I just want to play!

When it comes to the concept of play, we usually think about the interactions of children. A child’s imagination is not the limit of play. This is demonstrated by the Latin term “homo ludens” which means “the people playing”. Our play instinct is very pronounced, regardless of how old we are. This is because games offer us a world of fun and creativity.  We mostly play in a digital context in the modern world, and institutions and companies alike can take advantage of this through gamified learning.

Usually, the younger the age bracket, the more games are played. According to a report entitled Digital Australia, 84% of Australians between the ages of 15-24 play video games of some kind. However, in the age bracket of 35-44, 76% of the population still actively play. The most common household device, by 2015, was the PC, closely followed by smartphones¹. Regardless of the device or how they are played, people are still clearly engaged by games. Often this level of engagement goes one step further, where players lapse into what is known as a “flow”. This is where you are intensely concentrating on a game whilst it becomes effortless at the same time.

A recent government study of Australian higher education students² found that only 46.6% of online students completed their qualifications. For face-to-face students, this is 76.6% by comparison. These statistics are problematic, because if learners fail to gain knowledge, then both time and money are wasted. It is vital that we present e-learning content in a playful way.

 

imc created a point and click adventure game for our customer Linde Materials Handling, called the “City of Goods”. In this game, learners are placed in a 3D distribution warehouse. Players need to recognise areas in this virtual world where warehouse process can be optimised and note them down. Players are intended to understand the entire workflow of the warehouse by the end of the game.