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Mon 25 Aug 2025 23:13
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When hearing the word gamification, everyone quickly thinks of playing games. Gamification is not a game per se. It is a collective term for game elements that can be added to an already existing, non-game, context. For example, consider a progress bar when filling out your LinkedIn profile. You see that the bar is not quite full yet, encouraging you to fill in more until it is. This is also directly one of the main goals of gamification; behavioral change
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Gamification in Dutch means gamification. In short, Gamification is the use of game elements in a non-game environment. Note that this must be multiple elements. So it is not the case that if you only give out a prize at the end of a process, immediately the entire process is “gamified.”
There are a number of methods you can employ for gamification; motivational design, serious gaming and fun systems. The challenge is finding the right balance between the game element and the objective
In order to properly explain what gamification is used for, we have listed a few examples. Many large companies use gamification to encourage their employees to change their behavior. This can be small, like encouraging the use of stairs or large, like rolling out a new strategy
Gamification is used to encourage and promote behavior and E-learning in a fun, interactive and consistent way
Research by Kennisrotonde shows that using gamification leads to increased learner engagement and motivation. It also creates interaction between the learner and the material, allowing learners to absorb the material in their own way. This in turn increases the speed of learning and the effectiveness of the material
Game elements are recurring components of games that are used as tools for gamification. You can approach gamification in two ways:
1) From the individual game elements that make up the process and
2) The game experience where it is primarily about the experience of the person going through the process
Werbach has created a, study-based, classification of game elements. The most successful form of gamification does not necessarily employ the most elements, but deploys the game elements most effectively
While game elements are important tools for gamification, they are only a starting point to the entire process. Werbach identifies the following limitations when using only game elements:
If you use only game elements what about:
Aparticularly in the healthcare industry, which suffers from a tremendously high employee attrition rate especially in the first year, keeping engagement high is of enormous importance. Take the gamification of protocols, for example, where it is not about theory but behavior. Gamification helps in developing the right mindset. Read more about gamification and onboarding in healthcare.
Every teacher in education already gets gamification. Children of all ages need a rich learning environment for play. An environment that challenges and excites them. Learning through play contributes to both engagement and motivation. Read more about onboarding and gamification in education