Gamification against criminality

ABOUT THE APP

Our app is built around the theories of Gamification and Sense of Coherence (SOC). The app is a primary tool for documenting, communicating, administrating and coordinating Neighbourhood internally, but also for creating commitment, motivation and playfulness for our participants.

Quests

Rewards

Level Up!

The Platform

The app is built and designed like a mobile game. Inside the game, every participant has their own account where they collect coins and other currencies whilst also leveling up. In order to collect currency you have to participate physically in different quests, such as homework sessions with our volunteers or internships with our collaboration partners.

All the quests are created to be long-term investments in our participants’ future, and they revolve around any of our three focus areas: school, work and character.

When a participant has collected currency they can use it to buy rewards which the app presents. Like the quests, the rewards are created to benefit our overall goals, but also to encourage commitment amongst the participants. We categorize all rewards into two groups: events and merits.

An event focuses on meaningful recreation, positive community and a chance to experience new contexts, interests and people. This can for example be a go-kart tournament, an outdoor hike or a ski trip. The meritorious rewards are entirely oriented around building an appealing resume. This can, amongst other things, be driving lessons or a forklift certificate.

THE THEORIES BEHIND OUR CONCEPT

Gamification

When we met with youths during our survey and pilot year for Neighbourhood, we came across two reoccurring and problematic lines of thought amongst them.

The first is about their experience being that it doesn’t matter how well you manage or don’t manage school in Sweden. This argument was based on the comparison with their home country where there always were direct consequences for missbehaving – such as standing in the corner, physical violence or other types of punishments.

The other thing is the challenge of thinking long-term. We found it difficult to reach the youths with the argument that managing school today will benefit their future ability to be providers.

With these two challenges at the back of our minds we decided to build a rewardsystem in order to create clear consequences and short-term goals with focus on the positive.

SOC

– Sense of Coherence

SOC is a theory revolving around the human need to feel like they’re a part of a comprehensable and meaningful community in order to feel good. With our app we work to increase our participants sense of coherence through a pedagogy which gives great experience of comprehensibility, manageability and meaningfulness.

Because our app is designed like a game where you collect and spend points, the rules are very clear. It is easy for the youths to see what is required from them and what they can expect from us, and this makes it comprehensible.

By breaking down the big goal of finishing school and finding a job into smaller, more short-term and less overwhealming goals we increase the manageability. As a participant, to focus on homework for a couple of weeks in order to take part in a go-kart tournament, and then for another ten weeks to go on a ski trip, is much more manageable than finding motivation for five more years of schoolwork in order to be able to buy an apartment in ten years.