The New PBL: Points, Benefits, Leaderboards — and Why Badges Scored 3.0
Experts rated points 4.4, leaderboards 3.8 and badges only 3.0. Here is the PBL that works in real training rooms — and three rules to use it tomorrow.
Ask anyone who has read about gamification what the core elements are, and you will probably hear three letters: PBL — Points, Badges and Leaderboards.
When my co-authors and I asked a panel of experienced corporate trainers to rate 35 gamification elements, one of those three letters did not hold up.
What the experts rated
In our Delphi study (Entertainment Computing, 2022), 14 trainers — each with at least three years of gamified teaching at Taiwan’s 500 largest companies — rated every element on a 1–5 scale over three rounds:
- Points: 4.4 — a key element
- Leaderboards: 3.8 — useful, but the experts were divided
- Badges: 3.0 — only 14% of the experts rated them important
A panel of 14 trainers in one country is not the last word. But it matches what I see in training rooms: a 45-year-old engineering manager does not light up when you call him a “Gold Learner.”
So what replaces the B?
Badges work in video games because they are tied to something: a new level, a better weapon, access the player wants. In a classroom, a badge usually unlocks nothing. What learners respond to is the thing a badge stands for — a real benefit.
That is why, in Gamification in Training and Teaching, the B stands for Benefits:
- P — Points. Instant, visible feedback for every action. Simple numbers, always added, never taken away.
- B — Benefits. Rewards learners actually value: a book, a privilege, a small prize tied to the course, public recognition for the winning team.
- L — Leaderboards. A team ranking, updated often. Celebrate the top teams; never announce last place.
Three rules for using the new PBL tomorrow
- Points follow your objectives. Decide what you want people to think about, practice or show — then put the biggest points on that. In my presentation workshops, answering a question earns 1,000 points; a full practice presentation earns up to 50,000.
- Benefits are what learners want, not what you think is cute. Executives want a useful book or the honour of winning in front of their peers. University students may want participation marks. Ask, or watch.
- Leaderboards protect face. Update team totals at every break so people know where they stand. When you announce results, name only the top teams.
None of this works on its own. PBL sits on top of the six design principles the same experts rated highest — the AFFECT framework: aligned goals, immediate feedback, fair and clear rules, escalating challenge, competition in teams, and trying without risk.
One practical idea a week: subscribe to the free newsletter. The full method, with real cases from training rooms, hospitals and classrooms, is in the book: Gamification in Training and Teaching.
Reference: Wang, Y.-F., Hsu, Y.-F., & Fang, K. (2022). The key elements of gamification in corporate training – The Delphi method. Entertainment Computing, 40, 100463. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.entcom.2021.100463