{"id":11023,"date":"2017-09-11T12:38:52","date_gmt":"2017-09-11T17:38:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/cat.xula.edu\/food\/?p=11023"},"modified":"2017-09-11T12:38:52","modified_gmt":"2017-09-11T17:38:52","slug":"gamification-pitfalls-to-avoid","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cat.xula.edu\/food\/gamification-pitfalls-to-avoid\/","title":{"rendered":"Gamification Pitfalls to Avoid"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"pitfall<\/a>\n<\/div>\n<\/p>\n

In my blog post on using gamification in your courses<\/a>, I wrote about why educators are using gamification in teaching and learning. If you are considering using gamification in your courses, beware of pitfalls.<\/p>\n

In a recent eLearning Industry blog post, Srividya Kumar wrote,<\/p>\n

When gamification is not thought through and designed well, it can have the exact opposite effect of what was intended.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Srividya indicates that gamification can be like walking a tightrope in order to get it right. She goes on to provide some pitfalls to watch out for. The pitfalls she suggests you avoid are:<\/p>\n

1. Superficial Engagement<\/h3>\n

Having learners fall over themselves to earn goodies, or compete to achieve top position on a leaderboard is great, but if these are the only reasons that spur learners to perform the desired behaviors, then it\u2019s not going to last very long. Extrinsic motivators can only go so far to engage and motivate. Make sure to have more intrinsic motivators<\/a> than extrinsic motivators.<\/p>\n

2. Unintended Consequences<\/h3>\n

Think long and hard about the motivators, rewards, and consequences. While encouraging and rewarding the right behaviors does definitely motivate people, sometimes unintended, and even undesirable behaviors can be the side effects of a gamification initiative, as evidenced by the cobra effect<\/a>.<\/p>\n

3. Rewarding the Wrong Behaviors<\/h3>\n

Avoid Kerr\u2019s folly<\/a>, rewarding A while hoping for B. Your reward structure shouldn\u2019t undermine your goal. You should be clear about the goal and the outcomes you are aiming for. Measure and reward what is important, not what is easy.<\/p>\n

4. Rewards That Learners Don\u2019t Find Valuable<\/h3>\n

You may have received a gift that you really didn\u2019t like or could not find much use for and struggled to tell the person that you did not like or could not use the gift. That\u2019s exactly what would happen if you throw a bunch of worthless badges at learners, without thinking about whether they would find these badges valuable. Avoid this situation by thinking about whether your learners will find your rewards useful\/exciting.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m sure you can think of other pitfalls to avoid. Please use the comments below to let us know your thoughts on this topic.<\/p>\n

If you are interested reading more about these pitfalls, refer to the \u201c4 Gamification Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them<\/a>\u201d blog post.<\/p>\n

Photo Credit: Pitfall Str<\/a> | CC BY 2.0<\/a><\/small><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In my blog post on using gamification in your courses, I wrote about why educators are using gamification in teaching and learning. If you are considering using gamification in your courses, beware of pitfalls. In a recent eLearning Industry blog post, Srividya Kumar wrote, When gamification is not thought through and designed well, it can ...continue reading \"Gamification Pitfalls to Avoid\"<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[4],"tags":[358],"class_list":{"0":"post-11023","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-online","7":"tag-gamification","8":"h-entry","9":"hentry","10":"h-as-article"},"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p82MQk-2RN","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":15324,"url":"https:\/\/cat.xula.edu\/food\/icymi-why-use-gamification-in-your-courses\/","url_meta":{"origin":11023,"position":0},"title":"ICYMI: Why Use Gamification in your Courses?","author":"Janice Florent","date":"May 26, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Gamification is making a boring process interesting by using fun elements from games. Gamification is not the same as playing a game. Educators have been using gamification even before there was an official term for it. Yu-kai Chou (2015) defines gamification as: The craft of deriving fun and engaging elements\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "CAT & Mouse: E-Learning"","block_context":{"text":"CAT & Mouse: E-Learning","link":"https:\/\/cat.xula.edu\/food\/topic\/online\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"backgammon game board","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cdn.pixabay.com\/photo\/2016\/12\/13\/12\/03\/backgammon-1903935_1280.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":12717,"url":"https:\/\/cat.xula.edu\/food\/gamifying-grammar-part-i\/","url_meta":{"origin":11023,"position":1},"title":"Gamifying Grammar, Part I","author":"Jason S. Todd","date":"September 8, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Last month, I wrote about setting up my classes in Brightspace before the semester had begun, in part because I was in the process of gamifying my advanced grammar class. I've had a few people ask me about that, so I thought I'd provide an update here with plans to\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"A scan of a yellow Schoolhouse Rock\/Grammar Rock CD.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cat.xula.edu\/food\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/img_0347.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":9856,"url":"https:\/\/cat.xula.edu\/food\/why-use-gamification-in-your-courses\/","url_meta":{"origin":11023,"position":2},"title":"Why Use Gamification in your Courses?","author":"Janice Florent","date":"July 22, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"by Janice Florent Gamification is making a boring process interesting by using fun elements from games. Gamification is not the same as playing a game. Educators have been using gamification even before there was an official term for it. Yu-kai Chou (2015) defines gamification as: The craft of deriving fun\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "CAT & Mouse: E-Learning"","block_context":{"text":"CAT & Mouse: E-Learning","link":"https:\/\/cat.xula.edu\/food\/topic\/online\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"game board","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cdn.pixabay.com\/photo\/2015\/05\/10\/21\/16\/board-761586_960_720.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":10979,"url":"https:\/\/cat.xula.edu\/food\/gamification-in-faculty-development\/","url_meta":{"origin":11023,"position":3},"title":"Gamification in Faculty Development","author":"Janice Florent","date":"September 4, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Gamification is making a boring process interesting by using fun elements from games. Educators have been using gamification even before there was an official term for it. Gamification gets people excited like no other strategy does, probably because it holds the promise of fun and engagement, and extraordinary results. Research\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "CAT & Mouse: E-Learning"","block_context":{"text":"CAT & Mouse: E-Learning","link":"https:\/\/cat.xula.edu\/food\/topic\/online\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"board game","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cat.xula.edu\/food\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/board-761586_640.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":10145,"url":"https:\/\/cat.xula.edu\/food\/online-teaching-strategies\/","url_meta":{"origin":11023,"position":4},"title":"Online Teaching Strategies","author":"Janice Florent","date":"September 12, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"by Janice Florent Are you thinking about how to deliver your online course for maximum success? In an Inside Higher Ed blog post, Andrea Zellner provided some strategies to make your online teaching better. Andrea's strategies are: Technology should help and not hinder. Expect things to go wrong, and do\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "CAT & Mouse: E-Learning"","block_context":{"text":"CAT & Mouse: E-Learning","link":"https:\/\/cat.xula.edu\/food\/topic\/online\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"laptop computer and cup of coffee on the top of a desk","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cat.xula.edu\/food\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/computer-and-coffee.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":11834,"url":"https:\/\/cat.xula.edu\/food\/brightspace-tip-27-gamify-your-courses-training-recap\/","url_meta":{"origin":11023,"position":5},"title":"Brightspace Tip #27: Gamify Your Courses Training Recap","author":"Janice Florent","date":"April 26, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"This week\u2019s \"Get Your Game On: Gamify Your Brightspace Courses\" training focused on how using gamification can engage and motivate students. This training session also covered how instructors can selectively release content to students using release conditions. In case you missed this week\u2019s training session or if you attended the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Brightspace Small Plates"","block_context":{"text":"Brightspace Small Plates","link":"https:\/\/cat.xula.edu\/food\/topic\/brightspace\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"keep calm and let's recap","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cat.xula.edu\/food\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/Keep_Calm_Lets_Recap.png?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cat.xula.edu\/food\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11023","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cat.xula.edu\/food\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cat.xula.edu\/food\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cat.xula.edu\/food\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cat.xula.edu\/food\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11023"}],"version-history":[{"count":15,"href":"https:\/\/cat.xula.edu\/food\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11023\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11039,"href":"https:\/\/cat.xula.edu\/food\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11023\/revisions\/11039"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cat.xula.edu\/food\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11023"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cat.xula.edu\/food\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11023"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cat.xula.edu\/food\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11023"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}