Do your learners struggle to stay engaged during training sessions or online courses? Gamification could be the solution to that problem!
Gamification takes the elements that make games so captivating, such as points, badges, leaderboards, and challenges, and applies them to online learning. And trust us, it works! According to a study by Taylor & Francis, 67% of learners found gamified courses more motivating than traditional course-delivery methods.
However, finding the right gamified learning platform can be challenging. You need a solution that effectively combines gamification features with user-friendly design.
To help you make the best choice, we’ve created a detailed guide that breaks down the top five gamified learning platforms and their features. Plus, we’ll provide practical tips to help you successfully implement your chosen platform.
Why gamified learning platforms are essential for modern education
Enhanced engagement
Gamified learning platforms incorporate game mechanics to make learning more engaging and enjoyable. These psychological triggers can boost learner motivation and participation.
Just look at Duolingo’s success – by gamifying language learning, they’ve managed to create a fun and captivating experience that keeps users coming back.
Improved information retention
In addition to making learning fun, gamified platforms improve information retention through interactive elements like quizzes, simulations, and problem-solving games.
These activities test your learners’ knowledge and help them develop essential skills like critical thinking, decision-making, and teamwork. Since learners are actively engaging with the material, they’re more likely to remember and apply what they’ve learned.
Immediate feedback and progress tracking
Feedback is everything in the learning process, as it allows learners to adjust their strategies and improve accordingly.
Gamified platforms take this a step further by providing continuous, immediate feedback on performance. Learners can see their progress in real time, which creates a sense of accomplishment and encourages them to keep pushing forward.
Top 5 gamified learning platforms: An overview
1. Sensei LMS
Sensei LMS is a leading Learning Management System (LMS) that streamlines the creation and management of educational content on WordPress platforms. Designed for ease of use and flexibility, Sensei LMS offers great gamification features that let educators deliver engaging and effective online courses, including:
- Sensei Blocks: These interactive blocks make learning content more visually appealing. You can purchase these blocks as a standalone product to add to your pages, even if you don’t want to sell online courses. Here’s what they offer:
- Interactive Video Block: Add quizzes and hotspots directly into your videos.
- Question Block: Create multiple-choice, true/false, and open-ended questions to test your students’ knowledge.
- Image Hotspot Block: Turn your images into interactive learning tools, perfect for labeling diagrams or exploring maps.
- Flashcard Block: Great for memorization and vocabulary practice.
- Checkpoints and conditional content: Sensei LMS provides tools for implementing checkpoints, such as assessment lists and task checklists, to help students track their progress and ensure they’ve completed everything within a lesson. And with conditional content, you can set content to appear only if other things are completed, creating a more interactive learning environment.
- Quizzes and Tutor AI: Quizzes are a major part of any course, and Sensei LMS makes them engaging with features like a quiz timer. The timer creates a sense of urgency and keeps your students on their toes. But the masterstroke is Sensei LMS’s Tutor AI Block, a real-time chatbot that can motivate students to complete their lessons and provide valuable feedback on their work.
- AI-powered quiz generator: If you’re feeling stuck on quiz questions, Sensei Pro’s AI-Powered Quiz Generator, powered by OpenAI, can help. With just a click of a button, it can generate three multiple-choice questions based on the content of your lesson.
- Groups & Cohorts: Groups & Cohorts is another feature that creates a sense of community and competition among your learners. When students learn in a group, they’re more likely to stay motivated and complete the course.
- Certification: Thanks to Sensei LMS’s certificate functionality, students can receive a certificate upon course completion to showcase their achievements.
Precios
Sensei LMS offers two pricing options: Sensei Pro for people with an existing WordPress site and the Sensei Bundle for those who want to start on WordPress. Sensei Pro starts at $15 per month, whereas the Sensei Bundle costs $34 monthly.
2. Xperiencify
Xperiencify is a highly rated gamified online course platform designed to enhance online learning. It is packed with several features that make learning more fun, such as:
- Points and XP: Students can earn points and Experience Points (XP) after completing training and actions. This system rewards learners for their progress and encourages them to continue learning.
- Random rewards: Xperiencify incorporates “random rewards” where students may unexpectedly receive a certain number of points when taking an action. This creates a sense of excitement and engagement as students never know what they might get.
- Badges: Students can earn badges for achieving specific milestones or completing certain tasks. These badges serve as a tangible reward and recognition for their achievements.
Precios
Xperiencify offers four pricing plans that scale up with the number of admins, students, and published courses:
- Growth Plan ($99/month): Suitable for growing course creators with unlimited courses and published courses.
- Pro Plan ($199/month): Designed for established course creators with more advanced features.
- Platinum Plan ($299/month): Tailored for education empires with enterprise-level capabilities.
- Enterprise Plan: Available for businesses with unique needs that require custom pricing.
3. Raptivity
Raptivity helps educators and trainers create interactive eLearning content. Its extensive library of customizable templates improves learning experiences by making them more engaging. It also comes with other features, such as:
- Game-based interactions: From classic games like Balloon Pop and Spin the Wheel to more unique options like Pizza Mania and Bowling Rush, Raptivity offers many game-based interactions to make your content fun. These interactions can easily be customized with your own content.
- Quizzes: Raptivity offers quiz-based options with fun elements to keep learners motivated. The platform also lets authors add a competitive edge to quizzes, which can encourage your audience to test their knowledge and work harder for higher scores.
- Interactive displays: Interactive displays with intuitive navigation, engaging visuals, and logical content organization enhance the user experience by guiding the audience through the material in a clear, learner-friendly manner.
Precios
Raptivity offers a 14-day free trial for new users. After the trial, you can choose from three different plans:
- Monthly: $30 per month.
- Quarterly: $75 per quarter.
- Annual: $199 per year.
4. Mambo
Mambo is a gamified learning platform that enhances student engagement through interactive educational experiences. Its features include:
- Real-time feedback and notifications: Mambo’s real-time feedback and notifications system can be really useful for modern organizations that need to track performance and provide immediate feedback to learners.
- Segmentation and personalization: The platform uses tags to segment and personalize user experiences, ensuring interactions are tailored to individual preferences and interests. This means that learners receive content that is relevant to them, making the learning process more engaging and effective.
- Peer-to-peer recognition: Mambo’s gamification software encourages recognition in the workplace, increasing productivity by building mutual respect among colleagues and managers.
Precios
Mambo offers three different plans. Its On-Demand plan starts at $499 per month, making it a more expensive option than other gamified learning plans. Pricing for its other plans – On-Premise and Dedicated Cloud – is available upon request.
5. Kahoot!
Kahoot! is a widely recognized educational technology platform known for its engaging and interactive learning experiences. Thanks to its library of games and quizzes, Kahoot! has become a staple in many classrooms and learning environments. Its features are:
- Interactive quizzes: Kahoot!’s quizzes contain multiple-choice questions with colorful shapes and images. Students answer by tapping their choice, and the results are displayed immediately. This interactive format makes learning fun and engaging, keeping students actively involved in the process.
- Leaderboards: Kahoot! displays a leaderboard that shows the top five players in the overall rank. This competitive aspect encourages students to participate and strive for better scores.
- Real-time feedback: Students can get immediate feedback to help them recognize their strengths and areas for improvement. This real-time feedback can help learners understand their performance and adjust their strategies accordingly.
Precios
Kahoot! offers four different pricing plans:
- Kahoot! 360 Standard: $10 per host per month.
- Kahoot! 360 Presenter: $29 per host per month.
- Kahoot! 360 Pro: $49 per host per month.
- Kahoot! 360 Pro Max: $79 per host per month.
Implementing a gamified learning platform: 3 tips for success
Implementing a gamified learning platform requires careful planning and a deep understanding of your learners’ needs. Here are three tips to help:
1. Define clear objectives
Clearly outline what you want to achieve. Are you looking to increase student engagement, improve knowledge retention, or enhance collaboration? Having specific goals in mind will help you design effective game mechanics.
Additionally, establish clear metrics to measure the success of your gamification strategy. These could include completion rates, engagement levels, or performance improvements. By setting these benchmarks, you’ll be able to track your progress and make data-driven decisions to optimize your learning platform.
2. Tailor the game mechanics to fit the learning objectives and audience
Understanding the demographics and preferences of your learners is essential. Different groups might be motivated by different rewards, such as recognition, certificates, or tangible prizes.
For instance, Sensei LMS allows course creators to set up various rewards for learners, including certificates for completing courses. You can create your own certificate or use Sensei LMS’s default template.
3. Use data-driven insights for performance improvement
Gamified learning platforms like Sensei LMS offer powerful analytics tools that provide valuable insights into learner engagement and performance.
Sensei’s analytics features allow you to track learner progress comprehensively, giving you the information needed to fine-tune your courses and maximize your students’ learning outcomes. By monitoring key metrics such as course completion rates, quiz scores, and time spent on activities, you can identify areas for improvement and optimize the learning experience.
Get started with Sensei LMS: Take your elearning to the next level
Engaging and retaining your audience is more crucial than ever, and gamified learning platforms can help you do exactly that.
Sensei LMS makes it easy to create and manage engaging educational content. Its features, from interactive blocks to the AI-powered Quiz Generator, help you build courses that learners love. By adding fun elements like leaderboards and certificates, you can even spark friendly competition and give students a sense of achievement.
Plus, Sensei LMS works smoothly with WooCommerce, meaning you can easily sell your courses and turn your teaching skills into a business opportunity.
Ready to make learning fun? Try Sensei LMS today and see how gamification can transform your online teaching!
