Presented by: Karl M. KappTwitter @kkapp

The Quest for Learner Engagement

Lynda.com Course: Gamification of LearningYouTube Channel

Web Site:www.karlkapp.com

Books

Adventure Challenge

Karl KappPresents:

You are a game designer at SuperGame Corporation which has hit some hard times lately.

It’s Friday 4:59 PM you and your colleague have two things on your

mind.

Suddenly, your boss calls youand your colleague into her office.

Ito and Jasmine come into my office.

Yes?

Yes?

Look, someone wants us to create a game about traveling around the world capturing dragons.It appears to be a craze or something.

Working name is…

“Dragónmon Go”

You are competing internally for the project. Winning team earns the right to work on the project.

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Two Development Teams

TeamA TeamB

Each team will be confronted with a series of questions. The team that

answers the most questions correctly wins the work.

What about the other team?

Losers are assigned to the game“watching paint dry.”

Wow, I heard about that project, its almost as fun as… never mind. Dragon

capturing is much better.

Get it together.

Now let’s hear about the dragon capturing

game.

First decision about this dragon capturing game is how to start the

game. What should the player’s first in-game experience be?

You have two choices:

Tell the player three things they need to know about capturing dragons.

or

Begin with by having the player start capturing dragons right away.

Why does this answer make sense?

Not Sure?

Good game designers know that games are engaging because they require action

right away.

Action draws in the player and encourages further engagement. Start by capturing a dragon.

Too often instructional design is about the content and not about the actions that need to occur.

Game Design is about action.

Research indicates that learners who used interactive games for learning had greater cognitive gains over learners provided with traditional

classroom training.

Vogel, J. J., Vogel D.S., Cannon-Bowers, J., Bowers, C.A., Muse, K., & Wright, M. (2006). Computer gaming and Interactive simulations for learning: A meta-analysis. Journal of Educational Computing Research, 34(3), 229-243.

Ok, next decision.

Provide a map with the location of all the dragons.

or

Create a sense of mystery and curiosity concerning the location of

dragons.

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On it. Here’s the map.

It is always a good idea to build curiosity and mystery into a game. Reveal locations of dragons throughout the course of the player’s journey.

Check out my travel journal entry on this subject.

A sense of suspense, mystery and intrigue draws people into games and can draw them into

learning as well.

Twittermission

OK, what do we decide next, should we:

Make the game easy so we don’t discourage the players.

or

Make the game challenging, knowing some players will fail the first few times.

Jones, B., Valdez, G., Norakowski, J., & Rasmussen, C. (1994). Designing learning and technology for educational reform. North Central Regional Educational Laboratory. [Online]. Available: http://www.ncrtec.org/capacity/profile/profwww.htm and Schlechty, P. C. (1997). Inventing better schools: An action plan for educational reform. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. Chapter 2 “The Gamification of Learning and Instruction.”

It needs to be challenging. Like running from zombies!

Look! Good games give players a set of challenging problems and let them solve those problems until they can do it automatically.

Then those same games throw a new class of problem at the players requiring them to re-think, their now—taken for granted—mastery. They must learn something new and integrate

into their old mastery.

Well said!

Actually, my good friend James Paul Gee said those words, I’m quoting

him.

Always good to cite sources!

Also, keep in mind things that are too easy or too difficult will not pique a learner’s interest because they lead to boredom or frustration.

Research has shown that challenge is correlated with both intrinsic motivation and motivation related to the desire to seek competence and self confidence.

White, R.W. (1959) Motivation reconsidered: The concept of competence. Psychological Review, 66, 297-333.

In fact, give them the Kobayashi Maru of challenges.

Harsh!

Well, the next decision, should we:

Put the player at risk, they could die at any moment at the hand (err, claw) of a dragon.

or

Let the player safely explore the environment.

Seriously, you are asking me this question. The player needs

to be at risk.

No risk, or danger equal no skin in the game.

Get the player emotionally involved by putting him or her at “mock”

risk.

In games, failing is allowed, it’s acceptable, and it’s part of the process. Games accommodate

failure with multiple lives, second chances and alternative methods of

success.

Research indicates that our brains grow when we make a mistake

because it is a time of struggle.

Moser, J. Schroder, H.S., Heeter, C., C., Moran, T.P., & Lee, Y.H. (2011) Mind your errors: Evidence for a neural mechanism linking growth mindset to adaptive post error adjustments. Psychological Science, 22, 1284-1489.

Our brains react with greater electrical activity when we make a mistake than when we are correct.

Do you punish failure in your learning design or do you allow and encourage the freedom to fail?

Last decision, should you:

Give player choices about what level to enter the game.

or

Create one path for every player.

Choices, players need choices. Look, let me tell you what motivates

people.

People are motivated when they have autonomy, mastery and relatedness.

Hey, isn’t that the Self-Determination Theory?

Why, yes…yes it is.

Cordova, D.I., & Lepper M. R. (1996) Intrinsic motivation and the process of learning: Beneficial effects of contextualization, personalization and choice. Journal of Educational Psychology, 88, 715-730

When given control over their learning, research has shown that learners invested more and attempted more complex strategies than when they had no control. So give learners control.

And give our game players control over which dragon to capture and in what order.

Cordova, D.I., & Lepper M. R. (1996) Intrinsic motivation and the process of learning: Beneficial effects of contextualization, personalization and choice. Journal of Educational Psychology, 88, 715-730

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Sure thing!

Lot of good information, thanks.

But how about a re-cap…

Ok, so which team gets to design “Dragónmon Go”? Which team won?

Well, they are all winners to me.

Ugh….

Here are five tips for thinking like a game designer:

1) Begin with activity2) Create curiosity, mystery, intrigue3) Create a challenge for the learner4) Put learners at “mock” risk—

encourage mistakes5) Give learners meaningful choices

What game elements are in this

presentation?

1) Story2) Character3) Competition/teams4) Real-time feedback5) Decision making6) Uncertain ending

Questions?

Lynda.com Course: Gamification of LearningYouTube Channel

Web Site:www.karlkapp.com

Books

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