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Read the articleYou have added points and medals to your learning path. In the first week, everyone clicks. By the third, the points no longer move anyone, and two learners complain about the leaderboard reminding them they are last. This scenario is common, and it does not come from gamification itself. It comes from how it is set up.
What the studies say, with caution
A 2014 literature review by Juho Hamari, Jonna Koivisto and Harri Sarsa went through empirical studies on gamification. Its conclusion is positive, with one sizeable caveat: the effects depend heavily on the context in which gamification is put in place, and on the people who use it.
A more recent meta-analysis, published in 2023 by Minzi Li, Siyu Ma and Yuyang Shi, brings together 41 studies in education. The authors note that earlier results are mixed, and their own results vary a great deal from one study to another. The factors studied, such as type of audience, duration or combination of mechanics, change the outcome.
Take away the lesson rather than the figures: gamification is not a button that improves everything. It is a tool, to be tuned for a specific audience.
What motivates
What lasts over time is what gives a sense of moving forward and of being recognised for something real.
| Mechanic | Why it works | What to avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Badge tied to a skill | It says what the person can do | A badge for a mere login |
| Visible progress | You see the distance covered and what remains | A bar that does not advance fast enough |
| Team challenge | The group carries each member | A competition where the same people always win |
| Quick feedback | The reward follows the effort | Feedback a week later |
What wears thin
Three things tire people quickly. Meaningless points, first: if nobody knows what they are for, they become noise. The permanent leaderboard, next, which motivates the top three and discourages the rest. And rewards that are too easy, finally, which lose their value by being handed out.
My view: a compulsory leaderboard, displayed to everyone, does more harm than good in most groups of adults in training. It works better in a chosen setting: a team session, a time-limited challenge, a leaderboard people can hide.
Three simple mechanics to test
1. Badges that carry meaning. A digital badge differs from a sticker by its information: who it is given to, who issues it, against which criteria. The Open Badges standard, published by 1EdTech, describes this principle with an image and structured data. In Kognisia, you award badges for real milestones, and the learner can share them on LinkedIn. A "Case study passed" badge is worth more than "Welcome".
2. Visible progress, with small milestones. Break the path into short stages and show where the person has got to. A notification reminder on the mobile app, when they are two modules from the end of the sequence, says more than a generic message.
3. A team or optional leaderboard. If you want one, limit it in time (two weeks), or run it by team rather than by individual. Let learners hide it. You keep the spur of emulation without humiliating anyone.
Measure before generalising
The only way to know whether it works for you is to compare. Note three indicators before and after: the share of learners who finish, the time between two logins, and quiz results. Progress tracking supplies this data. If an indicator does not move, remove the mechanic: one rule fewer is better than a rule ignored.
For what comes next, our articles on badges and LinkedIn and on the mobile app go into two of these levers. You can also explore all the platform features.
Frequently asked questions
Is gamification suitable for adults at work?
Yes, provided it stays sober. In general, recognition of a real achievement goes down better with adults than childish rewards. A skills badge works better than a mascot.
Do I need a leaderboard?
No. It can help a group that likes emulation, but it is never compulsory. Make it optional or time-limited.
How many badges should I plan?
Few. One badge per major milestone, so four to six per learning path, keeps their value. Beyond that, they become decoration.
How do I know whether gamification is working?
Compare completion, regularity of logins and quiz results between a group with it and a group without. A single learning path is enough to get a first idea.
In summary
Gamification motivates when it recognises real progress and wears thin when it decorates. Studies are encouraging but variable: test three simple mechanics, measure, then keep what works. Next step: choose an existing learning path and define its three badges.
Sources
- Hamari, Koivisto, Sarsa, "Does gamification work? A literature review of empirical studies on gamification", HICSS 2014 (Aalto University record), accessed 13 October 2026.
- Li, Ma, Shi, "Examining the effectiveness of gamification as a tool promoting teaching and learning in educational settings: a meta-analysis", Frontiers in Psychology, 2023, accessed 13 October 2026.
- 1EdTech: Open Badges, accessed 13 October 2026.
The Kognisia team
Kognisia designs a SaaS learning platform, with a training catalogue and white label as options.
Kognisia designs a SaaS learning platform, with a training catalogue and white label as options.