BadgeOS is a powerful WordPress gamification plugin that allows you to implement different gamification elements. In this article we’ll define some general gamification terms, related to the BadgeOS plugin, to help you best navigate the plugin and its documentation.
Table Of Contents
1. General
Gamification
Gamification is the process of implementing game-like mechanics to anything other than a game. BadgeOS allows you to gamify your WordPress website by adding game-like elements such as achievements (badges, quests, etc.), ranks, points, leaderboards, and progress maps. As a result, you can motivate, entertain, and engage your users effectively.
Reward System
A reward system is essentially a concept map of gamification elements, outlining the user’s journey from start to finish on the site. This is similar to the storyline a user would follow when playing a game.
We recommend you first plan and map out your reward system with pen and paper or a document, before setting it up with BadgeOS. This will prevent you from getting lost in all possible options and configurations available with the plugin. Get started by listing down the badges, points, and ranks you’d like to reward your users with. Figure out how different rewards relate to each other (for example with a hierarchy of ranks).
Once you have your rewards mapped out, you can use the plugin to configure all of the different elements. If you get stuck on the way, do not hesitate to reach out to us for help.
Trigger
Achievements, points and ranks can be awarded when a user completes a specific action or set of actions on your site. The actions that lead to these rewards being earned are known as “triggers”.
For example, if users earn 10 points each time they log into the site, the trigger action is logging into the site.
2. Achievements
Achievement Types
With the BadgeOS plugin, you can create an unlimited number of achievement types. An achievement type is a category for a group of achievements and can be named according to your preference, branding, and needs. Some examples of names you can use for Achievement Types include Badges, Medals, and Trophies.
Note: Badges, the BadgeOS default Achievement Type, is created automatically when you install and activate the plugin.
Achievements
Within each achievement type, you can create an unlimited amount of individual achievements. Each achievement has its own image as a visual representation, a title, and a description. Achievements can be awarded based on a wide variety of site interactions including completing a series of steps or collecting a certain number of points. Additionally, achievements can be directly awarded by the site administrator.
Open Badge Compliance
BadgeOS allows you to issue open-badge compliant, verifiable badges that contain unique digital information as you can see on some popular sites such as Udemy, Coursera, and Udacity. As a result, Open Badges can be used to validate skills, knowledge, employment, and participation in online education programs.
Badge Baking
Badge Baking is a process through which verifiable information is added to an achievement and to its image. Non-verifiable badges are represented by a simple image. On the other hand, verifiable badges contain information that can be validated using third party tools and that is displayed in a unique evidence page.
Achievement Evidence Page
The achievement evidence page is issued when a user earns an open badge. The admin and user can access this page, with a unique URL, to view and validate the information associated with the badge. The information displayed here includes the Recipient name, Badge Name, Criteria, and Expiration Date.
3. Points
Point Types
The BadgeOS plugin allows you to award and deduct points to users based on their interactions on the site. You can use an unlimited amount of point types to build a robust point system. Point types can take any name that suits your site’s branding and theme. Some point type examples include Credits, Gems, Coins, Gold, Silver, Bronze, etc.
Points
A point is an individual unit of any specific point type. You can award and deduct specific numbers of a point type based on a user’s actions on the site.
Point Awards
A point award results in the earning of additional points of a certain point type for the user. You can configure the requirements for point awards individually for each point type. Additionally, you can award points from any point type to users when they earn a badge or reach a rank.
Point Deducts
Point deducts result in the loss of points of a certain point type for the user. You can configure the requirements for point deducts individually for each point type.
4. Ranks
Rank Types
You can create an unlimited number of rank types, or categories, for a group of ranks. If needed you can create several rank types to create different hierarchy systems for your users and name each rank type in a unique way. Some common Rank Type examples include Levels, Tiers, and Status.
Ranks
Within each rank type, you can configure unlimited individual ranks. Ranks are used to build a member hierarchy. Each rank on the hierarchy can be reached according to your configurations by completing different site interactions or be unlocked using points.