Gamification : a look into the games elements that drive towards a meaningfull teaching and learning

The term gamification was first brought up a game designer Nick Pelling back in 2004, (Rughini?, 2013) whom tried to use game-like enhanced interface to make electronic transactions such as using the Automated Teller Machine (A.T.M); making it more attractive and engaging thus creating a game like fun to the transaction. From this came the definition of gamification; which is the "use of game design elements in non-game contexts" (Deterding et al., 2011)

Gamifying the First Programming Class: Outcomes and Antecedents of Continued Engagement Intention

Gamification is applying games in non-game contexts. This study uses card game plays to gamify assessment activity in the first programming class. An experimental study with one-group and post-test are conducted to test the perceived usefulness of the gamifying evaluation method and verify the proposed research model, based on Expectation Confirmation Theory; IT Continuance Model. Students perceive the usefulness of gamifying take-home exams in terms of increasing understanding, problem solving, creativity, and confidence more than the traditional ones. This study provides empirical supports for the relationship between performance and satisfaction and the influence of satisfaction on continued engagement intention of the game plays in classroom settings. The results could be applied to relax students’ anxiety in the programming course\u27s testing

The Use of Gamification in an Introductory MIS Course: the Views of Game Participants and Game Conductors

Gamification gives opportunities for instructors and majors to attract more students. However, there are limited studies and understanding about gamification in education and its suitable implementation. So, this work guide a simple process to implement gamification in classroom environments and evaluate the results of implementation using self-reported from students who are assigned to be game conductors and game participants. The results from an experimental study show the increase of students’ perceived usefulness (understanding, problem solving skills, creativity, and topic interests) and their engagement intention (game engagement intention, class attendance intention, and class participation intention) after conducting or joining in-class games. Guidance to easily implement gameful experiences for students could be applied from an example in this study

Gamification, social networks and sustainable environments

Intelligent environments and ambient intelligence enabled systems provide means to gather rich information from both environments and its users. With the help of such systems, it is possible to foster communities of ambient intelligence systems with community driven knowledge, which is created by individual actions and setups in each of the environments. Such arrangements provides the potential to build systems that promote better practices and more efficient and sustainable environments by promoting the community best examples and engaging users to adopt and develop proactive behaviors to improve their standings in the community. This work aims to use knowledge from communities of intelligent environments to their own benefit. The approach presented in this work uses information from different environments, ranking them according to their sustainability assessment. Recommendations are then computed using similarity and clustering functions ranking users and environments, updating their previous records and launching new recommendations in the process. Gamification concepts are used in order to keep users motivation and engage them actively to produce better results in terms of sustainability

Gamification, Social Networks and Sustainable Environments

Intelligent environments and ambient intelligence enabled systems provide means to gather rich information from both environments and its users. With the help of such systems, it is possible to foster communities of ambient intelligence systems with community driven knowledge, which is created by individual actions and setups in each of the environments. Such arrangements provides the potential to build systems that promote better practices and more efficient and sustainable environments by promoting the community best examples and engaging users to adopt and develop proactive behaviors to improve their standings in the community. This work aims to use knowledge from communities of intelligent environments to their own benefit. The approach presented in this work uses information from different environments, ranking them according to their sustainability assessment. Recommendations are then computed using similarity and clustering functions ranking users and environments, updating their previous records and launching new recommendations in the process. Gamification concepts are used in order to keep users motivation and engage them actively to produce better results in terms of sustainabilit

Gamification for student engagement: a framework

Gamification, the application of game elements to non-game situations, has gained traction in education as a mechanism for improving motivation and/or learning outcomes. Although it is widely accepted that gamification enhances these aspects of engagement in business and education settings, there is equivocal supporting evidence. Research has emphasised behavioural responses to gamification, although there is some evidence that gamification can support deeper cognitive and affective aspects. It continues to remain unclear how gamification influences student engagement and leads to learning, a significant gap in the literature to date. In this conceptual article, we fill the gap between practice and theory through the synthesis of student engagement and gamification literature into a new Gamification for Student Engagement Framework. The provisional Framework should, for the first time, enable practitioners to systematically design gamified learning experiences, through the purposeful selection of game attributes according to the desired student experience, and consequence of, engagement. Although we focus on learning outcomes, the Framework has the potential to improve others such as student satisfaction and wellbeing across many settings and disciplines. It can also be used to gather much needed empirical evidence about the effectiveness of the approach on desired outcomes

Design de uma marca para um público jovem: o projeto Gamers4Nature

What set of strategies is imperative when designing a brand for a specific target audience, such as a younger generation? Nowadays, information flows at a tremendous speed, making it difficult for brands to stay relevant and in the mind of audiences. This research project aims to determine how to create a brand for the investigation project Gamers4Nature, that prevails in today’s world. Gamers4Nature is a DigiMedia, ID+, and BioLiving project funded by the Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT). Based on a review of the literature about how different generations behave, it was understood the characteristics of each generation, making the design process start. Along with the collected research and data about brand communities, brand identities, and gamification, it was comprehended the need to involve the target audience in the project. The use of participatory design as a methodology made the design development a shared position between the designers, the members of the team, and the user. The results indicate that the path of interactive strategy made a more precise solution that can help future projects aiming for the same objectives. This investigation resulted in the brand identity of the project based on dynamic brands, the product, Toolkit for game design construction, and a communication strategyQue conjunto de estratégias é imprescindível ao projetar uma marca para um público-alvo específico, como uma geração mais jovem? Atualmente, informação flui a uma velocidade tremenda, dificultando o papel das marcas para afirmação perante o público. Este projeto de investigação tem como objetivo determinar como criar uma marca para o projeto Gamers4Nature, que prevalece no mundo de hoje. Gamers4Nature é um projeto DigiMedia, ID + e BioLiving, financiado pela Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT). Com base na revisão da literatura sobre a lacuna entre gerações, foram entendidas as características de cada geração, iniciando o processo de design. Juntamente com a pesquisa e o levantamento de dados sobre Comunidades de Marcas, Identidades de Marca e Gamification, foi compreendida a necessidade de envolver o público-alvo no projeto. O uso do design participativo como metodologia levou ao desenvolvimento do design através de uma visão comum entre os designers, os membros da equipa de investigação e o utilizador. Os resultados indicam que o recurso a uma estratégia interativa pode levar à criação de uma solução positiva, contribuindo para projetos futuros que visem os mesmos objetivos. Essa investigação resultou na identidade da marca do projeto, baseada em marcas dinâmicas, no produto, Toolkit para Construção de Jogos e, estratégias de comunicaçãoMestrado em Desig

Serious games and the gamification of tourism

Gamification has become a focus of attention in an increasing number of fields including business, education, and health care. Through a wide range of applications and support functions, its potential for the tourism industry is significant. Gamification of tourism can contribute to a more rewarding interactions and higher level of satisfaction, as well as increase brand awareness and loyalty to the destination. As one of the first attempts to conceptualize gamification of tourism, this paper examines gaming in general terms and the application of it in specific tourism fields. It identifies game design elements that can contribute to a meaningful gamification. A few cases of best practices are presented to show how this innovative concept can benefit tourism marketing. Implications for tourism marketing and management are discussed as well as future research recommendations

Where interaction design and clinical psychology meet

Dissertação de Mestrado em Design de Interação apresentada na Faculdade de Arquitetura em parceria com a Faculdade de Belas Artes da Universidade de Lisboa para obtenção do grau de Mestre.O objetivo deste projeto final de mestrado é encontrar um ponto comum entre design de interação e psicologia clínica através da exploração do espaço entre sessões de terapia. Este processo foi desenvolvido em co-design entre a autora e um psicólogo clínico. A metodologia aplicada envolveu revisão da literatura de todas as áreas: saúde mental, saúde em dispositivos móveis e saúde electrónica e gamificação, aplicada à saúde. Seguidamente, procedemos à escolha e análise de casos de estudo e a entrevistas exploratórias com vários psicólogos clínicos. A fase de projeto consistiu em wireframes e protótipos de vários graus de fidelidade até chegar a protótipos de alta fidelidade que foi posteriormente usado em testes de usabilidade com pacientes em terapia. Hoje em dia, cada vez mais psicólogos providenciam as suas informações de contacto pessoais, como email ou número de telemóvel, para permitir o contacto, caso os pacientes precisem de apoio extra entre consultas. No entanto, a plataforma não vem tentar substituir a terapia mas sim facilitar um espaço ou um local que permita o paciente continuar a trabalhar no seu progresso entre as sessões, através da criação de exercícios e ferramentas, que foram pensadas em conjunto com o psicólogoABSTRACT: The purpose of this final project was to find a common ground between interaction design and clinical psychology through the exploration of the space in between therapy sessions. This process was done through a co-design between the author and a clinical psychologist. Now-a-days, more and more psychologists give contact information and allow for contact outside of therapy sessions because patients often feel the need to have extra support on their day to daily lives. There isn’t however a platform that allows patients to keep on making progress without a dependency from an answer from the psychologist. The methodology applied involves a literature review of all the areas: mental health, mobile and e-health and gamification, applied to health. Followed by the choice and analysis of case studies and exploratory interviews with several clinical psychologists to better understand the needs of patients as users of the system to be developed. An interaction design project was developed, which consist on wireframes and prototypes of all fidelity types until we reach a high fidelity prototype to test in real patients provided by the clinical psychologist in question. As such, this project aimed to create a system, or a platform that allows the space in between therapy sessions to also be a place of personal development and progress, through a tool created with the aid of the clinical psychologistN/