Internet Learning Volume 3, Number 2, Fall 2014 | Page 49
Problems and Possibilities of Gamifying Learning: A Conceptual Review
point of view and life experiences. Salen
and Zimmerman (2004) suggest that good
narrative structures within games provide
tensions and poses problems in order to
put players in a variety of situations and
events, all through the personification or
characterization of the event(s), and then
move the player through various levels that
allow gamers to progress through the game
towards a resolution.
The concept of narrative is further
solidified and instantiated through a feedback
loop (Abrams & Gerber, 2013; Salen &
Zimmerman, 2004), which is a systematic
and iterative portrayal of one's progress in a
gaming environment.
The Feedback Loop
The feedback loop is provided so that
individuals can see and understand
how their actions and movements
impact their game play experience. From
this information, players can then make
changes that allow them to become more
successful in the given game environment
in which they are playing or experiencing.
The feedback loop is made up of multiple
elements, and Abrams & Gerber suggest
that the four most powerful elements of
the feedback loop when used in learning
environments--be they educational or entertainment--are
the objectives, health/
life bars, in-game maps, and leaderboards.
Objectives tell players what their mission
is or what they are supposed to do. Health
and life bars keep players informed of how
many lives they have left, or how close they
are to dying. In-game maps allow players
to see where they are in the game world, as
well as give players an indication of where
the key areas are in the game, or where their
enemies or other players might be located
in relation to their current in-game location.
Leaderboards can be personal leaderboards
or game leaderboards, and allow
players to see their personal strengths
and weaknesses within the game, as well as
how they compare to other players. These
elements work together in an iterative fashion,
providing gamers with information
as-needed and just-in-time so that they
can make the decision that will result in
the best situation for their current needs
in the game. Good games provide players
with a tutorial that allows them to understand
through the feedback loop. What this
means is that as a player begins a game, he
or she begins to assume the character or
avatar that they are representing (in the
case of many games, but not all), however,
during this process their play experience is
mediated by a feedback loop that is gradually
allowing the player to learn the proper
mechanics of play, including the game
controls, and getting into the storyline and
understanding the objective for their mission.
The game tutorial may also seem to
be different from a traditional tutorial one
would receive in a class or lesson, because
the game tutorial often is actual game play
that has a direct impact within the game,
allowing the player to begin gaining and accruing
points, or XP (experience points).
Power of Crowds
While not necessarily a required
element of all games, often
gamification is combined with
crowdsourcing, using collective intelligence
to solve complex problems and create solutions
to mysteries (problems that scientists
and researchers have pondered for some
time). However, what should be noted is
that all games are inherently social events.
Games and gamers, whether the game is a
single player game or massively multiplayer
game, are built around communities of fans
48