eLBX Live Recap: Leveraging Technology to Create Gamification

So you want to add some Gamification to your courses...but how do you get started? What technologies are out there that you can leverage?

In this session, James Kingsley showed how to incorporate various web technologies into your courses to create engaging gamification. James is a multi-talented eLearning wizard who has had a hand in many companies, including, ReviewMyElearning.com, CoursePortfolios.com, and GForce Learning Solutions, as well as written many articles for the eLearning Brothers blog.

Gamification-enabling technologies James discussed at eLBX Live include:

• JavaScript
• jQuery
• Firebase
• Google Apps Script (Google Docs)
• and more!

James shared examples of different gamification implementations he's worked on throughout the years. He has also highlighted top tips and things to remember when considering building a gamified learning solution.

Consider these gamification elements to increase engagement:

• Follow up notifications (email, sms, etc)
• Analytics
• Security/Privacy
• Connecting to other systems (HR, forums, etc)
• Printing
• Certificates
• Leaderboard availability outside the course

Another tip James shared was about using a database as a service (DBaaS).

To create a leaderboard and show the final scores of a learning game, you will need a database to store learner scores and data. You will use Javascript to send and receive data from the database. James acknowledged that working with databases can be hard, but there's light at the end of the tunnel. New "database as a service" options are making this process way easier. He mentioned a couple options in the presentation.

Download the "Leveraging Technology to Create Gamification" slides now.

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