Introductory Chapter: Games, Gamification, and Ludification, Can They Be Combined?

Introductory Chapter: Games, Gamification, and Ludification, Can They Be Combined?

Introductory Chapter: Games, Gamification, and Ludification, Can They Be Combined?

Ioannis Deliyannis, Polyxeni Kaimara, Sofia Maria Poulimenou and Stamatella Lampoura

Abstract

"The importance of games has been explored by many researchers, educators, and psychologists. The word “game” is used to convey both the concept of the game as an object and the experience of the game as an action. In English, the differentiation of concepts is very perspicuous. The word “toy” is used for the object, the word “play” for the game experience, and the word “game” for the structured game. Caillois proposed a two-axis taxonomy of games. The first axis is a continuum between what he called “paidia” (from the ancient Greek word/pe.ðiˈa/) and “ludus” (from the Latin words ludus and ludere, which respectively mean “game” and “to play”). More specifically, on one end of the axis he placed the term “paidia,” which refers to spontaneous activity without rules (play) and on the other end he placed the term “ludus,” that is, a highly structured game characterized by discipline and directed by rules to achieve specific goals. The second axis concerns the classification of games into four types, based on: competition (agon), luck (alea), imitation or role-play (mimicry), and passion or sense of balance or vertigo (ilinx). According to Caillois, all types of games fall somewhere on the continuum between “paidia” and “ludus.” Play and games have attracted interest in the natural sciences, social sciences, and humanities. Interdisciplinary research findings from the fields of anthropology, psychology, sociology, and technology demonstrate that “games” are significant mediators between learning and socialization throughout people’s lives, and thus game-based learning (GBL) has evolved into a remarkable place of dialog on education, formal and informal, of minors and adults. Regardless of the type of games as objects or processes, the experience of play offers people multiple opportunities to learn and interact with the natural and man-made environment. In digital age, games get a digital form, with modern research recognizing their potential to engage children’s attention and motivate them to explore the limits of their abilities, skills, and knowledge. The synergy of technology with pedagogy that utilizes digital games in the learning process is called digital game-based learning (DGBL), a term credited to Marc Prensky. DGBL leverages three elements of game design: challenge, response, and feedback, known as the magic circle of playful learning utilizing fundamental structures, such as rules, purpose and goals, adaptability, outcome and feedback, conflict and competition, problem-solving, interactivity, social interaction, and story and win state. Features of game design, that is, motivation, mechanics, esthetics, narrative, and background sounds, support the learning experience. The dynamics of learning are based on the quality of these features, which are common whether it is classic games or gamified applications."

Reference

Deliyannis, I., Kaimara, P., Poulimenou, S. M., & Lampoura, S. (2023). Introductory Chapter: Games, Gamification, and Ludification, Can They Be Combined?. In Gamification-Analysis, Design, Development and Ludification. IntechOpen. https://www.intechopen.com/chapters/85362

Keywords

Games, Play, Learning