Vote for the Top 100 Tools for Learning 2013

Once again, the Vote for the Top 100 Tools for Learning 2013 is open until Friday 27 September 2013. The list will be revealed on Monday, 30 September 2013. It is possible to vote through the c4lpt website or by tweeting to @C4LPT. Voters much choose 10 tools for learning.

This is my choice for 2013:

Friday 27 September 2013, and the Top 100 Tools list will be revealed on Monday 30 September 2013. - See more at: http://c4lpt.co.uk/top100tools/voting/#sthash.RUP92mfb.dpuf

Two of these tools are gamification tools (Leaderboarded and ClassDojo) that I used before. Moodle is a well known e-learning tool that has been used in several learning scenarios (current release is using badges - see this post). Twitter can also be a very valuable if we choose the right people to follow.

Meanwhile, last year's list is available: The Top 100 Tools for Learning 2012 (#1 Twitter). For the 2011 list see this post (also, Twitter #1).

The Top 100 Tools for Learning 2

The Top 100 Tools for Learning 2013

Top 100 Tools for Learning 2012

Top 100 Tools for Learning 2012

Vote for the Top 100 Tools for Learning 201

Vote for the Top 100 Tools for Learning 2013

All About Badges and Open Badges

“if a resumé or CV is a bunch of claims, Open Badges are a bunch of evidence”

Badges are definitely the top game element used in gamified systems (possibly because it is the  easiest one to use). In education, badges have been used for some time. The latest release of Moodle, Moodle 2.5, includes badges. Moodle's badges are compatible with Mozilla Open Badges. A FAQ is available to help teachers awarding them.

According to Moodle, badges are a good way of celebrating achievement and showing progress.

A free set of badges that can be used in Moodle or in any other website is available at MoodleBadges. Badg.us is a service for creating and issuing badges. Apparently it only works with Mozilla Open Badges. With OpenBadges.me it is also possible to create badges.

To know more about badges and how to use them in education scenarios, a MOOC supported by COURSESites is starting in September 9: Welcome to Badges: New Currency for Professional Credentials.

A video available in the course overview highlights some of the benefits of badges:

Here are some of the key ideas:

A badge is a validated indicator of accomplishment, skill, quality or interest that can be earned in any learning environment.

The  Open Badge infrastructure will make it easy to issue, display, and manage badges across the web.

Digital badges will make the accomplishments of individuals, in online and offline spaces, visible to anyone and averyone including potential employers, educators and communities.

Badges can be used in formal and informal learning scenarios. They are a tool to show individual accomplishments and a way to promote lifelong learning. P2PU is an example of an open education project aiming at lifelong and informal learning (and it uses badges). Rails for Zombies is another example of the use of badges to learn Ruby on Rails (in the zombie way :).

See also these other posts:

Badges & Educação (in portuguese but with some links in english).

More on Badges (title in english but contents in portuguese).

The MoodleBadge for Creative Thinking

Monitoring Players Activities in Gamified Systems

The most popular definition of gamification is the widely quoted definition from Deterding, Dixon, Khaled and Nacke (2011): “the use of design elements characteristic for games in non-game contexts”. This definition can be extended to the use of game design elements in non-game contexts, to drive game like engagement in order to promote desired behaviours.

A gamified system can then be defined as any non-game context with the addition of game elements. The purpose of a gamified system is to engage users and influence their behaviours in order to reach the system’s objectives more efficiently.

A Gamified System

If the context is digital, then the gamified system is some software application incorporating those game elements. The system can be a website or a web application. It can run on a server and be accessed by a computer with a web browser or it can be an app running on a smartphone storing data in the cloud. The system can be built as a gamified system from the start or some piece of gamification software can be added to an existing application. 

If the context is non-digital, a software system can be used to support the addition of the game elements and to monitor users’ activities. The software system may rely on specific devices or other applications to get the data from the non-digital context or it may need the intervention of a human user.

The users of gamified systems, those whose behaviours are to be changed, are called players. Players may have an active or a passive role in their relation to the system. If the context is non-digital, mediators are needed, either human users or some specific device. The system might have other kind of non-player users that act as mediators between the system and the non-game context. Players themselves can also act as mediators having an active role within the gamified system.

In digital non-game contexts, gamification platforms like PunchTab, Uplaude or CaptainUp provide tools to power websites, blogs and web applications. These tools can be simple add-ons or plug-ins to monitor and reward the players’ activities. In this approach, users take a passive role since they cannot control what is monitored and just let the system watch their actions.

Systems like Nike+, a well-known example of gamification, are non-game, non-digital contexts where a device (a smartphone or other specific device from Nike) act as a mediator, monitoring players' (runners) activities. Another similar example is Zamzee, targeting a younger audience.

ClassDojo is an example of a gamified system, where the non-game context is non-digital (a classroom) and a special user (the teacher) monitors the players' (students) activities. ChoreWars is a another example where the special user can also be a player.

Lift is a gamified system where players through the web or using an app, can set personal goals to improve their habits (like doing more exercise or drinking more water, the top popular habits). Each player's achievements can be shared with other players. Lift is an example where the players themselves act as mediators, monitoring and registering their own activities. Foodzy is another system where the players act as mediators.

(this post is based in a paper recently presented at the PLE Conference 2013 in Berlin - Simões, Redondo, Díaz, Vilas & Aguiar (2013); see also this other post).

References

Deterding, S., Dixon, D., Khaled, R., & Nacke, L. (2011). From Game Design Elements to Gamefulness: Defining “Gamification, Proceedings of the 15th International Academic MindTrek Conference Envisioning Future Media Environments.

Simões, Jorge; Redondo, Rebeca Díaz; Vilas, Ana Fernández; Ademar Aguiar (2013). Using Gamification to Improve Participation in a Social Learning Environment. In: THE PLE CONFERENCE 2013, 2013. Berlim. The PLE Conference 2013 Proceedings (to be published)

Call for Papers: “Rethinking Gamification”

Could be interesting ...

Call for papers for “Rethinking Gamification”

a handbook edited by 
Mathias Fuchs, Niklas Schrape, Sonia Fizek and Paolo Ruffino.

The Gamification Lab at the Centre for Digital Cultures in Lüneburg, Germany,  invites scholars, artists, designers and thinkers to critically question gamification and propose alternatives to the dominant models that have been framing this concept. The project will expand the outcome of the Rethinking Gamification workshop held in May 2013 at the Gamification Lab in Lüneburg, which involved a group of 15 international scholars and artists.
We expect proposals to critically analyse gamification. If interested, please send extended abstracts (1.000 words) for full length papers (8.000 words), to be completed (if accepted) by mid-December 2013. The final papers will be published in Spring 2014.

It is also worth to see the videos on Gamification Lab website and the related papers. They are contributions for the workshop Rethinking Gamification that took place on May 2013.

One of the papers is from Scott Nicholson: Exploring the Endgame of Gamification. He has beem working on meaningful gamification (see this other post) and he has his own RECIPE:

• Reflection – creating situations where users reflect to discover personal connections with the real-world setting;
• Exposition – using narrative and user-created stories to create deeper connections to the real-world setting;
• Choice – allowing the user to select paths and develop goals within the real-worldsetting that are more meaningful to him or her;
• Information – providing the user with information about the connections between the gamification activities and the real-world setting;
• Play – creating a safe space and set of boundaries where the user can choose how he or she wishes to engage with different gamification activities in the real-world setting;
• Engagement – using the gamification system to connect users to a community of practice that surrounds the real-world setting.

 

Gartner Hype Cycle: Gamification and Big Data in 2012 and 2013

Gamification and Big Data walk along together (see this other post about the Horizon Report 2013 - Higher Education Edition and also Four Approaches to Collecting Data in Gamified Systems). It is also worth to look at what Gartner predicts about the future of these two technologies. In the 2013 edition of Gartner's Hype Cycle for Emerging Technologies (which I got from here, a link shared by Andrzej Marczewski) and in the 2012 edition we can see how the two technologies are evolving. They are now both at the top of the "peak of inflated expectations" (Gamification is a little ahead). They have an horizon of 5 to 10 years to reach the "plateau of productivity" (in 2012, Big Data was in the 2 to 5 years horizon).

Hype Cycle for Emerging Technologies 2012

 Hype Cycle for Emerging Technologies 2013

And to end, a funny video about how gamification is already part of our lives ...

 

The video is from Designing Digitally, a company providing solutions for E-Learning programs, 3D training simulations and virtual worlds development.

Next Gamification Events

A list of the next gamification events shared among GamFed members:

• Game Industry trends 2013 in Poland on September 12th and 13th

• Gamifiers event in London on September 18th 

• GSummitX in New York on September 10th

• Enterprise gamification Forum 2013 in New York (Sept)

• Gamified.in – Oct 4th 

• Gamified conference in Munich on October 18

Gamification of Education: Recent Links

Some recent links about gamification of education:

-  4 Ways To Bring Gamification of Education To Your Classroom (from TopHat): some ways to use gamification in the classroom.

"Games, in any form, increase motivation through engagement. Nowhere else is this more important than education."

- Game on? The use of gamification in e-learning (from Aurion Learning)

" ... gamification in learning is the use of game mechanics to ‘gamify’ content to engage and entice users by encouraging and rewarding use."

"What does the successful application of gamification in e-learning look like?

1. Gamification isn’t about games, but the learners.

2. It isn’t about knowledge but behaviour.

3. It extracts the motivational techniques out of games and uses them for life-applicable learning.

4. It allows quick feedback of progress and communications of goals that need to be accomplished."

... and a new definition for gamification in learning contexts, from Razvan Rughinis in Gamification for Productive Interaction, Reading and Working with the Gamification Debate in Education (see this other post) presented at CISTI 2013 (proceedings available):

"Gamification in learning contexts represents simple gameplay to support productive interaction for expected types of learners and instructors."

Slides da Apresentação no Challenges 2013

Slides da apresentação do artigo Proposta de Modelo de Referência para Aplicação de Gamification em Ambientes de Aprendizagem Social, Challenges 2013, 16 de julho de 2013, Braga, Portugal.

Resumo: A gamification consiste na aplicação de elementos característicos dos videojogos em contextos não lúdicos com o objetivo de aumentar os níveis de envolvimento e de motivação dos participantes em atividades nesses contextos. Para atingir este objetivo tem sido considerada, entre outras, a teoria do fluxo. A educação é apontada como uma das áreas com maior potencial de aplicação de gamification. O crescente uso das tecnologias de informação e de comunicação em contextos educativos e o reconhecimento do potencial pedagógico das aplicações da Web 2.0 levam a que as plataformas de apoio ao ensino sejam candidatas à aplicação elementos de jogos, em particular de jogos sociais. Os elementos a considerar e a forma de os aplicar levaram à necessidade de definição de um modelo de referência que auxilie a aplicação do conceito de gamification. Este artigo apresenta uma proposta de um modelo de referência no seguimento de trabalhos anteriores que identificaram já as suas características gerais.

Palavras-chave: Gamification, elementos de jogos, teoria do fluxo, ambientes sociais de aprendizagem, modelo de referência

Abstract: Gamification is the application of typical elements from video games in non-gaming contexts aiming to increase the levels of engagement and motivation of the participants in activities in those contexts. The ways to achieve this objective have been supported by the flow theory, among others. Education is considered one of the areas with greatest potential for the application of gamification. The increasing use of information and communication technologies in educational contexts and the recognition of the pedagogical potential of Web 2.0 applications, made learning supporting platforms good candidates for the application of game elements, particularly from social games. Choosing which elements to consider and how to apply them led to the necessity of defining a framewok to assist the application of gamification. This paper presents a proposal of such a framework following previous work that has identified its general characteristics.

Keywords: Gamification, game elements, flow theory, social learning environments, framework

Paper in PLE 2013

Foi apresentado ontem, pelo Ademar Aguiar, o artigo que enviámos para a PLE 2013 - Personal Learning Environments: Learning and Diversity in the Cities of the Future,  em Berlim. 

O artigo, Using Gamification to Improve Participation in a Social Learning Environment, foi feito em co-autoria com Rebeca Redondo e Ana Vilas da Universidade de Vigo, para além do Ademar Aguiar. A redação do artigo contou ainda com o apoio de de um shepherd, Kamakshi Rajagopal.

Abstract do artigo: This paper presents a gamification framework applied in the integration of game elements in a K6 Social Learning Environment leading to a gamified system. With this gamified system it is expected to achieve a raise in the motivation to use the platform with students becaming more loyal users. It is also expected that they will be deeper involved and engaged in educational activities supported by the environment. The proposed gamification framework includes an architecture for a gamified system and a guide to help the development of gamified activities.

The Book of Mormon: Case Study White Paper

Foi publicado o white paper do último case study proposto pelo GamFed: um site gamificado para promoção e venda de bilhetes para um espectáculo da Broadway: The Book of Mormon (ver este post).

The Book of Mormon Case Study
The Book of Mormon is a satirical musical developed and directed by Trey Parker, Robert Lopez, Matt Stone and Casey Nicholaw. The production has won 9 Tony awards including Best Musical in 2011.

Supercharging Online Engagement
With the musical’s Broadway success rapidly gaining momentum, The Book of Mormon team aimed to increase online engagement and social sharing of tour dates, exclusive interviews and other important content available on the musical’s website. Being savvy about current trends in digital marketing, The Book of Mormon wanted to use social media to build online buzz for the production and boost interaction on the site.

Building a Rewards Program for Fans
Knowing that many people visit a production’s website to buy tickets, The Book of Mormon implemented BigDoor’s Gamified Loyalty Platform to launch site “missions” that prompt and incentivize visitors to check out videos, behind the scenes photos and The Book of Mormon in the news. Joining the program allows users to earn “golden plates”, a currency customized by the Book of Mormon team, which were redeemable for tickets to the show and Book of Mormon merchandise. As a white label product, the BigDoor platform easily aligned with The Book of Mormon’s satirical themes.

The site also launched BigDoor powered ”Street Team missions”, which load a timed messages for fans to retweet, rewarding higher point values for those who do so the fastest.
Since social media engagement is the ultimate goal, The Book of Mormon uses BigDoor’s social stream feature, which highlights real-time fan achievements earned in the program. Visitors to the site can see who is earning achievements, badges and rewards. The social stream prompts them to join and participate in the program.

The Results
Simply watching the social stream on The Book of Mormon’s website proves how active participants are in the program. Valuable site actions have increased by 10X and participants in the program view 2X as many pages. Fans of the program are learning more about the production, building excitement for tour dates and recruiting their friends to help them earn rewards. “Mission” accomplished!

Whitepaper BigDoor - The Book of Mormon by GamFed