MOBILE GAMIFICATION
Jonathan R. Engelsma, Ph.D.
GVSU School of Computing
TOPICS
• About GVSU CIS / MASL
• Motivation
• Gamification and the Power of Play
• Social Persuasion
• Lessons from the Field
PADNOS COLLEGE OF
ENGINEERING & COMPUTING
• PCEC consists of:
• School of Computing
• School of Engineering
• 1530 students total
• Undergraduate and
Graduate degree programs.
CIS UNDERGRAD PROGRAMS
• ABET Accredited
• Undergraduate Programs:
• Computer Science
• Information Systems
• 550 Students
• ~ 40 CS graduates annually
• ~ 40-50 IS graduates annually
CIS GRADUATE PROGRAMS
• Graduate Programs
• Computer Information
Systems
• Medical & Bio-Informatics
• ~ 80 students total
• ~30 MS graduates annually
MOBILE APPS & SERVICES LAB
• A multidisciplinary/collaborative
initiative hosted by the GVSU
School of Computing
• Provides an environment that
facilitates learning and discovery in
the area of mobile technology.
• Emphasis on collaboration and
“application research”.
More Info: http://masl.cis.gvsu.edu
MOTIVATION
“THE DEVICE FORMALLY KNOWN
ASTHE CELL PHONE”
THERE’S AN APP FORTHAT...
Source: http://www.pureoxygenmobile.com/how-many-apps-in-each-app-store/
THERE’S AN APP FORTHAT...
Attracting and sustaining user engagement is becoming
increasingly difficult endeavor!
Gamification is one technique being used to encourage
sustained engagement.
GAMIFICATION ANDTHE
POWER OF PLAY
“ACCIDENTAL” POWER OF PLAY
• Case in Point: Ian Bogost’s “Cow Clicker” Game
• partly satire
• partly a theory of today’s social games
• partly an earnest example of a social game
Source: http://www.wired.com/magazine/2011/12/ff_cowclicker/all/1
Buy more cows
with “mooney”
GAMIFICATION
gamification:
definition: the use of game thinking and
game mechanics in a non-game context
in order to engage users and solve
problems
(It’s really just a buzzword created by clever marketers to get
corporate types to pay $$ to attend summits and
conferences!)
GAME MECHANICS: BADGES
• Badging: an idea that
FourSquare lifted from
the Boy Scouts.
• Represent progress/
accomplishment
• often used in lieu of
leveling.
LEVELS
• Levels indicate progress.
They inform the user
(and his/her friends)
know where they stand.
• Usually not linear.
• Used by airlines and
credit card issuers for
years!
LEADERBOARDS
• Used to help users
make a quick visual
comparison and
hopefully motivate
them to engage.
• Earlier versions actually
disincentivized users!
POINTS
Twitter users like
to increase their
number of
followers as it is an
indicator of their
influence.
POINTS
Facebook like and
comment counters
are examples of
point systems as
well, and they exist
to encourage
engagement.
POINTS
Simple scalar value
behind eBay user
names is a key
motivator - do lots
of transactions and
make sure they are
permanent!
QUESTS / CHALLENGES
• Provide specific
directions for
something (hopefully
interesting and
awarding) that users
can do within the app
experience.
SOCIAL PERSUASION
SOCIAL PERSUASION
An interesting “social phishing” experiment:
Source: From:	
  Tom	
  Jaga+c	
  and	
  Nathan	
  Johnson	
  and	
  Markus	
  Jakobsson	
  and	
  Filippo	
  Menczer.	
  Social	
  Phishing.	
  CACM	
  October	
  2007.
SOCIAL PERSUASION
The results....
Source: From:	
  Tom	
  Jaga+c	
  and	
  Nathan	
  Johnson	
  and	
  Markus	
  Jakobsson	
  and	
  Filippo	
  Menczer.	
  Social	
  Phishing.	
  CACM	
  October	
  2007.
LESSONS FROMTHE FIELD
MY “COW CLICK” EXPERIENCE
• Where’s Blue - An addictive “dog catching” game...
• Incentivizing the harvest of Bluetooth addresses in public places
Reference: J. Engelsma, J. Ferrans, and M. Hans. EncounterEngine: Integrating Bluetooth User Proximity Data into Social Applications.Proceedings
of the 2008 IEEE International Conference on Wireless & Mobile Computing, Networking & Communication. October 2008.Avignon, France
GVSU ART GALLERY APP NOT
GETTING USEDVERY MUCH...
!
ART PLAY @ GVSU
ART PLAY - SITUATED DISPLAY
ART PLAY @ GVSU RESULTS
ART PLAY @ GVSU RESULTS
THINGS WE LEARNED
• Game content cannibalized the non-game content.
• tight integration of game features in non-game content is
key.
• People will do just about anything for free stuff.
• Situated displays had little quantitative impact, but did have a
qualitative impact on how user’s played the game.
SHOP SOCIAL
• Shop Social is a “social”
barcode scanning app.
• Finds relevant video content
for products that you scan.
• Integrates with Facebook.
• Incorporates simple game
mechanics to encourage
engagement.
ACTIVITY PER
AUTHENTICATED USER
Authenticated users (10% of overall user population)
produced 43% of all the activities!
ENGAGEMENT BY PLATFORM
WHAT WE LEARNED
• Authenticated users are substantially more engaged than non-
authenticated users.
• Video content shares better than photos and other types of
static content.
• Significant difference in engagement levels on iOS vs.Android.
(That is diminishing now.)
• Badges really do suck.
PARABOLAX
• A study on learner engagement in
serious games.
• Implemented a game that helps
middle school students learn about
quadratic equations.
• Collected data in middle schools
around the country.
PARABOLAX
RESULTS
• Using ParabolaX helped me understand quadratic functions
better:
76%
24%
Full Version
Agree
Disagree
50%50%
Basic Version
Agree
Disagree
χ2 (1, N = 66) = 4.373, p = 0.037
RESULTS
• Using ParabolaX helped me understand quadratic functions
better:
χ2 (1, N = 66) = 5.067, p = 0.024
83%
17%
Occassionally plays digital
games
Agree
Disagree 57%
43%
Frequently plays digital games
Agree
Disagree
WHAT WE’VE LEARNED
TO-DATE
• Results to date have not been too promising:
• ParabolaX DID NOT improve students’ ability to
recognize properties and concepts of quadratic functions.
• ParabolaX DID NOT make the study of quadratic
concepts more engaging to students.
• Kid’s that play a lot of video games have high expectations...
POCKET PT
• Investigation of the use of
accessorized therapeutic
games to assist physical
therapists who are treating
traumatic brain injury
patients.
• Joint collaboration involving
researchers from GVSU,
Mary Free Bed & Hope
Network.
Video: http://youtu.be/1lNnmoNZ7Mk
CREDITS
• Alejo Montoya
• Alex Restrepo
• Juan Mejia
• Andres Solano
• Tom Parker
• Sam Serpoosh
• Kevin Formsma
• Greg Zavitz
• John Golden
• Char Beckmann
• Andres Solano
• Joseph Roth
My colleagues / students who contributed to these apps:
• John Farris
• Cathy Harro
• Nathan Kemler
• Ferris Jumah
THANKYOU!!
• Email: Jonathan.Engelsma@gvsu.edu
• Twitter: @batwingd
• Web: http://themobilemontage.com
• GVSU: http://masl.cis.gvsu.edu

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Mobile Gamification

  • 1. MOBILE GAMIFICATION Jonathan R. Engelsma, Ph.D. GVSU School of Computing
  • 2. TOPICS • About GVSU CIS / MASL • Motivation • Gamification and the Power of Play • Social Persuasion • Lessons from the Field
  • 3. PADNOS COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING & COMPUTING • PCEC consists of: • School of Computing • School of Engineering • 1530 students total • Undergraduate and Graduate degree programs.
  • 4. CIS UNDERGRAD PROGRAMS • ABET Accredited • Undergraduate Programs: • Computer Science • Information Systems • 550 Students • ~ 40 CS graduates annually • ~ 40-50 IS graduates annually
  • 5. CIS GRADUATE PROGRAMS • Graduate Programs • Computer Information Systems • Medical & Bio-Informatics • ~ 80 students total • ~30 MS graduates annually
  • 6. MOBILE APPS & SERVICES LAB • A multidisciplinary/collaborative initiative hosted by the GVSU School of Computing • Provides an environment that facilitates learning and discovery in the area of mobile technology. • Emphasis on collaboration and “application research”. More Info: http://masl.cis.gvsu.edu
  • 8. “THE DEVICE FORMALLY KNOWN ASTHE CELL PHONE”
  • 9. THERE’S AN APP FORTHAT... Source: http://www.pureoxygenmobile.com/how-many-apps-in-each-app-store/
  • 10. THERE’S AN APP FORTHAT... Attracting and sustaining user engagement is becoming increasingly difficult endeavor! Gamification is one technique being used to encourage sustained engagement.
  • 12. “ACCIDENTAL” POWER OF PLAY • Case in Point: Ian Bogost’s “Cow Clicker” Game • partly satire • partly a theory of today’s social games • partly an earnest example of a social game Source: http://www.wired.com/magazine/2011/12/ff_cowclicker/all/1 Buy more cows with “mooney”
  • 13. GAMIFICATION gamification: definition: the use of game thinking and game mechanics in a non-game context in order to engage users and solve problems (It’s really just a buzzword created by clever marketers to get corporate types to pay $$ to attend summits and conferences!)
  • 14. GAME MECHANICS: BADGES • Badging: an idea that FourSquare lifted from the Boy Scouts. • Represent progress/ accomplishment • often used in lieu of leveling.
  • 15. LEVELS • Levels indicate progress. They inform the user (and his/her friends) know where they stand. • Usually not linear. • Used by airlines and credit card issuers for years!
  • 16. LEADERBOARDS • Used to help users make a quick visual comparison and hopefully motivate them to engage. • Earlier versions actually disincentivized users!
  • 17. POINTS Twitter users like to increase their number of followers as it is an indicator of their influence.
  • 18. POINTS Facebook like and comment counters are examples of point systems as well, and they exist to encourage engagement.
  • 19. POINTS Simple scalar value behind eBay user names is a key motivator - do lots of transactions and make sure they are permanent!
  • 20. QUESTS / CHALLENGES • Provide specific directions for something (hopefully interesting and awarding) that users can do within the app experience.
  • 22. SOCIAL PERSUASION An interesting “social phishing” experiment: Source: From:  Tom  Jaga+c  and  Nathan  Johnson  and  Markus  Jakobsson  and  Filippo  Menczer.  Social  Phishing.  CACM  October  2007.
  • 23. SOCIAL PERSUASION The results.... Source: From:  Tom  Jaga+c  and  Nathan  Johnson  and  Markus  Jakobsson  and  Filippo  Menczer.  Social  Phishing.  CACM  October  2007.
  • 25. MY “COW CLICK” EXPERIENCE • Where’s Blue - An addictive “dog catching” game... • Incentivizing the harvest of Bluetooth addresses in public places Reference: J. Engelsma, J. Ferrans, and M. Hans. EncounterEngine: Integrating Bluetooth User Proximity Data into Social Applications.Proceedings of the 2008 IEEE International Conference on Wireless & Mobile Computing, Networking & Communication. October 2008.Avignon, France
  • 26. GVSU ART GALLERY APP NOT GETTING USEDVERY MUCH... !
  • 27. ART PLAY @ GVSU
  • 28. ART PLAY - SITUATED DISPLAY
  • 29. ART PLAY @ GVSU RESULTS
  • 30. ART PLAY @ GVSU RESULTS
  • 31. THINGS WE LEARNED • Game content cannibalized the non-game content. • tight integration of game features in non-game content is key. • People will do just about anything for free stuff. • Situated displays had little quantitative impact, but did have a qualitative impact on how user’s played the game.
  • 32. SHOP SOCIAL • Shop Social is a “social” barcode scanning app. • Finds relevant video content for products that you scan. • Integrates with Facebook. • Incorporates simple game mechanics to encourage engagement.
  • 33. ACTIVITY PER AUTHENTICATED USER Authenticated users (10% of overall user population) produced 43% of all the activities!
  • 35. WHAT WE LEARNED • Authenticated users are substantially more engaged than non- authenticated users. • Video content shares better than photos and other types of static content. • Significant difference in engagement levels on iOS vs.Android. (That is diminishing now.) • Badges really do suck.
  • 36. PARABOLAX • A study on learner engagement in serious games. • Implemented a game that helps middle school students learn about quadratic equations. • Collected data in middle schools around the country.
  • 38. RESULTS • Using ParabolaX helped me understand quadratic functions better: 76% 24% Full Version Agree Disagree 50%50% Basic Version Agree Disagree χ2 (1, N = 66) = 4.373, p = 0.037
  • 39. RESULTS • Using ParabolaX helped me understand quadratic functions better: χ2 (1, N = 66) = 5.067, p = 0.024 83% 17% Occassionally plays digital games Agree Disagree 57% 43% Frequently plays digital games Agree Disagree
  • 40. WHAT WE’VE LEARNED TO-DATE • Results to date have not been too promising: • ParabolaX DID NOT improve students’ ability to recognize properties and concepts of quadratic functions. • ParabolaX DID NOT make the study of quadratic concepts more engaging to students. • Kid’s that play a lot of video games have high expectations...
  • 41. POCKET PT • Investigation of the use of accessorized therapeutic games to assist physical therapists who are treating traumatic brain injury patients. • Joint collaboration involving researchers from GVSU, Mary Free Bed & Hope Network. Video: http://youtu.be/1lNnmoNZ7Mk
  • 42. CREDITS • Alejo Montoya • Alex Restrepo • Juan Mejia • Andres Solano • Tom Parker • Sam Serpoosh • Kevin Formsma • Greg Zavitz • John Golden • Char Beckmann • Andres Solano • Joseph Roth My colleagues / students who contributed to these apps: • John Farris • Cathy Harro • Nathan Kemler • Ferris Jumah
  • 43. THANKYOU!! • Email: Jonathan.Engelsma@gvsu.edu • Twitter: @batwingd • Web: http://themobilemontage.com • GVSU: http://masl.cis.gvsu.edu