7.7.11: Gamification + Storification = Education

Learning really important business stuff through stories and games sounds totally soft and very ‘non-businessy’.

Despite having built a hugely successful storytelling platform – 50 Lessons – and selling that company to Skillsoft, I still had an itch that needed to be scratched.

My epiphany came when I bought my first iPhone about three years ago.

What that little black rectangle helped me realize was that despite being a true, multi-platform media play, 50 Lessons was still very much a ‘one to many’ broadcast model. It was a ‘lean-back’ learning experience.

We were fighting for 3 minutes of attention within the context of someone’s very busy work schedule. And no matter how relevant or contextual the content was – and they were and still are damned good – the primary activity was still viewing.

What was missing was the addition of what I now see as a very necessary and real game ‘layer’ – not just badges – into the learning mix.

Moreover, smart phones and tablets combined with an ‘app-centric’ approach allowed our new business to emerge from the entrepreneurial primordial soup.

A picture tells a thousand words and below is a slide which sums up what problem we’re tackling and what tools we’re using here at True Office.

Today, we have submitted Corner Office Confidential, our first App, to Apple and we hope to have it in your hands shortly. Onward!