From the course: Gamification for Interactive Learning

Gamification overview

From the course: Gamification for Interactive Learning

Start my 1-month free trial

Gamification overview

“

- Sure, you understand the idea of gamification, but you are wondering how it applies to the learning and instruction you are deploying or developing. The application of the concept of gamification to the discipline of learning continues to grow and change. As new ideas are tried, more research is conducted, and new concepts are adopted. This course is for those who have already mastered the content covered in the Gamification of Learning and who want to dig a little deeper. If you haven't done so already, go ahead and check out that course, it will provide you a strong foundation of gamification basics and help you better understand the concepts discussed in this course. Here in this course, we take a more focused and deeper look at the various types of gamification so you can determine which type of gamification is right for your learner needs. Combined, the two courses provide a rich background for making intelligent, evidence-based decisions about how, when, and why to implement gamification into learning. One interesting development involves the different ways of thinking about the term and the concept. Many people simply do not like the term gamification and have been searching for a replacement. One proposed replacement term that has gotten some attention is Game Thinking. The idea of game thinking, as opposed to gamification, is that game thinking is a focus on applying deeper game elements to learning than just points, badges, and leaderboards. It's a focus on engagement loops, the freedom to fail, the player's journey, and other elements that are seen as stronger motivators than simple reward structures. So, for example, instead of thinking about the player's experience with gamification, we think about the player's journey from novice to mastery. A similar term that you may come across is Game Fullness. Again, the term is an attempt to convey the idea that it's the deeper aspects of games that make them interesting, not the superficial elements. As terms are suggested and debated, to keep things simple, we'll use the term Gamification because the term is widely known, used frequently, and seems to be the most common word for expressing the idea of using game elements in non-game situations like learning. Two of the most common categorizations of gamification are content and structural. Each type uses game elements and game mechanics to engage the learner. The two depart in what elements and mechanics are used to create engagement and how the content is impacted by the gamification design process. Content gamification changes the content to be more game-like, while structural gamification adds game elements around the content but does not alter the content. Now that you have an overview, it's time to learn more about the specific applications and variations of both content and structural gamification. The more you know, the better you'll be able to determine which approach is right for your learners.

Contents