Zombies...RUN!

Does gamification work?

I can't answer that question but does it potentially lead to engagement and motivation? YES.

I've experienced this firsthand with one of my own children over the past few weeks as she has been running frantically from zombies in our very neighborhood!

I've been looking into game elements in learning for a couple of months now and have learned a great deal. A recent online open course I attended called Game Elements for Learning (#GE4L) on the Canvas Open Network was invaluable, and I had the opportunity to communicate with educators across the globe on this topic. My previous post shows the current general consensus on use of game elements in learning and can be summed up as an "it depends" but largely positive ruling thus far.

Claims that such approaches can better engage or motivate students were very academic in my world until I witnessed my teenage daughter up before dawn during the summer as she put on headphones and ran two or three miles each morning! Why was she doing this? Zombies were chasing her and she had a story to engage in (see https://www.zombiesrungame.com) that kept her motivated!

In the last three weeks alone my former non-exercising teenager has covered nearly 30 miles with these virtual creatures on her heels and has become a passionate runner in the process. When I've asked her why she has become so focused on running each day, she says that she "has to gain materials and milestones to win her game." This badge system gives her a self directed set of goals and keeps her moving...literally! This case adds to the positive argument for gamification or game elements better than any other I've yet heard!