Although I’ve been quiet online, I’ve been extremely busy in the real world. (Real world? Weird, right?)
And some of what I’ve been busy doing has been SO COOL! Most recently, I’ve embarked on a free online course (a MOOC, or massive online open course) through Coursera all about Gamification. It’s a topic that’s fascinated me ever since I discovered Jane McGonigal’s SuperBetter game (which I blogged about here, a year and a half ago). Somewhere in the near-ish future, I plan to share some of my thoughts about how gamification can help writers market their books and build their platforms, but for now, I want to share with you what gamification is.
According to Kevin Werbach, author of For the Win instructor of the Coursera gamification course, gamification is “the use of game elements and game design techniques in non-game contexts.” However, I think the best way to understand the concept is by checking out some examples (from the Volkswagon Fun Theory initiative):
Goal: Reduce speeding without stationing police on every corner
Solution: Speed Camera Lottery