Gamification:
What is it and what is it not?
Misconceptions
Gamification does not equal making games, nor is it just the integration of points, rewards, badges, levels, and leaderboards. It is not a topping that museums can simply sprinkle on their exhibits to instantly make them fun and increase visitor motivation and engagement. In reality, it is quite the opposite. If not done right or treated as an afterthought, gamification may even make your exhibits less appealing or it may backfire and lead to unintended consequences. For example, it may lower the credibility of your content, undermine visitors' personal values, interfere with social norms, or cause people to completely miss the exhibit's objective. So, what is gamification?
The Reality
Gamification involves "integrating game dynamics into your site, service, community, content or campaign, in order to drive participation" (Denton). Although gamification is often used as a gimmick, it can actually be a powerful educational tool. After all, games are fun not because they are games, but because they are well-designed. At the core of gamification is the goal of appealing to people's need for autonomy, competence, and relatedness. It achieves this by:
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Tapping into people's personal goals and interests
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Providing them with scaffolded challenges
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Allowing them to explore and express themselves
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Offering them freedom to fail forward
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Giving specific and timely feedback
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How can these gameful ideas apply to museums?