Making learning into a Game:
A Case Study on Gamification
Making learning into a Game: A Case Study on Gamification
Selecting the appropriate challenge progression to ensure the gamer remains engaged.
Selecting the appropriate challenge progression to ensure the gamer remains engaged.
Why build a game?
Building the game within Volume transforms the inherently high-effort activities of learning and staying informed into an engaging and low effort experience.
By effectively quantifying users' growth and progress through quantifiable elements, we tap into the psychological rewards system, triggering dopamine releases associated with achievement and recognition.
This not only lowers the perceived effort required but also cultivates positive habits around information consumption.
Why build a game?
Building the game within Volume transforms the inherently high-effort activities of learning and staying informed into an engaging and low effort experience.
By effectively quantifying users' growth and progress through quantifiable elements, we tap into the psychological rewards system, triggering dopamine releases associated with achievement and recognition.
This not only lowers the perceived effort required but also cultivates positive habits around information consumption.
Leveling Difficulty
In games, the design of leveling systems plays a pivotal role in enhancing user engagement and investment. A well-structured leveling system can motivate users by making the journey compelling yet accessible, ensuring that as they progress, the challenges increase in difficulty at a manageable pace.
In gaming environments, it's common to unlock new abilities or tools that retrospectively simplify earlier challenges, thereby maintaining a balance between effort and reward. This dynamic keeps users hooked, as they can see tangible progress and benefits from their investment in the app.
However, for content apps, where the primary means of earning experience points (XP) remain consistent—such as reading articles or completing modules—the leveling system must be carefully calibrated.
The goal is to sustain user interest without escalating the difficulty too steeply.
To address this, some platforms adopt a seasonal reset approach, refreshing user levels periodically to renew engagement, while others may opt for a lifelong level system, rewarding long-term dedication.
Leveling Difficulty
In games, the design of leveling systems plays a pivotal role in enhancing user engagement and investment. A well-structured leveling system can motivate users by making the journey compelling yet accessible, ensuring that as they progress, the challenges increase in difficulty at a manageable pace.
In gaming environments, it's common to unlock new abilities or tools that retrospectively simplify earlier challenges, thereby maintaining a balance between effort and reward. This dynamic keeps users hooked, as they can see tangible progress and benefits from their investment in the app.
However, for content apps, where the primary means of earning experience points (XP) remain consistent—such as reading articles or completing modules—the leveling system must be carefully calibrated.
The goal is to sustain user interest without escalating the difficulty too steeply.
To address this, some platforms adopt a seasonal reset approach, refreshing user levels periodically to renew engagement, while others may opt for a lifelong level system, rewarding long-term dedication.
Leveling Systems
Cumulative XP System
It's characterized by the requirement for progressively more experience points (XP) to reach each subsequent level, with the increase being linear and additive in nature. In this system, the amount of XP needed to advance to the next level increases by a fixed amount with each level gained.
Performance-based XP System
Valorant uses a different system for its progression, focusing more on a "Performance-based XP System" combined with "Missions." In Valorant, XP gains are not strictly tied to a linear or cumulative progression system for leveling up. Instead, they're influenced by match outcomes, individual performance, and the completion of daily/weekly missions. The XP required for leveling up in their Battle Pass or Agent Contract system does not follow a simple incremental pattern; instead, it's predetermined and can vary across different levels and segments of the game.
Exponential Growth System
Many traditional RPGs and MMORPGs use a system where the XP required for each next level increases exponentially or at least at a significantly higher rate than linear. This is often referred to as an "Exponential Growth System" or "Non-linear Progression System." The formula for such systems varies widely but generally involves exponential functions or other formulas that increase the XP requirement more steeply than a linear relationship.
Leveling Systems
Cumulative XP System
It's characterized by the requirement for progressively more experience points (XP) to reach each subsequent level, with the increase being linear and additive in nature. In this system, the amount of XP needed to advance to the next level increases by a fixed amount with each level gained.
Performance-based XP System
Valorant uses a different system for its progression, focusing more on a "Performance-based XP System" combined with "Missions." In Valorant, XP gains are not strictly tied to a linear or cumulative progression system for leveling up. Instead, they're influenced by match outcomes, individual performance, and the completion of daily/weekly missions. The XP required for leveling up in their Battle Pass or Agent Contract system does not follow a simple incremental pattern; instead, it's predetermined and can vary across different levels and segments of the game.
Exponential Growth System
Many traditional RPGs and MMORPGs use a system where the XP required for each next level increases exponentially or at least at a significantly higher rate than linear. This is often referred to as an "Exponential Growth System" or "Non-linear Progression System." The formula for such systems varies widely but generally involves exponential functions or other formulas that increase the XP requirement more steeply than a linear relationship.
In many games, the tasks or challenges become more complex as you progress to higher levels, but they also offer more experience points (XP) for completion.
This balance ensures that leveling up remains achievable, even as the game becomes more difficult. It's a system designed to keep the progression engaging and rewarding, aligning the effort required with the rewards gained.
On the other hand, for content or learning platforms where the primary activities involve reading articles or completing learning modules, the XP awarded for each task typically remains constant, regardless of the user's level.
In many games, the tasks or challenges become more complex as you progress to higher levels, but they also offer more experience points (XP) for completion.
This balance ensures that leveling up remains achievable, even as the game becomes more difficult. It's a system designed to keep the progression engaging and rewarding, aligning the effort required with the rewards gained.
On the other hand, for content or learning platforms where the primary activities involve reading articles or completing learning modules, the XP awarded for each task typically remains constant, regardless of the user's level.
Since the complexity and, consequently, the XP rewards of these tasks don't increase over time, adopting a cumulative XP system makes more sense. This approach ensures that users can continue to level up at a reasonable pace without the progression becoming prohibitively difficult.
Since the complexity and, consequently, the XP rewards of these tasks don't increase over time, adopting a cumulative XP system makes more sense. This approach ensures that users can continue to level up at a reasonable pace without the progression becoming prohibitively difficult.
Since the complexity and, consequently, the XP rewards of these tasks don't increase over time, adopting a cumulative XP system makes more sense. This approach ensures that users can continue to level up at a reasonable pace without the progression becoming prohibitively difficult.
Building The PBL Triad
Learnings and Insights
Werbach and Hunter (2012) analysed more than 100 gamification implementations and found that the most used game elements are points, badges and leaderboards (PBL), due to their simplicity in implementation.
The PBL Triad in gamification refers to Points, Badges, and Leaderboards, a commonly used framework designed to enhance user engagement, motivation, and participation in various contexts, such as learning platforms, workplace productivity tools, and customer loyalty programs.
Building The PBL Triad
Learnings and Insights
Werbach and Hunter (2012) analysed more than 100 gamification implementations and found that the most used game elements are points, badges and leaderboards (PBL), due to their simplicity in implementation.
The PBL Triad in gamification refers to Points, Badges, and Leaderboards, a commonly used framework designed to enhance user engagement, motivation, and participation in various contexts, such as learning platforms, workplace productivity tools, and customer loyalty programs.
Points act as a quantifiable measure of achievements, progress, or activity. They can reflect a user's level of participation or success in specific tasks or challenges. Points are often used to motivate continuous engagement and effort, providing users with immediate feedback on their actions.
Badges are visual symbols of accomplishments, skills, or milestones reached. They serve not only as rewards but also as status symbols that signify mastery or completion of particular challenges. Badges can motivate users by offering tangible evidence of their achievements and encouraging them to collect more.
Leaderboards display rankings of users based on their performance, encouraging a competitive environment. They leverage social comparison to foster motivation, pushing users to improve their standing by engaging more intensely with the tasks at hand.
Points act as a quantifiable measure of achievements, progress, or activity. They can reflect a user's level of participation or success in specific tasks or challenges. Points are often used to motivate continuous engagement and effort, providing users with immediate feedback on their actions.
Badges are visual symbols of accomplishments, skills, or milestones reached. They serve not only as rewards but also as status symbols that signify mastery or completion of particular challenges. Badges can motivate users by offering tangible evidence of their achievements and encouraging them to collect more.
Leaderboards display rankings of users based on their performance, encouraging a competitive environment. They leverage social comparison to foster motivation, pushing users to improve their standing by engaging more intensely with the tasks at hand.
Points act as a quantifiable measure of achievements, progress, or activity. They can reflect a user's level of participation or success in specific tasks or challenges. Points are often used to motivate continuous engagement and effort, providing users with immediate feedback on their actions.
Badges are visual symbols of accomplishments, skills, or milestones reached. They serve not only as rewards but also as status symbols that signify mastery or completion of particular challenges. Badges can motivate users by offering tangible evidence of their achievements and encouraging them to collect more.
Leaderboards display rankings of users based on their performance, encouraging a competitive environment. They leverage social comparison to foster motivation, pushing users to improve their standing by engaging more intensely with the tasks at hand.
Together, the PBL Triad aims to tap into users' intrinsic and extrinsic motivations, driving engagement through a combination of rewards, recognition, and competition.
Together, the PBL Triad aims to tap into users' intrinsic and extrinsic motivations, driving engagement through a combination of rewards, recognition, and competition.
Events and Tasks
We use a variety of engaging activities to enhance user participation and retention. This design includes both repeat and one-time events, each tailored to foster continuous engagement and recognize significant milestones.
Repeating Tasks
Repeat tasks are a cornerstone of daily user interaction, rewarding users for regular activities such as reading posts and maintaining streaks. The daily engagement is incentivized through XP gains, with special emphasis on consistency through daily and weekly streaks. The Weekly Streak Multiplier rewards users with gems weekly, and XP gains increase with the length of the streak, promoting long-term platform use.
This approach not only acknowledges daily commitment but also progressively rewards users for their ongoing engagement.
One-Time Events/Goals
One-time events aim to celebrate and reward users' significant achievements and dedicated efforts. Completing courses, diving deep into specific topics, or extensively engaging with book summaries results in earning badges, alongside XP.
This balanced ecosystem of events and tasks is designed to cater to diverse user interests and engagement levels, ensuring every achievement, whether daily or milestone, is recognized and rewarded, thus enhancing the overall user experience on the platform.
Events and Tasks
We use a variety of engaging activities to enhance user participation and retention. This design includes both repeat and one-time events, each tailored to foster continuous engagement and recognize significant milestones.
Repeating Tasks
Repeat tasks are a cornerstone of daily user interaction, rewarding users for regular activities such as reading posts and maintaining streaks. The daily engagement is incentivized through XP gains, with special emphasis on consistency through daily and weekly streaks. The Weekly Streak Multiplier rewards users with gems weekly, and XP gains increase with the length of the streak, promoting long-term platform use.
This approach not only acknowledges daily commitment but also progressively rewards users for their ongoing engagement.
One-Time Events/Goals
One-time events aim to celebrate and reward users' significant achievements and dedicated efforts. Completing courses, diving deep into specific topics, or extensively engaging with book summaries results in earning badges, alongside XP.
This balanced ecosystem of events and tasks is designed to cater to diverse user interests and engagement levels, ensuring every achievement, whether daily or milestone, is recognized and rewarded, thus enhancing the overall user experience on the platform.
Modelling the System
Final UI Shots
Let's get to know each other.
Let's get to know each other.
Let's get to know each other.
© Jonah Jacob Eapen 2024