The healthcare industry is increasingly turning to eLearning as a way to train and educate healthcare professionals.
However, as history has shown it can be challenging to create engaging content that allows users to retain the information effectively. One simply needs to think back to their corporate inductions or WHS modules to induce flashbacks of benign boredom. This is where gamification can come in.
Gamification is the process of incorporating game-like elements into non-gaming environments, such as eLearning courses. This blog will explore the benefits of gamification in healthcare-specific eLearning and how it can create engaging content that allows users to retain more information, and dare I say, have fun doing so!
Gamification Encourages Active Learning
The majority of eLearning content we imagine upon hearing the words ‘online training’ makes even the keenest learners groan. It conjures up visions of long text paragraphs, a sad navigation bar at the bottom, and if you’re lucky, the possibility of a stock photo once or twice per module.
Enter gamification and Active Learning; the process of learning through doing. Healthcare professionals need to be able to think critically and make quick decisions. By incorporating game-like elements, such as simulations and choices, healthcare professionals can actively engage in the learning process and practice their critical thinking and decision-making skills. This type of active learning is more effective at ensuring information is retained when compared to passive learning.
Increases Motivation
Want to encourage your staff to enjoy mandated learning or compliance? How about making it fun! Gamification increases motivation by making the learning process enjoyable. Healthcare professionals complete a lot of training, and it can (realistically) become tedious and boring. By incorporating game-like elements, such as points and rewards and badges, healthcare professionals can feel a sense of accomplishment and be motivated to continue their training. It’s like having your cake and eating it too.
Provides Immediate Feedback
Healthcare professionals need to be able to quickly identify and correct mistakes and gamification through eLearning provides immediate assessment, something that is crucial in the healthcare industry. Incorporating game-like elements, such as feedback loops, means healthcare professionals can quickly identify their mistakes and correct them. It’s far better for a user to adjust at the time of learning rather than delaying and potentially adopting an undesirable habit.
A Safer Learning Environment
Gamification can create a safe learning environment for healthcare professionals. Healthcare professionals need to be able to practice their skills and make mistakes without putting patients at risk. By incorporating game-like elements, such as simulations, healthcare professionals can practice their skills in a safe and controlled environment. This type of safe learning environment allows healthcare professionals to learn and make mistakes without putting anyone at risk. A win for us and them!
Provides a Sense of Accomplishment
Last, but definitely not least on this list, is Accomplishment. It’s a key area in any learning program – from toddlers to teachers – and is probably the most important in giving your student a reason to push on with their studies. Through a points and rewards system, or leader board tracking, we can easily implement elements into a gamified learning module that allows the user to feel success through their positive outcomes. That successful emotion often drives a desire to achieve more triumphs, and thus the loop repeats.
Overall
Gamification is a powerful tool. It’s ability to create engaging content in healthcare-specific eLearning (or any industry) is impressive. Everyone loves a game and by taking the aforementioned points; encouraging active learning, increasing motivation, providing immediate feedback, creating a safe learning environment, and providing a real sense of accomplishment, gamification can help healthcare professionals learn information more effectively. As the healthcare industry continues to evolve, we need increasingly innovative ways to train and educate professionals; that is what will lead them to success. Consider how you can implement gamification in your next eLearning lesson or, better yet, get in touch with the experts at VMP eLearning who can guide you through the eLearning journey!
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