What Is Gamification, Really?

By Valary Oleinik, valarywithawhy.com

Have you ever tried to keep a streak going? Maybe you practiced shooting hoops every day for a week or tried to make five baskets in a row. Each time you missed, you thought, “Just one more try.”

Or maybe you played a video game and unlocked an achievement, earned a badge, or reached a new level.

If so, you already know something about gamification. You also know something about the work I do as a gamification advocate.

As a gamification advocate, I study why games capture our attention and how some of those same ideas can help people learn, grow, and solve problems.

I have a career today that did not exist when I was in school. The key pieces existed, but they had not come together in quite the same way yet. The same may be true for you. You might have noticed that things are changing quickly these days.

That means learning how to learn, adapt, experiment, and keep going may matter even more than memorizing one “right” path.

One thing that has not changed,