Chapter I

What is gamification?

If we had to define it in a single sentence, the Gamification would correspond to the addition of game elements to activities that were initially not fun. It consists in applying game mechanisms in education, training or marketing contexts, in order to increase user engagement and loyalty. Most of the time, the game elements used in gamification are point, badge, and ranking systems.

The Gamification concept exploded among the general public in the 2010s, with its implementation on social networks such as Foursquare. But it was in 2003 that the precepts of gamification were formulated by Yu-Kai Chou. This prodigy, then aged 17, formulated a model for evaluating the drivers of gamification: theOctalysis. According to him, gamification is based on 8 universal engines, which can be combined with each other in more or less complex gamification systems :

Meaning (Epic Meaning & Calling): the desire to feel that our actions have a purpose

It is the engine by which the player has the belief that he is participating in something bigger than himself, or that he was chosen to do something. We find this engine behind very committed people on forums or in communities like Wikipedia. It is also found when a player finds, at the beginning of his journey, a gift or an object that he thinks the other players do not have, he then thinks he has a great chance that this engine gives him from the start of the game.

Development & Accomplishment: The will to meet and overcome challenges

The achievement engine is the internal engine that allows you to progress, develop skills and overcome challenges. Without challenges, badges and trophies lose their meaning. This engine is the easiest to design and is the basis for most point, badge, or ranking rewards systems.

Empowerment (Empowerment of Creativity & Feedback): The desire to choose your own direction and to try a variety of solutions to a problem

We talk about empowering creativity when users have to explore for themselves and try different combinations before they figure things out. The empowerment engine implies that people can try things out, see the results of their creativity, get feedback and make adjustments. Environments like Legos or paint are game mechanics that can even stand on their own. The creative options are endless, which is why with this engine there is no need to add content to keep the activity engaging.

Ownership & Possession: The desire to own things

With this engine, users are engaged because they feel they own something. If the player is an owner, they will seek to improve what they own and own even more. This driver corresponds to the desire to accumulate wealth, It therefore corresponds to virtual worlds that allow the accumulation of virtual goods or virtual currency. The concept of ownership in the game is also found in customizing the player profile: the more he can personalize it, the more it feels like it belongs to him. Finally, this principle of possession is also behind the desire to collect something, such as stamps.

Social Influence & Relatedness - The willingness to interact with, help, learn, and compete with others

This driver takes root in the elements of social relationships that have a motivating power on people: the desire for recognition, acceptance, the desire to mentor/help, companionship, or even competition or desire. If a friend is very good at something, we will naturally be inclined to want to reach the same level. If he has something extraordinary, we may want it too. This tendency to refer to people and social codes is also reflected in the natural desire we have to get closer to what is similar to us. This engine is also the one that attracts us to things that remind us of our childhood or memories, and it is widely used in marketing.

Scarcity & Impatience - The willingness to want things we can't have

This engine plays with the motivation to want what you can't get. It is found in games that require you to wait a certain time before winning something: if you can't get it right away, you'll just think about it until you get it. It is to this engine that Facebook owes its success: at first reserved exclusively for Harvard students, it has gradually opened up to a selection of prestigious, hand-picked schools. When it opened up to the general public, it was a success, because its elitist character had aroused the envy of the greatest number.

Unpredictability (Unpredictability & Curiosity) - Wanting to know what will happen next

The engine is behind the incentives to want to know what will happen next. If you stay in suspension without knowing what will happen, there is a good chance that the brain will only think about that. A principle on which the consumption of series is largely based and which makes Netflix rich, but which is also found in movies and reading. In short, we're talking about suspense. This engine is found behind contests or other lotteries organized by brands in order to engage their audience, or even behind typical initiatives. Story learning. On the negative side, it is also the driver behind gambling addiction.

Loss & Avoidance - The desire to avoid pain or negative consequences.

On a small scale, this engine is behind the desire to avoid losing things done in the past, such as a house and a community in Sims. On a larger scale, it corresponds, for example, to the fact of Do not cancel out all the value of a course by stopping before reaching its goal. This engine is the one used in marketing in the form of flash sales for example: if we don't act right away, the opportunity will disappear forever.

Players: typical profiles and motivations

Richard Bartle, a professor, author, and gaming researcher, is behind the Bartle taxonomy. This is a classification of video game players based on an article he wrote in 1996, which still defines the types of players today based on their preferred actions in the game.

• Achievers

Their objective: to reach a status and achieve their goal

What engages them: the desire to succeed

• Socializers

Their objective: to socialize and develop a network of friends and contacts

What engages them: consult news feeds, friend lists, interact

• Explorers

Their objective: to explore and discover the game universe

What engages them: when disconcerting goals are set for them

• Killers

Their objective: winning, ranking and competing directly with their peers

What engages them: ratings, rankings and charts

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The 4 types of “fun”

Nicole Lazzaro, president of XeoDesigns, for her part, hypothesized why people play. Based on his observations of players and non-players, She was able to classify 4 main types of emotions under the “fun” typology in order to qualify what engages players.

• Hard Fun: feeling proud after taking on a difficult challenge
• Easy Fun: feeling curious when exploring role-playing games and creative possibilities
• Serious Fun: being able to act on a game environment
• People Fun: being entertained by being put in competitive or cooperative situations

But what are the different forms of gamification ?

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Chapter II

A brief history of gamification

The use of gamification therefore exploded from the 2010s with badge and reward systems on social media, to spread like wildfire and democratize in many areas, from marketing to training. But the concept didn't come out of nowhere. It takes root in processes observed over 120 years ago, whose objective was already to create engagement and reinforce buying behaviors in a positive way.

1896: The green S&H stamps

The Sperry & Hutchinson company created the first rewards program with these small green stamps. Distributed to customers at the cash registers of supermarkets, shops or even gas stations, they could be exchanged for products listed in a rewards catalog.

1908: Birth of the Boy Scouts movement in the United States

Among the Boy Scouts traditions was that of awarding badges to recognize their achievements. To get a new badge, you had to become competent in a particular activity.

1973: Theorization on the power of play to engage employees

Charles Coonradt, grandfather of gamification, published the book “The Game of Work” in 1973. Its purpose is to address the problem of declining productivity in the United States. In the book, he mentions the observation that productivity is falling while sales of sports and leisure equipment are increasing. He then suggests that gaming and entertainment could be the answer to this problem of engagement in businesses.

1978: Birth of social video games

An ancestor of multiplayer games like World Of Warcraft or Fortnite, the MUD1 game was born. Created by Roy Trubshaw and Richard Bartle, this multi-user dungeon game started the big online social gaming movement.

1980: Publication of the essay “What makes things fun to learn”

Thomas Malone, now a professor of management at the MIT Sloan School of Management, publishes the study: “What makes things fun to learn: a study on intrinsically motivating computer games.”

1981: American Airlines launches AAdvantage

AAdvantage is considered to be the world's leading loyalty program. It encouraged customer loyalty by offering rewards to repeat customers. A model that is now common in a very large majority of stores, right up to the sandwich shop where we go for lunch.

1982: Academics recognize the potential of gaming

Computer games show their ability to engage users. Articles are starting to appear to explore the possible uses of the game for productivity purposes. Already in 1981, Thomas Malone published “Toward a Theory of Intrinsically Motivating Instruction” and “Heuristics for Designing Enjoyable User Interfaces”, two articles that describe aspects of computer games and applicable to other areas.

1983 and 1987: First hotel and car rental loyalty programs

Holiday Inn launched the first hotel loyalty program in 1983. Five years later, in 1987, it was National Car Rental's turn to launch the first car rental rewards program.

1990:30% of American households have an NES

Gambling is becoming more popular in homes, access to game consoles is becoming easier and easier as of this period. It's the birth of a whole new generation of players.

1996: Classification of the types of video game players

Richard Bartle, academic and video game writer, publishes”Who plays MUA” (MUA for Multi Users Adventures, or multiplayer video games). The article details four types of players among video game players, determined based on how they approach the game. This model will be the basis for many gamification systems.

1999: The concept of fun is taken seriously

Stephen W. Draper publishes an article that suggests that user enjoyment should be at the center of considerations when designing software.

2002: birth of the term “gamification”

Nick Pelling, an English computer programmer and investigative writer, is using the term gamification for the first time to describe the concept.

2005 - Creation of the first modern gamification platform

Rajat Paharia founds Bunchball, a platform designed to boost engagement on websites by adding a layer of game mechanics.

2007 - the gamification of household chores

Kevan Davis, web developer and video game designer, develops Chore Wars. The aim of the site is to gamify the sharing of household chores at home.

2009 - Quest to Learn, the first school that uses a game-based environment

Quest to Learn school is created. It is the result of collaboration between the Institute of Play and the New York City Department of Education, with support from the MacArthur Foundation and New Visions for Public Schools. The first school year welcomed a sixth grade class. Each year welcomed a new level until 2015 when the school became a fully-fledged secondary school.

2009: Foursquare launched

Foursquare is meeting with a massive craze. The application allows users to discover new places, while rewarding them for their discoveries or the regularity with which they “check in” somewhere. The application works on a system of badges and awards that will later be widely democratized by companies from all sectors.

2010: Devhub

Just by adding a points system to its website, DevHub manages to increase user engagement by 70%.

2010: Gamification Summit.

Gamification Co is organizing the very first edition of the Gamification Summit in San Francisco, California.

2012: Kevin Werbach's gamification course on Coursera

In 2012, 45,000 people enrolled in Professor Kevin Werbach's online gamification course on Coursera.

2012: Gartner Predictions

Gartner predicted in 2012 that 70% of global organizations will have at least one gamified application by 2014. In 2013, gamification has a wider scope than expected. In 2014, 9 out of 10 businesses reported that their gamification efforts were successful.

2016: Valorization of gamification

The gamification market is estimated at 4.9 billion dollars.

2021: the global gamification market is estimated at $11.94 billion

Impressive growth that is only getting bigger.

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Chapter III

Advantages and disadvantages of gamification

Gamification is fun!

Premier advantage of gamification, which is obvious: It's fun for users when done right. An activity perceived as a game brings pleasure above all to the person who completes it, which is why there is a good chance that he will ask for more. The very concept of play is universal. One of the first reasons why gaming or activities that involve gamification can be addictive is that they provide users with positive emotions. This can also contribute to overcoming learners' barriers to digital learning.

Gamification increases motivation, engagement, and productivity

With sound system of goals and rewards, gamification has power over the motivation of users, whether they are consumers, employees in companies or learners in a school or training environment. Commitment is the lifeblood of many systems, starting with business productivity. In a learning context, there is evidence that learners will be more likely to spend time playing a learning game if it uses a reward system. Badges and points provide a tangible reward. A 2006 video game study identified three motivational factors that drive players to engage in gaming:

• The desire for achievement: players want to succeed and show that they can meet the challenges of the game.
• Social factors: players are motivated by contacts with other players and team spirit.
• Immersion: players are motivated to explore the possibilities of the game and create personal experiences.

In terms of productivity, nothing new under the sun. In a business or in a creative context, the more motivated we are, the more productive we are. Game dynamics improve skills and productivity by creating a relaxed environment.

Gamification has a positive reinforcing power

Gamification, when used well, can make it possible to positively change the feelings, attitudes and behaviors of users. The game is often used in a context of positive reinforcement, especially in a context of prevention, but also in a context of raising awareness about safety rules or internal regulations.

Learning retention and cognitive development through gamification

The game makes learners actors in their learning. By mobilizing them, it allows increased attention and better retention of training content, compared to simply reading or taking a course (such asinformal learning). In addition, gamification contributes to cognitive development. A 2013 study by Blumberg & Fisch explains that games that invite critical thinking and problem solving improve learners' ability to process and retain information. Training courses that use gamification also make it possible to get their attention more quickly.

Gamification makes learning visible

Progress bar on the screen, points system, objectives to achieve, levels to complete and unlock... gaming environments or environments inspired by the game allow users to visualize their progress in real time, the skills acquired, but also their level. In a learning environment, gamification makes it possible to monitor the assimilation of concepts, but also to monitor one's own level of progress compared to other learners. For example, this information can push the learner to redo quizzes or activities to get a better score.

Gamification alleviates the fear of failure and abandonment in learning

Failure is a part of learning, but in a training context, it can cause embarrassment for learners. On the contrary, In a game, failure is most often a call to try again to do better. Who, younger, was content to throw in the towel at the first “game over”? With gamification, the training dynamic changes, it follows that of the game in which failure is part of the process. A 2013 study by Huang, Hsin-Yuan, and Soman explains that gamification encourages learners to fail and retry learning tasks without discomfort.

Gamification promotes social connections

Rankings and point systems allow players to locate themselves in the group, but also to interact with its members. In certain contexts, gamification encourages people to interact with each other, whether to create teams, to collaborate on challenges, or in a context of healthy competition.

BUT...

Poorly executed gamification has negative consequences

What are The limits of gamification ? Applying gamification mechanisms in training or marketing requires knowing what you are manipulating. Gamification is not limited to throwing layers of play, point systems, rankings, etc., on a training course or a campaign. If not properly executed, gamification can have harmful consequences, even reaching the opposite of the intended effect. “Bad” gamification can promote unhealthy competition, deter users of a product, discourage users or generate hostility, make people forget the main mission of the activity, which is not gaming, or even not be adapted to the target audience that is turning away from it. To avoid such pitfalls, it is recommended to work with specialists familiar with gamification or use solutions specialized in the gamification of training or marketing.

Gamification can cause attention deficit

In a training context for example, Learners accustomed to a fast pace and immediate feedback on their actions may show some impatience or frustration with longer formats. To avoid falling into the snacking trap in a training context, it is recommended to use the gamification phases intermittently, alternating more in-depth theoretical training parts (for example via a LMS) with gamified microlearning, as can be found in the context of Blended Learning.

A commitment that can crumble once the novelty effect is over

In the long run, any game can become exhausting if it is not repeated. This is evidenced by the world-famous Farmville, which said goodbye on December 31, 2020. Maintaining user interest over time is the great challenge of gamification, because while it provides a certain commitment, it must be renewed constantly in order to maintain it. To survive the times and keep users, consumers or learners engaged, gamification must be in a position to provide useful benefits and constantly renewed content.

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Chapter IV

From education to business: a gamification method that appeals

From the first experiences of gamification to today, the gamification market has grown enormously in the world, helped by global digitalization. If gamification works and seduces, it's not just because of its points system, badges, rankings, challenges and levels. It is also becauseIt allows users to be creative and acquire new skills while playing. Today, the typical player profile is not a teenager or a single man as the stereotypes may have conveyed for a long time. Players are men as well as women; anyone can be a player.

Gamification in the workplace

Gamification contributes to the digital transformation of the workplace, while offering endless possibilities to boost productivity. Based on data, gamification has the virtue of stimulating the motivation and commitment of employees. Entertaining yourself in the workplace is no longer something frowned upon and is rather encouraged. In addition, with a population of digital natives and the latest generation arriving on the job market, socialization, collaboration and fun are at the center of new value systems.

Already in 2013, when gamification was starting its crazy rise, the American operator T-mobile had noted impressive numbers linked to the implementation of a gamification layer in its internal collaboration platform. Employee contributions would have increased by 583%, increasing customer satisfaction scores by 31% in the process. The implementation of gamification in a work context will finally have made it possible to reduce costs, improve the quality of customer service and to engage company employees. An excellent return on investment. Among the most cited employers for their workplace gamification strategies, we include Coca Cola; a Google search is enough to list a number of successful initiatives, especially in the area of employee training.

Application of gamification in marketing

Digital technology has brought marketing to an unprecedented scale, opening up new ways to stimulate user engagement and boost sales. In extremely competitive markets, customer loyalty is the key that advertisers compete for. In this context, gamification has proven to be a tool of choice for establishing long-term relationships with customers, This is evidenced by programs like the one from Starbucks, which is a worldwide success. In some cases, gamification in marketing can even allow for a viral effect dreamed of by any advertiser.

Gamification in learning

Gamification is now the new challenge in education and training. With the digitalization of training, the implementation of 100% digital or blended learning training programs, one of the biggest challenges for trainers is to capture and retain the attention of learners. So, How to prepare your trainers for gamification ? Programs must be created that are engaging, interactive, and easy to access and use. With distance learning and learners becoming more and more autonomous, the challenge of commitment has increased even more. Gamification provides a universal response to these challenges, allowing you to design programs adapted to all generations in a game language that is easy for everyone to understand. Typical gamified learning modules Mobile learning in multi-level immersive serious games, the game takes over learning, or rather the other way around.

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Chapter V

How to integrate gamification into the professional training of your field teams?

Determine the business goals and challenges that the gamification program must meet

As explained earlier, integrating gamification into a professional and/or learning context involves visibility and an understanding of the objectives that the gamified system must meet. Gambling for the sake of play is not very interesting in a training context and can even be deleterious. To integrate gamification into a vocational training context, the first essential step is to define why you want to do it. Defining clear goals for gamified training should be based on certain criteria. These goals should be specific, measurable, and realistic. Specific means that they must specify who the training is for, what should be taught and with what tool. Measurable indicates that it must be possible to determine the benefits and consequences of gamified training in relation to the objective set. Finally, realistic means that the objective set must be achievable for the learners and based on the reality of the company at that moment. Otherwise, an unattainable objective can be demotivating. Among the objectives we can cite for example:

• Improve the customer satisfaction rate on after-sales service by xx%
• Increase the proportion of salespeople who are fluent in English by xx%
• Improving team management through management
• Etc.

Know the learner profile

Gamifying training requires the knowledge of the players, and therefore the learners. Whether it's teams at headquarters, or teams in the field like sales forces, employees on construction sites etc. it is important to take into account the needs and constraints of each individual.

Who are they? What motivates them? Creating learner personas in a company allows you to understand the reality of their profile and their work. then put themselves in their shoes to understand what can encourage their engagement in gamified training. Continuing on, age and professional profile can change a lot in the apprehension of gamification. Younger profiles in support sectors such as marketing are likely to be more receptive to gamification than an engineering audience. Likewise, a population from the generation born after 2000 will probably be much more sensitive to the game, which does not mean that other generations are left behind. As we have already said, the game is still a universal language. Among the criteria to look at in establishing the profile of learners, there is their professional and academic background, which makes it possible to determine communities of players by types of jobs. Another important criterion is the psychological profile of players, whether they are more competitive or focused on collaboration. Finally, gender and country may be another axis of segmentation for players, although more and more formations tend to address audiences without paying attention to their origins or gender.

Define the expected course of learning

This step consists in defining the course of the gamified learning experience, in doing a training plan. It is not a question of sprinkling quizzes noted here and there, but of determining the game mechanics used with each other to create a coherent, engaging experience that meets the objectives set out in advance. For example, training in the form of gamification can present storytelling that allows learners to be immersed in a learning mission or adventure. Determining the path also involves a choice in game mechanics: Will learners be called upon to compete or collaborate with each other? Finally it's about determine the rewards and the degree of gamification of the training This part of defining the learning path also involves determining how learners should complete learning missions. Whether it's quizzes, challenges, riddles to solve or a storytelling game that follows a storyline, each choice made according to learner profiles determines the future success of gamified training. Be that as it may, it is not necessarily necessary to create immersive game worlds to have an effective gamification experience in training. It can also be a question of making regular training on security, legislation or any other subject fun, which, in the long run and because of their repetitive nature, demobilize learners when they remain delivered in a “classical” way.

Determining the gamification rewards system

The gamification of training necessarily involves a system of rewards, since this is the basis of the game and especially the mandatory contribution to create commitment. As explained at the beginning of the article, the reward systems most used in gamification are the systems of points, badges and rankings, which can be applied in the training environment without any problem. Depending on the type of reward chosen, the game dynamic will be different for the learner. You must choose wisely, depending on whether you want to create a dynamic of competition between teams, a personal challenge, etc. A point system establishes a dynamic of gratification, a level system establishes a concept of status, badges install a dynamic oriented towards recognition and finally rankings create a dynamic of competition between learners. Once the reward mechanism has been determined, it is a question of designing a scale in order to determine the reward for each action of the learner. The challenge in this stage lies in determining a scale that does not encourage the learner to repeat simple and non-qualifying actions in terms of learning, simply in order to earn points. You must keep in mind the objectives set before the training is designed to determine how to reward each action. Finally, this stage is also where You choose the content of the rewards. Are we limited to points? Do points unlock concrete rewards like gifts or access to exclusive content? Are the rewards thanks or congratulations or even social recognition such as likes from other learners?

Determining gamification engagement loops

Coming from the game world, engagement loops aim to capture the player's attention and keep them engaged as long as possible. A rather interesting mechanism if it is successfully reproduced in a training context. With gamification, engagement loops make it possible to value the learner's actions as well as his level of progress. They allow him to realize that his knowledge increases as he progresses in the training. Engagement loops involve phases of progression, which allow loops to be linked at an increasingly difficult level in order to allow the learner to progress in terms of skills. At this stage, the main difficulty is to design adapted content, at a level high enough to trigger learning and create engagement, without discouraging by too much difficulty or demotivating by too simplistic steps. It is also at this stage that we determine how the learner will be able to follow his own progress in the game himself, whether he is at the beginning or at the end of his training course.

Design rules that are easy to understand and that meet the goals of gamification

Some enjoy board games that require two hours of deciphering the rules beforehand (note that when it comes to what governs the legal aspects of e-learning, it's a bit - a lot - longer). When it comes to the gamification of training, you should rather take the opposite approach to this kind of game. Not understanding demotive, too the rules to be followed must be presented in a clear manner, be intelligible and understandable by all. In this context, the profiles of the learners determined in advance must be kept in view. In addition, the rules of the game should serve the goals of the training. They specify whose expected behaviors and how they will be rewarded, the point scales or the rewards to expect. The rules should clearly define what is expected of learners.

Create an engaging visual environment

At the heart of gamification that works are engaging visual worlds that attract the learning player and keep them engaged. Integrating gamification into training involves designing visually fun applications with instinctive ergonomics adapted to the game. As with any digital experience, the friction in use is demobilizing for learners. A course that uses gamification effectively knows how to take advantage of the best of current game interfaces. This is even more the case when it comes to mobile learning, since more and more game users are doing it on their smartphone, via applications. Whether it's the choice of colors or words, nothing should be left to chance and can have an effect on learner engagement.

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Chapter VI

The various digital and non-digital tools to gamify training

What do mobile learning and a board game have in common? Quite a lot, actually. We talk a lot about gamification in a digital context, but in reality, gaming existed long before video games and the Internet. When we talk about gamification of training, there are many tools, some digital, others not. So, What tools should be preferred for gamification ? Moreover, in recent years, a renewed interest in board games has led to the turn to more traditional game media in order to gamify training. In any case, each type of tool is useful depending on the objectives and the learning context in which it is used.

Non-digital gamification tools

Board games

Board games used in a vocational training context make it possible to complete the training content, to transmit it or to experience strategic learning. Most of the time, they are played as a team to promote collaboration. Well-designed board games mimic the real world where many decisions and projects are made in collaborative environments. This type of support offers the trainer the opportunity to observe how the participants manage communication, collaboration and competition. Another specificity, the board game format is limited in time, it allows you to test concepts in a fairly short period of time.

Card games

Card games have the particularity of being extremely easy to learn and have a fairly universal and transgenerational scope. Card games can be particularly effective in three areas of training: sales, negotiation, and leadership. On sale, maps can for example be used to present scenarios that can be answered within a given time. In the same vein, they can be used to learn negotiation techniques by challenging players. Finally, in a leadership training context, there are card games that teach how to exercise strategic and critical thinking on leadership issues.

Role-playing games

As its name suggests, role-playing allows you to carry out scenarios. It makes it possible to put the learner at the center of the learning process by encouraging him to make strategic decisions in a situation and literally be an actor in his learning. In this context, the trainer is a facilitator. This gamification format is particularly suitable in training contexts that affect activities such as sales, Soft Skills, personal development or even management.

Escape games

Ultimate level of immersion for training that uses gamification, The escape game completely and physically immerses the learner in a universe. In this context, the learner is called upon to team up with other participants in order to solve a puzzle or a problem in a given time. In this type of exercise, the ability to collaborate, the ability to observe, and critical and strategic thinking are the most required.

Digital gamification tools

Mobile learning

Mobile learning is often used as a gamification tool. It allows short and engaging formats thanks to microlearning. The mobile learning game format is particularly suited to a young population accustomed to digital technology and particularly to mobile devices. However, its simple and intuitive ergonomics allows it to be handled by everyone. Mobile learning makes it possible to present fun content such as quizzes that allow you to visualize your progress live. Used in a blended learning context, mobile learning allows the consolidation of acquired knowledge. Moreover, do not hesitate to preparing trainers for blended learning to ensure that learners have a better experience.

LMS and LXP

Today most of Learning Management System and Learning eXperience System offer a gamification layer. They offer the possibility of designing gamified training sequences and modules, most often using systems of points, badges and rankings.

Online game or application

There are gamification platforms that allow custom games to be developed. These platforms for creating simple educational games make it possible to complete the training or the teaching sequence. With such a platform, the trainer decides on content and learning goals and creates exercises accordingly.

Virtual reality

La vr is, almost by definition, a game. In training courses that use virtual reality, the same fundamental principles as the game are used: an objective, rules, decision-making moments, resolution mechanisms and feedback. In a context of gamification of training, virtual reality places learners in a variety of scenarios that involve puzzles, adventures, role-playing games, strategies, actions or simulations. This tool can be used in flight training contexts, or law enforcement training contexts.

Augmented reality

Augmented reality uses mobile technology that is easily available on a phone or tablet to provide additional information about the player's environment. By using it with markers such as QR codes, it allows you to give information or make learners act in context. Used with location tags, it can allow learners to interact in motion, such as in scavenger hunt or place visit mechanisms.

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Chapter VII

The contributions of gamification...

... to social learning

The Social learning is an essential partner in gamification in training and learning. If we look at the global adoption rate of social networks, we quickly understand that social interaction, whether virtual or not, also has an important role to play in a training context. This is even more true if we look at younger generations, for whom collaboration is second nature. Moreover, many of them use social networks as part of their studies to ask questions or interact on topics related to their learning.

It is therefore not surprising that social learning and gamification coexist in such a harmonious way. More and more trainers are using the constitution of groups, virtual or not, in a training context in order to stimulate learners' engagement. Of learning communities are forming. Social learning also changes the teacher's learning orientation towards the group, which also becomes a source of knowledge. The interaction between the trainer, the learners and their learning environment constitutes a social learning network, at the center of which collaborative learning is placed.

More and more learning platforms and ecosystems are integrating social media elements such as adding friends or a news feed. They combine gamification elements such as points or badge systems with this social “layer”. Gamified lessons become quests, and the added social learning opens up additional possibilities. Learners can team up to complete levels or solve puzzles in order to move on to the next lesson, for example. Some learning games integrated into training can use social learning to stimulate interaction between learners. Social learning in a context of gamification also makes it possible to establish notions of mutual aid or healthy competition, with the help of forums or challenges launched between participants.

...At blended learning

In a context of Blended Learning, the training content is delivered using both “traditional” training methods and methods that use digital and online learning. Gamification is particularly suitable for blended learning because it makes it possible to include game mechanisms in this originally non-fun context, and to give participants a form of power over their training process.

In a blended learning context, gamification stimulates motivation and gives learners work goals, whether it's to gain a place in the rankings, level up, or earn points and badges. Gamification makes it possible to transpose training outside the classroom, allowing learners to continue learning or consolidate their learning from anywhere and anytime, while having fun.

Gamification used with blended learning allows first step in empowering learners in their training path. With the game, they more easily engage in modules like quizzes, often based on microlearning, which allow for a self-regulated part of learning. In addition, point and ranking systems can allow trainers to monitor learners' progress almost in real time, to adjust the concepts or instructions on the synchronous face-to-face or training phases as needed.

In other cases, gamification in blended learning allows to identify and overcoming learners' barriers in difficulty to potentially set up support in the form of tutoring. Gamification promotes independence and flexibility, qualities expected in blended learning.

... to team building

Gamification applied to team building considerably increases its effectiveness. In recent years, digital tools are increasingly used in a team building context. Tablets and smartphones have often stolen the limelight from pens and papers, reducing the carbon footprint of the activity in the process and making it possible to add an additional interactive and fun dimension.

In a context such as team building, escape game mechanics are hugely successful, because of the way they mobilize people as a team. They allow participants to enter different game worlds and assume fictional roles while simultaneously developing technical, interpersonal and certain soft skills.

The combination of gamification and learning creates a context that promotes team building, as stakeholders work together toward a common goal while having fun with the game. In this context, the victory in a group is only better, because the “fun” was shared, regardless of the players' profile and their personal motivations in the game. The fun and pleasure it provides binds learners together; the feeling of achieving something bigger than themselves by working in a group allows them to fulfill the primary mission of team building.

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Chapter VIII

Serious games: definition and use in gamification

The main objective of Serious Games since their creation is the training or transfer of knowledge as well as its application. Even though the word “game” appears in their name, so that's not their primary function at all. They focus more on professional development than on entertainment. Serious games are used most often by companies in a complex training context. Their use is found in an education context, within governments, in scientific contexts or even in the health sector.

Where it gets complicated is that a serious game looks just like a game, in its design, game mechanisms and rewards. The virtual worlds in serious games are complex and engaging, as are the characters. Also called Gamestorming, these games are extremely scripted and whose objective is learning. Each action and each message in the game therefore meets an objective in this sense. Serious games have the ability to bring about behavioral changes and allow positive reinforcement for their users when that is the aim. It's a gamification pushed to a point where learning is no longer felt.

Why use the serious game?

Les Serious Games have a significant power of engagement with learners. They can be used in a variety of contexts.

• Performance Management

The serious game is indicated in the context of performance management, because it makes it possible to identify areas of improvement for the learning collaborator. It makes it possible to identify bad habits or limiting beliefs, or to identify errors in their ways of working that they were not aware of and that limited their effectiveness.

• Knowledge building

Serious games can have a knowledge-building function, by immersing the learner in a universe where he must ask for knowledge acquired in the past to mobilize it again.

• Application in real conditions

The serious game makes it possible to create conditions close to reality to allow learners to apply theoretical knowledge acquired during training. The serious game also makes it possible to test theories or to take risks, in an environment that does not include any.. For example, we think of conflict resolution contexts.

• Risk mitigation

As mentioned above, a serious game environment eliminates the risks associated with decision errors. In a training context that involves taking risky decisions from a legal point of view, for example, The serious game provides the right to make mistakes in order to learn safely. At the same time, this virtual context allows the company not to take risks or to make learners take risks.

Why do serious games work?

For the same reason that immersive games appeal, serious games move away from the real world and make it possible to remove many obstacles and many fears of taking action. The real risk is eliminated, the player gains confidence and can express instincts. In addition, serious games provide instant feedback, whether or not they allow them to go to the next level, using a message that alerts them to an error. The learner gets instant feedback on their performance in order to understand and adjust it.

Serious games have the particularity of mobilizing intrinsic motivation: that of succeeding at best, achieving oneself or being the best. Moreover, a difference with some other gamification techniques in training is that The serious game does not require peer recognition or monetary or point rewards. The player competes with himself. In this context, success is all the more valuable and gives the player an important sense of accomplishment. Once completed, serious games provide better self-confidence: knowing that you have successfully completed a mission in the game gives you greater confidence to face a similar situation in a real work context.

Used remotely, in a context of remote learning orDigital onboarding, serious games make it possible to recreate a professional environment for learning. They allow better engagement, compared to LMS training, which does not have the characteristic of being immersive.

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Are there differences between serious games and gamification?

Some differentiate serious games from the rest of the learning mechanisms that use gamification. Often, gamification is considered to be a holistic design methodology while serious games are a single learning unit. Here are several points of differentiation:

• The structure

A serious game is autonomous and It is an individual activity. Gamification is a “layer” integrated into the design of a course or training course. A serious game can be integrated into gamified training, not necessarily the other way around.

• Learners' motivation

Serious games will tend to use the intrinsic motivation : finishing the game is the reward. On the gamification side, we will rather look for a extrinsic motivation based on reward or recognition systems.

• Conception

Serious games can be developed independently of a training course and can exist by themselves, meeting very specific training objectives. Gamifying an entire course may involve completely revising an existing strategy or modules that did not include gamification in the first place.

• Use in training

Serious games and gamification do not have the same function: the former are rather used to induce behavioral changes or introduce new subjects. Gamification, on the other hand, allows for the monitoring of learning and Stimulating learner engagement throughout the training.

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Chapter IX

The future of gamification: more learning without fun?

A long time ago, when play and work were considered to be at the opposite end of the spectrum. Today, playing, learning and working live side by side in virtuous systems. When we talk about the future of training and education, does this tidal wave of gamification mean that one will no longer go without the other? When looking at the figures for gamification in the education sector, the market is expected to reach 25.7 billion US dollars by 2025, with an expected growth rate of 14.0% per year over the forecast period 2020-2025. Gamification is not about to stop its progress in the apprenticeship and training sector.

With a growing trend in politics Bring Your Own Device (BYOD - bring your own device) and the widespread use of distance learning greatly accelerated by the pandemic that started in 2020, independent learning is developing and poses significant engagement challenges. In addition, there is the growth of LMSs and learning experience platforms that present the same engagement challenges that gamification seems to answer in a very appropriate way, with proven results.

When we look through the literature dedicated to the issues ofelearning and gamification, it appears that gamification used for training purposes will be strengthened in all areas, including education, health, pharmaceutical products, financial services, etc. On this momentum, gamification is finding an increasingly widespread use in a context ofOnboarding. This context of training in business culture and processes, coupled with gamification, proves its effectiveness in a context of talent retention, since it provides an engaging and motivating integration environment. Studies also indicate that new employees are 69% more likely to stay longer than 3 years if their onboarding was a good experience. Gamification in this context is an obvious answer.

Technology at the service of gamification

Immersive technologies in the context of learning are still in the novelty stage and used in very specific conditions such as safety training. We should therefore expect a significant growth in learning contexts that use gamification coupled with technology as it is becoming widespread in all markets and in all fields. By combining game elements and immersive technology such as augmented, virtual and mixed reality, learning contexts are increasingly becoming part of real life and everyday life. Microsoft, Facebook, and Samsung have already introduced a combination of software and hardware based on virtual reality, augmented reality, and mixed reality. Facebook's Oculus for Business and Samsung's Gear VR are among these innovations that promise interactive learning with virtual and visual simulations. A great future for gamification!

An increasingly advanced personalization of learning

Personalization is the process of creating contextualized and personalized experiences using data analytics, machine learning, and artificial intelligence.

Customization will increasingly allow companies and training organizations to implement scalable learning solutions, based on the behavior of learner-players. This personalization may depend on the time spent on the platform, the activities carried out, the interests of the learner, etc.

Personalization in a learning context allows learners to set educational goals personalized, to learn at their own pace, to select learning paths that correspond to their own abilities, to obtain personalized feedback based on their actions, etc.

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