Educause research indicates over 75% of institutions are currently pursuing Digital Transformation (DX) initiatives on their campus, with this number recently skyrocketing due to the immediate shift to remote learning forced by COVID-19. While Digital Transformation may come in many forms, a core tenant of success is digital literacy and technology adoption. Institutions must prepare long-term strategies for both deploying innovative digital tools and motivating staff, faculty and students to learn, adopt and champion technology. Research-proven techniques like Gamification will be a game changer for successful DX initiatives by recognizing, engaging and challenging team members to adopt tools.

1. AGENDA
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• What is Gamification and Does it Work?
• What is Digital Transformation?
• How do Gamification and Digital Transformation Work Together?

2. WHAT IS GAMIFICATION
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“Gamification is using game-based mechanics,
aesthetics and game thinking to engage people,
motivate action, promote learning and solve
problems.”
--Karl M. Kapp, Ed.D. “The Gamification of Learning and Instruction.”

3. GAMIFICATION IS NOT
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› Playing games at work.
› Trying to make work “fun” (might be a by-product).
› Trivializing a work product, process or outcome.
› Perfect for every situation.
› Only focused on game mechanics.

4. Here are the top 5 most motivating gamification
Elements:
• Rewards
• Badges
• Points
• Leaderboards
• Levels
TalentLMS Gamification Survey https://www.talentlms.com/blog/gamification-survey-results/

5. Implementing a transparent badge system that allows peers
to challenge themselves as well as awarding badges for
helping and collaborating with others can help to foster
motivation.
Yildirim, I. (2017). The effects of gamification-based teaching practices on student achievement and students’ attitudes toward lessons.
The Internet and Higher Education, 33, 86–92. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.iheduc.2017.02.002.

6. Allowing learners to engage in both competitive and
collaborative interaction can be beneficial: Letting learners
work together in teams, while competing with other teams,
can improve learners’ quality of performance and skills.
Sailer, M., Hense, J., Mandl, H., & Klevers, M. (2017b). Fostering development of work competencies. In M. Mulder (Ed.), Competence-based
vocational and professional education – bridging the world of work and education (pp. 795–818). Cham: Springer.
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-41713-4_37.

7. WHAT IS DIGITAL TRANSORMATION?
Digital transformation marks a radical rethinking of
how an organization uses technology, people and
processes to fundamentally change it’s performance.
--George Westerman, MIT principal research scientist and author of Leading
Digital: Turning Technology Into Business Transformation.

8. BENEFITS OF DIGITAL TRANSORMATION
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• Greater Resource Management
• Time Savings
• Money Savings
• Fewer Delays in Processes
• Better Student Experience
• More Satisfied Students
• Able to Interact from “Anywhere” and “Anytime”
• Streamlined Services
• Encourages a Digital Culture
• Reduces “Paperwork” Friction
Follows the USA Principle:

9. Implementing Digital Transformation
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USA Principle
Understand
Simplify
Automate

10. UNDERSTAND
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What is the ultimate purpose of the process?
Prevention of Mistakes
Verification of Information
Approval
What is the typical outcome of process?
How does the process help the university?
Faculty
Students


11. SIMPLIFY
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What can be eliminated?
Redundancy
Duplicate Permissions
Can time be reduced in the process?
What is the simplest method of achieving our results?


12. AUTOMATE
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Easy interface and functionality
Look and Feel
Intuitive Functionality
Robust Backend/Dashboard Functionality
Easy to Maintain and Update


13. Challenges of Applying
DIGITAL TRANSORMATION and GAMIFICTION?
“When a snake sheds its skin it changes; when a
caterpillar becomes a butterfly, it transforms.”
--Unknown author at Business Transformation Academy.

14. CHALLENGES
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Misunderstanding of Gamification
Lack of Overall Strategy
Lack of Expertise in Digitization and Gamification
Overcomplicating the Initiative 

15. CHALLENGES RETURNING TO CAMPUS
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Uncertainty at Multiple Levels
Lack of Motivation to Change in These Times
Fear and Anxiety of Future
Uncertain Polices and Procedures 

16. 16
Creating a:
DX Roadmap in Coming Months after COVID
“It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor
the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is
the most adaptable to change.”
--Charles Darwin, English Naturalist, Geologist, Author

17. BENEFITS OF GAMIFICATION
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Motivation:
Autonomy
Mastery
Connectedness
Referred to as the Self-Determination Theory of Motivation

18. AUTONOMY
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The feeling of a person has that they are in control and can
determine the outcome of their own actions.
The capacity to make an informed, un-coerced decision.
Control over your own destiny.

19. MASTERY
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Creating a mastery orientation (comparing yourself to
yourself)
Focuses employees on improving their own proficiency
More readily accept errors and seek challenging tasks
Higher self-efficacy
Perform better on complex tasks
Winters, D., & Latham, G.P. (1996) The effect of learning versus outcome goals on
A simple versus a complex task. Group and Organization Management, 21(2), 236-250.

20. RELATENESS
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Individuals’ inherent propensity to feel connected to others
Connected to others in the moment
Connect to others who have had some experience previously or will in
the future. (i.e. leaving messages, leaderboards, milestones)
Satisfied when people experience a sense of communion
and develop close relationship with others
Can be achieved by accomplishing an assigned task or by
receiving social support from others
Van den Broeck, A., Vansteenkiste, M., De Witte, H., Soenens, B. & Lens, W. (2010) Cap
Capturing autonomy, competence and relatedness at work: Construction and initial validation of the Work-related Basic
Need Satisfaction Scale. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology (2010), 83, 981–1002

21. Implementing GAMIFICATION TECHNIQUES
“Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember,
involve me and I will learn.” --Benjamin Franklin

22. USE CASES FOR GAMIFICATION
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Impactful across the organization:
Registration
HR
Diversity and Inclusion
Bursar's Office
Leadership/Deans
Administrative Assistants
. . .

23. 23
Transparency:
Visibility into performance
Knowledge of how you are doing compared to others
Clear indication of what actions, behavior are of value to the
university/college
Adding a Bit of “Levity” to Serious Actions
USE CASES FOR GAMIFICATION

24. USE CASES FOR GAMIFICATION
Uses across the organization:
Initial Training
Sustained Motivation
Further Learner Engagement

25. CONCLUSION SLIDE
Implementing Gamification:
Be purposeful about goals
Consider basic human motivators (SDT)
Digital Transformation is a means not an end
Understand, Simplify and THEN Automate