We Gamified a Learning Program About AI and People Loved It

Learning Doesn’t Have to Be Boring

We’ve all been there.

You open your inbox and see the subject line: "Mandatory Training - Please Complete by Friday". Your heart sinks. You know what’s coming: a PDF or a slide deck, maybe a quiz at the end, maybe not. You skim it, you click next, you pass.

But did you learn anything? Probably not.

At Your Learning Academy, we believe people want to learn — but only if we respect their time, challenge their thinking, and give them a reason to care.

So when we were invited to design a global digital learning program for a $60 Billion global FMCG, for over 600 people, covering technical topics like machine learning, data engineering, and digital productivity tools, we took a very different approach.

We gamified the entire experience. And the results were extraordinary.

The Challenge: Make Technical Learning Exciting, Not Intimidating

The topics were not easy:

• Machine Learning fundamentals

• Prompt Engineering and Generative AI tools

• Databricks and Data Lake Architecture

• Copilot 365

• Python and Finance Analytics

These are subjects that even data professionals can find dense. But our audience wasn’t made up of just data scientists. It included a broad cross-section of professionals across regions, roles, and levels of digital confidence.

And we had to reach them all.

The traditional approach would be a series of explainer videos or SCORM files uploaded to a learning portal. But that would never cut through. We wanted to build momentum, create buzz, and most importantly, drive application.

The Solution: A Fully Gamified Learning Experience

We partnered with a gaming company to create a dynamic, responsive, and personalized gamified learning environment. Every learner was onboarded into a campaign-based structure where:

• Progress was visual

• Quests were weekly

• Points were earned

• Leaderboard bragging rights were real

Our gaming partner let us embed learning directly into daily routines. Learners received nudges, reminders, and recognition in real time. Each mission had multiple touchpoints: pre-work, live sessions, hands-on application, and a quiz or challenge.

Campaign Example: The Machine Learning Mission

Let’s zoom in on just one campaign.

The Machine Learning campaign started with a self-paced eLearning course covering ML fundamentals. But the real magic happened after that:

• Learners applied their understanding to real business scenarios by creating case studies.

• Over 230 case studies were submitted. These were discussed in peer groups.

• Points were awarded for attending live sessions, completing the quiz, and submitting your case.

Participation was off the charts. Over 85% completed the full campaign within two weeks, and we saw steady increases in weekly login rates as word spread. This wasn’t learning compliance. This was genuine learner curiosity and pride.

Motivators That Worked: Why People Stayed Engaged

1. Leaderboards that Refreshed

Static leaderboards create resentment. Our monthly refresh gave everyone a chance to win again. Every new campaign was a new level.

2. Golden Coins

Top performers were awarded golden coins that could be redeemed in a digital store. The store became a talking point. People wanted those coins.

3. Team Celebrations

Entire teams were recognized. We had squads in Indonesia and North America that hit 100% completion. Peer motivation kicked in. Nobody wanted to be the one holding their team back.

4. Visual Identity

We created a digital profile frame for participants. Suddenly, internal messaging platforms were full of people proudly wearing their badges. It was subtle, but it changed behavior. Learning became part of their identity.

Real-World Learning: Application, Not Just Theory

We didn’t stop at completion rates.

Each campaign included applied tasks:

• In Prompt Engineering, learners were given real prompts and had to optimize them.

• In the Databricks module, they were given access to live environments.

• With Copilot 365, they didn’t just learn what it was — they were tasked to build and submit tools using it.

This moved the needle. We weren’t measuring knowledge anymore. We were measuring capability.

Feedback from the Field: Learner Voices

The feedback we received told us we were on the right track:

"I actually looked forward to the new challenges each week. It didn’t feel like training — it felt like leveling up."

"The leaderboard got our team fired up. We kept sending each other screenshots."

"The case study discussion helped me connect the dots. I actually used what I learned in a project that same week."

Even introverted learners, who typically opt out of live sessions, were contributing more frequently. The game format gave them a structure to engage on their own terms.

Impact at Scale

Across all campaigns:

• Completion rates averaged over 85%

• Knowledge retention scores remained high, consistently above 80/100

• Live session attendance hovered around 75%, far above industry averages

• Learner satisfaction scores hit 4.5 out of 5 across campaigns

This wasn’t an outlier. It was a scalable model.

So, What’s the Secret Sauce?

It’s not just the technology.

Our gaming partner gave us the tools, but what made the program soar was:

• A team committed to storytelling through learning

• A structure that made every campaign feel like the next chapter in a quest

• Real-world application baked into the design

• Recognition and progress that were visible to the learner, their peers, and their leaders

We turned learning from a private chore into a shared experience.

What You Can Steal for Your Own Programs

You don’t need a huge budget or global rollout to apply these principles.

Start with this:

• Turn your learning into campaigns with a beginning, middle, and end

• Include real application tasks instead of just quizzes

• Recognize people visibly and often

• Use teams, not just individuals, as units of accountability

• Refresh leaderboards and give everyone another shot every month

Most of all: design with joy in mind.

Learning doesn’t have to be serious to be powerful.

Ready to Level Up Your Learning Culture?

At Your Learning Academy, we build learning experiences people actually want to do.

If your L&D program is stuck in click-through purgatory, let’s change that. We bring:

• Strategic learning design

• World-class digital tools

• Experience turning complex topics into unforgettable journeys

Want to talk? Let’s build something people talk about.

Reach out. Your next learning adventure starts now.