On March 17, InSync celebrates Instructional Designers!

Have you thanked your instructional designer today? You really should. Instructional designers are the unsung heroes of the learning and development field. The job description for a designer has changed so much in the last decade. As we’ve introduced new instructional strategies, techniques, and technologies to our training toolbox, it’s been the instructional designers on the front line learning how to develop content in new platforms, how to engage learners with technology, and making the business case to invest (or not invest) in the latest and greatest EdTech trend.

Not only do current global circumstances demand training go digital, but, over the last few years, industry experts have promoted the value of virtual blended learning. This virtual model offers a number of critical advantages, like:

• Adaptability of programs (designers can update individual content pieces as information changes)
• Personalization of learning experiences (based on the needs of specific learner groups, they can engage in certain blends – or segments of programs)
• Application of knowledge (learners can apply new information within the context of work between live sessions)
• Practicality of design (designers can match each learning objective to an authentic treatment, and order the components in a logical progression)

How can you hit the ground running with your digital blend so it effectively achieves its goals, supports learners’ needs, and instills confidence in its efficacy? Start with solid design and purposeful communication.

When we think of corporate learning, rarely do “fun and games” come to mind. More often than not, compliance training pops into our heads, characterized by endless slide decks, droning SMEs-turned-facilitators, and uncomfortable days spent in a classroom. Folks, training has a reputation problem. Our learners perceive traditional training as outdated and ineffective.

But, blended learning provides an opportunity to change minds. Designers can select unique, engaging treatments for each learning objective. Facilitators transition from a “sage on the stage” to a “guide on the side.” Learners regain control over their learning experiences and prioritize the skills they most need to build.

Gamification and game-based learning, when used appropriately within a blend, supports all the key actors in modern learning.

Gamification is a term that is frequently thrown around in the training industry. It refers to the application of game elements and principles in learning sessions, and is a popular approach used in eLearning and company training sessions. In fact, the 2016-2021 Global Game-based Learning Market report stated that game-based learning products reached a global revenue of $2.6 billion in 2016.   

Virtually There Session recap

Have you heard? Modern learners love games. In fact, with the right design, these games have the power to increase learner engagement and boost retention.

Our organizations and stakeholders, though, often struggle to understand the value of games. “Having fun doesn’t equal skill building,” is a common refrain. How do we prove them wrong if they won’t buy in?

Badges, leaderboards, leveling up. These buzzwords sound like features in the latest video game, but, actually, they’re modern learning staples thanks to gamification and game-based learning.

Instructional designers know that gamification’s flexibility and adaptability make it useful for many programs, including new hire orientation, compliance training, and technical skill building.

As commonplace as gamification and game-based learning have become, the difference between the two categories can get muddied. Gain clarity with a helpful, quick video exploration thanks to Donna Designer Explores Gamification and Game-Based Learning.

Measuring the impact of gamification or game-based learning can seem challenging. How do we know if our learners are more engaged? How do we know if gamification motivated our team to learn more? How do we know if the game-based eLearning we created will affect productivity?

Before we can answer those questions, we need to look back at the alignment of our gamification and game-based learning strategies with our original learning objectives. If we set everything up correctly from the get-go, we should be generating data related to measurable results that we can report on.

As you’re recalling those objectives, consider measuring the impact of gamification and/or game-based learning through the lens of three core premises that drive our blended learning initiatives: transfer of knowledge, acquisition of skill, and change in behavior. 

Understanding Social Interaction and Instructional Game Design

Growing up in the Quiet Corner, much of my time was spent looking for ways to self-entertain. Technology access was fairly limited in the early-to-mid 1980s, but I did have two other valuable resources: people and the woods behind our house. I’d sometimes play outside with a neighbor or friend from school, but more often than not, I’d wander off to invent my own playful activities in the trees, snow, mud, or pond across the road. Once my younger sister was old enough to understand game mechanics and rules, I shifted from solo play (e.g., matching games, flashcards, Calvinball) to collaborative and competitive play (e.g., Candy Land, Operation, Mario Kart). My dad eventually taught us chess and soccer, and my mom, who wouldn’t think of herself as a “gamer,” encouraged us to play board and card games like Trouble and cribbage as part of our family time. We regularly visited the playground, and on special occasions we would visit playful venues like Discovery Zone. Every season and in any weather, we played everything from tag, house, and manhunt to Donkey Kong Country, Monopoly, and Dungeons & Dragons. More than a hobby, play was a mindset instilled in me by others and something I tried my best to spread.

When we talk about game-based learning and gamification, we’re always throwing in the notion of learner engagement. We’re immersing our learners through…what? Fun? Games?

Play. It’s all about the power of play, and how humans naturally learn in playful states.

Play takes on many shapes, sizes, and definitions. According to Jeff Everhart, Instructional Technology Trainer and English instructor, when defining play within a learning perspective we should focus on activities that contain, possess, or exhibit some or all of the following characteristics:

• An aspect of fun or novelty
• Immediate or timely feedback
• Unpredictable rewards (that are not necessarily tied to objectives)

We know that bells and whistles don’t always improve training experiences. Throwing more EdTech into our learning environments without consideration for its relevance or effectiveness often has a counter-productive effect – learners focus more on the technology than on the content.

The same holds true for leveraging trending instructional design models. If we jump on every “hot new trend” bandwagon, we can easily miss the mark of constructive modern blended learning. Each approach we choose to incorporate into our blends must have a purpose – authentically addressing an individual learning objective.