The Gamification Trap: How to Create Addictive Learning Without Turning Your Course Into Candy Crush - Silvie Alnas

📌 Links & Resources

💻 LinkedIn: Silvie Alnas
🔗 Website: https://www.co-libri.se
📧 Email: silvie@co-libri.se
📸 Instagram: @silvie.teaches.impact
👥 Facebook Group: Course Creation Studio OR https://www.faceboo.com/groups/coursecreationstudio

🎁 Free Download:
👉 The Connection Compass – Your AI-powered guide, using the CONNECT Framework to creating courses that learners actually finish: Get Connection Compass | Co-Libri Consulting OR:  https://www.co-libri.se/connection-compass    

Includes a short self-reflective scorecard and some practical tips to help you connect more deeply with your learners.

00:00
My name is Silvie Alnas and you are listening to the gamification trap or how to create addictive learning without. Turning your course into Candy Crush. Raise your hand if you have ever added badges to your course and wondered.

00:18
Why engagement actually went down And keep your hand up if you have tried leaderboards and watched your learners become More anxious than.

00:30
Motivated Okay, okay, okay. I know you are listening to a recorded clip But I am sure you can imagine how this would look like if I asked this In a room full of course creators.

00:46
Yes You're right Lots of hands would be still up And it is because Most course creators fall into the gamification trap We copy what we see on the surface. Points, badges, leaderboards Without actually understanding what really drives engagement.

01:08
After 25 years in learning, design and supporting experts to create all kinds of courses and training programs. I have discovered that the most engaging courses don't feel like games. They feel like.

01:24
Journeys. Today I will show you why your badges might be killing engagement and what actually makes learning as addictive as Candy Crush.Without turning your course into Candy Crush. I mean a game.

01:40
That only entertains but does not teach much So What are most People doing wrong Well They are part of the badge brigade Slapping on points and badges and leaderboards like stickers on an old suitcase They are obsessed with competition.

02:04
Ranking learners against each other, creating external reward dependency.

02:09
That sugar high engagement that crashes the moment the rewards stop.

02:17
And here is why. This. Extrinsic motivation Actually Undermines Intrinsic motivation.

02:27
It can become Meaningless and destroy the willingness to go back to a course and continue it.And complete it. There is decades and decades of research on this. Adult learners aren't 8 year olds. They see through superficial rewards. And they get annoyed by it And competition For many, it actually creates anxiety And not connection Especially In learning environments where people need to be vulnerable to grow So what's the real cost of this approach Learners disengage They drop off.

03:10
They never complete the program And they will Most probably Not recommend it to others either Why Because we create performance Anxiety instead of learning joy And we miss the opportunity For genuine transformation Can you see how we are solving the wrong problem We think that engagement is about tricks and rewards. But Engagement is actually about connection.

03:43
Let's look at what games actually do right They Create Or give players Autonomy The players choose their path and their pace These games create ClearMastery progression with meaningful challenges They connect players to something bigger than themselves A purpose. And they build community Through shared experiences and mutual support Here's what's fascinating from a neuroscience Perspective Dopamine.

04:25
Isn't mostly about rewards It's about progress And surprise And the expectation Of the reward And the other thin Our mirror neurons They fire when we see others succeed Which means We are wired for connection.

04:47
Over competition And that special flow state That makes us forget about time and Helps us just enjoy what we are doing And growing.

05:02
It requires that perfect balance of challenge and skill And not external validation But here's what makes adult learners different They need to see immediate relevance They want to maintain their dignity and professional identity And they crave Connection To their peers and.Also to real world application.

05:35
So the question becomes how do we gamify For adults without treating them Like children? The answer is what we can call connection based gamification And that's built on four pillars The first one is connection to content This means progressive disclosure. You're unlocking concepts as your mastery develops. It means offering multiple pathways to the same learning outcome, like a choose your own adventure story And it also means real world application challenges.

06:12
Not hypothetical scenarios and role plays That feel disconnected from their reality The second is connection to progress Think skill building. Instead of point systems Think visual progress maps showing competence development Or before and after showcases where learners document their transformation journey and also milestone celebrations that acknowledge growth and not just completion.

06:46
The third pillar is connection to community This is collaborative quests, group challenges that require. Diverse strengths. Peer mentoring systems where advanced learners guide newcomers and success story sharing that spotlights real transformations, not. High scores. And the fourth pillar is connection to transformation. This is Tracking growth Helping learners see.

07:15
Hmm. I used to be a complete beginner and now I am becoming someone who can solve real problems and create Real impact You see it's impact measurement How their learning changes their world And Legacy creation.

07:35
How they will pay it forward  When you create these four connection Something magical happens.

07:44
Learners don't need external motivation anymore. They become intrinsically driven to continue growing And here is how to create addictive learning. The right way Points. The meaningful way is progress narratives The journey map, for example. Instead of saying 50% complete, you can show them How they have mastered the foundation that they are building expertise And next they are going to apply real scenarios.

08:16
You're not just tracking completion, you're narrating the transformational story.

08:22
And then you have badges, the meaningful way, which is competency building. Instead of saying quiz passed, you can say you just demonstrated strategic thinking, the same skill Fortune 500 consultants use.

08:35
So you see you're not rewarding completion.

08:38
You are revealing the professional skill they are developing. And then you have leaderboards the meaningful way Progress, partnerships The peer connection. Instead of top 10 Learner You can create a message Saying
Share your biggest insight with someone who is at the same stage as you And you see then you are not ranking performance You're building community and mutual support.

09:06
Each of these Creates connection Connection to their growth story, to their professional identity, and to their learning community This is what I know for sure about addictive learning.

09:19
It's not about tricks or rewards. It's about creating genuine connection This is exactly what my Connect framework addresses Creating genuine connection between learners and their growth journey.

09:35
Because when learners feel connected to the content, their progress, their peers and their transformation They don't need points to keep going They are intrinsically motivated to continue Yes, they like the points, they like the badges.

09:50
But that is not what keeps them coming bac So what's your next step? Look at your Current gamification And ask yourself.

10:02
Does this create connection Or just competition Does this build community.

10:09
Or just comparison Because you see True gamification doesn't turn learning into a gam It reveals the game That's already there The human drive to grow Connect And contribute.