Gaming as a learning technique

Mark Van Achter, professor at KU Leuven and owner of The Playground, is an advocate for integrating play more into training and development. But what exactly is that?

"Gamification can be compared to the sauce you pour over an existing context. Think of your smartwatch giving you badges for every day you reach 10,000 steps, or Strava keeping leaderboards by running route. You add a game element to spark motivation.

Game-based learning goes further: we look at full-fledged game formats that allow deeper understanding of the subject or even practice skills. Think of the game The Mind, where you reflect on your body language and non-verbal communication."

“By using interactive and playful learning methods, participants are better able to remember information and apply it in practice. A competitive element adds motivation and focus. However, creative forms and simulations lift people to better learning, in a safe context. Quizzes or games in between are perceived as a fun snack, as an energiser. However, participants often do not realise that the didactics behind all of this. That way, you get more out of every learning moment, sometimes without even realising it yourself."

"Sometimes there is resistance from sceptics. That can and may actually be a bridge to connection. A game can be disarming and put everyone on an equal footing. That is, in fact, its strength. Participants feel more at ease because they get the feeling that it’s ‘just a game’. The authentic interactions you get are hugely valuable.”

Mensura Learn&Connect has been integrating game formats into its training courses for some time. By doing so, a full day of theory on legislation or information on personal protective equipment (PPE) is easier to digest.

We always start from our learning objectives. What are the skills a trainee wants to achieve after attending the course? For example, prevention advisers will have to learn to read a lot of icons and indications, ranging from safety sheets to PPE. A simple matching game with pictures and the situations in which they appear invites group discussion. The trainees thus share their knowledge with each other and form the right pairs. Afterwards, we sit together and reflect on the right solution.

Game-based learning was not coincidentally the theme of our annual Instructors' Day at 2025. The Mensura Learn&Connect teachers were presented with a number of actual games, selected in advance in a brainstorm with Mark, Monika Kaczorowska (Learning Architect) and Julie Pottier (ManagerLearn&Connect). For each discipline, they chose games that are not only fun but also relevant. Think about role plays, energisers, cooperative games and board games that tie in with themes such as ergonomics, psychosocial risks, or prevention policies.

For example, the cooperative detective game 'MicroMacro Crime City' was proposed as a game for training around workplace accidents. “That game is about looking for details together without getting lost in them, to arrive at the right solution. Skills you definitely need as a prevention advisor in analyses or investigations," says Mark.

An internal working group is now considering the ideas presented after Instructors' Day and will further develop and test them, eventually to be included in the Learn&Connect courses.

In fact, we already offer some game-based training at the moment. The Play It Safe modules cover a lot of prevention topics, and we also recently integrated virtual reality into the basic training prevention adviser (to spot risks) and person of trust (role-playing).

Later in 2025, the Healthy Habits workshop will be launched, including a deck of cards that organisations can use as a reminder afterwards.