Skip to main content

Tony Chamberlain






Gamers, Gaming, Gamification, Intrinsic, Extrinsic, Engagement, Social Interaction, Badges, Leader boards………..

I’m a 51 year old British born father of two, who has probably spent less than 150 hours playing video games. Recently however I have become fascinated by the subject, why the sudden interest? I have been employed in the IT business for over 25 years, I can recall Datapoint machines, Floppy Discs, AS/400’s, IBM mainframe computer rooms, where we abused employees we called ‘tape monkeys’. Their sole purpose in life was to change data tape spools in the computer room, to ‘load-up’ the relevant code or database that we demanded of them to complete a certain payroll or to back out a job that had processed incorrectly. 

 I’ve worked with organisations that include IBM, Microsoft, ICL, SAP, Oracle, SalesForce.com and many, many more. A large part of my professional experience has evolved around document management, workflow, analytics, change programmes and transformation of business – usually via an outsourcing arrangement or a merger / acquisition transaction. Shared services and large processing centres form part of my DNA, they combine all of the components mentioned into one integrated delivery suite that all major corporations rely on these days. Gamification seems to be positioning itself as a new, additional part of this jigsaw.

I was recently (June 2014) asked to attend, actually I was not invited, but attended anyway. A session on Gamification in a Shared Services Environment. The company that delivered the presentation / discussion I had introduced to the organisation that employed me as a possible key partner (hence why I attended without an invite). To be fair the presentation was far from boring and was actually informative, my non-gaming brain however immediately questioned the validity of Gamification and the presented outcomes of greater productivity, improved engagement, performance management, team building, etc. etc. It was like in one single word ‘Gamification’ all operations director’s problems would be solved overnight! I’m 51, I’ve lived through many, many changes and many more promises of Utopia.

Normally another presentation / discussion about a possible new way of working, new product etc. would occupy my mind for a period of time for self-analysis, risk assessment, SWOT formation and then a very simple plan of action would evolve……….which usually consisted of a) Investigate further b) Park for a few months or c) Ignore.

For some reason Gamification would not exit my brain, my initial conclusions, taking into account my single presentation was c) Ignore. But my brain was not in agreement with, well my brain.

The recognition that c) Ignore was not going to happen was the start of a level of education and self-change, remember I’m 51, that if someone had broached as a subject in a public house, I would have happily argued with them all night. And day.

So the journey unknowingly to me had begun……………………









Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Applio attend - TVS 2017 CONFERENCE

Applio to demonstrate the 'Stop The Pressure' Healthcare Game at TVS 2017 The TVS (Tissue Viability Society) 2017 Conference is to be held at the  Edgbaston Cricket Stadium which is located 5 minutes away from  Birmingham City Centre and is the second largest cricketing venue in the UK!  The venue is unlike any other in Birmingham and has modern and  outstanding facilities, with all rooms facing out onto the wonderful ground to  allow for productivity and creativity to flow! Applio will be exhibiting on Stand 50 - Please come along and say hello,  we will  be armed with numerous Tablets to demonstrate our 'Stop the Pressure'  Game  Based Learning experience that is used to help train any healthcare personnel in the subject of Pressure Ulcers.  'Stop the Pressure' was created in partnership with the NHS http://www.applio.net/game-store
Post a Comment
Read more
Game Based Learning Game based learning can deliver numerous benefits, communication, behavioral change, strategic thinking, decision making, memory, adaptation, coordination, inclusion and improved attention span. When you compare the above to organisational communication methods like PowerPoint, conferences or Town Hall sessions you can quickly realise the benefits that gaming technologies can deliver.  The greatest strength of an effective outcome to game-based learning is the ability to quickly change the content to allow customisation of the learning experience that can easily be adapted to different business requirements. This type of architecture allows the user to become involved, take part and act, rather than just  listening , taking notes and doing as they are directed. How many times do you remember being told -  The best way of learning something is by doing it. Game based learning solutions require students to communicate, think quickly and u...
Post a Comment
Read more
Video play: University turns the science of microeconomics into a great game Playconomics , the game in question, debuted July 2014 as a side project. In 2015 it was used to deliver an introductory microeconomics course in three universities  to more than 4000 students. "It was the first gamified course in economics ever created, worldwide," Motta said. "And the game was a hit. We observed a 10 per cent increase in enrolment in semester one, 2015, and a staggering 35 per cent increase in semester two, probably due to the word-of-mouth generated in semester one." http://www.smh.com.au/technology/innovation/video-play-university-turns-the-science-of-microeconomics-into-a-great-game-20160216-gmv4ca.html The interesting part of this game / university is the research, it provides / provokes some interesting discussions.  http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0883035514000810 NB: There is a cost for the research document.
Post a Comment
Read more