According to a recent MarketWatch analysis, the advancement of gamification platforms inside education reveals a growth market with enormous potential. Add to the equation the Intelligence Market Report (IMR) predictions that the Metaverse market size is projected to reach $790 billion and grow at a CAGR of 23.1% by 2028 - it’s easy to see how gaming is intersecting across all sectors.
As these worlds merge, educational professionals recognize the benefits of expanded uses of learning adopted to the principles found in gaming. A recent Edutopia article about gameplay and learning shows increased participation, social and emotional learning (SEL) and smart risk-taking as benefits.
However, according to Harvard’s Graduate School of Education research, “The challenge may not just be to find a high-quality game, but to find ways to support kids in making meaningful connections between their play and the world around them.”
While games have the potential to connect kids and enhance problem solving and relationship building, one area that may be worth examining is the power of emotional investment and its influence on the learning process found in of all things, sports.
One key area of expression and emotional investment is fandom. Many people may not have considered the science of fandom or its relationship to gameplay. New York University (NYU) noticed years ago and the iconic institution continues to examine the psychology of fandom through research and a course of study.
The Psychology of Fandom
When psychologists study fandom, they analyze the intense emotional connections between fans and their commitment to the teams and brands they love. The link is a motivator for fans.
Social psychologist and NYU faculty member PJ Henry says, “This need to belong is considered one of the most important, if not the most important, motivating force in humans. We become fans because it connects us to others.”
As the world recovers from the mental health effects of isolation and a lack of connection during the pandemic, many startups are choosing to innovate around ideas of community and belonging in the digital realm.
Harnessing Gamification and Fandom
GreenPark Sports, a publisher and developer of fan-forward digitally immersive experiences, is demolishing the invisible wall between sports fans and their favorite teams.
GreenPark is building the future of sports and esports in the Metaverse, bringing fans together to connect, compete and celebrate in a uniquely social and immersive experience. The free-to-play mobile app allows fans to engage with their favorite sports, teams, and athletes.
“We are excited to bring first-of-its-kind digital collectibles and in-game utility to LaLiga fans worldwide,” GreenPark co-founder and CEO Ken Martin says. “For more than a century, fans have proudly worn the jerseys representing their favorite clubs and players to celebrate their fandom. Giving the next generation of social sports fans a reimagined way to digitally collect these and wear them into a virtual world built for sport is the next evolution of fandom.”
The social gaming developer for next-generation sports and esports fans announced earlier this year a new multi-year partnership with Major League Soccer (MLS) and the MLS Players Association (MLSPA). The partnerships will enable fans to support their favorite MLS teams and current star players while connecting with friends and fellow fans by competing in games against their biggest rivals in GreenPark’s virtual fan world augmented by live gameplay data.
Tony Grillo, Chief Strategy Officer of GreenPark Sports, is excited about the engagement and energy this digital world will evoke in users worldwide. “GreenPark continues to build and evolve the go-to virtual world for fans, one that celebrates, measures and rewards what we call, ‘fanergy’ and will drive newfound engagement and value for leagues,” he says.
Engagement currently serves not just as a campaign in the education sector, but as the conduit to support students in a world becoming ever more expansive, and digital.
Education often looks for exemplars to both engage with and serve as backstops answering the question, ‘why?’ when evaluating what to integrate into classrooms. It appears that eSports and virtual destinations like GreenPark might just be proving to be the exemplars needed to integrate fans, of all ages, into the digital landscape, for education and fun.
As more people enter these environments, the education sector might consider mirroring aspects of these new environments in EdTech practices to increase motivation and emotional investments in learning.
Interviews have been edited and condensed for clarity.
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