Four academics and researchers from the University’s Centre for Logistics and Sustainability and Gamification Lab have created a platform called Otter Power. The platform “gamifies” the process of gathering public opinion by infusing game-like elements into the process such as rewards and challenges.

After which, the platform uses meticulously structured methods to analyse the collected data for meaningful and informed decision making. 

The case for gamification is not unique to the realm of public opinion. According to research from Orbis, the global gamification sales revenue is expected to reach over £25 billion by 2025. This is in light of 70% of global 2000 companies using gamification in some way, and 90% of employees saying gamification makes them feel more productive at work. 

The need for the platform in a public opinion context comes out of the increasingly skewed view policy makers have on public opinion because of social media, which can give a large platform to a potentially small group. Otter Power instead asks participants to discuss various scenarios to ensure that everyone contributes until the options boil down. 

Dr Agnessa Spanellis, director of Gamification Lab for Sustainability at Heriot-Watt University and the academic lead for this project said: “What makes this different is that there is a very structured approach and methodology behind how to analyse the data collected. We combine thematic analysis of the discussions with the choice modelling of the choices of specific policies made by individual players, which is a well-established statistical method in economics and marketing. This provides policymakers the evidence of what the public thinks about specific policies.

“We believe this to be a first. I’ve seen games developed that engage public in some sort of discussion about a broader issue but I haven’t seen something that is well structured and can be deployed to the policymakers so they can gather meaningful evidence about what people think about concrete proposals.”

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The platform was recently deployed to garner feedback for the Lake District National Park addressing local transportation issues. 

Dr Spanellis commented on the project, saying: “Normally, this kind of survey is done in a very simple way. You might give a group of people a question with several options to choose from. That is not always going to work.

“With the recent National Park project, we have successfully collated a wide range of views and options that can then be analysed and the outcome is a selection of hard evidence that the authority can use to make informed decisions that better reflect the needs of the community.”