The market is growing.
The number of companies using online learning are on the rise. More authors and speakers supplement their incomes through offering online courses than ever before. Schools, E-commerce companies and traditional businesses are all getting on-board.
The biggest trend of all?
Gamification
Here’s a company that helps public schools turn their classrooms into a Role Playing Adventure:
I’ve also found these:
- 3D Game Lab
- ClassXP
- Samsung Nation
The video game market has proven that people will sit for months playing RPGs.
Here’s what I see as their selling points:
- There are clear rules to the competition. (Experience points, Badges, Leaderboards)
- Certainty that by performing tasks you will level up. (Awards with meaning)
- Ability to choose quests based on interest
- Fun and interactive environment
The teachers add some of these elements into their learning.
For example: XP points can replace grades, the students compete on Leaderboards, awards are given out for completion of a level.
This is not the same as playing a video game although they share the same foundation.
Game Based Learning
This method combines video games and learning. Imagine a simulation which teaches you a certain concept or idea. The learning comes from playing the game and putting the student through a virtual experience.
Here are some companies I found doing this now:
- World Peace Game Foundation
- World Warcraft in School
- Minecraft EDU
- Portal 2
I foresee that some of the most successful courses created in the future will all implement this method in some shape or form.
We are moving to a video based web… but the next step is an interactive and immersive one.
