Author: Karen Mueller, CBC, Executive Vice President and Partner
Campus health coordinators across the country are facing a persistent problem: getting students engaged with health. Whether it’s understanding student health insurance coverage, identifying the best mental and emotional health resources or navigating COVID-19 health and safety issues, there is a mass of critical information for students to absorb.
Yet, studies show people forget up to 80% of what clinicians tell them by the time they reach the parking lot. Students forget just as much by the time they leave their campus health appointments. These retention issues stem from the types of health content students receive and its delivery to students.
Our HORANalytics® data shows that 54% of students were interested in chronic disease prevention issues such as depression, addiction anxiety and back pain. Yet, their campus was focusing on other health areas. The disconnect between what students engage with and what campuses provide hinders campus health goals.
There is a Solution: Gamified Learning
College students are primarily a competitive, connected group of fast-learners who love technology. That’s why gamified learning speaks to their needs. With a gamified learning platform, students engage through their preferred technology and feed their drive to compete and connect.
Operating on cognitive and micro-learning principles, gamified learning aims to help students gain and retain knowledge. Gamified learning makes learning about health and navigating health resources fun, interactive and engaging. Our research showed that students, on average, moved from an approximately 70% understanding to an over 99% grasp of various health topics with gamified learning. Some topics saw a 116% increase in understanding.
Gamified learning takes a scientific approach to education, focusing on the root issues of behavior modification, creating the foundation for students to adopt new habits. It taps into students’ internal motivation with strategies like points, badges, scavenger hunts and leaderboards. These tactics keep students engaged and motivated to learn. These platforms also offer chances to win prizes, adding extra incentives and fostering healthy competition between friends.
Plus, gamified learning provides immediate data on what students know, what they need to learn and what they want to learn. The platform delivers a personalized experience to educate students on common and costly health conditions and the resources your university offers to keep them healthy. Combined with health and well-being and claims data, gamified learning provides a detailed picture of what your students want, what they need and where you’re falling short. With improved education, students can see their healthcare costs go down and their well-being improve.
In the end, 60% of students surveyed said gamified learning was the best learning platform for them. With that preference comes increased engagement, leading to higher involvement with preventative care in critical areas like mental and behavioral health. Many universities leveraged gamified learning this past year to focus on critical health issues like the COVID-19 pandemic and awareness around depression and anxiety. The more students can recognize when they need help and where they can get care, the healthier your campus will be.
Get Your Students Connected with HORAN Campus Health
Among our extensive network of trusted partners, we are proud to work with EdLogics, a leader in gamified learning. EdLogics brings custom messaging, polling and surveys, and personalized user experience to each campus we serve. It’s accessible on all platforms – desktop, mobile or tablets – and has various gaming options, including daily, weekly or monthly engagement opportunities.
In our partnership, we work with Edlogics to leverage data, along with claims and campus-wide health and well-being information, to bring actionable solutions to make your campus healthier.
Contact us to find out more about how gamified learning can work for your students. Fill out a simple contact form or get in touch with Chris Mihin, Vice President and Managing Principal, HORAN Campus Health Solutions, at ChrisM@horanassoc.com or 513.702.3707.
