[supertofu]

This product looks really slick.

But what I don't like is the implication that learning isn't already fun. Learning is inherently fun!

It's not gamification that make learning fun. What makes learning fun the satisfaction that comes from completing tasks successfully and the sense of focus that comes from a course that has a well-organized roadmap.

[andrei_says_]

Gamification has shown to reduce the enthusiasm for the activity being gamified.

Rewarding any activity diminishes intrinsic motivation. Focus shifts on the reward, our brains deem the activity as worth-less in the absence of a reward. The activity is now a chore.

See the work of Alfie Kohn and Stanford’s online course on gamification.

[ilt]

Ha! I just read a comment yesterday on a Reddit Duolingo forum about how Duolingo doesn't reward a person when they finish a certain language completely, I guess this is what happened there. "Activity seems to be worthless in the absence of a reward."

[avshelestov]

Totally agree. Rewards are super important and just feel good.

[vunderba]

I think what makes learning fun is subjective and varies from student to student.

For me, what makes learning fun is the retroactive satisfaction I get from solving a future unrelated problem that incorporates the knowledge/skills I acquired at an earlier point.

[avshelestov]

That's a really good point. Thanks!