Analysis of LinkedIn: Driving Engagement with Gamification

Analysis of LinkedIn: Driving Engagement with Gamification

The LinkedIn profile completeness bar is a powerful tool that not only displays the percentage of profile completion but also motivates users to reach 100% completion. The bar includes a simple sentence that states, "Users with complete profiles are 40 times more likely to receive opportunities through LinkedIn." This smart use of meaningful statistics appeals to basic human satisfaction and provides users with a clear goal to strive for.

The profile strength indicator, represented by a filled-in circle, further reinforces the importance of updating profiles and remaining active on the platform. It serves as a continuous motivator for users to change jobs, update their skills, and regularly engage with the LinkedIn community. According to LinkedIn, those who utilize the "Skills & Endorsements" section receive 13 times more profile views. This endorsement feature not only increases a person's credibility but also visualizes their skills and strengths, making them more attractive to potential employers or collaborators.

LinkedIn's approach to gamification has effectively transformed what could be seen as a "boring" service into an engaging and rewarding experience. By incorporating elements of intrinsic rewards, such as personal achievement, professional growth, and a sense of accomplishment, LinkedIn has successfully motivated users to actively participate in their own profile development and networking.

3 Things to Understand about Curation in Learning

Curation has been an integral part of human information recording since the beginning. The act of shifting, selecting, organizing, and presenting information has allowed us to give it meaning, identify relevance, and clarify its context. Tim Berners-Lee, the inventor of the World Wide Web, envisioned the internet as a platform that would allow anyone to access any document, disseminate their own documents, and organize the entire collection of documents. Digital curation serves as the starting point for individuals to take control of the vast amount of digital content available and organize it into meaningful collections.

Digital curation has proven to be a powerful tool for generating social engagement and discussion. Clay Shirky, in his book "Here Comes Everybody," highlighted the problem of "filter failure," stating that information overload was not the issue but rather the failure of filters to effectively curate the overwhelming amount of relevant information. However, the implementation of tagging systems, intended to aid in filtering information, has often exacerbated the problem. The abundance of relevant information often leads individuals to feel overwhelmed and unable to pay attention to it all.

There are two types of overload that individuals may experience: situational overload and ambient overload. Situational overload can be likened to searching for a needle in a haystack of information. You are in need of a specific piece of information, but it is buried among a multitude of other pieces. On the other hand, ambient overload occurs when individuals are faced with a haystack-sized pile of needles that they want to engage with. As filters become smarter and provide individuals with more of what they want, the abundance of information becomes overwhelming.

Digital curation serves as an intermediate layer between search engines and information consumers. It helps individuals navigate through the overwhelming amount of information and find relevant and useful content easily. For learners, who are already bombarded with business information, effective digital curation can provide them with just-in-time or just-in-case learning content, supporting their learning needs.

Incorporating Gamification into Learning

Drawing from the analysis of LinkedIn's gamification approach and the importance of digital curation in learning, there are valuable lessons to be learned about incorporating gamification into the learning process.

• 1. Set Clear Goals and Rewards: Just as LinkedIn's profile completeness bar sets a clear goal and motivates users with meaningful statistics, incorporating gamification into learning should involve setting clear learning objectives and rewarding learners for achieving them. This can be done through badges, points, or virtual rewards that symbolize the learner's progress and accomplishments.

• 2. Provide Intrinsic Rewards: Intrinsic rewards, such as a sense of achievement and personal growth, are powerful motivators. Incorporating elements of intrinsic rewards, similar to LinkedIn's profile strength indicator, can help learners feel a sense of accomplishment and progress as they engage with the learning content. This can be done through progress trackers, level advancements, or unlocking additional learning materials.

• 3. Foster Social Engagement: LinkedIn's endorsement feature exemplifies the power of social engagement in gamification. By allowing learners to interact with each other, share their achievements, and provide feedback, a sense of community and collaboration can be fostered. Incorporating social features, such as discussion forums, peer assessments, or collaborative projects, can enhance the gamified learning experience and promote engagement.

Conclusion

The analysis of LinkedIn's gamification approach and the understanding of digital curation in learning provide valuable insights into how gamification can be effectively incorporated into the learning process. By setting clear goals and rewards, providing intrinsic rewards, and fostering social engagement, educators and learning designers can create engaging and rewarding learning experiences that motivate learners to actively participate and succeed. Through the power of gamification and digital curation, learning can become a meaningful and enjoyable journey for learners.