Gamification, Games, and Learning: What Managers and Practitioners Need to Know

Gamification is aboutapplying game elements and game mechanics to non-game activities to make these activities more compelling.This report discusses common definitions of games and gamification and showshow game design techniques and game elements such as stories, points, andchallenges can achieve needed learning outcomes. You’ll learn how gamemechanics and game elements work in learning and explore good practices fordesigning stories, characters, leaderboards, points, levels, and challengesthrough concrete examples—such as how Adobe uses gamification to increase bothtraining and usage of their Photoshop software.

In this report, Brenda Enders examines research showing the valuableresults that can be achieved with games and gamification. For example, Traci Sitzmann’smeta-analysis shows that training presented in the context of certain types ofgames led to measurably higher skills and knowledge. And B.J. Fogg, who directsthe Persuasive Technology Lab at Stanford University, has found that peopletend to respond to computers as if they are people, especially during gaming, anencouraging note for the design of good learning interactions.