What is Gamification?
Gamification is the concept of applying game-design characteristics such as rewards, score, challenges, tasks, missions, avatars, etc to non-game applications and situations.
What is Gamification’s purpose?
Gamification’s purpose is to engage users in solving problems via high interactivity levels and high levels of engagement in real-life situations and challenges.
How did it begin?
Gamification was first used in order to enhance business applications and marketing policies. The term “gamification” becomes really popular during 2010.
In which cases is Gamification used?
Gamification is broadly used in the marketing field, aiming to boost customer loyalty (e.g. Foursquare) and increase user’s participation in websites. Gamification is also used in training so as to increase learners’ involvement and participation in the training process. In the past years, gamification has been widely used in the e-learning field, too.
How is Gamification used in e-learning?
Gamification is usually used when learners’ behavioral change is desired. Gamification also facilitates learners in recalling and retaining their knowledge. Gamification can be adopted for several types of courses such as:
- Induction training
- Product Sales training
- Customer Service training
- Compliance training
- Awareness training
Which are its advantages of using gamification?
Real-life situations in a safe environment: Learners practice real-life situations and challenges and face the consequences of their choices and decisions in the safe environment of a “game”.
Engaged learning experience: With the game-design characteristics (such as rewards, score, challenges, tasks, missions, avatars, etc), learners become more motivated to participate in the learning process.
Knowledge recalling and retaining: Learners have to use their knowledge in order to progress through the content. Therefore, the users apply their knowledge in different situations, like they do in their real-life, something that facilitates knowledge retention.
Pleasant learning experience: Learners’ experience can be very positive, while they learn in a familiar, pleasant and game-like environment.
Instant feedback: Providing instant feedback for every user’s decision, help learners to better understand what they know or what they should know, something that also facilitates knowledge retention.
What is Gamification’s target group?
Gamification’s target group could be almost everybody, as the majority of the learners have already experienced video or online game playing. According to many researches, the number of people playing online games reaches the 1billion. As McGonigal supports: “By 21 years of age, many males will have spent over 10,000 hours immersed in online gaming” (McGonigal, 2011).
How is gamification provided?
Gamification applications can be provided either autonomously like a game, or in e-learning platforms, websites, etc., depending on the desired outcome.
What is the difference between Gamification and a Game?
Gamification is applied game-design thinking to non-game applications. The game-like characteristics are designed based on each course’s learning objectives and desired outcomes.
What is the difference between Gamification and Serious Games?
Serious Games also use a game-like environment in order to teach usually a new “serious subject”. Gamification, however, is usually used in order to increase learners’ motivation and to enhance their ability to recall and retain an already owned knowledge.
