Gamification & Work.

"A good game is a unique way of structuring experience and provoking positive emotion. It is an extremely powerful tool for inspiring participation and motivating hard work" (McGonigal, 2011, p.33). This sums up the point that McGonigal is trying to convey, that being the gamification of the work process. McGonigal states that the emotional state of the worker and the work being done are closely related. When one is doing 'busywork' it is often seen as predictable and boring, a chore. However when we choose to do this work for ourselves we feel more invigorated and productive, we feel that what we are doing is having a real time impact on the world around us. (McGonigal, 2011, p.30)

McGonigal states that all games share four defining traits: a goal, rules, a feedback system and voluntary participation. These traits are designed to give players a "sense of purpose...foster strategic thinking...motivation to keep playing" and "to establish common ground for multiple people to play together" (McGonigal, 2011, p.21). These four traits describe what is so compelling and addictive about games, games are engaging because the players have agreed upon a predetermined set of rules which limits their actions, they have "agreed to make the work more challenging than it has any reasonable right to be" (McGonigal, 2011, p.23). McGonigal proposes that reality is too easy as games challenge us with these voluntary obstacles that put our personal strengths to better use and we should incorporate this into everyday life.

McGonigals theory's in action are evident in the PSB Idea Channel video "Is Minecraft The Ultimate Educational Tool?". The video explains the processes in which educational work is becoming gamified. Although not necessarily a game created with educating in mind, the video explains that teachers have been using minecraft to teach a variety of subjects such as computer science, foreign languages, art etc. Mods have been developed which allows the players to create, code and execute programmes within the game effectively teaching them computer science. This is due to its ability to become a creative, collaborative, entertaining environment where the students themselves are in control of their own challenges. McGonigal envisions a school and a world which does not use games but is a game in itself.

Bibliography

McGonigal, J., Reality Is Broken: Why Games Make Us Better and How They Can Change the World..[Online]
Available at: https://learning.ulster.ac.uk/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_group=courses&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fcontent%2FcontentWrapper.jsp%3Fcontent_id%3D_1811422_1%26displayName%3DLinked%2BFile%26course_id%3D_62517_1%26navItem%3Dcontent%26attachment%3Dtrue%26href%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Flearning.ulster.ac.uk%252Fbbcswebdav%252Fpid-1811422-dt-content-rid-4330029_1%252Fxid-4330029_1
[Accessed 11th November 2013]

Is Minecraft The Ultimate Education Tool? 2013, video, PSB Idea Channel, 6th March [Viewed 11th November 2013] <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RI0BN5AWOe8>.