Gamification: more than just playing games

"Why are you so into gamification?" my friend asked me.

It was a few days shy of the end of the third quarter of 2023. I was preparing a late dinner when my mobile phone rang. It was a friend and colleague from the university. "Hey, remember what you said about using other methods to teach and train people? Well, here's your chance!" she said, "I want you to develop and lead a seminar or training session designed for both students and faculty on the use of games other than playing."

Fast forward to March 2024 – with the help of my friends and colleagues from Heralds' Peak Distribution Corporation (HP) and the Business Management Society (BMS) of De La Salle University (DLSU) – we did a workshop for the university's students and faculty on how games can be integrated to help them improve their potential, whether it be in an academic setting or a working environment. The participants even got a bonus of learning to play competitive card games and getting freebies. It turned out to be a really enjoyable and engaging day.

And that's exactly the reason why I'm into gamification. It's simply enjoyable and engaging.

Gamification is the application of typical elements of game playing to other areas of activity. Therefore, games can be considered a potentially powerful tool to help unlock the potential of individuals in different industries or areas of expertise.

Games have transcended the realm of mere pastime and became more than just mainstream entertainment. It has been attracting people of all ages and backgrounds. Some individuals have even turned it into a source of income. That noteworthy effect even caught former US President Barack Obama's attention, prompting him to tell people from his administration, "I want you guys to be stuck on a video game that's teaching you something other than just blowing something up.”

Now, international companies and academic institutions are using gamification as a tool for training and learning. LEGO uses internal innovation challenges to encourage employees to develop new ideas and solutions. Singapore Management University implements their own "Escape Room" to allow students to learn about team dynamics, task complexity, team size, and effectiveness.

There are disadvantages noted by various agencies when it comes to games, most notably addiction. When this happens, individuals focus solely on the game, forgetting the outside world and the people around them. This can lead to further complications such as a decline in health and the development of bad habits. In far worse cases, financial problems may even arise. However, gaming's advantages outweigh its disadvantages. Games have been known to increase motivation, improve cognitive function and creativity, and make teamwork more efficient.

Personally, I have been using gamification in some of the business courses I teach, and I have found that the students are more likely to participate, talk, and write about it. During my time working for an energy company, our team always made sure we had some playtime between shifts. It gave us something to look forward to and made us feel important to the company.

Gamification is a powerful tool for learning, social connection, and fostering creativity when approached with moderation and awareness. As long as an individual or institution keeps an open mind, practices adaptability, and fosters creativity, gamifying activities is possible. Different methods can be applied, tailored to the needs and capabilities of a school or a company.

I am not saying that traditional methods of training and teaching are obsolete and should be discarded. We just need to make it more engaging and let people have fun when doing it. And that's where gamification shines the most.

I like to live by the words of George Bernard Shaw, "We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing."