happy employee and ambassador for the brand?

Even more timely and relevant is the need for onboarding programmes to be agile and flexible enough to adapt to the changing work circumstances many of us have found ourselves in. Over 1/3 of the UK workforce are now working from home (up 10% between 2019 and 2020), and with 85% of those stating their expectation to move towards a more hybrid approach in the near future, it seems that organisational practices and approaches will increasingly need to be more inclusive of disparate or disjointed teams.

This is precisely where technology can step in to transform onboarding programmes and processes into experiences that guide employees through informative, impactful learning journeys wherever they’re joining from. While simultaneously helping individuals feel immersed within the organisation and aligned with culture and values from day 1. Irrespective of whether they’re in the office, starting remote, or separated from peers, managers and their physical working environment.

These experiences should be curated to ensure employees leave their onboarding period feeling well equipped and motivated to embark on and make successes of their new roles. Bauer et al state in their research that by this point, employees should have achieved four key objectives for the best chance of ongoing success:

  1. Role clarity: employees understand their role, expectations within it, how to perform in order to achieve expected results
  2. Self-efficacy; employees feel confident in their ability to perform and contribute
  3. Social integration: employees feel connected, valued & trusted
  4. Knowledge of organisational culture; employees understanding and adjusting to company politics, social norms such as language, goals, values and history

So, how do we implement these objectives in a way that’s accessible, impactful, enjoyable and sustainable?

Digital Onboarding, With a Difference

Games and gamification are already being utilised in the attraction phases of recruitment, with games being created to simulate everything from a day in the life of a new employee to testing an employee’s soft skills.

Following that trend into the employment phase of an employee’s journey, we can make use of gamification to create unique and engaging experiences that keep them informed and interested up to and during their first few months of employment.

Creating these kinds of experiences takes time and expertise, balancing the needs and culture of the company with needs of the new employee.

We consider these weeks and months as a quest, creating a structure around what they need to learn and understand early on. Each stage or level of the quest represents new knowledge and experiences that will help them to learn. Focusing on intrinsic motivation, we choose mechanics that support the employees with social connectedness, education and goals to focus on, all in an environment that promotes exploration and discovery at their own pace. To this we this we add mini-games and interactive learning materials all tied together with interesting narratives and storylines. This gives the individuals reasons to want to continue rather than just knowing they have to continue.

Weaving in these dynamics and elements enhance the overall experience significantly, and research shows these types of great onboarding programmes and solutions can lead to higher retention rates, with some studies stating as much as 69% higher retention after 3 years.

Right now, as we focus more and more on digital transformation and open our minds to new and improved ways of working, there is a key opportunity to stop relying on default or traditional methods, simply because “that’s how it’s always been done.”

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Mandatory Training: Breaking it Down

Whether you’re the one doing the chasing or the one being chased, mandatory training is rarely a source of fun or enthusiasm.
But given it’s usually vital information that you need to prove you have completed and understood, it really should be something people feel motivated to do. If you’re looking for ways to improve completion rates and help people want to participate, rather than feel they have to, we can enhance learning and reimagine processes to make them more engaging, intuitive and enjoyable.
Breaking down content and energising the experience.

 

Feeling Inspired?
Get in touch and see how we could help you tackle the engagement challenges you’re facing.  

GET IN TOUCH
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L&D Today: Digital Learning for the Zoomed Out Professional

No matter what the job is most workers and employees will need to go through training, learning and development in some form at some point. It will vary drastically between sectors amongst other factors but generally it can be split into three distinct categories: mandatory (for example, health and safety or IT security), career related (project management), and personal development (communication and presentation skills). In the corporate world learning has received more pronounced attention (and subsequently investment in many cases) from executive and people teams in recent years, especially as demand for learning opportunities builds with each new generation entering the workforce, and with more readily available opportunities to demonstrate upskilling across your career. Scan the careers section on LinkedIn and you will spot ‘learning’ playing an integral role in many organisations EVP, or just being an essential compliance piece for effective employees.

However along with demand, expectations are also growing. Organisations are eager to stay relevant and keep their employee experience offering innovative, but so often people keep circling back to LMS platforms with no personalisation or personality. You can only reinvent the same content or processes so many times, and L&D professionals today find themselves in a battle for people’s attention in a world that has had to move so many events and strategies entirely online. Equipped with all the benefits of technology, but perhaps still facing a delay until we can have face-to-face sessions again, how can we reinvigorate and enable L&D to ensure participation, commitment, and engagement?

Video is King?

Video has long been the first step for online learning settings, and it is particularly useful when virtually replicating what otherwise would be happening in a classroom based or face to face environment. Quick videos suit the attention span of today’s learner, and conferencing helps encourage connecting and collaborating across locations. There are plenty of advantages that video content can bring to the professional world. It has the potential to be delivered at any time often on any device, it can be made bite sized, it can be made collaborative, autonomous, virtual, the possibilities only grow with technological advancements. But in the same breath, so does video exhaustion. Zoom has seen a growth from 10 million meeting participants per day to over 300 million per day since the start of January 2020. It has been used for everything from virtual coffee mornings to delivering webinars. Whilst the online move was vital for the events space and has shown great lengths of creativity behind L&D, even by the second month of lockdown many were feeling saturated, facing webinar overload, and most concerningly worrying about the potential impact on career progression and stagnation over time.

Video undoubtedly does enable more dynamic content production, but it doesn’t always allow for inter-personal or spontaneous moments that develop naturally in person and this has been noticed profoundly since lockdown. Conferencing and video both have a tendency to fall flat when it comes to personal and professional development. Individuals are lacking the communication and collaboration required to thrive, develop, and pick up those soft skills from being immersed in a physical environment with others. It can feel hard for people to feel like they’re progressing, learning, or on track with their development when it’s just them and their screen all day every day, they’re having to prove their skills and aptitude purely online. This is where a balance between technology and human interaction becomes important. There are plenty of digital solutions to connect A to B or carry messaging. To support people’s innate drive for relatedness, autonomy, mastery and purpose any implemented technology needs to facilitate experiences that address and interpret the core needs of the people involved.

People need more of a hook with compelling content in order to build engagement and commitment to the learning path.

Not Just Playing Games

A 2019 survey found that 83% of the respondents receiving gamified training felt motivated, versus only 28% for those undertaking non-gamified training. When gamified elements were added to training, boredom dropped to 10%. And although integrating gamification into training or L&D isn’t new: right now, there is a great opportunity to delve further into its possibilities.

Think about traditionally content heavy training: we have all been faced with reading through pages upon pages of health and safety, corporate rules and regulation training that is often difficult to absorb. Translating this content into a virtual gamified experience has been show to be a particularly effective approach for helping to deliver consistent experiences in a way that employees can ‘digest’ easily, interpret

Feeling Inspired?

That said, hesitations around gamifying experiences is understandable, particularly when trying to deliver essential or meaningful training, such as how to improve communication or diversity awareness. But gamification doesn’t always just make something fun. It can be a stimulating element for ensuring learning transfer, through more meaningful recognition techniques, visualising progress, or simply by integrating levels or tutorials to help people find their feet on a new course. In the absence of face to face training, simulation and scenario-based training can be a great substitute, especially with the advent of more affordable technologies such as Virtual Reality. Applicable for more practical roles when you’re not yet able to put skills to the test in reality, like practising beauty treatments or developing trade related skills safely. This kind of immersive approach can be used for this by putting people in realistic, but safe situations – just like you would in a role play in face to face training, but without the nervous laughs and self-consciousness. When considering VR, research shows that the added movement associated with being able to move your head and even arms can increase a participant’s feeling of empathy during the experience, which can make a huge difference for people in customer facing positions. Or as part of recreating or simulating everyday experiences within a virtual environment, participants can create avatars to explore content, courses and locations, in a much more direct way.

Once you lift the experience from the classroom, the opportunities and approaches are endless. So whether it’s recreating a training event on a group video call, developing and providing a gamified experience or a virtual world: the common denominator in what will make each approach successful is the focus on making it an engaging experience, made accessible to potentially all employees irrespective of location. It might not be a full replacement for everyone being in a room together, but it’s certainly one step closer, and a way that training, L&D can be provided more naturally. Still providing something insightful, engaging and valuable yet is capable of evolving with changing circumstances and requirements. And not forgetting, providing an element of fun along the way!

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L&D Today: Enhancing Higher Education

The university experience hangs in the balance with students paying more than ever before to continue their higher education, during a time where they may not even be able to move to the city where their university is based. What effect does it have on the university-student relationship to have such formative years move entirely online? For starters, the pressure is on for educators to provide value and sustain student interest and engagement levels, and to tackle somewhat unexpected challenges.  

Sarah, a lecturer from Newcastle University, says: “the key thing we noticed when we switched to online teaching at the start of lockdown was the lack of engagement online with students, this was surprising considering how they’re typically so comfortable online and on their phones.” She and her colleagues found students reluctant to partake in dialogue and discussions, with few willing to even use instant messaging or chat functions, even more hesitant to turn on their cameras in seminars and tutorials. Overall, during lockdown, they discovered the students were generally uncomfortable fully engaging in sessions. While she originally figured she would be battling IT issues and stuck on imaginative content creation, Sarah has found herself spending more time thinking of how to simply inspire debate and conversation while addressing these new needs, behaviours and confidence levels.  

It strikes a noticeable and perhaps surprising difference between the webinar-mania from the professional world over the last year, compared to the awkwardness of students using the same platforms for learning when technology is arguably their strength.  

In her online classes at the end of the 2019/20 academic year, Sarah tested and found success in readjusting the session format into panel discussions where students could listen in and observe academics and specialists break down and analyse key topics. It’s helped take the pressure off students and prioritised absorbing and understanding the course, over the focus on whether someone has turned their camera on or not. Nevertheless, it still leaves the teams facilitating learning and nurturing students concerned about how to ensure engagement with online content for this coming academic year. Universities have a vital role in fostering curiosity, innovation, and creativity. If students are switching off, we need to understand why. Here is where matching the flexibility and accessibility of technology with a deeper understanding of audiences and their motivations can really help boost the connection in learning.  

Gen Z audiences, for example, are known to expect instant communication and feedback. From friends and parents but also educators too. Is current heightened connectivity also providing increased feedback and understanding of their performance and progress? When Stanford University ran an informal survey on how students felt sharing video during lectures, two-thirds of respondents reported they have been in a situation where they felt uncomfortable having their camera on in class. When asked why, respondents said they were self-conscious about being seen in class, weren’t in private spaces and/or didn’t want to show their current living situations. Lockdown arguably blurred lines between professional, school, and home life for everyone, and we mustn’t forget that university students’ living situations are often going to reflect where they are emotionally, financially, and personally. So how can we balance professors needing to know their students are ‘present’ and students needing to feel comfortable or like their space hasn’t been invaded?  

Maybe the answers lie in reinventing the environment instead of replicating the traditional. A new learning environment should mean a new look into innovative approaches to spark interest, participation, curiosity and commitment. It can sound scary and resource intensive at first, but it can be something as simple as integration of Twitter threads for bursts of insightful information in a way that relates to the audience to help tap into the concept of microlearning. Particularly vital during a time where distractions are constant and attention spans are significantly shorter, the expectation to learn primarily from reading long blocks of information may soon be a thing of the past. Or, it could be something more captivating to make the learning experience more meaningful for students. Inclusion of game like elements such as immediate feedback, visualised progress and staggered learning across levels (i.e. have you understood X before moving onto Y?), are ways to enhance the online learning experiences. Various studies [Tan and Singh (2017) and Glowacki, Kriukova and Avshenyuk (2018)] have been carried out over the years in the field of gamification in higher education by using gamified tools such as Kahoot, with many specifying its effectiveness for learning transfer, boosted motivation and overall engagement.  

Adding gamification or game elements is a great example of how taking advantage of technology can help to boost more meaningful learning in a way that’s fun and novel, yet also insightful and informative for students. Boundaries can be pushed further with other innovative approaches, utilising artificial intelligence aided virtual assistants or virtual, immersive environments. All of these approaches represent a look into how the near future of learning in higher education is developing, particularly as younger generations are in constant search of and desire for new and exciting experiences. 

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L&D Today: Change in the Classroom

This is part of a series – check out part 1 here 

Schools have long followed the most traditional approach to learning and potentially struggled the most when it came to lockdown learning. With a dramatic range of learning needs, ages and attention spans, examinations, and home situations, it has been hard to deliver lessons with the same consistency and rigour over a screen or via a platform. Helen, a Chemistry teacher from North London, says the COVID-19 lockdown turned her world upside down from one day to the next. 

“In a school, not all teachers are following the exact same schedule, facing the same challenges, addressing the same needs, or even required to deliver materials the same way. So, when we moved to remote learning, those different circumstances suddenly became even more accentuated.” Because the immediacy of the lockdown, Helen and her colleagues faced a scramble to work out how to balance teaching in terms of prioritising age groups in need of more personalised tutoring across MS Teams, and in terms of who had more availability. “Sometimes this meant everyone doing less, sometimes it meant people without caring responsibilities taking on more than their share. It was almost unavoidable.” Lesson materials were uploaded and shared, homework was returned, the practicalities of teaching and learning continued, but something she genuinely noticed and felt hard to replicate was the pastoral care – both for students and staff.   

On paper, the move to more online learning could be great. By the day younger generations are increasingly familiar with and adept at technology. There is ample potential for bringing learning to the screen. One study showed learners recall more when using virtual teaching methods than with traditional methods, a comparative study of the same core content but through different mediums, which proved a 76% increase in learning effectiveness. With this in mind, going virtual shouldn’t mean a drop in attainment, but of course the theory is not always the case in reality.  

As we have seen, schools were an area of society that were never going to stay ‘closed’ forever and though reopening has its share of challenges, we wonder how technology could assist in the teaching and learning ecosystem of the future.  

Firstly, teachers and schools would argue there is more to their role than just delivering learning. In the move to screen time learning, the biggest missing piece for them became the complexity in sustaining pastoral care – for students and colleagues alike. Pastoral care can feel juxtaposed online, especially when so much can be noticed by watching students in the classroom, picking up on individual moods and behaviours. A significant part of pastoral care is the support network between teachers and co-workers within schools. Grabbing each other for a quick word in between classes, comparing notes and building a better picture of what works and what doesn’t. Coming out of lockdown, Helen says that she came to really value how everyone managed to sustain that teamwork in order to create more flexibility for each other.     

Could schools take a page from the corporate world’s book and adopt team catch ups, incorporating more teamwork and collaboration into the day? Easier said than done though as teachers are renown for having barely any time in the day already, adding another call or meeting maybe wouldn’t be the best use of their time when they may feel stretched or that their focus is needed for curriculum creativity and innovative ways to capture student’s attention. However, the way to navigate that issue, is to design solutions with the teacher’s needs and schedule in mind. Digital platforms can centralise easy and instant creation and sharing of learning materials, that teachers can then adapt in delivery to the needs of the students. The experience can then be enhanced though, by including elements that will support the teacher’s working day. Features that facilitate immediate feedback, flag good news to the wider team, and enable recognition can provide automated motivation boosts during a day where they may not get an actual thank you for their dedication. Within the same platform, messaging can connect colleagues interested in or working on similar areas to improve collaboration or provide functionalities that enable teachers to ‘raise their hand’ for an offline conversation about a concern they may have regarding work, materials or safeguarding. By using personalised, digital solutions a fragmented day becomes streamline.

Asking for help or getting recognition could be sped up for instantaneous responses, and all the effort needed to “connect the dots” becomes less labour intensive, so teachers could then spend less time on frantic creative content creation, and more time on the personalised, pastoral care that technology can’t exactly step in and help with. Innovation doesn’t need to result in overhaul, but we won’t necessarily enhance the learning experience by just moving materials online or creating video content for classrooms. Real change comes by understanding your audience, and identifying where connections can be made, where they struggle, and how to enable small improvements for huge steps forward. A bit like every great teacher we’ve ever known.   

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