gamification: adding game elements to non-game contexts

"used to engage users to embrace specific behaviors, like working out or saving money" (P. 1)

"can deliver information on demand within context, balancing challenge difficulties according to one's abilities" (P. 1)

"prevents players from becoming bored or frustrated, and allows them to experience flow" (P. 1)

"Previous experiments show that games can improve one’s
learning outcomes, motivation and diligence. McClean et al.[18] show that students learning college level cell biology with a video game performed 30% better in their assessments than those learning without." (P. 2)

(Older study) "Students perceived the course as being more motivating and interesting than other non-gamified courses, and we found evidence that lecture attendance, attention to reference material and both participation and proactivity and the course's online forums greatly improved, although final grades were unaffected" (P. 1)

"benefits to the learning experience when applied to education remain unclear" (P. 1)

"a conventional learning experience can be designed as a game without resorting to technology, to engage students and make classes more fun and interesting. Students start with an F and go all the way up to an A+, by completing quests and challenges, and gaining experience points" (P. 2)

"As students perform course activities, they are awarded with XP, which provides direct feedback on how they are doing and motivates them by instant gratification" (P. 2)

"we observed both the highest minimum grade and the most students reaching the top grade ever, which suggests an improvement of learning outcomes" (P. 7)

"gamification can indeed enhance student engagement" (P. 7).