Gamification Vs. Game-Based Learning

While the terms “gamification” and “game-based learning” are often considered to be interchangeable, in fact they aren’t. To understand the difference and learn how to incorporate these methods in your e-Learning projects, watch this recording of the most attended iSpring webinar ever, presented by Andrew Hughes, the president of Designing Digitally.The speaker

Andrew Hughes is the president & founder of Designing Digitally, an agency that develops gamified learning experiences and custom serious games. Among its large-scale prestigious clients are Toyota, Hewlett Packard, Samsung, and others, each of which leverage the power of games in their e-Learning projects. Started as a solo team in 2001, Designing Digitally has been continuously evolving and now has more than 1,500 employees, including seasoned Interactive Media Developers and Learning Solutions specialists. The company’s qualified services have been recognized with many awards, and it has been repeatedly ranked among the top e-Learning development companies by leading e-Learning resources.

In addition to leading Designing Digitally, Andrew Hughes is strongly devoted to the prosperity of his community. He’s now a professor at the University of Cincinnati Clermont in the Business, Law, and Technology Department. In his spare time, he teaches as a Technology Camp Instructor for middle school students in Warren and Putnam Counties in Ohio.The webinar
Starting with an explanation of the inner mechanism of games, Andrew went on to reveal the definitions of gamification and game-based learning and shared many examples of their efficient usage in e-Learning. Seeing how exactly these two methods are different will help you choose the one that suits your project best.

Additionally, the webinar covers the topics of gameful design and the best practices. Overall, by the end of the webinar you should learn:

    Whether to apply gamification, serious games, or both
    The mechanics of gamification and game-based learning
    The process of incorporating game elements in e-Learning
    The post-development stage

With more than 350 attendees, the webinar provoked a lively discussion of the gamification and game-based learning phenomena. The FAQ section features these questions:

    How is a time-based game defined?
    What game elements are the easiest and quickest to implement?
    Can gamification be used to replace traditional assessment?
    … and more.

The presentation

This is the presentation that was used at the webinar:

The guide

We’re currently collaborating with other e-Learning experts to prepare a guide on how to create a gamified course using PowerPoint and iSpring. So stay tuned for the news.
The bottom line

The use of game mechanisms in e-Learning is getting more and more widespread. To join the trend and apply new techniques wisely, it’s important to learn the ropes first. Is gamification about game-playing? How are game-based courses created? You can find the answers to these and other questions in our webinar recording.


Free webinars with iSpring tech pros and guest experts are held every week. To get invitations, simply subscribe to our blog.