eLearningworld News from US
New research from the University of New Mexico shows significant benefits of including gamification mechanics in products and services. It both triggers inner-motivation as well as health benefits. Professor Nick Flor at Anderson School of Management explains: “Primitive humans evolved an innate affinity for playing games, because games allowed them to practice and develop in a safe environment, those mental and physical skills necessary for survival when actually fighting, hunting or gathering. Gamification touches on a primal instinct to find and collect things, to hone eye-hand coordination, to assimilate into a culture, and ultimately to have an avenue to compete with one another.” In this general gamification trend that now works as an increasingly integrated mechanics in many fields of the society, like marketing and learning, health is another area where it can trigger great results. For instance, in 2015 there were more than 40 000 apps to motivate people to exercise and keep on track to reach fitness goals. The data collection and analysis of the training efforts is a good example of “the gamification of routine”. Source: The University of New Mexico