Interactive Learning Games for Effective Employee Training in E-Learning Format

When I’m not acting as a project manager, but in the role as an instructional designer, I particularly enjoy coming up with ideas for interactive learning games—or at least learning programs with playful elements. It's fun to get creative and develop ideas for this—and even more exciting to imagine how learners can truly immerse themselves in a fictional situation and apply what they’ve learned.

Of course, in mandatory e-learning courses, this may not be everyone's cup of tea—some employees just want to quickly get through the mandatory training. But that’s the thing. Learners should also enjoy the process and, most importantly, interact, rather than just click through or wait for a video to finish.

Entertaining content (or Edutainment) keeps some learners engaged and active for longer. So, just like why you should use interactive learning modules rather than relying solely on "classroom-style" presentations with talking heads.

Why Scenarios as Interactive Learning Games Are So Effective

Learning games are ideal for topics where users need to learn how to act "correctly" in certain situations, apply knowledge and know-how, and be able to respond flexibly. When it comes to understanding processes and then applying skills correctly, as well as being able to adjust to challenges, scenario-based learning games are perfect.

What do I mean by that? Essentially, scenario-based learning, but in a fictional, playful form. The learner adopts a character or role and must solve a task. For example, in a room escape game, they need to actively search for, combine, and apply information, overcoming challenges to move forward. They cannot simply click through but must think critically and understand.

This is how job tasks, workflows, conflict management, handling difficult customers, or processes involving the use of specific tools can be trained effectively.

But Why Does Online Training Need to Be Playful?

We learn in a playful way from the very beginning. This removes pressure, encourages creative thinking, and motivates learners. When tasks are solved, and small "wins" are achieved, the brain’s reward center is activated. You’re probably familiar with mobile games where players rack up points, accompanied by sounds and visuals. Every "Bingggg" and "Winner" screen releases dopamine, making players want more. Some e-learning modules use the same principle by awarding points.

Gamification in E-Learning

Play to Learn, Learn to Earn...

That’s why learners in learning games level up, get "rewards" at each step, and are motivated to achieve more. This provides a stronger incentive to review and memorize information or tasks compared to dry instructions.

Additionally, there's continuous feedback. The learner makes decisions within the game, selects answers in dialogues, and then faces the consequences. They immediately see how their actions or choices lead to different results. This is learning by doing, but it’s safer in a game than in real life, where getting the process wrong can have more severe consequences.

Learn to Earn is one of my favorite concepts from the cryptocurrency world—there are Play to Earn formats where players can win crypto tokens. Similarly, Learn to Earn means the learner earns real crypto tokens, just like in the games. This opens up fantastic opportunities, which I’d love to discuss further with you—however, in this context, I want to highlight a different approach:

As is often the case, the learner accumulates points within the learning program. However, these points aren’t just used to climb up a leaderboard and compare with peers (a positive motivator, but one that can backfire)—they can also be converted into real benefits.

Are Learning Games with Branching Scenarios Too Complicated?

Not at all. I’ve developed various learning games within traditional e-learning modules and created the content for them. The degree to which the format was purely a game or more of a story-driven e-learning module varied.

You can absolutely implement learning games using standard authoring tools. But even a custom solution doesn’t have to be overly complicated—it’s all about the story and the playful elements. Mini-games within a learning module can often be implemented using off-the-shelf solutions.

Interactive 3D Games and Virtual Reality Learning Games

You can make learning games even more exciting by implementing a Virtual Reality (VR) learning game. However, this comes with costs. Although there are tools that simplify production, it still takes significantly more time and resources. Ultimately, these are just different media conveying the same content.

Whether this is worth it depends on the specific learning objectives and content. There are learning topics where the more lifelike the simulation, the better. For instance, when teaching behavior in emergency situations or training pilots. Particularly in cases where training beginners in real-world situations is too risky.

It All Depends on the Learning Need

As always, I begin with a learning needs analysis and a target audience determination. Once the learning objectives are clear and the target audience is identified, the format can be chosen. For a broad audience, for example, playful and entertaining learning might be ideal for one group, while another group may prefer factual, concise learning materials. The decision is made on a case-by-case basis.

Curious? Then let’s schedule a no-obligation consultation to discuss your needs.