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Background: Suspension of routine classroom teaching & clinics during COVID-19 pandemic posed a challenge for medical teachers. Online classes alone, during lockdown may fail to garner the interest of medical undergraduates. Gamification of learning can serve to pique their interest and improve participation in online learning activities. Methods: We conducted a longitudinal study in 400 second and third year undergraduate medical students at a Rural Medical College in India. The study was conducted in the backdrop of COVID-19 pandemic during the months of March 2020 to September 2021. During lockdown online lectures of Community Medicine were conducted regularly. Additionally, the students were given crossword puzzles, quizzes and problem based learning scenarios on selected topics as online links to be accessed voluntarily. Response of students to the activities was noted and compared. Feedback was also solicited from students regarding the activities and their responses were analyzed. Results: All 400 students accessed the links to crosswords, quizzes and scenarios whereas the mean views for lectures were 280 (SD=34.6) i.e. 70%. A total of 237(59.25%) students reported that they found online lectures tiresome at times. Male students showed significantly better response to gamification as compared to online lectures. A total of 364(91%) students stated that game based learning helped them study better with 94% students responding that they would like similar content on all subjects. Conclusion: Gamification involves multiple domains of learning. Online lectures can be supplemented with games to increase student engagement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The gamification concept is rapidly grabbing attention of different sectors in the current competitive business ecosystem. Companies are amalgamating game elements to enrich customer enhancement. However, empirical studies incorporating Augmented Reality (AR) elements in the same are lacking. Therefore, main objective of this research is to inspect elements of AR, impacting the customer brand engagement in game filters of Instagram. Drawing on S-D Logic the authors aim to explore the impact of gameful experience on creating customer engagement. The capability of Customer Brand Engagement (CBE) to influence Brand Satisfaction (BS) and Brand loyalty (BL) is also explored in the study. Convenient sampling method was adopted to gather 458 responses from Gen Z in India. Responses were gathered using self-administered questionnaire. Findings of the study expand CBE literature to a new technology and refines knowledge of relationship between AR and preexisting CBE dimensions (affective, cognitive and activation), leading to BS and BL. This study has some implications for managerial decision making in creating resilient and long-term relations with customers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developing group cohesiveness in the online environment is important for a satisfying learning experience. This article describes an innovative use of crosswords as a "group" activity along with a hybrid version of Medical Pictionary and Medical Charades, in a medical school in India, to engage the learners, encourage interactions and collaboration, and develop group cohesiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Gamification, the use of game elements and techniques in the non-game contexts, is gaining popularity among human resources (HR) in an online mode. This paper intertwines the flow and engagement theories to know the challenges faced by companies in India in implementing gamification in their various HR practices to engage their employees. Design/methodology/approach: Semi-structured interviews of only the information-rich cases including game designers and HR practitioners were conducted using snowball sampling technique. The interviews were transcribed and were analysed using thematic analysis. Findings: Three reviewed themes emerged from the data labelled as organization-, employee- and job-specific factors. Separate thematic maps drawn for each of the reviewed themes give particulars pertaining to the issues highlighted by the game designers and the HR practitioners in gamification. Practical implications: The results of the study are expected to help the organizations make an informed decision about whether they should go ahead with risking their resources as they expect improved engagement levels at work. Originality/value: The findings contribute to the online engagement literature by exploring its antecedents in the context of gamification of HR practices for higher engagement at work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gamification is the application of game elements to non-game contexts. The process of gamification has been found to improve engagement levels, motivate participation and improve outcomes of activities. The primary focus of Gamification research has been on understanding how it can improve the process of learning, especially in academics or education. The impact of gamification in the organizational context is still relatively unexplored. The current study attempts to provide evidence supporting the use of gamification in organizational training. The study adopted an experimental methodology and is set in the context of organizations in India. The findings suggest that potential learners responded more positively to the gamified module and the knowledge gained was also higher through the gamified module. The gamified module also resulted in higher learner motivation. Thus, the current study provide support for the Theory of Gamified Learning that proposes that Gamification would increase Learner Motivation and thereby improve Learner reaction to the training and increase Learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mental health gap has been a persistent concern globally, especially in low and middle-income countries (LMIC). In an attempt to mitigate resource limitations, the psychiatric practice has been undergoing a paradigm shift into digitalized mental health interventions. One such innovation involves digital gaming utilizing the principles of 'gamification' to incorporate both the playfulness component of online gaming as well as the domain-targeted design of gaming elements. Digital gaming-based interventions have been to deliver psychotherapy, biofeedback, cognitive training and rehabilitation, as well as behavioural modification and social skills training. Research shows their utility in autism spectrum disorders, attention deficit disorders, schizophrenia, depression, anxiety disorders, post-traumatic stress, eating disorders, neurocognitive disorders and also to promote healthy aging. Though promising in scope, these interventions face pragmatic challenges for implementation in developing countries. Even though increased use of technology, internet penetration and growing digital literacy have enhanced their accessibility and feasibility, various factors like socio-cultural diversity, lack of standardization, poor infrastructural support, bandwidth issues and lack of practice can impair their use and acceptability. Keeping this in the background, this commentary critically discusses the scope, applications and challenges of digital gaming in mental healthcare delivery in one of the rapidly globalizing LMIC nations, India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of the study was to discover the strategies employed by Information Technology (IT) companies in India to engage the millennial workforce, and assess the effectiveness of these strategies. A concurrent mixed method approach was used. In the quantitative phase of the research, a questionnaire was administered to a random sample of 306 IT employees from the millennial generation to discover which strategies or employee benefit schemes had been effective in positively influencing employee engagement. Data were analysed using Structural Equation Modelling. In the qualitative phase of the study, 18 millennial generation managers belonging to the IT sector were interviewed. Purposive sampling was used. The qualitative study offered a deeper understanding of the phenomenon Employee Engagement and insights into lived experiences of employees. Both studies confirmed that activities related to corporate social responsibility, outdoor and cultural activities, and opportunities for informal communication determined engagement of the millennial workforce in the IT sector. Work life balance and opportunities for physical activities were desirable hygiene factors, but not determining factors for engagement. In the qualitative study, it was found that gamification of learning was not considered a proactive engagement strategy; however, the quantitative study showed that it was most effective in engaging the millennials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]