Gamification In The Military: A New Way Of Shaping The Heroes Of Tomorrow

There are many processes and systems in the armed forces perfectly suited for Gamification, and because the military is often involved in dangerous situations, it has been utilizing this solution for much longer than most fields in the commercial world for its recruits to digest and assimilate information more quickly and efficiently. Also, those working in the military already have a mission-focused and adventure-driven mindset, as well as a system of completing specific tasks as part of their roles. Hence, the military is already deep in the trenches of Gamification, and in this article, we will explore what it does to make the most of it.

Gamification is the process of applying game elements to non-gaming situations to engage and motivate users better. The uses of Gamification are practically universal and can be applied in any situation or business. It can increase productivity in the workplace, encourage physical activity, boost customer retention and loyalty (in all areas and industries), and much more.

Gamification aims to inspire people to engage with content and find pleasure and meaning in what otherwise might be seen as the most mundane tasks.

Some industries tend to be untrustworthy towards Gamification due to a lack of clarity about what it can do for them, how to implement it, how it benefits them and their customers, and what they can gain from it. However, when it comes to Gamification-related benefits, the sky is the limit.

In recent times, there has been a drive to reduce live training, and by embracing modern-age tech, businesses and organizations can minimize the length of the learning process, provide more flexibility, and engage recruits with an intelligent and engaging learning experience.

A QinetiQ xCITE project, for example, managed to demonstrate to the Royal Navy how Gamification could improve the learning process by showing blended, immersive, and interactive around-the-clock training. The learning process was personalized for all learners by introducing a mixture of layers of innovation, including Gamification and smart, personalized learning, in unison with team-based VR scenarios.

The great thing about Gamification is that it offers an immersive learning experience which, in turn, does wonders for motivating people to aim for peak performance and positive behavioral change.

Growth through friendly competition, as well as a strong sense of achievement, are both enhanced further by rewards. The learning plus teamwork combo can work like magic for bonding people together across the globe, and all teams can keep track of their performance, discuss areas of improvement, and jointly plan their next learning adventures.

Military institutions worldwide have been bringing innovations for many years, and Gamification has been a driving force to help enlist recruits. Gamification is also widely used for learning and development in the armed forces. When it comes to gamifying the military experience, only the most potent techniques can be cut so that personnel is up to date on training and memorize what they need to help save lives and handle the high-end equipment provided to them with utmost care and precision.

Game Elements

Many military school programs can be experienced as gamified quests or missions. They all have a defined beginning, middle, and end, with clear goals that have to be achieved. Basic training, for instance, is usually 8-12 weeks, within which specific objectives have to be completed to pass to the next stages. This includes going through the physical fitness test, the marksmanship score, and the general completion of the training course. Missions have different checkpoints, each of which has its specific goals and rewards, and if an individual or group fails to meet the set criteria, advancement is delayed until they are met.

Simulations

Simulations are thought of as the oldest form of Gamification in the military. This is an approach the military uses to test people's ability to handle high-end equipment like fighter planes or submarines without physically sending off the recruit, thus endangering the precious equipment before they are fully ready to operate it. As methods and techniques evolved, the military went on to implement more and more of what we now know as Gamification, which meant that recruits could be graded on their performance in the simulation and have missions they needed to pass to graduate from training or compete with their peers.

When thinking of this type of simulation, people often imagine large flight simulation pods. Modern-day simulations, however, can also be accessed via mobile devices. Furthermore, officers can take advantage of remote Gamification to practice simulations where they solve logistical problems or handle managing resources. These gamified simulations give people a great opportunity to seamlessly explore different scenarios and try to achieve the best possible scores.

Key Skills

Not all military Gamification examples involve deep and complex simulations, but without training drills and skill tests, the military would not be capable of much. There are many stressful jobs out there, but few compare to the pressure of risking your own life under enemy attack, which means that it isn't enough for recruits to be decent/good at their job – they must become masters of the art of war. In many cases leveling up in the military means having to go through tough physical training. However, there is also plenty of learning and development that can be done remotely. For example, Gamification mixed with remote learning is extremely helpful for medics and military engineers to memorize the correct procedures and for officers to train themselves to make quick and intelligent leadership decisions.

Recognition

Gamification can be incorporated into many forms of recognition, the most evident to people outside the field being military awards such as badges of honor and medals. Different missions give different rewards at different stages of progression. For example, getting through a partial deployment at E-4 (or lower) could be awarded an Army Achievement Medal, while an E-6 (or lower) could be awarded an Army Commendation Medal. For higher levels, recruits can earn other top-achievement rewards, including campaign or overseas medals, a Bronze Star, and more.

Many forms of recognition also warrant promotional points, which can be used for actual rank promotion. Once the promotion lists are revealed for everyone to see, they can serve as leaderboards/scoreboards, where only recruits above a certain level of achievement would be enlisted.

Rewards

Various rewards can be earned in the military, including promotions, increased pay, ribbons, awards, and medals. Incentives also play an integral role in military advancement. Promotions can grant officers the boost they need to feel more confident in their life choice and lower the risk of doubt and low confidence when faced with certain tasks.

As human beings, we cannot function without a healthy dose of socialization and validation.

Our need for validation has massively increased since the invention of social media, and the workers of today also need to feel that what they bring to the table is being appreciated to feel happy at the workplace.

One of the most ancient tools for rewarding employees for their hard work is to give them a raise or promote them to a new position. Sadly, as a business owner or officer, you can't promote people every month, so alternatives have to be implemented to keep them at 100%.

Thankfully, Gamification can give people the validation they need to maintain high-level sharpness. Depending on the industry, this is accomplished through rewards, vouchers, or even virtual congratulations for a job well done.

Now, let us explore the key motivational benefits of Gamification in learning and at the workplace:

• Gamification increases motivation when workers are given rewards and receive validation for their efforts: To accomplish this, businesses can also use leaderboards to encourage people to strive to be top-performing employees.
• Gamification keeps up the team spirit: You can put people into teams and give them tasks to accomplish. To win the prize, they have to work together and complete the tasks in a timely and satisfactory manner.
• Gamification can give employees a healthy sense of competition: By fostering a competitive spirit in the workspace, businesses can boost productivity and drive revenue as a result.
• Gamification allows people to feel in control of their journey upward: Tools such as to-do lists and direct action cues help people keep track of their development and complete their tasks quicker and more efficiently. You can also give individuals and teams feedback on their performance so they know their weak points and areas in need of improvement.
• Gamification Makes Workers Happier: Gamification helps people break the chains of the mundane. According to recent surveys, apart from increasing productivity, Gamification also keeps people engaged and does wonders when it comes to retaining talented people for longer periods. The findings have revealed that nearly 50% of workers believe that Gamification boosts engagement, while 72% have said that it inspires them to be more productive.
• Gamification Increases Focus: No matter how hard we try to stay on point, we all have particular subjects that bore us out of our minds, and despite our need to remain focused, sometimes our minds refuse to play along. Gamification is a highly effective tool for people who are having trouble focusing on work or studies. Boring subjects might mess with our focus, but when gamified, they become much more engaging and enjoyable. Reward systems are a key element that needs to be paid special attention to when it comes to keeping one's focus sharp.
• Gamification Helps Us Memorize: Games designed with care help us recall and utilize the knowledge and skills we've learned. To help people utilize their knowledge more effectively, you must provide engaging activities, constructive feedback, and capturing stories. When feeling immersed in fun activities, people start appreciating and finding true meaning in the content provided. Short and long-term memory can be improved through experience, relevance, repetition, and enjoyment.

If designed with care, exciting gaming elements applied to relevant situations can help customers, students, employees, and military personnel experience a rise in motivation and engagement. With the help of Gamification, people can find the motivation to engage and immerse themselves in the experience while gaining the knowledge they need to rise above the ordinary.

So if you are looking for an all-in-one solution to increase satisfaction and productivity, Gamification is an option you should strongly consider, whether you are in the military or any other industry — and we are here to help you make the most of it!

When it comes to Gamification, Smartico.ai is a trusted and globally recognized leader in the field. And while it has a tight focus on the iGaming, Casino, and Sports Betting industries, Smartico.ai can be integrated with and help any business reach new levels of success, including stock trading.

Smartico.ai is a leader in providing state-of-the-art Gamification and CRM automation software solutions. Its CRM tool combines player analytics data with machine-learning algorithms to help businesses of various industries gain a deeper understanding of people and their needs while also providing valuable data insights to ensure retention, loyalty, and much more.

As a leading Gamification & CRM Automation solution, Smartico offers the following:

• Various intuitive challenges and gaming techniques.
• High-value incentives that encourage long-term loyalty and retention, elevate player value, strengthen engagement, and boost user acquisition.
• Multi-Currency/Language/Deep Brand Support.
• Missions – Engage players with fun real-time solo or multiplayer tasks.
• Points – Encourage players to keep coming back through point-based incentives and unlockables.
• Badges – Stand out from the rest with sleek badges and earn free spins for each earned badge.
• Levels – Players gain experience and special perks after each successful level or tournament completion.
• Incentives – Motivate players to come back for more with unique rewards and bonuses. 
• Marketplace – Players can actualize their points by cashing them in for free game spins or other awards, such as online shopping vouchers. 
• Mini-Games – Players can reset their senses through short, award-earning games.
• Tournaments – Set your own qualification rules and offer your customers a powerful endorphin rush with Smartico's special tournament system.
• Leaderboards – Set daily, weekly, and monthly prizes and watch your user engagement skyrocket.
• Bonus Engine Integration – Cash bonuses, free spin bonuses, and more.

And that's just a small sample of what's on offer. Smartico can help your business grow exponentially by supplying the solutions needed to bring the motivation in your company to a whole new level. Book your free in-depth demo today at: https://smartico.ai/request-a-demo 

The Smartico.ai team wishes you the best of luck on your journey forward!

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