Thoughts on Gamification

[aenima]

I've been reading alot about Gamification lately. Basically Gamification is the merging of game elements into non-gaming settings such as work and education. Its main aim is to make learning or working fun by integrating engaging games into education and the work place, thus motivating people to learn and work better, and to promote an improved experience.

I think it could really help education. making learning fun for kids and getting them to learn on their own. but i think it can get out of hand when large corporations start using it to make us feel like we need to buy their product. eg. McDonalds Monopoly game.

What do you guys think? Anyone use it in school or work?

[Mizel]

Great topic :)

I think that Gamification has been around in education, work and advertising for a looooong time. I think it’s a fantastic idea though… I know when I was a kid, if learning involved a game of some type I was much more interested in it which inevitably lead to learning things better. But, I also think that’s just human nature. We’re much more likely to retain information if it’s something that has our interest then not.

I wish my job would implement some sort of gaming-type activity to get my motivation up. :P

However, I disagree that corporations using games is ‘out of hand’…. I think it’s quite the opposite actually. Using games to get people’s interest in your product up is a great idea. I’d prefer to be drawn toward a product based on the chances of winning a game then I would be because of the fact that a celebrity it using it, or because using it makes you ‘cooler’.

[hidekipooj]

I've always been a fan of teachers that start the class off with everyone at an F, and you have to work towards an A. Instead of having already a perfect score, and then falling with each bad assignment. The concept of using experience points as ''grades'' has a nice ring to it.

[paecmaker]

I think that the biggest problem with companies doing "commercial" games is that it most likely would be like like all the normal license games that sucks, aka they dont care about the game as long they earn a few bucks.

However in education games have been used for some time, Just look at all the math games and "learn a language games"