Online Game Shows that Generate Interest

Most of our customers are using game shows for a training application of some sort; whether it's in a K-12 classroom, internal corporate/government training, consulting, etc.

A smaller subset of our users take game shows and use them in a different way. We have a loyal and satisfied base of DJs that have used Gameshow Pro for custom games at weddings, parties, etc.; pastors that use game shows as an addition to sermons; even entertainers who take the game show act on the road to competition nights at bars or clubs.

We even had an employee who used a Classroom Feud game at his wedding--pitting the bride's side against the groom's side in a how-well-do-you-know-the-newlyweds showdown!

(It just goes to show one that in addition to being a highly effective content retention tool, game shows are also an incredibly entertaining vehicle for learning or just for fun.)

Recently I had a different scenario proposed: Could someone use a game show to drum up public interest in a topic? The question was asked by a personal trainer, looking to stand out from the (numerous) competitors and draw potential clients to his website. He proposed doing a monthly online game show (QuizPoint would be used in this instance) to generate traffic, discussion, and to increase peoples' general knowledge of fitness topics.

It's a great idea--and one that has application both for the public AND for internal corporate/government/k-12 use. The thing is--game shows capitalize on competition. Most people love to play a fun quiz or game online, even if it's merely to test their knowledge. Having a weekly or monthly game show where online visitors can come back and prove their smarts, see where they rank amongst their quiz-taking peers, and perhaps even be entered to win a prize is an excellent way spread the word about a topic.

Used internally, weekly or monthly game shows about relevant training modules that trainees could visit and play at their own pace gets them coming back to web resources and sustains the training far beyond the bounds of a virtual or in-person classroom.

K-12 users can generate online game shows for parents (or parents and kids to play together at home)--keeping them apprised on the latest school information, hot topics and classroom subjects.

Internally, externally or for the general public, online game shows are a great way to generate, sustain and drive interest in topics.

To Poll or to Play

To Poll or to Play

How AllPlay Web goes beyond polling to create interactive webinar experiences.

When LearningWare first saw the need for more engaging webinars, we did a lot of research into what was already out there. Our experiences with webinars thus far had left us flat. For the most part, they were just another presentation as usual; only there was no accountability, no interaction, and no effort made to re-focus attention.

We did find that there was a measure in place in some webinar technology (i.e. Webex, Gotomeeting, etc.) attempting to solve this problem: polling.

But polling has been around since the advent of webinars, and it hadn’t yet solved the problem of disengagement. Polling is a nice start, but it only goes a portion of the way in creating truly interactive webinars—whereas game-based technologies (like AllPlay Web) are a revolutionary tool in the webinar space.

Why is this such a radical shift from simple polling technology? Well, there are five major differences between polling and playing in a webinar:

1. Scoring

Yes, polling can show how many people answered a question a certain way—but to what end? The score in a game format is added question-by-question, keeping the attendees invested in the game. This cumulative score also allows a presenter to reward attendees based on their total answers throughout the webinar. (This reward may be as simple as prestige or praise, but it can also be something like a small gift certificate or promotional item.)

Concrete scoring can also allow presenters to track how much everyone is learning and retaining.

2. Competition

Competition engages webinar attendees like nothing else. There are now stakes involved in answering questions (whether the aforementioned reward is valuable or not). When attendees know that they’re going to be tested on the material—and that they’re going to be competing with peers—they have an incentive to pay close attention to the content at hand.

People are naturally competitive—whether playing by themselves or in teams—and a game format capitalizes on this friendly competition to wholly captivate a webinar audience.

3. Teams

Unlike polling—game formats like AllPlay Web allow people to play in teams. This is significant for a few reasons:

• The team structure makes attendees accountable to their peers. One doesn’t want to be “that guy” who lowers the team score—so they engage with the webinar content.

• When people are grouped together they are more invested in interaction. They’ll speak up, participate, and become active attendees.

• In a team, an attendee is no longer one person in a sea of dozens or hundreds. The team allows for a small-group experience—even in a large webinar.

• Teams build relationships and networking. Even if a group is scattered across the globe, being on a team will allow them to interact with their peers on a personal level that one usually doesn’t get in a webinar.

4. Structure

Unlike a poll—which doesn’t have a particular structure throughout the webinar—a game can frame a webinar presentation. Ask questions at the beginning to preview information, then pause the game and go into content. Use the game again to bring up and teach additional points. Then elaborate more on presentation content. Then, wrap up the webinar with a final, rousing game round—reviewing the content.

Not only does it keep attendees engaged (and attendees need to be reengaged every 5-7 minutes), but it’s continually reinforcing key points—boosting the learning potential in a webinar.

5. Visual Appeal

A webinar is a visual medium—hosts can put a lot of work into their PowerPoint presentations and graphics. Most existing polling functionality in a webinar is very rudimentary. The game format is visually captivating, and allows hosts to add graphics, sounds and a game feel that reengages attendees.

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Don’t get us wrong—we believe that polls have their time and place (which is why we’ve included a polling feature within the AllPlay Web software—that merges smoothly with the game questions). Sometimes you want to solicit opinions where there is no right-wrong answer. Sometimes you might just want to throw out a single, quick question. There’s no denying that polling software is useful and a step up from no interaction—it’s just not a fraction as engaging as a game format.

The Cure for the Common Webinar

My first webinar experience took place about 3 years ago. We were producing a live training event through our sister company, Live Spark, and wanted to get a solid grounding in our client's content so we sat in on one of their new product rollout webinars.

Webinars, at that time, were relatively new-ish. "How fantastic," I thought,"I can get up to speed quickly without having to leave my desk."

As the webinar progressed, however, my enthusiasm was quickly sapped. I'm not a particularly distraction-prone person, but after about 5 minutes I found myself (somewhat ashamedly and automatically) checking my email...checking the news highlights...trying to squeak in a little copyediting...

The webinar was a great way to reach people, but the problem was that it was just another deadly-dull-and-dry presentation. Not only that, but if it had been an in-person presentation, I would have been required to *try* to pay attention (or at least maintain that placid look of wakefulness). There wasn't even that level of accountability.

I don't blame that client. I've been in many, many other webinars since--and while they have been presented with varying degrees of skill, my mind was still left to wander...to email...to the news...to my other tasks...

There is just *no* way to ensure that attendees are paying attention. And if my mind is wandering, you can bet that every other attendee is experiencing brain check-out in mass as well.

More and more companies are doing webinars now--they're efficient and cost-effective in a world where offices are globalized and travel budgets are slashed. But if people aren't learning the webinar information--if they aren't engaged, if they aren't paying attention, if they aren't accountable--then webinars aren't a cost-effective solution, they're a waste of time.

Clearly, there was a problem here that needed a solution.

Hey, LearningWare had been the expert in making training engaging, memorable and fun for over 15 years... surely we would be able to come up with something to fix this new webinar problem, right?

Right.That's why LearningWare came up with AllPlay Web.
AllPlay Web lets you create a professional, fully-automated and engaging game show experience within your webinars. You can review and preview content, refresh the audience, and--most importantly--keep everyone engaged and accountable.

They have to pay attention to the presentation--their sense of competition is engaged and there might be a question on the material later.

They have to stay with you on the webinar instead of checking their email, because there is actual, tangible participation required on their part: registering their answers using their own keypads.

It's fun. It's engaging. It's memorable. It turns a common webinar into an interactive experience--truly making the webinar a cost-effective training and communication solution.

AllPlay Web even tracks how everyone answered, so you know where the knowledge gaps exist in your training. You can even ask survey questions.

We've just launched it in a beta version, it's awesome, and you should find out more about it here.

No, seriously, go check it out. Because not only is it absolutely revolutionary, but it's the first thing that's kept me on track--as a participant--during a webinar, *ever*.

And that's a pretty amazing feat. :)

Tips for Using Online Games

In honor of our newest product, QuizPoint, we’re dedicating this issue of Espresso to using online games.

Online games can be a great way to unite learners from different locations and globalize your training classroom. So without further adieu, the top 5 tips for using online games:

1. Use Teams.
Playing a game online can be a largely individual experience. Regardless of location, group trainees into teams. This will give them the experience of playing as a competitive unit, and learning with their peers despite the relative isolation of online. Teams can compete against each other to get the highest collective scores. And speaking of scores…

2. Display Scores.
Have a continually updating leaderboard (displayed before or after the game—or both!) that shows which trainees or teams lead the group in highest scores. Trainees can check this scoreboard as frequently as they wish to see if they’re still at the head of the class. This keeps the spirit of competition alive, and engages trainees in the game. Trainers may choose to give prizes for the top ranking players.

3. Retake tests for mastery.
Consider allowing trainees to re-take quizzes or games online. This allows them to master the material at hand and continually improve their scores. Plus, it allows them to pick up questions that they missed, and reinforces questions that they already answered correctly. If you decide not to let trainees re-take the tests, be sure to review questions after the game. Trainees need to know why they got a question wrong, particularly in an online format.

4. Make use of tracking features.
Many online game and quiz programs feature Learning Management Systems (LMS) that provide detailed trainee results. These allow a trainer to see which questions were consistently missed, which trainees had the best scores, and in which areas the entire class (or particular persons) need further instruction. These features can be immensely helpful both with the current trainees and in designing or revamping the next training course.

5. Utilize the online component and links.
Incorporate media and links into your game show. After players answer a question, it’s a great time to direct them to additional resources or information. You can link to online PDFs, pictures, video clips, the company website, etc. Some programs also allow you to input your own sounds and pictures offline as well. This changes an online game show from a review activity or a fun competition into a truly involved and interactive learning experience.

Bonus: Use online game shows for fun.
Online games don’t always have to be intrinsically linked with your training content. Since they’re such a good way to unite people in different locations (and even countries), use a “fun” game with company trivia for a team building activity. Games and quizzes can also be used to address cultural considerations and build awareness for traveling employees.

Another bonus: Try out QuizPoint for free for 30 days. Visit this link to download a trial version of the new online game and quiz creator software.