As we edge closer to Gamification EU, I was thinking about the lessons I wish I had learned earlier on when I started in Gamification. Keep in mind, at that stage there was not a lot of information about gamification, it was in its infancy (2011/2012).
engagement
Gamification: Is Activity as good as Engagement?
Gamification is often accused of creating activity rather than engagement. Whilst this can be true, is it a bad thing?
First, let’s look at the difference between activity and engagement. Engagement is very hard to define and has plenty of definitions out there. For our purposes, we will consider it as a state where a person is voluntarily participating in an activity with commitment, without the feeling of being forced or coerced into participation. It is heading towards them “wanting” to participate.
What Does a Gamification Consultant Do??
A question that I ask on a very regular basis, once I have explained what gamification is, is “What does a gamification consultant actually do?”
Well, this short video should help you get the idea!
Oh and my Gamification Journey Worksheet is still only £10 – going up to 15 soon 🙂
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Fun and Gamification?
Often when people talk about gamification, they speak about adding fun to everyday work related tasks. The whole Mary Poppins “A Spoonful of Sugar” analogy pops up regularly. Anyone who has stuck with this blog for a while will know exactly how I feel about her…
The trouble with fun is how you define it. The Oxford dictionary (thanks Google), goes with
Enjoyment, amusement, or light-hearted pleasure: the children were having fun in the play area
Now, I’ve said this before, but it is worth saying again – fun is subjective. What you find fun, I may not. Consider the following event.
Using Boredom and Curiosity to your Advantage
Curiosity is something that always interests me. I have written about it in the past, but was drawn to looking at it again recently. There are several theories about what curiosity is and how it works; Curiosity Drive Theory, Optimal Arousal Theory, Incongruity Theory and probably more. They all deal with different aspects of what curiosity is.
Drive Theory considers that curiosity is part of a human need to reduce the discomfort felt when we are uncertain about somemthing.
Incongruity Theory suggests that we seek to resolve incongruity (differences) between something that happens and our existing understanding. So if something happens that doesn’t match our preconceived ideas of what should happen, we become curious and want to understand it.