Gamification

Gamification is the use of game thinking and game mechanics in a non-game context.

It attempts to engage users in solving problems and increase users' contributions.

Who uses gamification?

Microsoft: Ribbon Hero 2, Minecraft

Quest to Learn (Q2L)*: Gamified curriculum (missions, simulations, role playing, collaboration, game design)

US army, Boing and many others

*Public school in Manhattan; grades 6-12.

quality of given learning activity (including games)

active participationalignment factor interactivity

Learningactivity

Learningobjective

(time) (time)

Too easy<flow< too difficult

Secret Ingredient 1:

Badges/Rewards

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2EZcpZSy58o

True JediMaster of Deception

Secret Ingredient 2:

Simple rules

• Collect all items• Survive the battle• Find the treasure

Secret Ingredient 3:

Flow

Too easy Just right Too difficult

Secret Ingredient 4:

Interactivity

• Mouse clicks• Degrees of freedom

Games for education purposes

IAE• Interactivity (many possibilities

to interact)

• Active participation (popular/engaging)

• Ease of alignment (activity -> learning objective)

Participation factor: Flow + Theme

Flow

1. Game mechanics* (incl feedback and guidance) flow!

2. Theme

*Reference: Gamification by Design, Zichermann and Cunningham, (2011)

Why people play?

• Mastery (to learn)

• Fun (stress relief):

– Hard fun: trying to win (competition)

– Easy fun: exploring

– Social fun: engaging with other players

• Socialize

Types of players

• Socializer (communicate) 80% (75%) – communication is key• Explorer (discover) 50% (10%) – discover everything• Achiever (win) 40% (10%) – winning is the goal• Killer (someone must lose) 20% (5%) – someone must lose!

Reference: Gamification by Design, Zichermann and Cunningham, (2011)

Bloom’s Cognitive Domain

1. Know: what the learner should remember or understand

2. Do: what the learner should be able to do (apply, analyse, create, evaluate)

3. Believe: what the “head” of the learner should suspect

4. Feel: what the “gut” of the learner should suspect

Categorizing learning objectives

cognitive

affective

Introducing a game – The first minute

• Experience game play immediately• No explanation• No registration• Simple rules• Make winners• Guide and adapt to the player

What is a good “game”?

• Little or no responsibility• High interactivity• Goal, progress and rewards common but

optional• High active participation factor

What is a good educational game?

• High interactivity• High active participation factor• High ease of alignment (activity with learning

objective)• Little or no responsibility• Goal, progress and rewards common, but optional

Examples of higher level eLearning

• www.htwins.net : The Universe

• www.thinklearnknow.com : Working Memory

Examples of skills & benefitsof gamification

• Fine motor skills

• Gross motor skills

• Hand eye coordination

• Analytical thinking

• Language/communication skills

• Presentation/explanation skills

• Stress reduction, joy/fun

Results of our game testing• Highest fun/joy rated games are (> average 8):

– Ubongo (1*)

– Computer animated chatbot (1)

– Wooden towers (4)

– Racing car (3)

– Story cubes (3)

– Ball (2)

– Xylophone (1)

– Talking computer (1)

• Lowest fun/joy rated games are:– Metal ring puzzle (average 3, 1 rating)

– Squeezy grip (average 5, 1 rating)

*number of ratings

Comment on our game testing results

• Most people filled in data about flow (just right (B), too easy (A) or too hard (C))

• Also many people were comfortable to judge the fun factor and give at least one or two skill examples

• Measuring time spent and skill related time is least popular• The xylophone’s fun factor may not be discovered as it does not

look like fun?• Magic tricks (not assessed during workshop) may have added

more possibilities to learn performance/presentation and other interpersonal skills. Especially if magic tricks are to be explained.

• Creativity was mentioned for:– Wooden tower– Metal ring– Story cubes– T puzzle

*ESL robot is a reward winning chatbot, available on different platforms.

Please send any comments, opinions, discoveries, ideas to either the face book group and/or klaus@thinklearnknow.com

Game skill skill mentioned fun flow

speedcups motoric skills 3 5+6+6+8 B+C+B+B+B

stress management

strategy

performing

precision

concentration

hand eye coorination

gross motor

speed

grip stress reliever 5 A+B

achieving

postcard puzzle concentration

performing

Ball inclusive 8+8 A+A

motor

reflexes

racing car concentration 7+8+9 B+B+A+B

fine motor

performing

engaging

3D thinking

hand eye coordination 2

wooden tower balance 7+7+9+8 B+A+B+B+B

patience

motion

hand eye coordination

logic 2

creativity

strategy

learning about pressure

precision

A..too easyB..just rightC..too diff.

labyrinth motoric skills 2 2+6+8 A+B+B+B+B+C

concentration 4

precision

logic

decision making

strategy

trying again

left right distinction

& coordination

hand eye coordination 3

xylophone motoric & expression 8 B

concentration

interpersonal

performance

stress management

creating skills

snake puzzle logic 2 B+B

patience

spatial thinking

drawing together creativity 7 B

fine motor

analyzing

Game skill skill mentioned fun flow

tic tac toe strategy

competition 7 A

tablet with numbers motoric skills 2 0+8 C+B+A+B+B

spatial thinking 2

logic 4

symmetry puzzle concentration 3 6+7 B+C+C+B

creativity

spatial thinking

stress management

logic

motoric

geometry

metalring motor 3 B

observation

logic

creativity

computer simulated charactereverything 9 B

story cubes creativity 3 7+8+9 B+B+B

storytelling 2

performing

language 3

ubongo geometry 9 B+B

spatial thinking 2

focus

speed

logic 2

T puzzle creativity 7 B+C

spatial thinking

logic

card game A

Game skill skill mentioned fun flow