In the life cycle of an application, animation plays an essential role in retaining your learners. A useful form of animation that has proven its worth with many of our customers is the famous competition.
While it may be entertaining and engaging, a competition still requires serious organisation.
From the rules of the game to announcing the winner, the Academy is here to support you with our 10 tips for organising your competition as efficiently as possible.
1. A clear objective for a consistent competition
Why this particular competition? Do you want to provide information or training on a topic? Do you want to engage your learners or recruit new ones? Do you want to team build? Your objective will guide the decisions you make on the design of your competition (theme, type of questions, prizes, launch date, etc.)
2. Competitions = legal obligations!
The legal framework of the competition must be set out clearly with start and end dates, terms and conditions, how to play, the prizes available, how the winner will be chosen, etc. This will also allow you to anticipate potential questions from participants. Seek the advice of a lawyer when organising the competition.
3. Choose the right time for running the competition
Certain times of year are better than others when running a competition. It’s best to avoid the Christmas holidays for salespeople, and annual review campaigns for an HR audience. Check the company’s calendar and adapt to your target’s schedule.
4. Encourage people to take part in the competition
To turn the competition into a proper event, organise effective communication beforehand: description of prizes, countdown, teaser, etc. and use language that encourages users to take up the challenge. In other words, bring out the competitor in every learner to whet their appetite.
5. Select appropriate rewards
Find a balance between the USB stick (too common) and the latest Tesla car (too much!). Choose a prize connected with the topic of the competition but that will also appeal to your learners and be useful to them! What about a smartphone that the winner can then train on?!
6. Adapt methods used to the complexity of questions
The Quiz Game is the ideal activity for a competition: adapt the stopwatch to the length of your questions, and the number of stages to their complexity (plan at least 5 questions per stage.) There’s no limit to the number of times you can launch the Quiz Game, allowing players to accumulate a disparate number of points.
7. A consistent approach to improve visibility
The success of a competition often depends on the more general context it takes place in: an in-house event, a product launch or a highlight of the year, etc. Replicate graphic conventions that the learner will recognise (colours, pictograms) so that your competition is in perfect alignment with your company’s general communication principles.
8. Adapt the duration of the competition to your target
Do you have a worldwide target? Make allowances for time differences.
The competition should also be kept online for a limited time only so that it doesn’t lose its appeal: 48 to 72 hours is ideal!
9. Monitor progress of the competition using statistics
Statistics allow you to monitor how the competition is progressing. They will also tell you if communication about it has been useful, if learners are accumulating points to win, and if the launch is a success. They allow you to adjust your communication strategy accordingly.
10. Organise the end of your competition ahead of time
Organise the end of the competition to prevent it running beyond the allotted time: unsubscribe your competition learners on the date shown in the rules of the game (removal of the access rule). This will allow you to create a clear and definitive podium.
D’abord éditrice de manuels scolaires, professeure et coordinatrice pédagogique à l’Université, Julia a rejoint l’équipe Learning Experience chez Teach on Mars pour apporter ses compétences en pédagogie. La gamification et la différenciation pédagogique sont notamment ses chevaux de bataille.
