This document discusses gamification approaches to motivate online learning. It defines gamification as using game mechanics outside of games to engage people and solve problems. The document outlines gameful design thinking principles and software tools like Mozilla Open Badges. It also provides an example of applying gamification concepts like badges and progress tracking to a Global Citizenship course at UCT. The conclusion emphasizes drawing on good design principles and making learning achievements and connections more visible through differences in online interfaces and representation in digital portfolios.

1. Gamification
design approaches to motivate learning online
Andrew Deacon
Centre for Educational Technology, UCT
CET Seminar, 2013

2. Gamification
• What is it about?
• Online learning contexts
• Gameful design thinking
• Software tools
– Mozilla Open Badges and e-portfolios
• Local example
– Global Citizenship course at UCT

3. Gartner’s Hype Cycle (2011)
Gamification

4. Gamification
Using game-thinking and game mechanics
in a non-game context
to engage people and solve problems
- Sebastian Deterding (2011)

5. Gamification of education?
• Are universities using game-like elements?
– Students get “points” for completing assignments
– Points translate to “badges” for passing courses
– Students performing well “level up” at year end
– Best performs get on the Dean’s “leaderboard”
• Not really…

6. Speed Camera Lottery
http://www.thestar.com/news/world/2010/12/09/speed_camera_lottery_pays_drivers_for_slowing_down.html

7. Nike+
• Shoes with
– Pressure sensors
– Accelerometer
– Can upload data
• Used to
– Count steps
– Track distance
– Determine height of jumps

8. FarmVille
28 million people harvest crops every day
One of Time Magazine’s
“50 Worst Inventions”

9. Confusion
“Gamification is an inadvertent con. It tricks
people into believing that there is a simple
way to imbue their thing … with the
psychological, emotional and social power
of a great game.”
- Margaret Robertson, Can’t Play, Won’t Play (2010)

10. PBL
Points
tracking
feedback
Badges
goals, rewards,
achievements
Leader boards
competition,
rank

11. Online learning contexts

12. Four questions
• Motivation – what is the value in doing this?
• Meaningful choices – are there alternatives?
• Structure – can behaviours be modelled?
• Potential conflicts – are there contradictions
with other goals?

14. High profile MOOCs
All now 1-year old

15. Coursera open online course

16. MOOC participation
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Registers
Watchers
Submitters
Writers
Certificate

17. ‘Gamification’ of MOOCs
Marta Pereira
‘Coursera Homepage
Improvement’

18. Khan Academy
“one of the first things
we did was bring in the
concept of badges and
other game mechanics”
Badges
Progress
giving feedback on
game mechanics

19. Codecademy
Streak
Points
Badges
Progress
Tasks

20. Gameful design thinking

21. Gamification Design Thinking
• Purposive
• Person centred
– About the experience
• Balance of analytical & creative
– Abductive reasoning: inference from best available
explanation
• Iterative
– Prototype and evaluation
- Kevin Werbach (2012)

22. Gamification Design Thinking
Goals
Motivation
Progress Feedback
Exploration
Creativity
Surprise
Community
Rewards

23. Social Engagement Verbs
Acting
Express Compete
Context Players
Explore Collaborate
Interacting
- Amy Jo Kim (2012)
build win
like
curate
review
rate
choose compare
share
comment
help
challenge
customise
choose
vote

24. Flow: Psychology of Optimal Experience
Skill / Time
boredom
anxiety
Difficulty
flow
- Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (1990)

25. Meaningful Gamification
• Design by
– Providing a narrative with meaning
– Rule systems to master
– Including opportunities to play
• Of course, be mindful of
– Side effects and social contracts
– Rules that undermine greater goals

26. Software tools

27. Mozilla OpenBadges
• Mozilla Foundation project
– Does not implement any game mechanics
– Provides infrastructure for hosting badges
– Offers grants to people using this infrastructure
• OpenBadges
– Criteria: URL and name of who issued it
– Evidence: URL to thing meeting criteria

28. Mozilla OpenBadges
Badges are a visual representations of a
learning, competencies, interests skill or achievements

29. Mozilla Open Badges: Backpack
Portfolio collection title
Evidence (with URL)
Criteria (with URL)

30. Global Citizenship course at UCT

31. Global Citizenship
• Global Citizenship: Leading for Social Justice
– Short course: Continuing Education certificate
– Students motivated by global citizenship ideals
– Completion rate: about 50%
• Student feedback:
– Very unlike an academic course
– Time pressures make for difficult choices

32. Global Citizenship: Plans
• Simplify and have fun
• Feedback on progress
• Badges - if sharing evidence
• Students request badges
(associate evidence + criteria)
• Students compile a portfolio
• Tutors participate in design
• Might use OpenBadges

33. Global Citizenship: Dashboard
Activities Feedback
Sessions
Community service
Writing blogs
Reflective essays

34. Conclusion
• Draws on good design principles
– More than just ‘Generation G’ expectations
– PBL: pathway, not the reward
– Badges: visual representations of learning
achievements forming a portfolio
• Ideas for GC
– Signaling differences (e.g., dashboard)
– Making connections (e.g., badges)
– Involving tutors in the design

35. Sources
• Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1990) Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience.
Harper Perennial, London.
• Deterding, S, Dixon, D., Khaled, R. & Nacke, L. (2011) From game design
elements to gamefulness: Defining ‘gamification’. Proc. of the 15th
International Academic MindTrek Conference.
• Kapp, K.M. (2012). The gamification of learning and instruction. San
Francisco: Pfeiffer.
• Kim, A. (2012) Social engagement: who's playing? How do they like to
engage? http://bit.ly/amyjokim
• Robertson, M. (2010) Can’t Play, Won’t Play. Hide & Seek: Inventing New
Kinds of Play. http://www.hideandseek.net/2010/10/06/
• Werbach, K. (2012) Gamification. https://class.coursera.org/gamification-
2012-001