Analysis. Application. Education. Gamification. Game principles. Game mechanics. Motivation

Recently the concept of gamification started to gain attention. It has crossed its common ground and found its way into the sphere of education from marketing and business. The increasing number of scientific papers suggests that gamification might be more than just a modern buzzword. Some researches argue about its position as a new learning theory. It can be compared with others and enhance the current perspective of learning. However, the terminology and theory has not been yet fully established. As the research in the field progresses, some common definitions appear. But the basic two categories are already frequently distinguished: The gamification design principles and game design mechanics. The design principles are means for increasing motivation to learn, while game mechanics are the tools through principles are implemented. Interesting is the fact that some of the game mechanics help to achieve more than a single game principle, whereas others are strictly for one purpose.