Covid-19 has, in the space of only a few months, changed all of our lives – and its impact on job markets and economies the world over is only just beginning. Fortunately, there’s a positive takeaway to all of this: the unprecedented opportunity for education and upskilling. It’s an opportunity that workers are actively embracing.
According to The Impact of Covid-19 on Learning Survey compiled by findcourses.co.uk, 49.2% of workers in the UK alone want and expect to learn more in the very near future. But safety during these unusual times is also paramount to workers and organizations alike.
Since the pandemic began, more than 80% of all learning has gone online, with a large number of courses having been sadly canceled. Despite this, e-learning does open some big opportunities. Here are just a few.
Gamification
This is perhaps the single biggest advantage e-learning can have. It makes education and training more akin to playing than to using an intranet system. By incorporating multilevel, multiplayer games into e-learning, you can create something that is both educational and fun, something that learners want to use.
Luckily, there is an increasing amount of gamification software and portals covering an ever-expanding number of sectors and markets, including the construction sector. Providers like Gamelearn allow you to customize and tailor their gamified materials so that they can be as closely suited to you and your team’s needs as possible.
Gamified materials that require your team to work either individually or in small groups also have another benefit: it requires teamwork. Teams that train together are more likely to be cohesive and to have higher morale.
A whole-team boost
Upskilling an entire team is never easy. In some soft skills training, like leadership programs, communication, and IT, some members of your team might be more comfortable than others.
It’s about striking the balance between those who might already be more comfortable with a skill and those who might not be. E-learning can help square this circle.
As your team works its way through a game, they will each have something that they can contribute to a round or challenge. During gamified e-learning, your team will be teaching each other and learning together without even realizing it. Doing this will boost and aid cohesion, delivering tangible results to the productivity and output of your team.
Your team working and learning together through gamified materials also has another benefit: it involves social interaction.
Keeping the human touch
According to the 2019 L&D Report also compiled by findcourses.co.uk, workers still prefer face-to-face learning over e-learning. Unfortunately, during these times, face-to-face learning is not always possible. Gamified e-learning can plug this gap.
Many gamification learning platforms have chat functions built into them. This allows your team to talk, interact, and problem-solve as if they were all together in the same room in real life.
Learners usually prefer social education and, thanks to gamified e-learning, they can now have just that, but in a safe, virtual environment.
The takeaway
Covid-19 has forced all of us to make changes and adapt in ways t unimaginable at the start of the year. One of the biggest changes has been the necessity of moving all learning and non-essential meetings online wherever possible. But the simple fact remains that learners still prefer the human touch.
Too often, e-learning is dull and drab. But gamification is changing that. In making training more PS4 than an intranet, gamification can boost the morale and cohesiveness of your team as they learn and upskill together. The functions that most gamification software and platforms have allow for social interactions, combining the human touch that learners want with an element of fun that enhances the whole learning experience.
Remember, a team that upskills together is one that has higher morale and more cohesiveness. A team that has these elements is one that can only aid your organization’s growth and strengthen your position in your market.
