Jane Mcgonigal's Blog gameswithoutfrontiers The Gamification Research Network Overview | Call for Papers | Schedule | Papers | Participants | Organizers Update, April 18, 2011: The paper “Play Society Research Project” by Kuikkaniemi et al. has been replaced with a more recent version (also in the bundle). The “introductory papers” below are the original extended abstract for the workshop and a workshop paper we organizers wrote to wrap our heads around the term “gamification” – and we sincerely look forward to be challenged on that. We’ve collected all papers in one handy file for your convenience: Bundle of all workshop papers (PDF) Introductory papers Deterding, Sebastian; Sicart, Miguel; Nacke, Lennart; O’Hara, Kenton; Dixon, DanGamification: Using Game Design Elements in Non-Gaming Contexts “Gamification” is an informal umbrella term for the use of video game elements in non-gaming systems to improve user experience (UX) and user engagement. Workshop papers Antin, Judd, Churchill, Elisabeth F. Laschke, Matthias; Hassenzahl, MarcBeing a “mayor” or a “patron”?
The Digital Experience and Play | Innovaro Insights & Research Image: x-ray delta one (Flickr) The idea of leisure and “play” for children in America has evolved from an experience cemented in timeless, staple games and toys to one that is increasingly tied to the evolving digital experience of their parents. Consider these trends: Digital activity is soaring among kids. According to an article citing research by the Sesame Workshop, children today are increasingly digitally active—67% of eight year olds use the Internet daily, 40% of four year olds are daily video game players, and 20% of children between the ages of six and eleven own a cell phone. That’s nearly double the percentage found just five years ago (12%). Young, Gen Y moms are exposing their kids to tech earlier than ever. The complexity of toys, and play, will intensify. It’s something we plan to keep our eyes on, for sure—though this doesn’t mean that come January we won’t be eagerly watching the 2012 CES in Las Vegas to see what this New Year’s hottest toys will be as well. Like this:
20 Things Students Want the Nation to Know About Education It's rare for education reformers, policymakers, and funders to listen to those at the heart of education reform work: The students. In fact Ann Curry who hosted Education Nation's first *student panel admitted folks at NBC were a little nervous about putting kids on stage. In their "Voices of a Nation" discussion, young people provided insight into their own experiences with education and what they think needs to be done to ensure that every student receives a world-class education. After the discussion Curry knew these students didn't disappoint. She told viewers, "Students wanted to say something that made a difference to you (adults) and they did. Here is a video of the student panelists followed by a recap of some of the sentiments they shared. Below are the sentiments shared by these current and former students during the segment. The students are ready to talk to us.