Gamification

The practice of gamification is not new. It has been applied in learning environments for decades (e.g., classroom grades or boy scouts’badges). In the second half of 2010, it became to be some sort of buzzword.

The term is often wrongly confused with serious games and game-based learning. These terms concern the use of games in its full realization (immersion, playfulness, etc.), whereas gamification tends to make use of selected elements and mechanics of game design such as badges, leaderboards, points (all regarding extrinsic motivation) and apply them into non-gaming contexts. The fact that gamification makes use of selected elements from games, has led many game theorists and game designers to claim that “gamification” misuses the word “game” by referring to techniques that exclude the most relevant elements of game design and game thinking, suggesting “pointsification” as a better suiting label for the practice.

This article refers to the practice of gamification in general. This article supports the article gamification of learning processes, which is dedicated to gamification’s application within training and learning environments.

Positive connotations of gamification

The positive connotations of gamification are promoted mainly by professionals who provide the ‘gamification services’ for the business industry or by the business industry itself; be it in marketing a product (e.g., through loyalty programs), gamifying a website or inside the work-place in order to increase productivity. They talk about a ‘ludic age’ and the ‘generation G’, and also advocate that gamification is a way of turning a boring task at work or the purchase of products, as well as actions for good health (e.g. Nike Fuel and Weight Watchers) into more fun and engaging activities, thereby helping people to accomplish what they want or need to do in a fun way.

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