Leveraging Game Elements for Learning, Engagement, and Fun

By Karl M. KappBloomsburg UniversityGamification of Learning &Instruction EMAIL: kkapp@bloomu.eduTWITTER: @kkappBLOG: http://karlkapp.com/kapp‐notes/

Welcome to the Session 207:

Leveraging Game Elements for Learning, Engagement and 

Fun

Ripped from the pages of “The Gamification of Learning and 

Instruction” and the “Gamification of Learning and Instruction Fieldbook”

Bring this presentation to your organization: contact Karl at

http://karlkapp.com/contact/

Covert Takeaway Challenge

NotesSlides

Additional Ideas

www.karlkapp.com/kapp-notes

Profiting Pirates Design Challenge

You are a game designer at WildGamesCorporation which is a great job.

Except the company has recent hit on some hard financial times. 

It is Friday at 4:55 PM and you only have two things on you mind… 

Hey, someone wants us to create a game called “ProfitingPirates”

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

Two Development Teams

teama teamb

Rules• A statement is presented

– Choose the best response

• Text Keyword Response:– To 37607

Take out your text‐machines

Standard Texting Fees Apply! 

How To Respond via Texting

1. Polleverywhere has no access to your phone number2. Capitalization doesn’t matter, but spaces and spelling doTIPS

Amaze

Inamaze

alright

Amaze

Each team will be confronted with a series of questions. The team that correctly answers the questions wins

the work.

What about the other team?

Losers are assigned to the “watching grass grow”

project.

Wow, I heard about that project, its almost as fun as… never mind. Profiting Pirates is much better.

Ok, first decision. We want to increase competition.

Should we increase or decease the number of people competing against one another at any give time?

Aahh…

Increaseor

Decrease?

Garci, S., & Tor, A. (2009) The N‐Effect: More Competitors, Less Competition, Psychological Science, Volume 20—Number 7 

Decrease….people finished a timed quiz faster, trying to be in top 20%, if they believed they were in a pool of 10 versus

a pool of 100.

Average test scores fall asthe average number of test takers at test-taking venues increases.

Called the “N-Effect”

Next decision. Do we use badges or levels to show linear progress to the

player?

Use badges to show non-linear progress and use levels to show linear progress. Use levels as “Scaffolding?”

What is “scaffolding”?

Scaffolding: Process of controlling the task elements that initially are beyond

the learner’s capacity. 

Guided Practice. Step-by-step instructions and then fading of instruction.

The value, or size, of an anticipated reward influences the motivational signal sent to the brain only within the contexts of the reward

system.

Howard-Jones. P.A., & Demetriou, S. (2008, September 11). Uncertainty and engagement with learning games. Instructional Science, 37, 519-536.

Use coins, points and rewards to provide feedback on performance, updates on progress,

level of correctness and to show Mastery.

Kapp, K. M. (2012) The Gamification of Learning and Instruction. New York: Pfeiffer. Chapter Four. Pages 89-98.

Do not use just to show completion, that “shiver’s me timbers.”

Next decision about this pirate game. How do we start the game? What should the players first in-game

experience be?

You have two choices:

Tell the player three important things about being a pirate ship captain.

or

Open with player steering a ship through a rocky shoreline being fired upon by cannons.

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 steering the ship.

Research indicates that learners who used interactive games for learning had the 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. 

Too often instructional design is about the content and not about the actions

that need to occur.

Game Design is about action. Let’s create action.

Ok, next decision.

Provide a map with the location of all the treasure.

or

Create mystery and curiosity concerning the location of treasure.

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

journey.

Malone’s Theory of Intrinsically Motivating Instruction 

Challenge Fantasy Curiosity

Fantasy– There are both cognitive and emotional reasons for evoking fantasy. Cognitively a fantasy can help a learner apply old knowledge to understand new things and help them remember the content. Emotionally, a person can connect with the experiences and not bring with it “real-world” concerns or fears.

Here are some of my notes on the subject.

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

learning as well.

OK, next decision, 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.

Look! 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. 

This is known as the flow state.

What elements contribute to flow?

Achievable Task

Clear Goals

Control Over Actions (Autonomy)

Concentration

Ok, that’s flow But… how do we build

intrinsic motivation to learn?

Challenge, Curiosity, Control, Fantasy, Cooperation, Competition and

Recognition.

Hey, that’s Malone’s Theory of Intrinsically Motivating

Instruction

Yes, and keep in mind, intrinsic and extrinsic motivation can be viewed as two largely mutually independent constructs rather than the opposite ends of a single dimension.

Research indicates that in the classroom intrinsic and extrinsic motivation do coexist.

Well, the next decision, should we:

Put the player at risk, they could die at any moment.

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.

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

Also, failure or earned success can lead to emotion which leads can lead

to Episodic Memory.

Next decision, should we:

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.

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 choices.

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

Another decision, should we:

Create a game that can be played in one sitting?

or

Create a game that is played over time?

Let’s make it so the game is played over time.

Dobson, J. L. (2013)    Retrieval practice is an efficient method of enhancing the retention of anatomy and physiology information Advances in Physiology Education  37: 184–191, 2013; doi:10.1152/advan.00174.2012

One study revealed retention benefits of between 35% and 61% with average of 41%. When learning is spaced over time

and learners were tested on the content on a regular basis.

Another example: a study using a randomized control group conducted a trial between Aug 10, 2009, and Nov 30, 2012, at ten sites in southeast India with over 500 subjects.

Working Indian men (aged 35—55 years) with impaired glucose tolerance were randomly assigned to either a mobile phone messaging intervention or standard care.

Ramachandran, A.  et. al. Effectiveness of mobile phone messaging in prevention of type 2 diabetes by lifestyle modification in men in India: a prospective, parallel‐group, randomised controlled trial The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology, Early Online Publication, 11 September 2013 doi:10.1016/S2213‐8587(13)70067‐6

Ramachandran, A., et. al.., Effectiveness of mobile phone messaging in prevention of type 2 diabetes by lifestyle modification in men in India: a prospective, parallel‐group, randomised controlled trial The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology, Early Online Publication, 11 September 2013 doi:10.1016/S2213‐8587(13)70067‐6

“Use stairs instead of an Elevator”

“Avoid snacks while watching TV; you may

overeat.”

Such as…

Lowered risk of developing Type 2 diabetes by 36%.

Ramachandran, A., et. al.., Effectiveness of mobile phone messaging in prevention of type 2 diabetes by lifestyle modification in men in India: a prospective, parallel‐group, randomised controlled trial The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology, Early Online Publication, 11 September 2013 doi:10.1016/S2213‐8587(13)70067‐6

Wow. You have provided me with a lot of information, thanks. So let

me ask one more question.

Rrrrr, who won?

Ugh….

How about a re-cap…

1) Keep the number of competitors low2) Use rewards to motivate performance, not

completion3) Begin with activity4) Create curiosity, mystery, intrigue5) Create a challenge for the learner6) Put learners at “mock” risk7) Give learners meaningful choices8) Give learner a choice of where to “enter” the

learning9) Have games played over time rather than all at

once

Tips to leverage game elements for learning:

Copy of Slides and Notes available at www.karlkapp.com

Contact Karl at:kkapp@bloomu.edu