Gamification is the use of gaming principles to get students involved, engaged, and excited about learning. It consists of adding game elements to a non-game situation.
It introduces concepts like badges, levels, achievements, and game points to the classroom. Student are rewarded with these concepts when they succeed. By introducing a system of rewards without harsh penalties, student are not afraid to step outside of their comfort zone and fail. By removing their fear of failure we encourage them to learn.
Gamification also reached the brand Starbucks, which launched a campaign to promote its products through a scorecard, a common gamification technique: the more products consumed, the more stars accumulated, and the more stars accumulated, the more levels a user can go up to exchange points for prizes.
A simple example that placed the emphasis on beating levels and on its reward system, a key aspect in gaming dynamics.
The National Society for Road Safety in Stockholm and Volkswagen launched an innovative radar system using gamification to promote respect for speed limits on the road.
This initiative rewarded those who respected the limits and included them in a lottery, whose prize was raised with speeding fines.
The program was a success in the Swedish capital and got to correct road driving habits in Stockholm, reducing the average speed on their roads from 32 to 25 km per hour.