Leveling: Not Just for Gaming Anymore

March 25, 2010 - By Erin Stuelke

Gaining experience to level up is one of my favorite things about playing RPGs.  Seeing my progress and knowing I’m that much closer to equipping that really awesome armor I looted is very rewarding and motivating.  Now imagine if that concept wasn’t just virtual reality, but reality.  As the gamer and social networking generation enters the “real world”, it might be time for educators and employers to rethink ways of motivating their students and employees.

Imagine my delight when I came across an article describing a professor who had done just this very thing in his classroom.  Indiana University’s Lee Sheldon “replaced the traditional grading system in two of his game design classes with a system that was based on experience points”.  The students essentially start the class as a newly created character at level 1 (i.e. a letter grade of ‘F’). Throughout the semester, they do the standard classroom work but gain experience rather than grades, thus leveling up their character.

Adding an air of MMORPG, Sheldon also groups his students into ‘guilds’ where they have “to complete quests solo, as guilds, or as ‘pick up groups’ with members of other guilds.”  Using an MMORPG model adds a layer to the traditional RPG leveling; it fosters teamwork and competition but in a fun and creative way.

In the workplace, this type of feedback model could motivate the gamer-generation employees in a way current models might not be able to do.  It would provide a system these employees are accustomed to, but in a new environment.  If deployed correctly, goals would be small and incremental and feedback would almost be instantaneous.  Imagine the possibilites if achievement systems like we see in World of Warcraft were introduced as well.

Source: Employers: Look to Gaming to Motivate Staff [itnews for Australian Business]