What is ‘gamification’?
One of the services Evolve3 CIC offers is offline gamification.
It’s a term only some people are familiar with, and even if they know what it is, it tends to be digital gamification that comes to mind.The dictionary defines ‘gamification’ as: the application of typical elements of game playing (e.g. point scoring, competition with others, rules of play) to other areas of activity, typically as an online marketing technique to encourage engagement with a product or service.
Think leaderboards showing who has brought in the most sales in a team or department, or digital badges to show an employee’s rise up the corporate ladder.
That’s not what we focus on.
Put simply, we create bespoke gameplay, puzzles, scenarios, plots and mysteries that lead to an outcome businesses or training providers aim for through the workshops and learning opportunities they commission.
What’s so special about gamification?
Let us explain.
Doing an activity immediately after a learning opportunity, seminar or workshop—or, more importantly, creating a scenario where attendees can ‘teach’ what they’ve learned to others—moves the ROI and effectiveness of that training from a less-than-average 5-10% to a stellar 75-90%.
Here’s the science…
The Learning Pyramid, developed by the National Training Laboratories in Bethel, Maine, is a well-known model that illustrates how different teaching methods impact information retention. According to the pyramid:
Lecture: 5% retention
Reading: 10% retention
Audio-Visual: 20% retention
Demonstration: 30% retention
Discussion Group: 50% retention
Practice by Doing: 75% retention
Teach Others/Immediate Use: 90% retention
The statistics clearly show that active participation, ‘Immediate Practice by Doing’, and showing others what you’ve learned drastically increases information retention rates compared to passive learning methods such as lectures and reading.
However, you can’t apply gamification with no thought to your attendees.
We feel it’s important to introduce practicing and teaching opportunities in an engaging way.
Make it stand out
Games represent the entire package. Even MI5 uses games to help train their recruits.
It’s more than stacking Lego, or making pyramids from pipe cleaners; we create end-to-end gameplay, with characters, problems to solve, collaboration between attendees, psychological challenges and lots of fun.
Gamification is a huge market in America and it’s starting to pop up in the UK, once companies realise they can get 7 to 9 times their return on investment when delivering in-house training (or outsourcing training via a third party) by adopting this approach.
70% of 2000 leading companies surveyed globally confirmed that they use gamification in their training and other applications. By making activities fun and immersive, we help embed topics in attendees' minds, enabling them to adapt and apply the information in real-world scenarios.
90% of employees feel gamification makes them more productive. Gamification improves their focus and mental clarity; it increases collaboration between teams; and it improves morale, as studies show that games and puzzles are natural stress-relievers.
A 2019 study found that gamification boosted overall productivity in organisations that applied it by over 50%; for example, Dominos and Google. Similarly, the report revealed that job satisfaction increased by 60%. And companies that implement gamification are found to be seven times more profitable than those that do not. Gamification is also appreciated by employees and results in higher retention; 95% of employees say that gamification at the workplace makes them more excited, productive, and brings a desire to do more.
Gamification supports and encourages human-centred design…exactly what is needed in a world that’s increasingly employing automation. Gamification is not only powerful behind-the-scenes—successful companies are increasingly using games and puzzles at various points in their customer journeys.
What more can we say?!
We already create a wealth of mystery scenarios, games and puzzles under our sister company, and we know we can not only boost the effectiveness of your company’s training, we can tailor it to your message, your brand, and your style. We can’t deliver or impart the things you know, but we can bring those points to life!
The science says it all. But if you’d like to talk this over with us further, contact info@evolve3.org.uk.
As an aside, Evolve3 CIC is a social enterprise. By working with us, you’ll indirectly support small charities and the next generation, as our profits go to providing much-needed training for these groups.
Not only do you get what your company needs, you also get the opportunity to exercise your CSR commitment and to demonstrate your social value. For companies that tender for public contracts, this could form up to 40% of your overall score.
Win-win-win.
Let’s play!