Gametize X TJC WOW! Program 2021
Creatives & Project Management
In January of 2021, we were given the opportunity to host students from Temasek Junior College (TJC) once again under their WOW! Program attachment. The WOW! Programme allows students to learn new skills and real-world knowledge in different workplaces. This year, we had three students, Gwyneth, Shrivathsav, and Sheryl-Lynn joining the program. However, due to the Covid-19 situation, we held the bulk of our meetings via video calls.
For their first week, Gwyneth, Shri and Sheryl were tasked to create a game on our platform. They, of course, chose varied topics that they found interest in. Though they did face some challenges getting used to the platform, they overcame their troubles quickly and were able to create fun and engaging games in their first run through.
One of their major tasks was to also write an article on gamification in different industries. We gave them the option of picking what industry they wanted to write about, but we encouraged them to pick industries that were only beginning their foray into the world of gamification. Though it may not be an easy task, it was clear that our mentees learned a lot from their previous article-writing exercise, and produced thoroughly-researched and well-written articles. Here’s what they wrote:
Sheryl-Lynn Lim
Read as Sheryl delves into the use of gamification in the health and fitness industry, and how it affects the media we ingest from television shows to everyday applications.
Excerpt: Exercising or drinking water might be daily tasks that you often dread and do reluctantly. However, more recently, with many gamified apps and other forms of gamification in the health and fitness field, you might be finding them less dull and are even excited or motivated to do these tasks. Without realising, you might’ve already fallen victim to the charms of gamification.
Gwyneth Vallado
Gwyneth goes into the nitty-gritty of gamification and its use cases in a work environment. She brings to light the instances where gamification has been utilized well in different corporations, as well as how it is misused.
Excerpt: “Look at the world around us: countless gamified applications have emerged to cater for people’s demand for fun and to motivate us toward certain desired goals. There are stairs that bear the appearance of a piano keyboard with a built-in sound generating system to encourage people to make less use of elevators, there are people who turn charitable donations into a game to attract more funds, and there are also countlesseducation programs using gamification mechanics such as badges or role playing scenarios. In a changing society, gamification plays a major role in increasing motivation in people to perform specific actions and build certain behaviors, be it students or working adults.”
Shrivathsav Hemanthkumar Gomathy
Gamification in Education
Shri looks into how gamification in education can help to create an easier, more engaging way for students to learn – at the same time, bringing to light how creators of gamification systems need to carefully design their content and strategy to avoid inducing unintended negative qualities and behaviours.
Excerpt: “Gamification in education has been used for many years now to increase the efficiency, motivation, and knowledge retention of students worldwide. This tactic involves the intertwining of gaming or gamified elements with educational elements. Most students hate to study, and often turn to gaming as an alternative method of spending their time.”
Despite the limitations we faced due to the pandemic, Gwyneth, Shri and Sheryl did get to visit our offices. Here, they got to familiarize themselves with the ins and outs of a gamification company, not just through our platform. We even got to have an impromptu celebration for Shri’s birthday!
Finally, our mentees were encouraged to sharpen their presentation skills and showcased their work over the past month to our CEO, Keith. He provided them with further feedback on their games and articles, and thus closed off their last day as interns at Gametize.
As much as Gwyneth, Shri and Sheryl learned from us, we learned a lot from them as well! Take a look at their articles detailing their experiences creating their first ever games!