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LMS Gamification: Boost Learner Engagement with These Must-Have Features

Are you struggling to make your online training effective? Your course completion rates are plummeting and you don’t know how to fix that? There is a simple solution to your problem—LMS gamification. Adding game mechanics to your learning management system will help you make the learning experience more exciting while significantly enhancing user engagement and retention. No wonder gamification features have gained so much traction lately and 61% of employees in the US train with gamification at work (TalentLMS). What’s more, 89% of individuals are willing to spend more time in an app if it contains game elements (Gartner). In one of our previous articles, we discussed gamification in e-learning and the multiple benefits it brings. This time we would like to focus on gamification in LMS. As a company that specializes in LMS development services, AnyforSoft will help you gamify your learning management system and make your online training courses more effective. In the following paragraphs, you will learn: What LMS gamification is; What benefits you can gain by introducing gamified features to your software; What gamification elements you should add to your system. Ready to kick your learning platform up a notch? Then keep reading! What is LMS gamification? Learning management system gamification refers to the process of adding game-based elements to an LMS platform. These elements include: achievement badges; leaderboards; point systems; progress indicators; mini-games; quizzes, and so on. The goal behind gamifying an LMS is to make its learning content more engaging, fun, and therefore effective. When introduced properly, gamification techniques significantly enhance the learning experience and improve user engagement. For example, by adding leadership boards, you will introduce healthy competition to your online training courses, motivating learners to study harder to outperform their fellows. You can also leverage awarding badges to provide learners with a sense of achievement and incentivize hard work. We’ll discuss it in more detail later. As for now, let’s talk about the benefits of a gamified LMS. Benefits of gamification in LMS Why are so many organizations implementing gamification strategies into their training programs? Is it because an LMS with gamification is more effective than one without? The short answer is yes. And to learn why gamified learning management systems work better, we should explore the benefits of gamification. #1 Effective employee training and online learning A learning platform that utilizes game-like mechanics offers more effective training compared to solutions without gamification. And it is not just an assumption but a fact proven by research. Employees and learners who study in gamified environments perform better on tests than those studying more conservatively. So using a carefully thought-out gamification strategy will help you increase the effectiveness of your corporate training or reach other learning objectives. #2 Enhanced learner engagement It’s often hard to engage learners, especially when they have to deal with complex subjects. The process of learning something is often associated with boredom, dullness, and repetitiveness. However, with gamification elements and mechanics, you will be able to turn even the most boring activity into something engaging and fun. According to Medium, gamification increases employee engagement by over 48% so never underestimate the power of a gamified learning management system. #3 Better knowledge retention Gamification LMS software often leverages repetition and reinforcement techniques so that learners can better retain the information. For example, you could use flashcards to help your employees memorize specific terms (which is great for compliance training). A learning app Quizlet uses such gamification techniques. It allows users to flip through the flashcards to learn terms and their definitions. The app also offers a learning game in which learners match term cards with explanation cards against the clock. Upon the end of the game, Quizlet displays a leaderboard with the students that matched the cards the fastest. That adds a competitive spirit to the learning environment and motivates learners to repeat the game until they receive a higher position on the leaderboard. Naturally, it leads to better knowledge retention. #4 Easier learning Even the most complex subjects can be made easier if you add gamification elements to your learning content. With game-like features, the learning process becomes less intimidating and more fun. For instance, you could turn a course into an adventure quest with a unique narrative structure, objectives, levels, interactive challenges, leaderboards, and other elements. That way, you’ll transform a traditional course into a dynamic, immersive experience. Your learners will be motivated not only by the desire to gain knowledge but also by the excitement of progressing through an engaging digital adventure. And when you’re having fun in the learning process, it is much easier to learn new information. Don’t you agree?