Gamification in elearning is the hot-topic these days, and with good reason.

It has proven to be useful in helping learners further comprehend and apply new information.

Still, there are people out there who view gamification as ‘fluff’ and contend that it doesn’t really result in any measureable value.

Hopefully today we can help add some statistical validity to gamification, particularly within education.

Below you will find an infographic created by JoyTunes, and in it are some nice examples of how gamification has helped within education.

The argument is simple: gamification not only helps learners effectively acquire new knowledge, but it also is helpful in helping learners retain the information.

In other words, the information is more easily committed to long-term memory.

It’s because of these reasons that the gamification market is seeing continually growth. By the year 2018 it is projected that the global market will reach nearly $5.5 billion.

That’s a lot of money for “games”!

The for-profit sector is taking notice of gamification, specifically how it can benefit their employees.

Since 2010 it has been reported that over 350 companies. have launched major gamification projects.

Some of these companies include brands like MLB, Adobe, Walgreens, Ford, Southwest, eBay, and Panera Bread.

So what does implementing gamification usually entail?

Well, it really depends on the program and the desired audience. That said, generally any (or all) of the following strategies are used:

• Progressing to different levels
• Points and badges
• Progress bars
• Activity feeds
• Real time feedback on performance
• Friendly competition (leaderboards)

Some programs utilize nearly all of these methods, Duolingo is just one example.

If you’re still on the fence with gamification, I want to encourage you to take the plunge.

When implemented properly it just plain works.