Simplifying Gamification in Practice: A Design Model for Training Transfer-Oriented Industrial Learning

The paper presents the SIGAT-IL Model, a conceptual design framework for gamification in industrial learning management system (LMS) training. Its central argument is that gamification efforts have too often been shaped by platform availability rather than instructional design, producing outcomes oriented toward engagement rather than genuine training transfer. To address this, the authors identify four implementation challenges, namely technological constraints, pedagogical-technical misalignment, learner heterogeneity, and scalability, and propose a hybrid architecture in which content gamification forms the instructional core while structural mechanics serve as scaffolding.

Adaptivity is a defining element of the model. The authors propose behaviour-driven adjustment of both structural and content gamification in response to differences among learners, drawing on evidence from Hallifax (2020) that combined static and dynamic adaptation in Moodle yields stronger outcomes than either alone. Evaluation is framed as an ongoing, iterative practice rather than a one-time measurement. The authors contend that training transfer, assessed through learning gain, retention, workplace performance, and generalisation, should serve as the primary criterion of success, with completion and engagement metrics playing a secondary role.

The contribution is explicitly conceptual. The model is constructed from published literature and is not accompanied by experimental data or operational validation. The authors acknowledge this limitation and call for longitudinal and comparative studies conducted in real workplace settings to test the framework's claims. The grounding draws on foundational gamification theory, including the MDA framework and Seaborn and Fels' survey, as well as established learning theory such as adult learning principles and cognitive load research, alongside recent reviews of gamification in education and workplace training. The paper's scope is therefore theoretical and design-oriented, addressing industrial LMS training broadly rather than any single sector, geography, or time period.