This means that the millennial workforce, who make up 1 in 3 workers today, are jam-packed full of gamers. Yet, according to Gallup, only 29% of millennials find themselves engaged at work.

So how do you go about reaching them — and, better yet, change their learning habits at the same time. The answer is both simple and complex at once: Gamification.

Superficially, it means exactly what it says, changing the traditional pattern of learning into an interactive experience. But beyond that, it requires rethinking the entire approach to the material. Namely, how to balance tasks and skills in a way that flow from one module to the next and using game design elements to motivate user behavior.

There is a prevailing myth that learning and gaming are opposites nullifying each other. But this couldn’t be further from the truth. A 2015 study found that gamification of e-learning material in higher education resulted in a positive impact for students.

In fact, the positive elements of gamified e-learning are easily harmonized with traditional e-learning elements. These include:

1. Engagement

Unlike traditional lectures or hands-on training, games push the learner to get actively involved in the learning process. This engages people to actively consider their surroundings and the material they’re consuming. E-learning is already immediate, and gamification now makes it tangible.

2. Scenario learning

No e-learning situation is the same. E-learning is an already malleable tool, but through gamification it can set unique and highly personal goals based on its educational scenarios. For example, a safety course could allow for player progression by identifying potentially dangerous elements in a room, where an NDA track can engage through a more traditional points system.

3. Pacing

Everyone studies their own unique way. While e-learning already allows them to set their own pace, gamification in turn lets them feel like this pacing has a driving purpose behind it. Checkpoints during courses enable the learners to check their progress often and feel rewarded thanks to this.

4. Feedback

Each success gets immediate praise, each setback a helping hand without delay. Dated concepts of winning and failing rarely apply anymore. Now, games focus on guiding players to a satisfying experience rather than punishing them for getting it wrong.

5. Cost-effective

A digital learning course doesn’t require a classroom or a teacher. It’s completely self-contained and accessible exactly when the learner needs it. A gamified course encourages “replayability,” meaning learners will want to revisit the material over again to better engage with their education.

It is not just for fun, either. A recent study found that making learning fun increased learner skill retention by 40%. We have already seen how much of a difference storytelling makes. Now, the next logical step is taking that storytelling and infusing it with interactive values.

Let’s turn learning from “have to” into a “want to.”