Gamification in education, when done right, can have a huge impact.
Traditional education is evolving.
One key transformation we’re seeing is the rise of gamification in education.
An impressive 78% of employees say gamification makes their work more enjoyable and engaging.
Related: More gamification statistics you need to read
By incorporating game-like elements such as points, rewards, and interactive challenges, educators are creating more engaging and immersive experiences for students of all types.
Gamification isn’t just about making learning fun, it’s about boosting motivation, increasing retention, and creating a sense of achievement.
Whether it’s using badges to reward progress, leaderboards to encourage healthy competition, or interactive storytelling to deepen understanding, these strategies tap into intrinsic motivation and make education more dynamic.
Keep reading to learn:
- What is gamification
- What is gamification in education
- Benefits of gamification
- Limitations of gamification
- LMS Gamification examples
- What the future of gamification in education looks like
Let’s get started.
What is gamification?
Gamification is the use of game-like elements in a non-game environment.
Essentially, taking features like points, badges and leaderboards to a non-game setting to encourage active participation and make tasks more enjoyable.
Gamification is seen in marketing, health apps, habit tracking and so much more, but it has increasingly been adopted in the workplace setting.
And for good reason.
We know it works when it comes to developing skills. Just look at tools like MindPal.
Related: What Mindpal gets right with eLearning
What is gamification in education?
Gamification in education is the addition of game-based learning elements specifically within a learning environment.
Whether that’s adding points, badges or leaderboards to a quiz, course, or your entire learning platform.
Make sure you don’t confuse gamification with game-based learning.
While gamification applies game-based mechanics, game-based learning is where learning activities are designed to be games.
No matter which you use, you’re left with more interactive and rewarding learning for your users.
A common example is Duolingo, which uses streaks and rewards to incentivise language learning and keep users coming back for more.
Related: What Duolingo gets right with eLearning
When done right, gamification in education can make learning more enjoyable, increase retention and much more.
Benefits of gamification in education
Introducing gamification in education might feel like a lot of work. And in some cases, you would be right.
But it’s also worth the effort.
Some key benefits of gamification make it a worthwhile investment.
The key benefits of gamification in an LMS include:
- Enhanced outcomes through personalisation
- Increased engagement and motivation
- Improved knowledge retention
- Better collaboration
1. Increased engagement and motivation
Gamification makes learning more engaging by tapping into our human desire for achievement, competition, and rewards.
In fact, implementing gamified learning experiences can boost employee engagement by up to 48%.
Just think how nice it is to get a reward for doing a job, whether that’s a shout-out, a badge, or a monetary reward.
All of these set off our endorphins and make us feel great.
This is essentially what gamification emulates.
When learners receive instant feedback and recognition for their progress, they are more likely to stay motivated and continue learning.
And that’s not all.
Traditional teaching methods can sometimes feel monotonous, but incorporating game elements like points, badges, and leaderboards creates a sense of excitement and purpose.
Of course, you have to do your training, but wouldn’t it be so much better if learners wanted to do it too?
2. Improved knowledge retention and application
Interactive learning often relies on repetition and immersive gameplay.
This makes it much easier for learners to retain information.
Just look at the learning curve.
It takes a long time to become unconsciously competent at something, and so we need to rely on full immersion to engage our learners.
Gamification does just that.
It encourages active participation rather than passive consumption, helping learners absorb concepts more naturally.
Techniques such as level progression, challenges, and storytelling create deeper cognitive engagement,
And all of that reinforces learning through repetition and practical application.
3. Encourages collaboration and social learning
There’s nothing worse than working in a silo, and the same is true for training.
Teamwork and collaboration don’t just foster a sense of community, it also allows learners:
- to work together
- to learn to communicate effectively
- to develop social skills
Engagement in learning is key.
So key, that Totara’s core LMS offers both Learn and Engage, as standard.
That means forums, playlists and resource libraries all come part of your learning platform.
From a gamification perspective, this gives your learners a space to engage with other learners, discuss tactics for getting more points and get their creative juices flowing!
Challenges and limitations of gamification in learning
It’s not all good news when it comes to gamification in education, there are challenges too.
While gamification can increase lots of aspects of your learning content or platform, it also comes with its limitations.
It’s not all good news when it comes to gamification in education, there are challenges too.
While gamification can increase lots of aspects of your learning content or platform, it also comes with its limitations.
This includes:
- Over-reliance on extrinsic motivation
- Not everyone responds to gamification
- Implementation can be time-consuming
- Risk of superficial learning
- Potential for increased competition and pressure
1. Over-reliance on extrinsic motivation
One of the main concerns with gamification is that it often relies on extrinsic rewards such as points, badges, and leaderboards to drive student engagement.
Related: Guide to learner motivations
While these incentives can boost motivation in the short term, they may not foster a genuine love for learning.
Instead, they just become addicted to the reward.
That can encourage clicking through as opposed to fully engaging.
So, if learners become too focused on rewards, they may lose interest in the subject matter itself once the game elements are removed.
To mitigate this, you should balance extrinsic rewards with intrinsic motivation strategies, such as creating curiosity, creativity, and a deeper understanding of the material.
2. Not everyone responds to gamification
Gamification may not be suitable for every subject or learning style.
If you go and add points for every action, badges and progression checkpoints, you could wind up alienating a whole sub-sector of your learners.
While some learners thrive in competitive or game-like environments, others may find them distracting or stressful.
Subjects that require deep reflection, discussion, or abstract thinking may not always benefit from gamified approaches so it’s worth being mindful of how you use gamification in your learning.
3. Implementation can be time-consuming
Designing and integrating a well-structured gamification system requires significant planning, time, and resources.
But, there’s a caveat.
With the right learning provider, it doesn’t have to be so time-consuming.
With a tool like BuildEmpire, you can seamlessly switch on and off point allocation and easily add point scoring in the admin settings.
It takes a very short amount of time to set up, but can reap huge rewards.
When considering gamification in education, just be realistic about how much you actually need to gamify.
Your learning content doesn’t need to be totally game-like; it can just use game elements to feed engagement and drive competition.
4. Risk of superficial learning
We hate to pick on Duolingo because it does eLearning so well, but it isn’t always lauded as a fantastic app to learn a language.
At the end of the day, it’s trying to make money and so it wants as much gamification as possible.
In our space, our primary goal is to teach and train.
And if not designed carefully, gamification can lead to surface-level engagement rather than deep learning.
Learners may focus on earning points or completing tasks quickly instead of understanding the underlying concepts.
For example, in a gamified quiz system, learners might rush through questions to score higher rather than carefully analysing the material.
To avoid this, you should design meaningful challenges that encourage critical thinking, problem-solving, and real-world application rather than just repetitive reward-seeking behaviour.
5. Potential for increased competition and pressure
While competition can be a great motivator for some learners, it can also create unnecessary stress and anxiety for others.
Leaderboards and ranking systems may lead to feelings of failure or discourage students who struggle to keep up.
And this can be particularly harmful in those with lower self-confidence.
To address this, educators should consider using collaborative gamification strategies, such as team-based challenges or personalised progress tracking, rather than purely competitive elements.
LMS gamification examples
Now for the good stuff.
Gamification is growing in popularity in learning management systems.
And for good reason (remember those stats we shared?).
Game-based features are now a core part of the learning journey instead of an add-on for the sake of it.
It supports L&D managers in designing a learning journey that actually makes a difference.
Whether that be through rewards, badges, leaderboards, goals or more.
It makes learning feel exciting and personal.
Isn’t that what we all want?
And it’s not all just about fun (kinda).
Gamification gives L&D teams real insights into who is smashing through their learning, who is stuck and who needs more support.
It makes it easily trackable and actionable.
By weaving game mechanics into the course itself, not just bolting them on, platforms like BuildEmpire’s Edition of Totara make learning more engaging and more effective.
Related: Add gamification elements to your LMS
Key LMS gamification elements examples are:
- Progression-based learning
- Badges
- Points system
- Leaderboards
- Rewards
- Engaging design
Let’s look at each of these in more detail.
Progression-based learning
One of the simplest ways to integrate gamification is through progression-based learning, or structured game levels.
Rather than providing all learning materials at once, you can require users to complete one module before unlocking the next.
This approach helps learners stay motivated by giving them clear goals and milestones.
Advancing through levels also creates a sense of achievement (especially if linked to professional growth), such as a new job title or salary increase within their role.
Badges
Badges remain one of the most effective gamification techniques.
These virtual awards recognise learners for completing specific training or achieving milestones. Users can showcase them on their profiles or even share them on social media.
Before introducing badges, consider how they might align with your learners’ daily tasks.
For instance, a marketing team member might earn a “Social Media Whizz” badge, incorporating relevant icons into its design.
Points system
Introducing a points system can further encourage learner engagement. You can allocate points for various actions such as logging in, completing modules, or engaging with the content.
To make things more dynamic, you could structure points based on difficulty.
For example, finishing the first section of a course might be worth one point, while completing a more advanced section could earn five.
This system not only rewards participation but also allows learners to compare their progress with peers.
Leaderboards
Once a points system is in place, leaderboards can add an extra layer of competition.
Ranking learners based on their accumulated points encourages them to strive for the top position.
You can create leaderboards based on teams, specific courses, or skill areas to highlight top performers within different categories.
This friendly competition can drive engagement and motivate learners to push themselves further.
Related: Build competition in learning with your bespoke leaderboard in our BuildEmpire Edition
Meaningful rewards
A key part of gamification is offering meaningful incentives.
While badges and points serve as built-in rewards, you might consider tangible prizes as well.
Some organisations integrate their LMS with an online store where learners can redeem points for gift cards, extra time off, or other perks.
Finding the right balance between digital and real-world rewards can enhance motivation.
Engaging design
The appearance of your LMS plays a crucial role in keeping users engaged.
A well-designed platform not only looks appealing but can also incorporate gamified elements seamlessly.
Interactive visuals, animations, and progress trackers can elevate the learning experience and make training feel more immersive.
By leveraging these gamification techniques, you can create a more engaging and rewarding learning environment within your LMS design.
Future of gamification in education
The future of gamification in education is bright, with advancements in technology, artificial intelligence (AI), and immersive learning experiences shaping its evolution.
As we continue to explore new ways to enhance student engagement and learning outcomes, gamification will no doubt become more personalised, interactive, and deeply integrated into learning platforms and content.
1. AI-driven personalised learning
Everyone has been talking about AI in L&D for years, and we’re yet to see much in the way of tangible results.
But we do anticipate seeing AI support gamification to analyse student behaviour and adjust challenges, rewards, and difficulty levels dynamically, ensuring that learners remain engaged without feeling overwhelmed or disengaged.
Related: Real use cases of AI in L&D
2. Virtual reality and augmented reality
As VR and AR technologies become more accessible, they will revolutionise gamified learning by creating immersive, hands-on educational experiences.
Instead of simply earning points, learners will be able to explore virtual worlds, take part in simulated experiences and much more through VR and AR storytelling.
4. Collaborative and social learning experiences
Future gamification trends will focus on collaboration rather than just competition, fostering teamwork, problem-solving, and global learning communities.
More platforms will integrate cooperative quests, multiplayer challenges, and social learning networks, where learners work together to solve real-world problems.
5. Game-based assessment
We can definitely see traditional assessments (e.g., exams, multiple-choice quizzes) being replaced or supplemented with game-based assessments that evaluate critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving skills in real-time scenarios.
Instead of memorising facts, learners might solve puzzles, complete simulations, or engage in role-playing scenarios to demonstrate mastery of a subject.
This approach can provide more accurate, engaging, and stress-free evaluations of student performance.
Wrapping up
Did you know that BuildEmpire is a platinum partner of Totara? That means we create user-centric solutions that work.
Our platform is built with you in mind, with all the features and elements you have asked for and need.
That means you get a robust LMS that allows you to track compliance, report on impact, and link to performance management, too.
And our uptime is 99.998%.
That’s pretty good, right?
Plus, with our gamification features, you can unlock even more levels of learning.
To sum it up, we build platforms we would love to use ourselves. And that includes platforms that are fun!
Fancy seeing it in action?
You can book a demo with our team to see how it can work for you.
