Is life a game, and are we all players?

This week's Games and Learning articles, Deterding et al. (2011) and Abramovich et al. (2013), as well as Nick Lalone's blog post, discuss the concept of gamification and its use in educational contexts. These readings reminded me of McGonigal's book Reality is Broken, where the author discusses this same concept and how it can improve life quality and educational, if done right.

In broad terms, gamification means adding game-like elements to real-life tasks, such as school work, group projects, or even cleaning one's house. As it's possible to conclude from the articles, there is no one specific way to gamify an activity - the aspects that are modified depends on the content, the participants of the interaction, and the intention of the instructor or organizer of the activity. For instance, as Abramovich et al. (2013) argue, rewarding students with badges, visual representations of success in an activity, may lead to different effects depending on students' affinity with content or task and intrinsic motivation. That said, in an educational setting, the instructor needs to be aware of what the badge should be awarded for and the effects it might have on learners. As we have seen in previous readings, if there no challenge is posed in order to fulfill the activity, the importance of receiving a badge might decrease.

Deterding et al.'s (2011) article brings a discussion on gamification in general. What stood out for me, in this paper, was how gamification was framed subjeticvely. For example, the mobile app Foursquare may or may not be a gamified product, depending on who the user is. This same discussion can be brought to educational contexts and development of gamified methodologies. Using a "game-like" software, learning management system, of app does not mean that it is a gamified learning experience. The instructor's approach also needs to align with game principles, such as rules-based systems, rewards, and competition (when applicable).

Since, for my final project, I am thinking about developing an interactive experience using Iracema, a Brazilian literary classic (yes! I have decided!!), these articles help me to think of ways that I can motivate players to keep going in the game and learn literary concepts - and Brazilian history - as they play.