Putting the Elements Together

Questions to Ask?

• What is the outcome of the game?– What do we want the learner to know how to do when done playing the game?

• What are the tasks that must be demonstrated in the game to achieve the outcome?

• How can we verify the outcome as been achieved? 

Questions to Ask

• What is the “message” of the game?• What will make the game “educational”?• What qualities of the game will make it effective or ineffective?

• What could be done to make the game engaging?

Creating a Game Design Document

• The “Game Design Document”– Provides guidance to developer– Clarifies objectives and learning outcomes for stakeholders

– Provides “road map” of process.

Whole Part

Gaming

Playing

(Serious ) GamesSimulation

GamificationPoints, Badges, Levels

ToysPlayful Design

From Game Design Elements to Gamefulness: Defining “Gamification”, Deterding, S. et. al

Elements of a Game Design Process/ Document 

• Overview of Concept• Desired Outcomes• Instructional Objectives• Tying Assessment to Gameplay• Game Play Strategy• Description of Characters (if any)• Game Environment• Description of How Game is Played• Reward Structure• Look and Feel of Game• Technical Specifications• Timeline

Overview of Concept

Short description of your game.  Give as much information as possible. 

Desired OutcomeWhat do you want the learner to be doing as a result of playing the game?

Instructional Objectives

What learning objectives will facilitate the learning? 

Tying Assessment to GameplayConcept to be 

taughtIn‐Game Activity Assessment of Learning

Example:Closing the sale.               Select Right Closing                        Track # of Attempts

the first time

Game Play Strategy

Exploration/Simulation /Free Play Area

Branching story, On‐Line Board Games

Matching, Trivia Games, Drag and Drop Games

Gameplay Strategy

Type of Game Play(Customer 

Development)

Level of InteractivityType of 

Knowledge Taught

Low Medium High

Exploration/SimulationEngine/Free Play Area

Problem‐Solving

Branching story, On‐LineBoard Games

ConceptualKnowledge/ 

RulesMatching, Trivia Games, Drag and Drop Games

Declarative Knowledge/Fact/Jargon

Designing Performance‐Based Instruction

Facts Concepts Rules- Elaborating- Organizing- Association

- Examples- Non-Examples- Attribute Classification

- If-Then- Cause/Effect- Concept Application

Procedures Principles Problem-Solving

- Whole to Part Review- Learn Parts- Assemble Procedure

- Teach Model- Behavior Checklist- Examples

- Multiple Scenarios- Professional Experiences- Realistic Application

Type of Knowledge

Instructional Strategy Gameplay Developed

Description of CharactersName Role/ Position Gender Attitude  Attire Represents

John Potential Customer

Male Friendly Shirt tie, Suit‐no jacket

Elusive potential customer.

Mary Sales Representative

Female Helpful Business Casual Proper procedure for initiating potential customer contact.

Lou Ann Co‐Worker Female Unfriendly Business Casual Provides critical information regarding pre‐qualification of potential customer.

USER New Sales Representative

N/A N/A N/A Person who needs to pre‐qualify John during the case study.

Game Environment

Describe the environment in whichthe learner finds themselves whenplaying the game. 

Description of How Game is PlayedDetailed “walk through” of how to playthe game. 

Reward Structure

How do you plan to reward players? 

Look and Feel of the GameHow does the game “look”?

Technical SpecificationsWhat software? On what server? Is there a download? 

Timeline

Create a Game• Sales or Customer Service

– Develop idea and create one page game‐design document of idea. 

• Use Post‐It Notes to write down one idea per note of something in your game. (two avatars to present content)

– Present idea to all teams (poster session)– Steal “best” ideas and incorporate them into your game. 

– Report “new and improved” game to room.

Paper Prototyping