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The Art of Online Course CreationAuthor: Shannon Boyer
Welcome to The Art of Online Course Creation, the go-to podcast for entrepreneurs who are looking to transfer their expertise into a high-quality online course. If you're passionate about helping others achieve their goals and committed to creating a digital course that delivers real results, you're in the right place.Your host, Shannon Boyer, combines her Masters Degree in Education with her 20 years of experience as an award-winning curriculum and course designer to break down high-level pedagogy into clear and actionable methods and strategies. In each episode, Shannon cuts through the online marketing noise to give you the proven frameworks behind creating a digital course that transforms lives and highlights your authority. Whether you already have an online course or are planning to create one, this podcast is tailored for you.Subscribe now to The Art of Online Course Creation and start your journey to building a successful, sustainable, and scalable online course. Language: en-ca Genres: Business, Courses, Education, Marketing Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it |
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#61 Beyond Badges and Leaderboards: Better Gamification for Online Courses with Mary Nunaley
Tuesday, 14 April, 2026
What if gamification in online courses is about far more than points, badges, and leaderboards?In this episode, Shannon sits down with learning engineer and Lavender Dragon co-founder Mary Nunley for a thoughtful conversation about what gamification really means in online course creation and community engagement. Together, they unpack why some popular engagement tactics work, why others fall flat, and how course creators can think more strategically about motivating learners in ways that actually support transformation. You will hear a nuanced discussion about the difference between keeping people entertained and keeping them meaningfully engaged, why dopamine-driven design has limits, and how seemingly small choices inside a course can shape persistence, motivation, and connection. The conversation also explores Easter eggs, urgency, rewards, learner psychology, and the role of thoughtful course design in creating an experience people want to continue. Whether you are building your first online course or looking for ways to make an existing program more engaging, this episode will give you a fresh lens on gamification and help you think more carefully about what actually keeps learners coming back.Mary Nunaley is a learning engineer and co-founder of The Lavender Dragon Team. She turns complex ideas into human-centered learning experiences using storytelling, game-based design, and thoughtful applications of AI. With a background in online education and years of experience designing asynchronous courses, simulations, and microlearning, Mary focuses on building learning that actually changes behavior not just checks a completion box. Her work sits at the intersection of learning science, creativity, and practical AI integration for modern educators and creatorsYou can find Mary:The Lavender Dragon TeamLinkedInGet started on your own course creation journey or learn how to make your existing course even better at The "Your Best Course" Build Lab, my interactive and supportive online community.To get started creating your own online course, check out my new freebie that will take you through the steps of choosing a topic that will be profitable for YOU.To be in the know about new offerings and opportunities, make sure you sign up for my newsletter.
