It’s been a while; eLearning apps have gained traction amongst education providers and learners. Today, with the abundance of learning apps in app stores and increasingly demanding consumer expectations, these applications must be highly engaging to retain users. Interestingly, several app makers are resorting to the “gamification in EdTech,” approach to make their apps stand out and add value to the teaching-learning process. Game-based elements are incorporated into learning platforms to make the educational experience more engaging, interactive, and fun. Let’s dive into how gamification enhances learning and explore how to develop gamified eLearning software solutions including examples.
Key Elements of Gamification in EdTec
- Challenges and Quizzes: Users complete tasks, quizzes, or problem-solving challenges that mimic real-life scenarios, allowing students to apply what they’ve learned in a gamified context.
- Points and Levels: Users earn points for completing quizzes/lessons and level up by mastering concepts. Each level signifies progress, which motivates students to keep going.
- Badges and rewards: Users earn badges after reaching certain milestones.
- Leaderboards: The display of user rankings based on their progress promotes healthy competition.
- Storytelling: Storytelling makes the learning experience more immersive and relatable.
How to develop a gamified eLearning solution?
Example 1: A basic gamified learning solution in React and Node.js
Tech Stack and High-level Approach:
Frontend: React app for user interaction, showing lessons, quizzes, and user progress Backend: Node.js/Express server to manage users, quizzes, points, and badges. Database: MongoDB to store user progress, points, badges, etc.
Now, let’s get started with the actual development part!
Step: 1 Set Up the Backend (Node.js + Express)
Install the necessary packages:
npm init -y npm install express mongoose Create a basic Express server (server.js) const express = require(‘express’); const mongoose = require(‘mongoose’); const app = express(); mongoose.connect(‘mongodb://localhost/gamified-learning’, { useNewUrlParser: true, useUnifiedTopology: true }) .then(() => console.log(‘Connected to MongoDB…’)) .catch(err => console.error(‘Could not connect to MongoDB…’, err)); app.use(express.json()); // User Schema const userSchema = new mongoose.Schema({ username: String, points: { type: Number, default: 0 }, badges: { type: Array, default: [] }, }); const User = mongoose.model(‘User’, userSchema); // Create a new user app.post(‘/api/users’, async (req, res) => { let user = new User({ username: req.body.username }); user = await user.save(); res.send(user); }); // Update user points app.put(‘/api/users/:id/points’, async (req, res) => { const user = await User.findById(req.params.id); user.points += req.body.points; // Assign badges based on points if (user.points >= 100 && !user.badges.includes(‘Beginner’)) { user.badges.push(‘Beginner’); } else if (user.points >= 500 && !user.badges.includes(‘Intermediate’)) { user.badges.push(‘Intermediate’); } await user.save(); res.send(user); }); app.listen(3000, () => console.log(‘Listening on port 3000…’));Step: 2 Building the Frontend (React)
npx create-react-app gamified-learning cd gamified-learning npm install axios Now, create a component to display quizzes and handle end users’ progress (Quiz.js) import React, { useState } from ‘react’; import axios from ‘axios’; const Quiz = ({ userId }) => { const [score, setScore] = useState(0); const [message, setMessage] = useState(”); const submitQuiz = async () => { // Increment user’s score by 20 points const result = await axios.put(`/api/users/${userId}/points`, { points: 20 }); setScore(result.data.points); setMessage(`You earned 20 points! Total points: ${result.data.points}`); }; return (Sample Quiz
{message}Step 3: Displaying Points and Badges in the User Profile (UserProfile.js)
import React, { useEffect, useState } from 'react'; import axios from ‘axios’; const UserProfile = ({ userId }) => { const [user, setUser] = useState({ points: 0, badges: [] }); useEffect(() => { const fetchUser = async () => { const result = await axios.get(`/api/users/${userId}`); setUser(result.data); }; fetchUser(); }, [userId]); return ({user.username}’s Profile
Points: {user.points} Badges: {user.badges.join(‘, ‘)}Step 4: Displaying Leaderboard (Leaderboard.js):
import React, { useState, useEffect } from 'react'; import axios from ‘axios’; const Leaderboard = () => { const [users, setUsers] = useState([]); useEffect(() => { const fetchLeaderboard = async () => { const result = await axios.get(‘/api/users’); setUsers(result.data); }; fetchLeaderboard(); }, []); return (Leaderboard
{users.sort((a, b) => b.points – a.points).map(user => (- {user.username}: {user.points} points
Step 5: Sample Database Entries (MongoDB)
{ “_id”: “615f1f75d47a4d4a58fa4372”, “username”: “John Doe”, “points”: 120, “badges”: [“Beginner”] }, { “_id”: “615f1f75d47a4d4a58fa4373”, “username”: “Jane Smith”, “points”: 540, “badges”: [“Beginner”, “Intermediate”] }Backend Route for Leaderboard
// Fetch all users for leaderboard app.get(‘/api/users’, async (req, res) => { const users = await User.find(); res.send(users); });Step 6: Run the Application:
Start the backend server: node server.js
Start the React Frontend: npm start
This is a basic example of building a gamified learning solution. You can expand this by adding more complex quizzes., a time-based challenge system, a rewards system where users can redeem points for items, multiplayer options for collaborative or competitive learning, etc.
Example 2: A web-based Gamified Math Quiz in HTML, CSS, and JavaScript
Features: Multiple choice questions, immediate feedback (correct or wrong), points for correct answers, level-up after the points reach a certain score threshold, mobile-friendly buttons, and display, and multiple-device accessibility.
Step-1: HTML Structure:
Math Quiz
Score: 0 Level: 1
Step-2: CSS Styling
body { font-family: Arial, sans-serif; text-align: center; background-color: #f4f4f4; } .container { margin: 0 auto; padding: 20px; background-color: #fff; box-shadow: 0 0 10px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1); width: 300px; } h1 { font-size: 24px; } .answer-btn { display: block; margin: 10px 0; padding: 10px; background-color: #4CAF50; color: white; border: none; cursor: pointer; } .answer-btn:hover { background-color: #45a049; } .feedback { margin-top: 10px; font-size: 16px; } .score { margin-top: 20px; font-size: 18px; }Step-3: JavaScript for Game Mechanics (script.js)
const questionElement = document.getElementById('question'); const answerButtons = document.querySelectorAll(‘.answer-btn’); const feedbackElement = document.getElementById(‘feedback’); const scoreElement = document.getElementById(‘score’); const levelElement = document.getElementById(‘level’); let currentQuestionIndex = 0; let score = 0; let level = 1; const questions = [ { question: ‘What is 2 + 2?’, answers: [2, 3, 4, 5], correct: 2 }, { question: ‘What is 5 – 3?’, answers: [1, 2, 3, 4], correct: 1 }, // Add more questions here ]; // Load the current question function loadQuestion() { let currentQuestion = questions[currentQuestionIndex]; questionElement.textContent = currentQuestion.question; answerButtons.forEach((button, index) => { button.textContent = currentQuestion.answers[index]; button.onclick = () => checkAnswer(index); }); } // Check if the answer is correct function checkAnswer(index) { let correctAnswer = questions[currentQuestionIndex].correct; if (index === correctAnswer) { feedbackElement.textContent = ‘Correct!’; score += 10; // Award points levelUp(); } else { feedbackElement.textContent = ‘Wrong! Try again.’; } scoreElement.textContent = score; loadNextQuestion(); } // Load the next question function loadNextQuestion() { currentQuestionIndex++; if (currentQuestionIndex < questions.length) { loadQuestion(); } else { feedbackElement.textContent = ‘Quiz Completed!’; } } // Level up when a certain score is reached function levelUp() { if (score % 20 === 0) { level++; levelElement.textContent = level; } } // Start the quiz loadQuestion();Step 4: Implementing advanced features like a Badge System
let badges = []; function awardBadge() { if (score === 50 && !badges.includes(‘Beginner Badge’)) { badges.push(‘Beginner Badge’); alert(‘You earned the Beginner Badge!’); } else if (score === 100 && !badges.includes(‘Advanced Badge’)) { badges.push(‘Advanced Badge’); alert(‘You earned the Advanced Badge!’); } }Step 5: Integration with Backend
In a full-fledged gamified learning platform, you’ll likely integrate with a backend for User Authentication, Progress Tracking, Analytics, etc.
Factors to Consider while developing a Gamified eLearning App
- Customize gamification to fit the needs of your target audience’s age group, interests, and learning styles. For example, younger students might prefer more playful, simple game elements, while older learners may engage better with complex problem-solving challenges.
- Clearly outline what you want learners to achieve by the end of each lesson or course. Align game mechanics with these goals to ensure gamification reinforces learning outcomes rather than distracting from them.
- Choose the Right Game Elements tailored to the subject matter as not all game mechanics will suit every learning environment. For example, leaderboards may work well in competitive settings, but progress bars might be more effective for self-paced learning.
- Incorporate Feedback Loops that provide continuous feedback to learners, whether through quizzes, tips, or hints. Gamified platforms should encourage students to correct mistakes and offer positive reinforcement for success.
- Introduce multiplayer options or group challenges that promote teamwork. For instance, group quizzes or virtual study groups can create a sense of community among learners.
- Integrate tracking tools to measure student progress; regularly reward achievements with badges, certificates, or virtual prizes to keep learners motivated.
- Test your gamified eLearning solution with a sample group and gather feedback. Based on this feedback, make improvements to game mechanics, user interface, and overall user experience.
Future Vision
Gamification is a key component of future education solutions whether you are building a platform that teaches users basic math skills, language skills, or an app that prepares you for competitive exams. The future of gamification in EdTech lies in advanced technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) and augmented reality (AR). AI can personalize learning experiences, while AR can provide immersive, real-world simulations to teach complex subjects in an engaging way.