Internet Learning Volume 4, Number 2, Fall 2015 | Page 88

Gamification Challenges and a Case Study in Online Learning Table 2 Mapping of method-based descriptors to GDE levels GDE Levels Method-based descriptors Game interface design patterns Game design patterns and mechanics game elements, game-inspired elements, computer-game elements, videogame elements, game features, rewards/rewards systems, gamelike activities, gameful-experience affordances game features, game dynamics, game patterns, gamelike activities, game principles, gameful-experience affordances Game design principles and heuristics game features, gameplay mechanics, video-game mechanics, game dynamics, gamelike activities, game principles, game patterns, gameful-experience affordances Game models game principles, game patterns, gameful-experience affordances Game design methods game thinking the gamification process: game interface design patterns, game design patterns and mechanics, game design principles and heuristics, game models, and game design methods (Deterding, et al., 2011). Each of the method descriptors included in Table 1 can be mapped to one or more of the GDE levels, as shown in Table 2. This mapping suggests that all of the method descriptors used in the 29 articles can be subsumed into the concept of GDE proposed in the Deterding, et al. (2011) definition. Defining Gamification by Context A similar analysis can be performed on the designated contexts for each of the definitions, which are listed in the upper portion of Table 3. With the possible exception of four of these contexts: web interactions, websites/software, solving problems, and the addressed product, each context is simply a rephrasing of the term non-game contexts, included in the Deterding, et al. definition (2011). Furthermore, it is arguable that the four possibly-excluded contexts, as used by their respective authors, also fall under the auspices of non-game contexts. This suggests that for definitions including only a method and a context, the Deterding, et al. (2011) definition is the de facto standard, as it is broad enough to include all—or nearly all—of the methods and contexts used. 87