Gamification is another of those words gaining currency in education circles at the moment. It's about more than simply playing games for learning (which isn't a new thing anyway, remember things like scrabble and monopoly?).

Gamification is about bringing the design principles behind what makes games successful in engaging learners into the way we design learning experiences for our students – whether we are using ICTs or not.

For those unfamiliar with the concept, the infographic below from Knewton provides some useful starting points for understanding. I'd recommend it needs to be explored and used as a catalyst for discussion, rather than an authorative piece – as ideas are evolving about gamification, we need to be engaging in more critical thinking about the value, opportunity and success of this sort of thing – it's worth reading the comments that follow the post to see what others are thinking.

Created by Knewton and Column Five Media