DISCLAIMER: Some content in this article outlines how to use functionalities that will be publicly released to all clients at the beginning of September 2021. If you see differences between this article and your platform, check back at that time for updated content.

Introduction

The word Gamification refers to the application of game-design theory and mechanics to non-game frameworks to further engage users. Gamification is used in several areas, such as training processes, where it helps to make the experience more fun and interactive. Studies on this topic have shown positive results, as it leverages people's innate desire for competition, self-expression and achievement.

This article will outline how to activate and set up the Gamification app in your platform.

Activating the Gamification App

To use gamification in your platform, you first need to activate the app. Log into your platform as the Superadmin, then select the gear icon in the top right corner to access the Admin Menu. Now, select the Add New Apps button. On the next page, select the Additional Features tab, then find the Gamification app in the list of apps in this tab.

In the app's row, press the Try It For Free button. Read the information in the pop-up box, then select the Try It For Free button. The app is now active in your platform. You can begin the setup from the Admin Menu.

Configuring your Gamification Settings

Begin by configuring the settings of the app. Access the Admin Menu from the gear icon, find the Gamification section in the menu, then select the Settings subitem. On this page, you can flag two options. By flagging the first option to display available badges in a user's My Badges list, users will be able to quickly and easily see the badges they've earned in the My Gamification panel, the My Gamification area of their platform, as well as the Gamification widget (if activated).

If you flag the latter option to enable the Rewards Marketplace, users will be able to request rewards based on the points (converted into coins) that they receive when earning a badge. Refer to the linked article in this paragraph to learn how to set up the Rewards Marketplace in your platform.

Creating Badges

Once you configure the Gamification settings, you can start by creating badges in your platform. Access the Admin Menu, find the Gamification section, and select the Badges subitem. On the main Badges page, you will see an action bar at the top of the page, and the list of badges you've created on the bottom half of the page.

A badge is like a medal your users will gain every time they complete a particular action in the platform. Badges usually have points that are given to the user along with the badge, and points can be turned into coins to use in the Rewards Marketplace. Create a new badge by selecting the New Badge button in the action bar on the top of the page.

Then, on the New Badge page, define the details of the new badge.

Begin by creating content in various languages, depending on your needs. First, assign a language. The content of this badge will be shown only to users with the selected language (English content shown to English users, Italian content shown to Italian users, etc.). Content for the default language of the platform is mandatory, but you can add as many translations as necessary to any single badge. Then, add a title and description of the badge. The title should be a quick and easily readable reason for why the user is earning the badge. In the description, you should explain in more detail what the users have done to receive the badge.

Next, assign a point value to the badge. You can choose to assign zero points to the badge, so the user gets the badge, but his or her overall score does not increase. You can also add a positive score (the user gets the badge and the score increases) or a negative score (the user gets the badge and the score decreases). Please note that score assignments are limited to values of 4 digits or less and must be a whole number.

Then, you can set an icon for the badge. Select the Change Badge Icon button. Then, choose between a default icon from the provided options, or upload a customized icon from your computer (it is advisable to upload an image of about 600x600px for your badge so that the shared badge has optimal resolution). Then, press Save Changes. You will then be able to see a preview of the badge with all of your created details.

Now, decide if this badge will be assigned manually (you will need to choose which users receive it manually) or assigned automatically. By automatically assigning badges to users, they will automatically be awarded badges upon completing certain actions or meeting certain goals in the platform. Refer to the next sections to learn more.

Automatically Assigning Badges to Users

By flagging the option to automatically assign badges to users, you then need to choose an event that must occur in the platform in order for a user to automatically earn a badge. When finished, press Save Changes to finish creating the badge.

Manually Assigning Badges to Users

When creating a badge, if you flagged the option to manually assign the badge to users, press the Save Changes and then find the badge in the list on the main Badges page. Press the item in the badge's Assigned To column. On the next page, press the Assign Users button.

In the pop-up box, select the users, groups or branches that you want to manually assign to the badge. Your selections in the lists will be saved if you navigate between tabs. When finished, press Save Changes. All assigned users will appear on the page. Press the magnifying glass icon in the user's item to view the date that the badge was awarded to the user and how it was awarded (automatically or manually). Press the X icon next to the assignment type to manually un-assign the badge from this user. You can press the Issue button at the top of the pop-up box to issue the badge to the user again.

Managing Existing Badges

Once the badge has been completely created, you can see it in the list with the following details: icon, name, points, how many times it has been obtained (a user can receive the badge more than once), and manually assign the badge (people icon). You can edit or delete the badge any time using the corresponding icons in the badge's row.

Sharing a Badge

It is also possible for the user to share a badge they obtained in the platform on social networks such as Linkedin or by copying their links via email or chat messaging.

In order for your users to be able to share a badge they get in the platform, you must first activate the sharing option. To do so, access the Admin Menu, find the Gamification section, and select the Badges subitem from your platform. Click on the pen icon corresponding to the badge of your interest.

Move now to the Social Sharing section at the bottom of the page. Once opened, first click on Enable social sharing and then select Linkedin direct share button. Now users for whom you have activated this option will be able to share their badge either directly on social networks such as Linkedin or via email or in a chat message by copying its link.

Please note that if you disable this option and the badge has already been shared on a social network, the post will remain on the page where the badge was shared but if you click on the link this will not work as the badge will be disabled.If you have activated a public catalog ,when you share the badge on Linkedin, the login button also appears.

Managing Contests

Create contests for your users by assigning goals that can be achieved within a specific time period. Users will earn badges and points, and they can receive a ranking on the leaderboard of each specific contest.

Badges and points will be assigned at the end of each contest. From the Admin menu, find the Gamification section, then press the Contests subitem. On the main Contests page, press the New Contest button in the action bar at the top. Now, assign a name, short description, and timeframe to the contest. You can create this content in multiple languages using the Language dropdown menu at the top of the page, but it's required to insert content in the platform's default language.

Then, choose the goal that should be achieved using the dropdown menu in the Contest Goal section:

• Completed the highest number of courses. The contest winner is the user that completed the most courses in the delegated timeframe.  You can choose whether this contest includes any course in the platform, or you can manually select courses to include in the contest.
• You're the highest scorer! The contest winner is the user that earned the most badges and points (for any event that triggers a badge being awarded) in the contest's delegated timeframe.
• Received the highest number of "Helpful" (Thumbs up) in forums. The contest winner is the user that receives the highest number of "Helpful" (thumbs up) votes in forums. You can choose whether this contest includes forums in any course in the platform, or you can manually select courses to include in the contest.
• Scored highest in a course. The contest winner is the user that receives the highest score in a course. This depends on how you set the scoring options in a course. You can choose whether this contest includes any course in the platform, or you can manually select courses to include in the contest. Based on their ranking, you can define the badges that top users earn once the contest has ended. The dropdown menu shows the badges you have previously created. You can assign badges only to the top-ranked user or to the top three ranked users. Remember, you must create badges with different scores to be able to assign them to different leaderboard positions.

Press Save Changes when finished. By default, your new contest is assigned to the contest to all active users in the platform. However, if you want to assign a contest to a specific group of users or branch, press the item in the contest's Filter row. Select the groups or branches that you want to invite to the contest from the pop-up box and press Confirm.

You can check the status of each contest using the filter at the top of the page, or by looking at the Status column, which will show you the contests that are still open or closed, and if there are any contests scheduled in the future. By pressing the magnifying glass in each contest's row, you can also see a chart of top performers in each contest.

Learners View of Gamification

After the Superadmin has created the badges, leaderboards and contests, users can start competing to earn as many badges and points as possible. Once logged into the platform, users can press the trophy icon in the top right corner of their platform to see a quick view of their badges, contests and leaderboard rankings. In addition, if the notifications app is active in your platform, learners can be notified when a new contest is created or when the time to participate in a contest is over.

Please note: If the contest started on the date it was created, the notification is not triggered upon creation, but is triggered with up to a one hour delay.

Use the New Contest Started and the Contest Completed notifications for this purpose. Learn more about how learners can view and use Gamification in the platform.

The Rewards Marketplace

If you want users' points to be converted into coins so that they be used in order to redeem and request rewards in the platform, activate the Rewards Marketplace for the Gamification app.

Leaderboards

If you want to create different leaderboards showing the users with the highest amount of points in the platform, please refer to the leaderboards article for any info and details.