This presentation highlights areas of gamification and looks at some examples from professional organizations and the accounting field.

1. What is Gamification?
Is there any Science Behind It?
By Karl M. Kapp
Bloomsburg University
Gamification of Learning &Instruction
January 7, 2014
EMAIL: kkapp@bloomu.edu
TWITTER: @kkapp
BLOG: http://karlkapp.com/kapp‐notes/

2. Brief history of…
The World

8. We’ve learned and struggled for a few
years here figuring out how to make a
decent phone. PC guys are not going
to just figure this out.
They’re not going to just walk in.
--Palm CEO Ed Colligan, 16 Nov 2006

9. This is our best iPhone launch yet — more than
9 million new iPhones sold — a new record for
first weekend sales—Tim Cook, 2013.
Palm sold to HP in 2010, by 2011
Palm was done.

12. New
Instructional
Approaches
are Needed

13. Gamification

14. Gamification
Lots of Hype

15. Gartner Group predicts by 2015, 40 percent
of Global 1000 organizations will use
gamification as the primary mechanism to
transform business operations.

16. Gartner Group predicts that by 2014, 80
percent of current gamified applications
will fail to meet business objectives,
primarily due to poor design.

17. Let’s Play
Fact or Fishy…

18. Rules
• A statement is presented
– If “true” indicate: FactX
– If “false” indicate: FishyX
• Text Response:
Standard Texting Fees
Apply!
Take out
your text‐
machines

19. How To Vote via Texting
FACT01
FACT02
FISHY01
TIPS
1. Polleverywhere has no access to your phone number
2. Capitalization doesn’t matter, but spaces and spelling do
FACT01

20. What is this “game” stuff?
Gamification is
the use of gaming
elements
integrated into a
training program
aligned goals to
promote change
in behavior.
Game-based
Learning is the
use of a game to
teach knowledge,
skills and abilities
to learners using
a self-contained
space.
Simulation
Learning is a
realistic, controlledrisk environment
where learners can
practice specific
behaviors and
experience the
impacts of their
decisions.

21. What is this “game” stuff?
• Gamification is to Learning Game as:
– Part is to Whole
– Piece is to Puzzle
– Slice is to Pie
– Steering Wheel is to Car
• Gamification uses elements of games but is not
a game in-and-of itself.

22. What is this “game” stuff?
Gamification + Simulation = Learning Game
Content Gamification: Content
changes to be more game‐like
Structural Gamification: Game
elements added to propel learner
through content.

23. Gamification
Elements that
Aid Learning
1. Story
2. Challenge
3. Mystery
4. Characters/Avatar
5. Challenge
6. Levels
7. Feedback
8. Replayability
9. Freedom to Fail
10.Asethetics
11.Time
12.Rewards

24. Gamification
Elements that
Aid Learning
1. Story
2. Challenge
3. Mystery
4. Characters/Avatar
5. Challenge
6. Levels
7. Feedback
8. Replayability
9. Freedom to Fail
10.Asethetics
11.Time
12.Rewards
NOT Enough Time 

25. Elements of
Games
1. Reward Structures
2. Feedback
3. Story
4. Challenge

26. Fishy… if it was that easy…this would be the most engaging
game in the world.

27. 20% increase in profile completion.

28. Use coins, points and rewards to provide feedback on
performance, updates on progress , level of correctness
and to show Mastery.
Kapp, K. M. (2012) The Gamification of Learning and Instruction. New York: Pfeiffer. Chapter Four. Pages 89-98.

29. The value, or size, of an anticipated reward influences
the motivational signal sent to the brain only within
the contexts of the reward system.
Howard-Jones. P.A., & Demetriou, S. (2008, September 11). Uncertainty and engagement with learning games.
Instructional Science, 37, 519-536.

30. Receiving a PREDICTABLE reward
releases one shot of dopamine.
Howard-Jones. P.A., & Demetriou, S. (2008, September 11). Uncertainty and engagement with learning games.
Instructional Science, 37, 519-536.

31. Receiving an UNPREDICTABLE reward
releases two shots of dopamine.
Yeah, me!
Howard-Jones. P.A., & Demetriou, S. (2008, September 11). Uncertainty and engagement with learning games.
Instructional Science, 37, 519-536.

32. What can you do?
Intelligently add game elements to
instruction. Use points, rewards
and badges to convey
meaning…not simply completion.

33. Feedback

35. Provide specific comments
about errors and suggestions
for improvement.
Encourages learners to focus
their attention thoughtfully on
the task rather than on simply
getting the right answer.
Shute, V. J., Ventura, M., Bauer, M. I., & Zapata‐Rivera, D. (2009). Melding the power of serious games and
embedded assessment to monitor and foster learning: Flow and grow. In U. Ritterfeld, M. J. Cody, & P.
Vorderer (Eds.), Serious Games: Mechanisms and Effects. Philadelphia, PA: Routledge/LEA. 295‐321.

36. Leaderboards provide
opportunities for players to
receive feedback about their
performance as compared to
others.
Comparative and
relative feedback

37. What can you do?
Use feedback to inform learners of
errors in thinking and to focus them
on the task they are learning.

38. Researchers have found that the
human brain has a natural affinity for
narrative construction.
Yep, People tend to remember facts
more accurately if they encounter
them in a story rather than in a list.
And they rate legal arguments as more
convincing when built into narrative
tales rather than on legal precedent.
Carey, B. (2007) this is Your Life (and How You Tell it). The New York Times. Melanie Green
http://www.unc.edu/~mcgreen/research.html. Chapter 2 “The Gamification of Learning and
Instruction.

39. Story Elements
1. Characters
2. Plot (something has to happen).
3. Tension
4. Resolution
5. Conclusion

40. NikePlus Stats for Karl

42. What can you do?
Use meaningful stories. Provide the
context for the learning.

43. Fact.
Provide a challenge
Jones, B., Valdez, G., Norakowski, J., & Rasmussen, C. (1994). Designing learning and technology for educational
reform. North Central Regional Educational Laboratory. [Online]. Available:
http://www.ncrtec.org/capacity/profile/profwww.htm and Schlechty, P. C. (1997). Inventing better schools: An action plan
for educational reform. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass

44. Re-design the Instruction to
Start with a Challenge

45. Training
• Course Objectives
– Adhere to the proper policy for providing
information to clients
– Understand what is permissible to share with
clients and what is not
– Identify three methods of conducting an audit

46. You are gathering data during the first day
of an audit. During lunch, Mary
approaches you and tells you that she has
something important to discuss. The two
of you go to your office and she makes the
accusation that the VP of Finance is hiding
an account…
What is the first thing you should do?

47. What can you do?
Give your learners the “Kobayashi
Maru” equivalent.

48. “Kobayashi Maru” is a no win,
difficult situation designed to
teach “thinking.”

49. Putting it All Together

50. Technology Tower Trivia provides members the
opportunity to test their cable knowledge
through five cable related categories by climbing
the pyramid and wagering points with each
question.
Make it to the top and win the Technology
Tower Trivia. Stuck on a category? SCTE
offers a wide array of technical resources
and courses to help you strengthen your
knowledge in that key area.

55. Used to help determine what courses are
best for you to take from the professional
organization.

58. Gamification of paying off debt.

63. Femke Herregraven, won the Young Designer Award 2013 for developing a gamified
way of teaching international tax laws
What if a small company doing international business had a tool available that lets
them determine in an easy way how to pay as little tax as possible?
The tool www.taxodus.net does just that.

75. Copy of Slides and Notes available at
www.karlkapp.com
Contact Karl at:
kkapp@bloomu.edu