Calm and Chaos

How does the practice of gamification aim to enhance user motivation and/or engagement?

What is Gamification?

Originally developed in 2002 by Nick Pelling, gamification is widely known as ‘the use of game design elements in non-game contexts’ (Sailer et al. 2013). It became a more widely used term in the digital world from 2010, following the success of location-based service, Foursquare. Gamification is different to traditional video games with the idea being to use motivational affordances for reasons other than purely entertaining purposes (Sailer et al. 2013). It is being used in a variety of areas including: finance, education, productivity, and news. Gamification is also popular in the field of health and wellness, which is discussed throughout the post in relation to the app, ‘Bloom’.

According to PR Newswire website, the global gamification market is valued at approximately USD 5.5 billion in 2018. This is estimated to grow at a rate of 30.31% over the period 2019-2024. It is believed that the constant growth in the use of smart phones and mobile devices has contributed to this value. Research into gamification has meant there is greater recognition of using this system as a means to alter human behaviour, and increase motivation and engagement.

Why use Gamification?

Gamification has many advantages, both for developers and users.

In the marketing world, gamification can be seen as a more cost-effective method of changing user behaviour. Using human-computer interaction (HCI), every aspect of the user’s engagement is captured and processed (Fuchs et al. 2014, p. 31). This allows users to track their own progress and involvement, as well as providing essential information to developers. This process can be likened to a frequent-flyer program, tracking and revealing customer brand loyalty, and providing incentives and rewards along the way.

People are used to being rewarded with items like money and good grades, and the use of gamification builds on this.It is can often be seen as a more playful and sustainable method to producing desired effects, as it works to increase motivation intrinsically and extrinsically. Although gamification is used for purposes other than entertaining, the element of fun still exists and can be one of the driving forces behind positive behaviour change.

Self-determination Theory & Motivation

Self-determination theory shows that not all forms of motivation are equal. It is an essential theory underpinning the use of gamification. According to (Sailer et al. 2013), there are universal psychological needs, that when combined with motivation, can enhance user experience and effect behaviour. There are two types of motivation that gamification can draw on: intrinsic and extrinsic. Classified as the desired motivational state, intrinsic motivation encourages users to execute an action for their own sake. They may choose to do so because it is interesting, exciting, or challenging (Sailer et al. 2013). Extrinsic motivation on the other hand, relies on the use of rewards to get users to perform the desired action.

The game elements used in gamification help retain user motivation. Some ways they do this is by providing:

• immediate positive reinforcements
• visual representations of achievements
• feedback
• clear goals
• virtual status symbols
• social relatedness

Research has shown that the major driving force behind behaviour change, is motivation (Johnson et al. 2016). An example of a gamified phone app that uses both forms of motivation is ‘Bloom’ – a wellbeing app created by influencers Chloe Szep and Molly Jane. Users are motivated to engage with the app through its virtual rewards and ability to track progress. Daily check-ins, music, and choice of design help users develop a greater connection to the app. Through being rewarded, habits are developed and user behaviour can change.

Research by Sailer and others (2013) into the link between motivation and gamification has shown that there are six main perspectives of motivation that can be taken into consideration. These are: the trait perspective, the behaviourist learning perspective, the cognitive perspective, the perspective of self-determination, the perspective of interest, and the perspective of emotion. The video below will further explore these perspective and how they can be linked to the ‘Bloom’ app.

Gamification & Wellbeing

One area that has seen a rise in the use of gamification is the health and wellbeing industry. Like traditional games, gamification can use intrinsic motivation to initiate positive behaviour change. The advancement of mobile and digital technology has made gamified apps more accessible and appealable to the population. It also has the increased benefit of being able to track your data and share relevant information. Gamification apps, like the above mentioned ‘Bloom’, can support all aspects of wellbeing and support the development of positive emotions, relationships, and engagement (Johnson et al. 2016).

In relation to mental health, there is evidence that gamification can have positive effects on wellbeing, personal growth, stress and anxiety (Johnson et al. 2016). They note the following as some reasons why gamification and wellbeing work well together:

• Provides intrinsic motivation for the continuation of increased health and wellbeing behaviours
• Easily accessible by mobile phone
• Different game elements can appeal to a larger audience
• Health gamification can cover a broad range of wellbeing areas
• Faster and more cost-efficient than non-gamification systems
• Can be incorporated into everyday life rather than being an additional activity
• Engaging with gamified apps helps meet basic psychological needs

The reasons mentioned above can be seen in the ‘Bloom’ app and can be factored in to why the app is so popular.

Overall, it is evident that gamification can be effective in positively changing user behaviour, and as a result, the popularity is likely to increase over the next decade.

Sources

Fuchs, M, Fizek, S, Ruffino, P & Schrape, N (eds) 2014, Rethinking Gamification, Meson Press, retrieved 18 May 2020, <https://meson.press/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/9783957960016-rethinking-gamification.pdf&gt;.

Johnson, D, Deterding, S, Kuhn, K, Staneva, A, Stoyanov, S & Hides, L 2016, ‘Gamification for health and wellbeing: A systematic review of the literature’, Science Direct, vol. 6, pp. 89-106, retrieved 16 May 2020, <https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214782916300380?via%3Dihub&gt;.

PR Newswire 2019, Global Gamfication Market, 2019-2024 – Mobile-based Gamification is Gaining Momentum, PR Newswire, retrieved 16 May 2020, <https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/global-gamification-market-2019-2024—mobile-based-gamification-is-gaining-momentum-300812482.html&gt;.

Sailer, M, Hense, J, Mandl, H & Klevers, M 2013, ‘Psychological Perspectives on Motivation through Gamification’, Interaction Design & Architecture Journal, no. 19, pp. 28-37, retrieved 8 May 2020, Research Gate.

Title picture – ‘Gamification cloud’ by Geoff Simon (CC BY-ND 2.0) https://www.flickr.com/photos/26173922

Sitting down to interview Jocelyn, she immediately put me at ease. It was surprising how comfortable it was to sit down and talk with, not only the CEO of an charitable organisation, but also an influential woman whom I, and so many others, admire. When not in a boardroom, the 58-year-old enjoys walking her dogs, reading, attempting to knit, and spending time with her three children, and extended family.

Before the boardroom

Growing up on a dairy farm in country Victoria,  Jocelyn, or Joce, as she is affectionally known, was not your ordinary middle child. Rather than feeling left out like many middle children do, Joce felt she always had the option of playing ‘big kid’ or ‘little kid’, and when that didn’t suit her, she was content to spend time alone. Joce believes that learning to adapt to her surroundings as a child helped enable her to be more flexible in her working life.Although Joce recognises that she has lived a privileged working life thus far, it hasn’t always been smooth sailing for the girl from the bush. 

‘I came to Melbourne, unemployed, and without a clue of what to do with myself’

Jocelyn

With a laugh, Joce recalls the great, big cardboard box she had from High School that was now full of rejection letters after 5 months of constant setbacks. Her first reprieve came from Bethlehem Hospital where she worked as a Nurse Aid – a ‘pinkie’ as she describes the memory fondly. 

After saving up some money, Joce travelled to Europe where her parents had migrated from, returning to Australia with renewed vigour and enthusiasm. The experience of being unemployed for 4-5 months, as well as the traveling, helped to shape Joce’s thinking around community services and the type of work she wanted to do. This led to her completing a degree in youth work. 

‘That first course rekindled a love of learning’, explains Joce. 

‘What I learn on the job I match with a formal learning piece.’

This love of learning saw Joce partake in formal education all her adult life, even now as she is completing her Masters of Public Policy. 

Joce sees herself as having a ‘meandering professional life’, where each opportunity presented led to another opportunity. 

In 2008 Joce began working at McAuley Community Services for Women, an organisation that supports women and children who have faced family violence and homelessness, to take control of their lives. They do this through various services and programs including McAuley House – a residential facility in Footscray that can house up to 25 women, providing them with 24-hour support. 

As CEO, Joce loves that every day when she goes into work, it is a bit different to the day before. She describes her main role as assisting in keeping the organisation, as a whole, safe. This includes working closely with the board and executives to work within the legal framework, duty of care and other provisions necessary. Even while doing all of this, it is clear that her primary focus is always on helping the women and children.

• 

‘What are we doing? And how do we know that we are doing it to the best of our ability? How do we tell people what’s needed?’ are some of the questions Joce faces as part of her role. 

One of the biggest challenges facing Joce and the team at McAuley was around women needing to take their children to court with them. The magistrate does not want a screaming baby in a court room, telling the mother to come back another time when alternate arrangements have been for the children, resulting in women leaving without the intervention order they needed to ensure their safety. 

This challenge led to the development of a designated children’s worker at the court. Initial funding allowed this concept to take-off with great results, however the challenge has been in gaining extra funding from the government to keep the program sustainable.

‘We have a really good program, everyone loves it, it works, and we’ve got a skilled team, but how do I keep them employed?’ is the challenge facing Joce.

When it comes to addressing family violence, Joce makes her stance clear:

‘women should not have to leave because they are victims of family violence. We should be protecting children and children’s education, health and wellbeing, and we should be protecting their mothers and carers, and their capacity to stay in their community.’ 

Her frustration around women being forced to leave their own homes is written across Joce’s face. It is evident that keeping women at home and in their communities is a clear goal of hers. 

As to how do we go about keeping women safe at home, Joce believes that perpetrators need to be held to account much more swiftly, leaving them nowhere to hide. She would also like to get to a point where family violence is not a common and comfortable topic to talk about.

‘If a child hopped into a car now, they would feel uncomfortable without a seatbelt on because it’s like “hang on, I need that”. We need to get to a stage where it is uncomfortable for anyone to know that family violence is going on, and it should be stopped.’ 

Teamwork

Kara Zaffarese, a case manager at McAuley House, has seen first-hand the impact family violence and trauma can have on women. Working one-on-one, Kara’s aim is to support women to achieve their goals. Sometimes this means liaising with other services, advocacy, assisting with appointments, and crisis response. Like Joce, every day at McAuley House is different, and for Kara, the opportunity to sit with women in their hardest times, whilst also celebrating their wins, is what makes the job extra rewarding. 

Talking to Kara about family violence, it is clear that she is passionate when it comes to fighting for, and supporting women during their toughest times.

‘I do not believe it is ethical for victims/survivors and perpetrators to sit in the same room waiting to be heard in court. Our courts need to be designed to support and protect the women, not re-traumatise them.’

Maria* is one resident who has benefited from the services provided by McAuley Community Services for Women. After escaping a violent situation in her home, Maria, aged 44, came to McAuley House two years ago with very little to her name. 

‘I was scared and felt completely lost. I felt like I had fallen into a massive hole with no way to get out of it.’

As she prepares to move into independent housing in the coming months, Maria leaves with renewed confidence and determination. 

‘McAuley House provided me with somewhere safe to live whilst I got back on track. The staff have been wonderful in helping me get some independence back and I can’t wait to have a place to call my own.’

These are the types of wins that that Kara, Joce, and other staff love to celebrate. 

When I asked Joce about her own win in receiving an Order of Australia Medal this year, she was very humble and quick to point out that it was not just her win. 

‘I’m just one of a whole team of people that make this work.’, exclaims Joce. 

As for what’s next, Joce is pondering over how best to use what limited time she may have left, to best help women stay safe at home.

*Not her real name

The Content

My podcast explores the question, ‘does the nature of digital innovation place cultural heritage institutions at risk of becoming redundant?’ The Melbourne museum was used as the main example when discussing cultural heritage institutions.

My podcast discusses the pros and cons of visiting the museum in person, as well as being able to access the entire collection on your device from home. After presenting an argument for both reality, and virtual reality, I argued that perhaps the best solution to keeping museums viable was to create a hybrid experience that could withstand change and time. I did this by setting out clear logical explanations, and providing real-life examples.

Sources

When researching my topic, I drew on multiple sources. I started by brainstorming the question myself, and utilising my own thoughts and experiences around visiting the museum and new technology. I then referred to the study notes and resources provided to us by unit chair, Adam Brown. I found this a good starting point for my research. 

One of the texts recommended in the study notes was Transforming Museums in the Twenty-First Century by Graham Black. Reading the introduction of this e-book provided me with more insight to the challenges facing museums as time progresses and technology evolves. Some of the challenges were used to inform listeners of the negative side of digital innovation. Reflecting on the ideas in this text informed my further research.The journal article by Bannon and others, provided a tangible example of how one museum is using digital innovation to create a positive, hybrid experience. Discussing the project in the podcast makes the hybrid concept more relatable and realistic for listeners. 

Sources used are:

• Black, G 2012, Transforming Museums in the Twenty-First Century, Taylor & Francis Group, retrieved 26 April 2020, <https://ebookcentral-proquest-com.ezproxy-b.deakin.edu.au/lib/deakin/reader.action?docID=957857&gt;.

• Bannon, L, Benford, S, Bowers, J & Heath, Christian 2005, ‘Hybrid design creates innovative museum experiences’, Communications of the ACM, vol. 48, no. 3, pp. 62-65, doi: 10.1145/1047671.1047706.

Content Creation

Creating my first podcast was certainly a challenge and I’m glad that I made a practice one first. After conducting all my research, I wrote out my entire script, breaking it into smaller sections to help with recording. I then recorded myself using the voice memo application on my iPhone – this took several attempts until I was happy with the result before transferring to my computer. I used the free online website ‘ZamZar’ to convert it from m4a to wav. This was then imported into ‘Audacity’ where I merged the different sections of my podcast with my intro and outer music. The music I used was downloaded from Sound Cloud, and I made sure it had a creative commons licence that allowed  me to use it for my podcast. I also used Audacity to cut out some background noise, adjust the volume of speaking, and to fade the music in and out. 

I concluded by uploading the podcast to my Sound Cloud account. I added a feature image and extra details to the description.

Challenges & Learnings

Some of the challenges I faced were:

Using programs I had never used before. Doing a practice podcast first helped me in working out how to use Audacity, and Sound Cloud. This also helped develop my confidence in preparation for the final podcast.

Finding copyright free music to use in my podcast. I searched various website before looking up creative commons music on Sound Cloud, where I found the track I liked.

It was a little difficult finding a quiet place to record due to living in a house with 30 other people. I just had to be patient and choose the right time and a room that suited my needs. 

Creating my first podcast enabled me to see that it can be fun to step outside your comfort zone and try something new. I learnt how to use programs I had never used before, as well as learning how valuable and helpful Twitter can be when making media. 

My (hopefully helpful) tips on creating your first podcast 🎙 #ALC708 pic.twitter.com/oWLllTnrbi

— Tania Hadzig (@HadzigTania) May 4, 2020