In this guide, we’ll explore how to use gamification to create a successful educational app, how it impacts business, and why gamification is considered one of the most powerful features in the E-Learning field.

Table of contents:

• Gamification Apps: Definition
• Studies: Comparing Traditional Methods with Gamified Learning
• Must-Have Gamification Features
• Benefits of Gamification Apps
• Leaders That Inspire
• Developing Your Own Gamification App & Educational Platform: Steps
• What Price to Expect When Developing a Gamified Learning Apps

Understanding Gamification Apps

Imagine this: you’re faced with a choice between playing your favorite video game or tackling a challenging study session. Which one feels more appealing? Playing the game wins out every time. The thrill of leveling up, the satisfaction of earning rewards, and the excitement of new challenges make gaming irresistibly engaging.

What if you could bring that same level of excitement and satisfaction to the learning process? That’s where gamification comes in. 

Just as games captivate us with their rewards and challenges, gamification apps can make learning more effective.

Learning doesn’t have to be boring. To keep learners engaged and excited, you can add some game elements to their training. This approach is known as gamification.

Gamification makes learning more fun by introducing game-like features. These elements motivate students to actively participate and be more enthusiastic about their studies. Adding games to education also fosters healthy competition, motivating learners to do their best and stay on track with their peers. Among synch, gamification can include achievement points, badges, game quizzes, progress bars, interactive tests, quizzes, etc.

Gamified Learning Apps: What Studies Say?

All information is better when you operate facts and statistics. Based on our research, we found great results on how gamification impacts results.

See the studies that demonstrate the effectiveness of gamified learning compared to traditional methods. Here are some notable ones:

Study by the University of Colorado Denver (2015)

This study found that students in a gamified learning environment had a 50% higher course completion rate than those in non-gamified courses.

Source: The Effectiveness of Gamification on College Student Motivation and Engagement

Study by the University of Warwick (2015)

Research showed that students who participated in gamified courses had significantly higher engagement levels and improved learning outcomes compared to those in traditional courses. Gamified students were more motivated and retained information better.

Source: The Impact of Gamification on Student Motivation and Learning

Study by the University of Edinburgh (2018)

This study indicated that gamification led to a 20% improvement in student engagement and a 10% increase in learning outcomes. The use of gaming elements was found to significantly enhance motivation and performance.

Source: Gamification of Learning: An Analysis of Case Studies

Study by the University of the West of England (2016)

This research revealed that gamified learning environments improved students’ problem-solving skills and engagement. The study highlighted that incorporating game mechanics, such as progress tracking and rewards, enhanced students’ motivation and retention.

Source: Gamification and Learning: A Review of the Evidence

Study by the University of California, Berkeley (2017)

This study found that gamification improved student performance by 25% and increased motivation by 30%. Using interactive elements, such as quizzes and games, led to better learning outcomes and higher levels of student engagement.

Source: The Role of Gamification in Enhancing Student Learning Outcomes

These studies provide evidence that gamification can enhance learning experiences, improve engagement, and lead to better educational outcomes compared to traditional learning methods.

How to Engage Students? 9 Proven Gamification Features

To make educational apps more engaging, you can use several gamification strategies. Implement them and see the results!

Custom User Profiles in Apps

Custom user profiles in apps allow users to personalize their experience and make the App personalized to their individual preferences and needs. Students create customizable Avatars, and choose the difficulty levels and personal rewards.

Users can create and personalize their avatars or profiles, choosing their appearance, clothing, and accessories.

Students answer questions to set their own difficulty levels, allowing for a personalized learning experience tailored to their skill level.

Users can set or adjust the difficulty of tasks, quizzes, or challenges based on their skill level and preferences: Personal Rewards

Users earn rewards for their preferences and achievements, such as virtual currency, badges, or special features.

Leaderboards

A leaderboard ranks users based on their performance or achievements, and teaches students to compete and stay motivated. Commonly used in gamified applications, it displays a list of top performers, showcasing their scores, points, or other metrics relevant to the app’s goals.

Leaderboards help users set and strive for personal goals based on their ranking and progress, providing instant feedback on their performance compared to others. This helps students identify areas for improvement and track their progress over time.

For example, how we’ve developed a leaderboard for our client – SecureFlag:

Points 

Points are a common gamification element in apps. They give immediate feedback and reward users for completing tasks or reaching milestones. These incentives encourage users to keep using the App and strive for new achievements.

Progress Tracking

Progress bars are effective tools that visually show how much a user has completed. They help control the learning process, set goals, track achievements, motivate users to continue learning, and highlight areas that might need more attention.

Quests and Challenges

Creating quests or challenges adds a storyline or mission to the learning experience. Users can complete tasks or solve problems to progress through different levels. This approach makes learning feel like an adventure and keeps users engaged.

Levels for Interactive Lessons

Levels provide a sense of progression. Users can unlock new content or features as they advance through levels, which keeps them motivated to continue. Unlockables, such as new mini-games or special content, give users something to look forward to.

Daily and Weekly Challenges

Offering daily or weekly challenges keeps users engaged. These time-limited activities can be used to review material, introduce new topics, or provide extra practice. Regular challenges can help maintain user interest and encourage frequent app usage.

Customizable Learning Paths

Allow users to choose their own learning paths or topics of interest. This personalization helps users focus on areas they are passionate about or need more practice in, making the learning experience more relevant and motivating.

Gamified Assessments

Turn assessments into interactive and enjoyable activities. Instead of traditional quizzes, use game-like assessments that reward correct answers and feedback for incorrect ones. This approach can make testing less stressful and more engaging.

Benefits of Gamification in Education

Now that you’re familiar with gamification, let’s explore why it could be a game-changer for your educational project. Understanding these benefits will help you see how integrating gamification can enhance your App or online platform.

Better Engagement

Gamification significantly increases user engagement by making learning more interactive and enjoyable. Traditional learning methods, like reading textbooks, can be monotonous. In contrast, gamified apps use features like interactive quizzes, mini-games, and rewards to make learning more compelling.

For example, Duolingo, a popular language-learning app, uses gamification to keep users engaged. It includes features like streaks, points, and levels, which motivate users to practice daily and stay committed to their language learning goals. These elements not only enhance user experience but also allow students to create their own pace and track their progress effectively.

Feeling of Competition

Gamification tools foster a sense of competition through features like leaderboards, which display users’ rankings based on their performance. Such an app’s gamification keeps learners motivated and encourages them to improve their skills to move up the ranks and compete with others.

Example:

Khan Academy’s “Khan Kids” app uses leaderboards and badges to motivate high school students. Showing how they rank compared to peers encourages children to complete more activities and strive for higher scores.

Higher Course Completion Rates

Gamified interactive lessons often have higher completion rates compared to traditional classes. App gamification tools help maintain learners’ interest and motivation throughout the course.

For example, Study by the University of Colorado found that gamified learning environments saw a 50% increase in course completion rates compared to non-gamified courses. This improvement is attributed to the motivational aspects of gamification tools, such as reward students and progress tracking.

Improved Learning Outcomes

Gamified methods can make learning easier and more effective and influence critical thinking. By incorporating game mechanics like instant feedback, interactive challenges, and visual progress indicators, learners often find it easier to grasp and retain new information.

For example, the educational app “Math Blaster” uses game-based challenges to teach math concepts. Research shows that students using Math Blaster demonstrated a 30% improvement in math skills compared to those using traditional methods.
By integrating gamification into your educational App, you can leverage these benefits to enhance user engagement, foster competition, improve course completion rates, and boost learning outcomes.

Successful Gamification Examples from Top Brands

Duolingo

Main Gamification Tools they use:

• Users earn “Lingots” currencies for completing lessons.
• Users get Rewards and Badgets for mastering skills and milestones.
• Users can compete with others to stay motivated.

Today, Duolingo makes learning a new language fun and competitive, keeping users engaged and motivated.

Habitica

Main Gamification Tools:

•  Users create avatars that level up by completing real-life tasks.
• Engage in quests and challenges for rewards.
• Earn in-game currency and experience points for task completion.

Today, Habitica transforms task management into a game, making productivity more engaging and rewarding.

Forest

Main Gamification Tools:

• Users grow virtual trees by staying focused on tasks.
• A growing forest represents productivity over time.
• Share and compete with friends to grow the best forest.

Today, Forest turns focus and time management into a visually rewarding experience, encouraging productivity.

Fitbi

Main Gamification tools:

• Earn badges for hitting fitness milestones.
• Compete with friends in step counts and activities.
• Participate in daily and weekly fitness challenges.

Today, Fitbit makes fitness tracking engaging and competitive, motivating users to maintain healthy habits.

Zombies, Run!

Main Gamification features:

• Users run to complete missions in a zombie apocalypse.
• Thrilling stories play during runs to enhance the experience.
• Track progress and mission completions.

Today, Zombies, Run! turns running into an immersive adventure, motivating users to stay active through storytelling.

Developing Your Gamification App with RewiSoft

At RewiSoft, we specialize in creating effective e-learning solutions that enhance how people learn and interact with content. With our extensive experience in developing successful apps, we’re ready to turn your project into reality.

Here’s how we ensure your project’s success:

Discovery Stage

We start with in-depth market research and business analysis to understand your needs and goals. This stage involves:

• Analyzing current trends and competitor strategies.
• Conduct surveys and interviews to understand user requirements and preferences.
• Outlining project goals, features, and success criteria.

UI/UX Design Stage

We focus on creating a smooth and engaging user experience:

• Studying competitors to identify best practices and design opportunities.
• Mapping out user journeys and creating wireframes to plan app structure.
• Developing a cohesive design system that aligns with your brand.
• Creating aesthetically pleasing UI elements with our talented design team.

Development Stage

We bring your App to life with precision and expertise:

• Designing a technical framework that supports your App’s functionality.
• Building a reliable infrastructure for data and user interactions.
• Developing custom features for both iOS and Android platforms.
• Rigorously testing the App to ensure functionality, performance, and user experience meet our high standards.

Release

After launch, we are committed to supporting you:

• Addressing any issues or questions that arise after the App goes live.
• Offering free bug fixes for the first month to ensure your App runs smoothly.
• Providing ongoing support as needed to address additional concerns or updates.

At RewiSoft, we leverage our expertise and experience to deliver top-notch gamification apps and platforms that captivate and engage users. Let’s collaborate to create an exceptional e-learning experience that stands out in the market.

What’s the Cost of Building a Gamification App?

RewiSoft offers gamification app development starting at $30,000 for a basic feature set. The final price will depend on the project’s complexity, including any advanced analytics tools.

Here’s what’s included in this starting price:

• Project Manager
• Development Team
• UX/UI Design Team

We are eager to transform your vision into a market-ready app revolutionizing learning and interaction.

With RewiSoft as your development partner, we will turn your concepts into a solution that captivates your audience and delivers outstanding results. The potential is limitless!