Gamification in Soft Skills Training: An Innovative Approach to Experiential Learning

In a professional world marked by rapid transformations, behavioral competencies, commonly referred to as soft skills, have become essential for employability, adaptability, and sustainable professional integration. However, their development remains a major pedagogical challenge, particularly in training contexts where traditional transmissive approaches continue to dominate and often limit learner engagement. This article examines gamification as an innovative pedagogical strategy for strengthening soft skills through active, experiential, and collaborative learning. Drawing on Self-Determination Theory (Deci & Ryan, 2000), Flow Theory (Csikszentmihalyi, 1990), Experiential Learning Theory (Kolb, 1984), and Engagement Theory (Kearsley & Shneiderman, 1998), the study analyzes how game-based mechanisms can foster intrinsic motivation, active participation, peer interaction, and the concrete mobilization of behavioral competencies. The article combines an in-depth literature review with an exploratory case study conducted in a Moroccan vocational training center. The case involved 50 adult participants over a five-day, 20-hour training program entitled Mission Soft Skills, structured around role plays, collaborative challenges, team scoring, badges, and reflective debriefing. Data were collected through participant observation, daily reflective journals, and a final questionnaire. The results point to high levels of engagement and positive self-reported outcomes: 92% of participants reported improved oral communication, 84% reported better stress management in group situations, and 96% felt they had learned through action. These findings should therefore be interpreted as indicators of perceived improvement and learner engagement rather than as objective measurements of soft skills acquisition. The study concludes that gamification may support the development of soft skills when it is embedded in a coherent pedagogical design and adapted to the local training context, even with limited technological resources. It also emphasizes the need for future studies based on pre-test and post-test measures, comparison groups, validated assessment instruments, and longitudinal follow-up.

Gamification; Soft skills; Experiential learning; Active pedagogy; Vocational training.

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