<figure class="image"><img alt="TechReviewer_Software_Canada_2023.png" src="https://res.cloudinary.com/deno14mx1/image/upload/v1693323585/Tech_Reviewer_Software_Canada_2023_9aba9d4b0c.png" srcset="https://res.cloudinary.com/deno14mx1/image/upload/v1693323585/thumbnail_Tech_Reviewer_Software_Canada_2023_9aba9d4b0c.png 119w, https://res.cloudinary.com/deno14mx1/image/upload/v1693323586/small_Tech_Reviewer_Software_Canada_2023_9aba9d4b0c.png 382w, https://res.cloudinary.com/deno14mx1/image/upload/v1693323586/medium_Tech_Reviewer_Software_Canada_2023_9aba9d4b0c.png 573w, https://res.cloudinary.com/deno14mx1/image/upload/v1693323586/large_Tech_Reviewer_Software_Canada_2023_9aba9d4b0c.png 764w" sizes="100vw" width="764"></figure><p>Raccoopack Media Named Among Canada's Top Software Development Companies in 2023 by Techreviewer.co<br>We are proud to announce that Raccoopack Media, a leading software development company, has been recognized by Techreviewer.co as one of the top software development companies in Canada for 2023!</p><p>With its rigorous and objective evaluation process, Techreviewer.co ranks only the most innovative and successful software companies in its annual lists. This year, Raccoopack Media has been selected amongst a large number of competitive software companies to be included in their prestigious ranking, coming in the top 100.</p><p>This accolade from Techreviewer.co serves as a testament to Raccoopack Media’s commitment to innovation and customer satisfaction. The Vancouver-based software development company has shown consistent growth and development in the tech industry, making it one of the most reliable and reputable companies in Canada.</p><p>Raccoopack Media’s recognition as a top software development company reflects its continual dedication to providing high-quality, innovative software solutions. Through its work, Raccoopack Media helps businesses across diverse industries streamline their operations, increase efficiency, and navigate the digital landscape more effectively.</p><p>We attribute our success to a relentless commitment to our core principles: innovative thinking, expertise in diverse technologies, and an unwavering focus on our clients’ needs. We believe in creating software that not only solves current business challenges but also anticipates and plans for future requirements.</p><p>This recognition by Techreviewer.co is a confirmation of the hard work, persistence, and creativity of our exceptional team at Raccoopack Media. We will continue to strive for excellence in the future, delivering top-tier software solutions for our clients, pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in the tech industry, and cementing our position as a leader in software development in Canada.</p><p><span style="color:#1976d2;"><strong>About Raccoopack Media</strong></span></p><p>Raccoopack Media is a top software development company headquartered in Vancouver, Canada. Committed to delivering innovative software solutions, the company offers a comprehensive range of services including custom software development, mobile app development, and UI/UX design among others. Raccoopack Media’s experienced team excels in crafting state-of-the-art solutions that drive business growth and operational efficiency.</p>

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Raccoopack Media Named Among Canada's Top Software Development Companies in 2023 by Techreviewer.co

<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/deno14mx1/image/upload/v1690219721/Osoyoos_Desert_Centre_Road_Survey_Header_55bce4d8d1.png" alt="Osoyoos-Desert-Centre-Road-Survey-Header.png" srcset="https://res.cloudinary.com/deno14mx1/image/upload/v1690219721/thumbnail_Osoyoos_Desert_Centre_Road_Survey_Header_55bce4d8d1.png 208w, https://res.cloudinary.com/deno14mx1/image/upload/v1690219721/small_Osoyoos_Desert_Centre_Road_Survey_Header_55bce4d8d1.png 500w, https://res.cloudinary.com/deno14mx1/image/upload/v1690219722/medium_Osoyoos_Desert_Centre_Road_Survey_Header_55bce4d8d1.png 750w" sizes="100vw" width="750"></figure><h2>Osoyoos Desert Centre | Road Survey Mobile App</h2><h6><span style="color:#757575;"><strong>Product: Custom Mobile App</strong></span></h6><h6><span style="color:#757575;"><strong>Platforms: iOS and Android</strong></span></h6><h6><span style="color:#757575;"><strong>Services provided: Full cycle development, MVP prototyping, hosting and deployment</strong></span></h6><p>&nbsp;</p><h3><span style="color:#689f38;"><strong>Challenge</strong></span></h3><p><span style="color:#424242;font-size:20px;">There are about 11,000 animal-related collisions every year in British Columbia. To better evaluate the cause and impact of wildlife collisions , Osoyoos Desert Centre wanted a way for volunteers to report wildlife sightings during their walks around the area. From there, Osoyoos Desert Centre reached out to us to accomplish this through a mobile app.</span></p><h3><span style="color:#689f38;"><strong>Solution</strong></span></h3><p><span style="color:#424242;font-size:20px;">The road survey app allows volunteers to easily report wildlife sightings on their mobile device during their walks.&nbsp;</span><br>&nbsp;</p><h5><img class="image_resized image-style-align-right image" style="width:21.95%;" src="https://res.cloudinary.com/deno14mx1/image/upload/v1689623149/Osoyoos_Mobile_App_2_94de597d92.png" alt="Osoyoos-Mobile-App-2.png" srcset="https://res.cloudinary.com/deno14mx1/image/upload/v1689623149/thumbnail_Osoyoos_Mobile_App_2_94de597d92.png 74w, https://res.cloudinary.com/deno14mx1/image/upload/v1689623149/small_Osoyoos_Mobile_App_2_94de597d92.png 237w, https://res.cloudinary.com/deno14mx1/image/upload/v1689623149/medium_Osoyoos_Mobile_App_2_94de597d92.png 356w" sizes="100vw" width="356"><span style="color:#616161;font-size:22px;">Main Features</span><br>&nbsp;</h5><ul><li><span style="color:#757575;font-size:18px;"><strong>Wildlife data entry and logging</strong></span><br>&nbsp;</li><li><span style="color:#757575;font-size:18px;"><strong>Location tracking</strong></span><br>&nbsp;</li><li><span style="color:#757575;font-size:18px;"><strong>Offline support and data syncing</strong></span></li></ul><p><br>&nbsp;</p><p><span style="color:#757575;font-size:18px;"><strong>By using the phone’s GPS capabilities, the app is able to gather important information such as location and temperature.</strong></span></p><h3><span style="color:#689f38;font-size:22px;"><strong>No internet? No problem!</strong></span></h3><p>&nbsp;</p><p><span style="color:#616161;font-size:18px;"><strong>We also added offline support, where submitted logs can be synchronised once the user is connected online.</strong></span></p><p>&nbsp;</p><h3><span style="color:#689f38;font-size:22px;"><strong>Results</strong></span></h3><ul><li><span style="font-size:20px;">An easy to use MVP product devleoped within time and budget</span><br>&nbsp;</li><li><span style="font-size:20px;">Released product ready to be adopted by thousands of volunteer users</span><br>&nbsp;</li><li><span style="font-size:20px;">Future development updates to follow which will include new features&nbsp;</span></li></ul>

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Location Based Road Survey App - Osoyoos Desert Centre

<h1><img class="image image_resized" style="width:100%;" src="https://res.cloudinary.com/deno14mx1/image/upload/v1689794791/Notifications_768x540_f28081dce1.png" alt="Notifications-768x540.png" srcset="https://res.cloudinary.com/deno14mx1/image/upload/v1689794791/thumbnail_Notifications_768x540_f28081dce1.png 222w, https://res.cloudinary.com/deno14mx1/image/upload/v1689794791/small_Notifications_768x540_f28081dce1.png 500w, https://res.cloudinary.com/deno14mx1/image/upload/v1689794791/medium_Notifications_768x540_f28081dce1.png 750w" sizes="100vw" width="750"></h1><h1>After 2 years, how successful has Invaders Crusaders been?&nbsp;</h1><p>&nbsp;</p><p>2 years ago we released a game in collaboration with the Invasive Species Council of British Columbia (ISCBC). We wanted to review the stats to find out how successful the game was.<br>&nbsp;</p><h3>Gameplay Breakdown</h3><p>First let’s review the Invader Crusader project. The goal of the project was to have kids learn about different practices that they can use to help stop the spread of invasive species. &nbsp;The user was presented with different scenarios where they would follow one of ISCBC’s policies and would result in either the invasive species spreading or not.</p><p>The game is built on several levels that all take place on a segmented map of BC. At the start the map has some invasive &amp; native species and some have a starting event timer. Players goal is to have at least as many native species as invasive species once all the rounds have run out. Events present players with a situation and two choices, and depending on the players choice a new invasive species will spawn in that region. In each level users also get a set number of remove actions to remove an existing invasive species. On their turn users can either use a remove action or interact with an event. In between their turns the game will advance events one turn towards happening automatically, and invasive species can spread to nearby regions. As the levels advance different species are presented with new events.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h3>What Does The Data Say?</h3><p>The game has been played a total of over 10,750 times with each user playing for over 30 minutes. So our game has a high degree of retention as young children are playing the game for half an hour. This breaks down to the game being played for an average playtime globally of 7 hours every day. 92% of users are new to the game which was expected as our design was for a singular learning experience.</p><p>From looking at achievement data we can see a breakdown of casual users vs completionists in our demographic. From looking at our achievement curve we can see that our hardest achievement is to perfect a hard level. &nbsp;Beating the tutorial has a 100% completion rate. This is very exciting to see as it shows that our game was approachable for our target audience. We can see that there is a drop of around 40% from the tutorial to the first level. &nbsp;</p><p>This is an expected drop off as not every player will go through all content in a game. &nbsp;That is partly why we designed the game to open up after the tutorial so players could play any level they want. &nbsp;Our hardest achievement is to perfect a hard level. Perfecting a level is to win without any invasive species left on the map. &nbsp;We’re happy to see that roughly 900 players have pushed themselves to go for this difficult challenge.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h3>In Conlusion</h3><p>Going in we expected the game to be used more often as a learning tool in a class rather than a long form experience, and from these statistics we feel like this project was a great success.</p>

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Invaders Crusaders 2 Years In - How effective was our game? 

<h2>UBC Research Demonstrates Effectiveness of Interactive Educational Games</h2><p>Games are known to have higher engagement rates and learning retention in education. To what extent do learners find the game applications helpful?</p><p>In a recent gamification study published by Dr. Lillian Hung at the UBC School of Nursing, an online game for dementia education was developed and then played by 3000 staff across 10 hospitals and 10 long term care homes in Vancouver.</p><h3>&nbsp;</h3><h3>Playing the Dementia Educational Game</h3><p>In the research, the dementia education game offers interactive scenarios that staff can encounter on the job. Learners have the objective of learning each concept behind person-centered care before correctly answering questions to score points. The game was made available online in desktop, mobile, and tablet devices.</p><h3><br>Results of The Gamification Research</h3><p>After the staff played the game, they were invited to fill out a survey. The survey data compiled from the population of 3000 staff in hospital and long-term care homes revealed the effectiveness of interactive educational games:</p><ul><li>90% found the online game education fun</li><li>93% found that they were able to learn about person-centered care</li><li>90% could answer all 10 questions in the game correctly</li><li>95% would recommend the game to others</li></ul><p>&nbsp;</p><h3>Benefits of Game Based Learning Applications in Education</h3><p>From the survey, participants also expressed open comments about their experience. This included their experiences on what they found particularly effective in learning through an online game as opposed to traditional settings.</p><h4>Accessibility</h4><p>During the COVID-19 pandemic, many educators in healthcare could not provide traditional classroom training. Gamified learning using the dementia education game increased accessibility as the app could be accessed online.</p><h4>Engagement</h4><p>In traditional online learning, there is often minimal engagement or participation that involves critical thinking. Gamification adds the benefit of allowing the learner to actively participate and reinforce their learning. In the research, staff felt more motivated to learn as the game was fun and relatable.</p><h4>Bite-sized Learning</h4><p>Many learners, such as healthcare workers, have busy schedules. Staff expressed that they enjoyed the flexibility of being able to learn in short sessions at their own pace as opposed to a structured classroom lecture.</p><h4>Safe Learning Environment</h4><p>The interactiveness of games provides a simulated and safe environment for learners. In the research, staff expressed that they appreciated being able to practice applying their responses to scenarios that would otherwise be high risk on the job. This increased the relevance and practicality of the learning.</p><h4>Social Aspect</h4><p>When learners are engaged and have fun in their learning, they are likely to share their experiences with others. Game mechanics such as leaderboards can also encourage greater participation among learning groups and knowledge retention through repeated playthroughs. From the research, educators reported that staff actively shared the learnings from the game with others and began using the terms they learned from the game in their work.</p><h3>&nbsp;</h3><h3>Behind the Scenes: The Game was built with the help of George at Raccoopack Media!</h3><p>The dementia education game was developed in collaboration with our president, George at Raccoopack Media. We are proud that the educational game has been instrumental in creating an engaging, safe, and practical e-learning resource to improve healthcare quality in Canada.</p><p>If you are interested in learning about our development processes with healthcare applications, you can visit our patient care mobile app case study.</p><p>Want to explore your game or app development idea? We are always happy to chat – feel free to reach out!</p>

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Research Demonstrates the effect of Interactive Educational Games in UBC Research

<p style="text-align:center;"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/deno14mx1/image/upload/v1690933247/Hearts_and_Hands_2021_TD_v2_768x768_1_1_332fc2cfe4.png" alt="Hearts-and-Hands-2021-TD-v2-768x768-1 (1).png" srcset="https://res.cloudinary.com/deno14mx1/image/upload/v1690933247/thumbnail_Hearts_and_Hands_2021_TD_v2_768x768_1_1_332fc2cfe4.png 156w,https://res.cloudinary.com/deno14mx1/image/upload/v1690933247/small_Hearts_and_Hands_2021_TD_v2_768x768_1_1_332fc2cfe4.png 500w,https://res.cloudinary.com/deno14mx1/image/upload/v1690933247/medium_Hearts_and_Hands_2021_TD_v2_768x768_1_1_332fc2cfe4.png 750w," sizes="100vw" width="750px"></p><h1>Say hi to us at Hearts and Hands October 26th!</h1><p>&nbsp;</p><p>We’re happy to say that the Hearts and Hands digital app will back back for a third year! In collaboration with SafeCare BC, our team has been working hard to get the app ready for this year’s event.</p><p>This year is especially exciting, because both the digital event and the in-person conferences are returning. Here’s a surprise – we also added an exhibitor passport feature to app. Attendees can use the app to complete various activities in-person!</p><h4>Our team will be attending the Hearts and Hands conference on October 26th (Langley) as an exhibitor. Come by and say hi to us at our booth!</h4><p>We first developed the Hearts and Hands web app in 2020 to enable this annual conference to continue running despite the COVID-19 pandemic. During 2020, over 700 healthcare assistants and industry professionals attended this five day event. Given that the digital event received overwhelmingly positive feedback, SafeCare has worked with our team to bring the event back each year since then.<br>&nbsp;</p><blockquote><p>Hearts and Hands is the premier conference for healthcare assistants in British Columbia. With the goals of celebrating, educating, and inspiring, this is an event you don’t want to miss!</p></blockquote><p>&nbsp;</p>

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Say hi to us at Hearts and Hands October 26th!

<figure class="image"><img alt="BC-Game-Jam-2022.jpeg" src="https://res.cloudinary.com/deno14mx1/image/upload/v1689809105/BC_Game_Jam_2022_104cbb37d4.jpg" srcset="https://res.cloudinary.com/deno14mx1/image/upload/v1689809105/thumbnail_BC_Game_Jam_2022_104cbb37d4.jpg 245w, https://res.cloudinary.com/deno14mx1/image/upload/v1689809105/small_BC_Game_Jam_2022_104cbb37d4.jpg 500w, https://res.cloudinary.com/deno14mx1/image/upload/v1689809105/medium_BC_Game_Jam_2022_104cbb37d4.jpg 750w, https://res.cloudinary.com/deno14mx1/image/upload/v1689809105/large_BC_Game_Jam_2022_104cbb37d4.jpg 1000w" sizes="100vw" width="1000"></figure><h2>Raccoopack is a proud sponsor of The BC Game Jam 2022!</h2><blockquote><p>BC Game Jam is a 30-hour hackathon where game enthusiasts can collaborate, learn, and create a game based on a theme that has been given by the organizers.</p></blockquote><p>Last week, Raccoopack Media attended BC Game Jam 2022, where both aspiring and talented game developers got together in this 30-hour hackathon to create new games.</p><p>As a platinum sponsor, we are proud to be continuing to support the BC Game Jam and the &nbsp;game development industry in British Columbia.</p><p>During this time, over a dozen games were created and showcased! You can check out some photos at the <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://twitter.com/bcgamejam?lang=en"><span style="color:#2196f3;"><strong>BC Game Jam Twitter</strong></span></a></p>

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Raccoopack Sponsors BC Game Jam 2022!

<figure class="image"><img alt="TechReviewer_O_R.png" src="https://res.cloudinary.com/deno14mx1/image/upload/v1690243801/Tech_Reviewer_O_R_192b452511.png" srcset="https://res.cloudinary.com/deno14mx1/image/upload/v1690243801/thumbnail_Tech_Reviewer_O_R_192b452511.png 97w, https://res.cloudinary.com/deno14mx1/image/upload/v1690243801/small_Tech_Reviewer_O_R_192b452511.png 310w" sizes="100vw" width="310"></figure><h1>Raccoopack Media named as a Top Mobile Development Company 2022!</h1><p>We’re proud to be recognized for another year as one of the top mobile app development companies in Techreviewer!&nbsp;<br>&nbsp;</p><p>Check out the press release below.</p><h4>Raccoopack Media is recognized by Techreviewer as a Top Mobile Development Company in 2022</h4><p>Raccoopack Media offers some of the best mobile solutions for customers at one of the most affordable prices in the Canadian app development market. Their mass amount of knowledge and expertise has allowed them to stand out from competitors and take a large step forward in the market becoming one of the best mobile development companies to choose from. Not only do they offer exceptional services at affordable rates, but they also have high ratings from customer reviews. With a solid rating it is no doubt, that they easily found their way onto our list.</p><p>As well, Raccoopack Media with their portfolio and outstanding services has built an excellent brand and reputation for themselves. Not to mention, they have numerous awards and clients across North America. The company has stood out in these criteria compared to others, and that is why they have earned themselves a spot on Techreviewer’s list. It would be no surprise to continue to see news about Raccoopack Media, and to see them keep climbing up the list. In conclusion, Raccoopack Media is an astonishing app development company and a strong choice for any organization’s mobile development needs.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h4>About TechReviewer.co</h4><p>Techreviewer thinks consumers should be able to find competent companies without a hassle. No longer should consumers have to browse the internet for hours trying to find the right company for the job because that is what they do. Techreviewer is a research and analytics company that compares all companies in a specific market and then generates a list of the top performers. Focusing primarily on IT companies that offer services in software, web and mobule development, technical support, system integration, AI, Big Data, or business analysis. This way they help consumers find the best match their needs, and consumers no longer have to do any of the research, it is all on Techreviewer’s lists.</p><p>Techreviewer has several criteria that they compare all companies in and they are:</p><p>• Services offered</p><p>• Reputation and brand visibility</p><p>• Customer reviews</p><p>• Awards received</p><p>• Company clients</p><p>• Case studies</p><p>• Social media activity<br>&nbsp;</p>

Raccoopack Media named as a Top Mobile Development Company 2022

<figure class="image"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/deno14mx1/image/upload/v1690933247/Hearts_and_Hands_2021_TD_v2_768x768_1_1_332fc2cfe4.png" alt="Hearts-and-Hands-2021-TD-v2-768x768-1 (1).png" srcset="https://res.cloudinary.com/deno14mx1/image/upload/v1690933247/thumbnail_Hearts_and_Hands_2021_TD_v2_768x768_1_1_332fc2cfe4.png 156w,https://res.cloudinary.com/deno14mx1/image/upload/v1690933247/small_Hearts_and_Hands_2021_TD_v2_768x768_1_1_332fc2cfe4.png 500w,https://res.cloudinary.com/deno14mx1/image/upload/v1690933247/medium_Hearts_and_Hands_2021_TD_v2_768x768_1_1_332fc2cfe4.png 750w," sizes="100vw" width="750px"></figure><h1>Hearts and Hands is returning digitally on October 18 - 22!</h1><p>&nbsp;</p><p>In collaboration with SafeCare BC, Raccoopack Media is proud to be providing continued support to this amazing conference to celebrate healthcare assistants across British Columbia.</p><p>We first developed the Hearts and Hands web app in 2020 to enable this annual conference to continue running despite the COVID-19 pandemic. During 2020, over 700 healthcare assistants and industry professionals attended this five day event. Given that the digital event received overwhelmingly positive feedback, SafeCare BC decided to task our team to bring it back for another year with exciting new content!</p><h4>To our team, this is also a way for us to express our gratitude to the hard work and perseverance of healthcare assistants, especially during these challenging times.<br>&nbsp;</h4><blockquote><p>Hearts and Hands is the premier conference for healthcare assistants in British Columbia. With the goals of celebrating, educating, and inspiring, this is an event you don’t want to miss!</p></blockquote><p>&nbsp;</p>

Hearts and Hands is returning digitally on October 18 – 22!

<p>Our <span style="color:#3C5888;">Raccoopod</span> Podcast</p>

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Apps and Gamification Experts

RACCOOPACK MEDIA

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</div></div><h5>&nbsp;</h5><h5>Today’s Episode we look at the concept of Flow. Where did it come from, what is it and how do we use it in Gamification?</h5><hr><h3><span style="color:#616161;">TRANSCRIPT</span></h3><p><span style="color:#212121;">So you may have heard of flow before as it has been around since 1988 and promoted with a book Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience (1990). It’s a theory that Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi developed in his work into the scientific study of happiness. If it is new to you or not, flow is defined as “A state in which people are so involved in an activity that nothing else seems to matter; the experience is so enjoyable that people will continue to do it even at great cost, for the sheer sake of doing it.” So it’s a state of super engagement where everything else fades away.</span></p><p>&nbsp;</p><h4><span style="color:#212121;">Where did Mihaly come up with the idea of flow?</span></h4><p><span style="color:#212121;">The first inkling he had about this work was during world war 2 while in an italian prison he discovered chess was a miraculous way of entering into a different world where all those things didn’t matter. For hours he’d focus within a reality that had clear rules and goals. After starting his education into psychology he ran a study where he had teenagers write down their thoughts when prompted by a random beeper. From this random sampling through the day he found that when they were focused on a challenging task they tended to be happier in their reports.</span></p><p>&nbsp;</p><h5><span style="color:#212121;">What constitutes flow? There were 9 identifiable elements that are involved in flow. But only 4 of these can be used by gamification. These elements are:</span></h5><ol><li>Clear defined goals for each step of the process</li><li>Immediate feedback on your actions</li><li>There is a balance between challenge and users skill level</li><li>Failure doesn’t have major consequence</li></ol><p>&nbsp;</p><p>If you listened to our first Why games matter episode, or have been checking out our blog at Raccoopack dot media. You’ll have noticed that some of those elements we have touched on before. Anyway let’s break down these elements and how they can be used in gamification.</p><p>So, how can we use gamification to help people to have clear defined goals for each step of the process they want. One thing we can do with adding a gamified system is provide users with a high level of signposting. This helps with users who may be trying something new for the first time. Adding a simple progression system, wherein each step is outlined in how to accomplish it and stands as a mark for where they are at in their journey will help them in achieving flow. It also is helpful if this process is done by someone who can be looked up to as having experience in the field. This is why here at Raccoopack we focus on implementing the gamification and have our clients provide the expertise.</p><h4>Immediate feedback on your actions</h4><p>Next let’s move onto how gamification can improve feedback and help users get into flow. When you are working on a skill it can be really hard to determine if you are improving. The feedback provided from gamification can be implemented either in helping users know when they have reached a goal or providing feedback on their current efforts. Getting constructive feedback that will help you progress is hugely important when you are trying to improve or learn something new. By spending the important time needed gamification can ensure that users get the feedback required to help them get into flow.</p><h4>There is a balance between challenge and users skill level</h4><p>Next up is a balance between challenge and skill. This is the most common interpretation in game design as it can be really tricky to get right and having an unbalanced game is likely to have players leave to go do something else. Perfect flow occurs when you are presented with a challenge that requires your abilities at their maximum. If the challenges are too easy then it becomes boring for the user, if the challenge is insurmountable then the user becomes frustrated. The other issue with making a well balanced game is every user has a different starting skill level and improves at a different rate.</p><p>But how do we determine a difficulty curve for a gamified action? This depends on what project you are applying gamification to. If it is a project that is closer to game-based learning, we tend to work to make a more traditional difficulty curve. In past projects we have added some optional challenges so that if a user was finding it too easy they could modify their goals for a greater challenge. For a situation-based learning or an application that only uses a few game mechanics the difficulty curve would likely depend on the difficulty that arises from the knowledge testing. Some gamified applications don’t have an internal difficulty curve as their focus relies on scaffolding and providing direction on something external from the application. The challenge comes from users following the steps as they get more difficult. As you can see from these examples, making a great gamified application with a good challenge curve relies on knowledge in the field.</p><h4>Failure doesn’t have major consequence</h4><p>Finally we get to the last component of flow we can directly impact with gamification. Having failure be acceptable, is something virtual spaces excel at. In a virtual environment there aren’t the same stakes as the real world, if you commit a faux pa in the real world it has consequences that can impact those around you. In a virtual space it can show what the consequences are without the lasting effects. Having a place where failure is minor gives users the opportunity to experiment and make an attempt at trying something new.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h5>So I hope you found the breakdown of flow informative and useful. In brief Flow is where you are completely engaged with something, there are several components of flow which are:</h5><ol><li>Clear defined goals for each step of the process</li><li>Immediate feedback on your actions</li><li>There is a balance between challenge and users skill level</li><li>Failure doesn’t have major consequence<br>&nbsp;</li></ol><p>And of those we can manipulate 4 with gamification, and to do so it takes consideration and care to use effectively. I hope that you enjoyed this podcast, so it’s the usual calls to action. Subscribe, follow us on social media and check out our website at raccoopack.media. Have a great day everyone.</p>

Episode 3: The Flow State

Episode 4: Jay Cormeir - Applying Gamification to Employee Training Conventions

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</div></div><h4>&nbsp;</h4><h4>On this episode of the Raccoopod we break down Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivation. &nbsp;What it is, why it’s important and how we use this understanding when designing a gamification system.</h4><hr><h3><span style="color:#616161;">TRANSCRIPT</span></h3><p>Welcome to the Raccoopod! Where the goal of our podcast is to give you the insights into gamification, what it is, and why you should consider it for your applications. I’m your host Zach Bearinger, and Today we are going to be exploring the difference between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. &nbsp;What are they and how do we use them in gamification to better our users? &nbsp;Let’s jump in</p><p>So lets first off look at defining Motivation as it’s important to understand motivation itself before we break it down into it’s intrinsic and extrinsic components. &nbsp;Ok so from very well mind &nbsp;Quote “Motivation is the process that initiates, guides, and maintains goal-oriented behaviors.” &nbsp;So motivation is why a person does something and is the driving force behind human behaviour. &nbsp;Easy to understand, so how do intrinsic and extrinsic motivation fall into that definition? &nbsp;</p><p>Both of these terms are looking at where the motivation is coming from, whether it is coming from outside or inside. &nbsp;Extrinsic motivation is when your motivators come from forces outside yourself commonly in gamification this can be points, levels and rewards. &nbsp;Intrinsic motivation is where you feel that you are motivated to do something because you want to, either because you find it enjoyable, or see it as an opportunity to learn or grow.</p><p>Ok, so simple enough extrinsic is things that are motivating you that are outside of you and intrinsic motivation is you doing something because it’s a thing you want to do for a personal reason. &nbsp;So how do we use these concepts when designing gamification? &nbsp;For us we take cues from self determination theory, which we will do an episode on in the future. &nbsp;But it looks into how to get someone from being extrinsically motivated to intrinsically motivated.</p><p>For gamification applications that are designed to help users develop a skill or habit knowing and utilising the difference between extrinsic and intrinsic motivation. &nbsp;Surface level gamification is choc full of extrinsic motivation, points, levels and in-app rewards. &nbsp;By only adding such mechanics you can add extrinsic motivation but without the feeling of accomplishment that intrinsic motivation provides you’ll have a hollow experience. &nbsp;By the nature of gamification, developing extrinsic motivation is easy but you have to set a plan for shifting users to intrinsic motivation. &nbsp;How you should approach this depends on what you are gamifying, as the end goal will differ if you are gamifying a course or a treatment plan. &nbsp;Some will provide a natural draw into internal gamification, such as with a fitness app. &nbsp;</p><p>Let’s run with the fitness example to go through how a user will move from external motivation to internal. &nbsp;So a user is looking to get more fit and has chosen your gamified application, you have them set goals, join some groups/challenges with other users in the same boat. &nbsp;Your gamification mechanics keep encouraging the user to start exercising. &nbsp;At this point they are extrinsically motivated. &nbsp;Now they start getting fitter and start to enjoy exercising and start noticing their abilities improve. &nbsp;They start trying new exercises and sports, they start to enjoy feeling fit and now workout not just to progress in the app but also because they feel better after working out. &nbsp;At this point they are starting to shift into mostly intrinsic motivation. &nbsp;The user starts setting goals outside of the app, joining a group to go on hikes and races. &nbsp;They are doing different exercises because they see the intrinsic value now.</p><p>That’ll wrap up this podcast about intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, we hope that you are clearer on what they are, how to use them and why it’s important in gamification.</p><p>Thanks for listening! You can find the podcast on Spotify, Stitcher, and Google podcast. &nbsp;We’d really appreciate subscribers, feedback and shares to help grow the podcast. &nbsp;If you’re interested in learning more about our app development services or how gamification can help your organization, feel free to book an exploratory call today and meet the pack at Raccoopack Media! &nbsp;If you have any suggestions for future episodes message us on social media @Raccoopack.media.</p>

Episode 5: Intrinsic vs Extrinsic Motivation 

Episode 6: Escape Room Design with Craig Bednar

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</div></div><h4>&nbsp;</h4><h4>A chat with Dr. Piers Steel about his book the Procrastination equation. &nbsp;DIving into what the equation is and how it effects your motivation for a task at any time.&nbsp;</h4><h4>We also break down 3 methods outlined in the book to get around your habit of procrastination and explore how they are applicable in a gamified setting.</h4><hr><h3><span style="color:#757575;">TRANSCRIPT</span></h3><p>📜 Transcript Coming soon!</p><h3><span style="color:#757575;">LINKS</span></h3><p><strong>📕 </strong><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.amazon.ca/Procrastination-Equation-Putting-Things-Getting/dp/0307357171"><strong>Buy the book&nbsp;</strong></a><strong>&nbsp;</strong></p><p><strong>🧠 </strong><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://procrastinus.com/"><strong>Procrastination and Science - Explanations of the Habit</strong></a></p><p>&nbsp;</p>

Episode 9: The Procrastination Equation with Dr. Piers Steel Raccoopod

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</div></div><h4>&nbsp;</h4><h4>An interview with Dr. Aguilar-Cruiz - Her study looking at using the Bethe1 Challenge app to teach kids English in Colombia and the benefits of gamification in education.&nbsp;</h4><hr><h3><span style="color:#757575;">TRANSCRIPT</span></h3><p>📜 Transcript Coming soon!</p><h3><span style="color:#757575;">LINKS</span></h3><p>Follow her published studies and other works<br><br><strong>🔗 </strong><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8386-9104"><strong>ORCiD</strong></a><strong> | 🔗 </strong><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/paola-julie-aguilar-cruz-7b5a681b4/ "><strong>Linkedin</strong></a></p><p>&nbsp;</p>

Episode 7: Dr. Aguilar-Cruiz: Using Gamification to teach English to Kids in Colombia

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</div></div><h4>&nbsp;</h4><h4>An interview with Dr. Sarah Boyle discussing her study of how gamification made an engaging impact on the Personalized Normative Feedback approach with a focus on reducing drinking habits in women indentifying as sexual minorities.</h4><hr><h3><span style="color:#757575;">TRANSCRIPT</span></h3><p>📜 Transcript Coming soon!</p><h3><span style="color:#757575;">LINKS</span></h3><p>🔗 Coming soon!</p><p>&nbsp;</p>

Episode 8: Upgrading Personalized Normative Feedback using Gamification with Dr. Sarah Boyle. 