Defining the Concept
Gamification has become a popular practice in many contexts, including enterprise, health, education, advertising and the military, with varied levels of acceptance and success (Deterding, Dixon, Khaled, & Nacke, 2011). Despite widespread discussion and application of gamification, and broad agreement on many key aspects of the concept, there is no single definition agreed by both practitioners and researchers (Erenli, 2012).
Even within a single context such as education, definitions vary (Muntean, 2011). The many definitions of games and gamification, and the embedded characteristics of some of these definitions, were considered in the context of learning by Erenli (2012). Based on a review of the literature, the following definition of gamification within the context of education was proposed (Deterding, Dixon, Khaled, & Nacke, 2011, p.10): “Gamification is the use of game elements in contexts that had originally no link to game related elements” (Erenli, 2012).
Kapp (2012) noted the importance of defining the basis of gamification (i.e. the ‘game’) in the context in which the game is ‘played’, and therefore the context in which the gamification is applied. The importance of context is supported by the work of Tootell et al. (2013) which considers the need to examine the use of any technology within its social context of use, linking this to the critical theory idea of ‘lifeworld’ (Habermas, 1984). Kapp defined a game in a learning context as “a system in which players engage in an abstract challenge, defined by rules, interactivity, and feedback, that results in a quantifiable outcome often eliciting an emotional reaction.” (2012, p.7) and hence defined gamification as “using game-based mechanics, aesthetics and game thinking to engage people, motivate action, promote learning, and solve problems.” (2012, p.10)