Four Inspiring Examples to Help You Bring Your E-Learning A Game

Struggling to find an engaging way to present information or teach new concepts? One option is to take a closer look at games. After all, even the most challenging games manage to use some clever devices to hook players and keep them playing until the very end. Game elements like characters, a compelling story or narrative, scoring, or a time crunch pull people in and invite them to engage their brains and solve problems. Why wouldn’t you want to mimic that kind of engagement for learning? Even if you're not creating a full-fledged game, just adding a few simple game mechanics can be enough to put your learners in control and encourage them to dig into your content and pursue the goal.

If you like the idea of creating your own e-learning game, but you’re just not sure where to start, we’re sure the following examples will give you some much-needed inspiration. From clever word puzzles to rich, character-driven narratives, these projects are absolutely chock-full of ideas that are sure to have you bringing your e-learning A game!

• Ethics courses tend to end up as a boring list of do’s and don’ts, but that’s NOT the case with this innovative example from Kate Lee. She’s brilliantly used scenario-based challenges to encourage her learners to explore the complexities of ethical decision-making with digital media.
• Word puzzles are a fun way to get learners more comfortable with a new vocabulary. In this example, Stefano Craba took inspiration from Wheel of Fortune® to create his own spin on this familiar game—one that challenges learners to solve the puzzle before they go bankrupt!
• Another take on word puzzles, this simple rebus game from Alicia Williamson not only explains the idea behind a rebus puzzle (hint: it’s a picture puzzle with a hidden word), it also challenges you to decipher a few on your own. A project like this could be a fun way to link learners to some related content or acquaint them with new terms.
• Take advantage of everyone’s fascination with escape rooms by stealing the ideas in this inspired PowerPoint download from Trina Rimmer. Click to find the hidden envelopes with questions. The answers contain clues to the location of a hidden thumb drive full of important research. But be careful! Click on the wrong spot and you could set off a booby trap!

How can you use games for learning? Head on over to our Examples hub or visit this e-learning challenge to get loads of fresh ideas from our super-creative community. Want to build your own e-learning game? Snag a free 30-day trial of Articulate 360 and check out all the latest features in Storyline 360.