Gamification, e-Learning, and Virtual Reality

Can you teach and play games at the same time? When you hear or see the phrase "educational game," are you envisioning something valuable and engaging? Or a fun activity with little benefit? Too often, trainers and teachers see "fun" and "valuable" as two ends of an educational spectrum. Learning experiences—either face-to-face or online—can either be useful for the learners, providing opportunities for connecting to the content, or they can be fun games, used exclusively for review. This view is supported, in part, by existing "educational" materials, that are either light on content or unappealing to learners.

This guide from the learning experts at The Ohio State University's Center on Education and Training for Emplyment confounds those expectations by exploring gamification done right. By looking at education from a gamer's perspective, you can understand learners' motivations and identify how gaming strategies can transform "boring" training and teaching topics or complex content into entertaining, engaging, and approachable learning experiences.