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Digital & Interactive · MS elective · 3 credit hours · 16 sessions

Social Media & Gamification

Gamification is the art of applying game mechanics to non-game contexts to drive engagement. This course explores how brands use points, badges, leaderboards, and challenges to turn passive social media followers into active participants. Students will study the psychology of reward systems and design gamified social campaigns that build loyalty and viral loops.

§ 01 By the end you can
  1. Understand the core drivers of human motivation (Octalysis Framework)
  2. Apply game mechanics (Points, Badges, Leaderboards) to social campaigns
  3. Design "Viral Loops" that encourage users to invite friends
  4. Create interactive contests, challenges, and User Generated Content (UGC) drives
  5. Analyze the ethical line between engagement and addiction
§ 02 Sixteen sessions

The whole semester.

  1. 01Introduction to Gamification & Behavioral Psychology
  2. 02The Octalysis Framework (Yu-kai Chou)
  3. 03Game Mechanics: PBL (Points, Badges, Leaderboards)
  4. 04Intrinsic vs. Extrinsic Motivation
  5. 05The Viral Loop: Trigger, Action, Reward, Investment
  6. 06Case Study: Duolingo & Fitbit Social Features
  7. 07Gamifying Brand Loyalty
  8. 08 · MidtermMidterm Examination
  9. 09Designing Social Challenges (e.g., Ice Bucket)
  10. 10Loyalty Programs & Social Currency
  11. 11Augmented Reality (AR) Filters as Games
  12. 12Interactive Stories & Polls
  13. 13User Generated Content (UGC) Contests
  14. 14Community Building via Exclusive Access
  15. 15Ethics: Dark Patterns & Addiction
  16. 16Final Project: The Gamified Social Campaign

Midterm around session 8. Final project briefed at session 8 or 9 and developed in stages until the juries.

§ 03 Final project

Final Project: The Gamified Social Campaign

How it’s judged

Recommended reading
  1. Actionable Gamification: Beyond Points, Badges, and Leaderboards by Yu-kai Chou
  2. Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products by Nir Eyal
  3. Gamify: How Gamification Motivates People to Do Extraordinary Things by Brian Burke
  4. Reality Is Broken: Why Games Make Us Better and How They Can Change the World by Jane McGonigal
  5. For the Win: How Game Thinking Can Revolutionize Your Business by Kevin Werbach
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