UpsideLMS Gamification: The perfect game plan for Learner Engagement & Motivation

Gamification has been acting as a positive disruptor in almost all areas of work and play. Learning, in particular, has been greatly benefiting from Gamification as it helps in ‘pulling’ learners to training rather than compelling them to participate. It keeps learners engaged, improves knowledge retention, and ensures completion of training. A massive shift indeed!

While Gamification and LMS are a match made in heaven, understanding of the learning context, the content, the learning ecosystem (devices, OSs, browsers, and the whole mix) and the learners so as to devise the perfect LMS Gamification Strategy along with the full understanding of its application in Employee Reward & Recognition is critical to its success.

For us, introducing Gamification in UpsideLMS was a natural outcome of our continuous upgrades and ever-evolving product roadmap. Below is a deep dive into our recently released version, 8.5, that leverages game-mechanics for learning/ training.

1. Configuring Gamification - Super Admin

Enabling ‘Gamification’ for UpsideLMS is as simple as turning on a (virtual) button! And so is changing the label (‘Points’, as it is labeled by default in UpsideLMS, can changed to ‘…’).

2. Setting Up Rules – Admin

Once the Gamification module is enabled for UpsideLMS, Gamification is available for Admins to set up and go! The Admin can further enable or disable the module for its learners. Enabling this reveals a set of pre-defined rules, which need to be fed with appropriate awarding points along with the time (wherever applicable).

The rules in UpsideLMS are defined at three levels:

…for encouraging early adoption and instilling a sense of healthy competition.

…for motivating to learn by rewarding self-learning, curriculum completions, and CPD-, Competency-, Compliance, and Certificate-achievements.

…for creating more learning opportunities by approving Learner Nominations , encouraging information disbursal by sharing Announcements image 1, and sharing events with team - image 2.

Image 1

Image 2

3. Bringing about Engagement & Motivation – Learner

Gamification cannot be complete without the Leaderboard, which is the focal point of UpsideLMS Gamification module along with the Bell Notification.

• Leaderboard

A comparative analysis of the learner’s points against a set of learners – either as a part of his/ her Team, Friends or Global - is depicted through a screen with aforementioned tabs on the left and the timeline of selected learner on the right. Under each tab is a record of 6 learners, arranged in order of their ranks with the topper being at the top, you in the middle. Above and below you are the leading and the trailing learners (as compared to ‘you’).

• Bell Notifications

Notification updates related to Learning and Gamification are shown as a part of Bell Notification (icon on the top bar). The ‘Gamification’ tab shows the 10 latest-achieved notifications.

• Email

As a weekly (default), fortnightly, monthly encouragement to learners, an email can be shot to the learners containing the number of points achieved within selected time period along with total points.

Looking ahead

Some of the upcoming Gamification enhancements include:

• Badges
…which can be linked to

Employee R&R

.
• ‘My’ tab on Learner side
…for the learner to hand-pick other competing learners (using filters like Learning Group, Competency Skills, Designation and Learner Name).
• Mini Leaderboard on Learner side
…for the learner to get a sneak-peek into his/ her training status vis-à-vis other learners.
• Dedicated Gamification report on Admin side
…for the admin to get a visibility into what the users are really doing with Gamification.
• New rules/ enhancements
…to cover all aspects of learning - from formal to informal.