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Level Up Tech Quest (http:// leveluptechquest. wikispaces, com) defines gamification as "the process of using game thinking and game mechanics to solve problems and engage users. To be classified as gamification, an entire unit or classroom must use gaming techniques." In contrast, Mashable (http:// mashable.com) defines gamification as "the use of game mechanics and game design techniques in non-game contexts. The technique can encourage people to perform chores that they ordinarily consider boring, such as completing surveys, shopping, filling out tax forms, or reading websites." An example from Sean Penney, a producer at Ayogo (www.youtube. com/watch?v=MFRV0A988yw), defines the difference between gaming and gamification:
"Fitness is intrinsically rewarding, but a lot of people have problems getting motivated to do it, so the goal of gaming is to help motivate those people. So, gaming is the application of game principals to something that is not necessarily a game. This shouldn't be compared to, or confused with, serious games whose goal is to teach somebody something. Gamification is moving more toward a joining of all these principles."
According to How Gaming Is Changing the Classroom (http://magazine.good.is/ articles/how-gaming-ischanging-the-classroom), by the time a student is 21 he or she will have played nearly 10,000 hours of video games. Why Teachers Are (and Aren't) Using Educational Video Games (www.edudemic.com/ why-teachers-are-and-arent-us ing-educational-videos-games) includes an infographie showing that 18% of teachers use games daily and 95% use digital games created specifically for educational use. Seventy percent of teachers polled said using educational video games increased student engagement, and 60% acknowledge that games help personalize instruction and conduct better assessments.
Five Benefits of Adding Gamification to Classrooms (http://education.cu-portland. edu) suggests that gaming:
* Boosts enthusiasm toward math,
* Lessens disruptive behavior,
* Increases cognitive growth,
* Incorporates mature makebelieve which encourages growth and development, and
* Improves attention span through game-centric learning.
Some elements of What Makes a Good Game? (http:// serc.carleton.edu) are that a game offers:
* Continuous challenge,
* Interesting storylines,
* Flexibility (more than one...