Gamification is a barely new concept that is changing the way people do activities these days. It can be defined as the the application of game elements and mechanics and digital game design techniques to non-game problems or contexts. It is a current trend among software developers who want to make their programs more engaging and businesses who want to increase the productivity among their workers.
Basic techniques of gamification motivate certain desired behaviors by taking advantage of the human tendency to engage in gaming, as it distracts people from what they are actually doing. These techniques are known to most internet users, as they are already present in very famous sites such as Facebook and Foursquare. They are more simple than anyone could think: winning points, obtaining badges, leveling up, climbing up “leader boards”, using virtual currency, showing progress bars, fulfilling quest, having avatars, etc. Adding these features to websites and programs, where there may be tasks considered otherwise rather dull or stressing, makes them not only endurable, but also enjoyable.
One important example of the brilliant use of gamification is the educational website khanacademy.org. Salman Khan, the site creator, incorporated game-like characteristics to make it more attractive for a younger learner audience. Students can win points and badges by doing exercises and watching videos and progress bars tell them how good their performance is at a given task.
You got to the end of this article, so you are now a hundred points richer. One can only wonder what else can be made into a game by just adding points to it. Is everything considered boring going to be “gamified” some day?
