LIGHTNING TALKS: SOCIAL IMPACT APPLICATIONS

For our third lightning talk, Sharon Chang (Yoxi), Joey Lee (Teachers’ College), and Meaghan Searl (DailyFeats) talked about their experiences using gamification platforms to bring about social impact.

• Yoxi‘s mission is to discover “rockstars of social innovation”. The meaning of “rockstars” in this case is specific: people who can be seen as role models, and build an extremely loyal following. To do this, Yoxi runs competitions, which are a blend of reality show format and light-touch game design involving voting and other game dynamics.
• Meaghan Searl talked about her experience with gamification at DailyFeats, which helps reward positive lifestyle behaviors such as exercising or giving blood. Some users have had strong reactions, both positive and negative, to DailyFeats’ rewarding of behaviors that people believe they should be doing anyway.
• Finally, Joey Lee discussed attempts to use gamification to help people learn better. He designed a game for a 7th grade science class in the Bronx; it motivates them to “build” a city using cards earned through positive behaviors and achievements. In addition to simply motivating specific behaviors, the game also encourages students to try on new identities (“I am a scientist”), and model discipline-specific behaviors and traits (“I can do science”). A similar game for grad school students has different dynamics and motivates a different set of behaviors.