10 LESSONS LEARNT IN THE FIRST TEN YEARS OF THE SERIOUS GAMES MOVEMENT.

Sports, Games and Learning Conference

Cologne, Germany

17th March 2011

Simon Egenfeldt-Nielsen

CEO Serious Games Interactive

MY BACKGROUND

• MA Psychology• PhD Games & learning• Mixing industry & research

Current Research projects: SIREN, PlayMancer & GaLa

Computer games• Global Conflicts-series• Playing History-series• +30 games for clients

THE COMPANY

Serious Games Interactive (SGI) was founded in 2006 in Copenhagen, Denmark. Today also offices in United Kingdom and Vietnam.

We develop serious games that contain an inseparable combination of “playing”, “learning” and “story-telling”.

We are a cross-disciplinary team of 25 people with strong roots in research.

We work with a range of different national and international partners including Amnesty, Kaplan, Unicef, WWF, The Danish National Museum, LEGO, ECHO, and European School Net.

AWARDS

Children’s Technology Review (US)- Editors Choice Award 2008.

Danish Game Awards (DK) – Game of the Year 2009 & 2010.

PC ZONE (UK) – Independent Game Award 2007.

Nordic Game (Scandinavia) – Best Nordic Game 2007 & 2008 nominee.

IndieCade (US)- Best Indie Game Nominee 2008 & 2009.

BETT Award (UK) – Secondary educational products 2010.

AGENDA

Section 1: What is it?

Section 2: What we know?

Section 3: Why it ain’t happening

EUR 15bn EUR 30bn

1990 2000

EUR 75bn

2010

GAME INDUSTRY GROWING FAST

We invest 3 Billion hours every week in playing

gamesEveryone…

Games are becoming mainstream – avg. gamer is 33 years old in US and UK.

Today games have become an universal language for playing, learning & communicating.

Today games are out-growing other popular media in importance.

Games are already forecasting the future of learning…

WHY CONSIDER GAMES?

Source: Mr. Toledano

Education & training

NewsPolitics

Museums

Military

Schools

Healthcare

Corporate training

Satirical

BEING USED IN MOST AREAS

Education & training

AGENDA

Section 1: What is it?

Section 2: What we know?

Section 3: Why it ain’t happening

LESSON #1: THERE ARE DIFFERENT USES

Games are a multi-dimensional beast

Including games to enrich existing curriculum

Making games about relevant curriculum

Using games directly to learn curriculum

LESSON #2: MANY TEACHERS USE IT

Several studies indicate around 60% teachers

Very few teachers are dismissing it

Adaptation varies with countries

Almost all use curriculum games

Favourites are still training (math & spelling)

Use is almost exclusively in early school years

LESSON #3: NEED TO KEEP LEARNING

Challenge player to use knowledge actively

Make learning contents explicit

Make integration between learning & playing

Focus on learning for both verbs & substantives

Debriefing is a pre-requisite for effect

LESSON #4: MUST KEEP ENGAGEMENT

Real consequences in the game

Strong and constant feedback loops

Visual attractive on its on turf

Maintain relevance and authenticity

Use both extrinsic & intrinsic motivation

LESSON #5: BUILDING THEM – KEEP SIMPLE

Use standard technology

Avoid any solution adding complexity

Integrate with existing systems

Focus on casual approach

Build in SCORM compliance

LESSON #6: HOW TO DISTRIBUTE – FEW ROADS

Browser-based solutions is a must

Channels are still missing

Education is more local than global

Curriculum differences major obstacle

Traditional publishers are not the answer

LESSON #7: BARRIERS OFTEN ICT NOT GAMES

Computer equipment is not good enough

Installation & licensing is difficult

Own lacking skills are perceived as barriers

LESSON #8: CONVINCE PEOPLE = SHOW THEM

Get them in front of the games

Get into the teacher seminars

Create good cases with other teachers

Involve teachers in development

LESSON #9: FUNDING IS A CHALLENGE

Funding haphazard and random

Support schemes crucical

Venture investment limited

Schools don’t have the ressources

Funding should be cross-border

LESSON #10: BUT IT WORKS

Evidence retention is better

Indications transfer is better

Student more motivated to learn

Students feel closer to the content

Student perceive they learn more

Teacher’s can reach challenged learners

LESSONS SUMMARY

Lesson #1: There are different uses

Lesson #2: Many teachers use it

Lesson #3: Need to keep learning

Lesson #4: Must keep engagement

Lesson #5: Building them – keep simple

Lesson #6: How to distribute – few roads

Lesson #7: Barriers often ict not games

Lesson #8: Convince people = show them

Lesson #9: Funding is a challenge

Lesson #10: But it works

AGENDA

Section 1: What is it?

Section 2: What we know?

Section 3: Why it ain’t happening

OVERVIEW: DIFFUSION OF INNOVATION

Five attributes can explain 49-87% of the variation in adaption of an innovation (Rogers, 2003):

Relative advantage: How much is the innovation perceived as being better than what already exists.

Compatibility: How well does the innovation match existing norms, values, needs, expectations and previous experiences?

Complexity: How easy is the innovation to use and understand for users?

Observability: How easy is it to observe the advantages achieved from adapting the innovation?

Trialability: How easy is the innovation to try out and experiments with without going all in?

RELATIVE ADVANTAGE

The most important attribute according to Rogers.

Studies show motivation is high-scorer with 25% of all teachers adhering to that.

Advantages very mix & diffuse.

Perceived advantage low on teacher’s priority list

COMPABILITYLots of challenges like lacking game skills, bad fit with educational system and limited capable of evaluating games.

Values & beliefs Lots of negative discussion, seems to be wavering in some

countries. Teacher role, transformation; need to change their role & habitus to

harness game's potential.

Previous ideas Games cover a broad spectrum of learning theory, praxis and

didactics – some more in line with previous praxis.

Actual needs GBL don't really solve top-priority issues like special needs and too

little teacher time. Many games for non-core curriculum: demands much preparation

time and put new demands on teacher.

COMPLEXITY

Games are NOT necessarily complex but most teachers perceive them as such.

Many games ARE complex: plug-ins, installation, drivers, different genres, interface etc.

Seen as dangerous to engage with.

OBSERVABILITY

In schools it difficult to observe each other and spread new knowledge.

See consequences of the intervention.. could probably not be further away than in school.

TRYABILITY

Becoming easier to try out games. But still ‘costly’ with 28 students on

'challenging' machinery. You are trying out a new format, not just new

contents like in books/online resources.

CASE STUDIES

Award-winners, several years in market place, good trials and decent level of graphics.

Making History (history)

Global Conflict-series (citizenship)

Dimension M (math)

Marketing and price are not really crucial as that will hinder speed but not really final impact.

All companies still struggling.

FIT WITH ADAPTATION CRITERIA Relative Advantage: All are motivational fairing well. Dimension M

is a an action game closer to students, and related to curriculum.

Compatibility: Share values & beliefs but Dimension M is VERY focused on standards/curriculum. Dimension M closer to the textbook covering breadth rather than depth. Positioned as overall praxis.

Complexity; Quite similar but Dimension M is much quicker to overview and then deduce from than especially Making History but also Global Conflicts. Dimension M; cover more with less time-investment.

Triability: All do trials quite well through online, but Making History a bit more difficult as a download.

Observability: Quite hard with Making History and Global Conflicts. Dimension M ahead with tournament features showcasing existing schools. Assessment also easer with skills-based learning..

DISCUSSION

Do teacher want better learning?

Do teachers want more motivated students?

A lot don’t..!

Just teach the curriculum

Use what they already know & use

Not put in extensive over-time on ‘hype’

Don’t take chances on unreliable technology

They simply want to fulfil their job requirements:

GBL is often not solving teachers challenges = no adaptation.

CONTACT DETAILSSerious Games InteractiveCorporate: www.seriousgames.dk Global Conflicts: www.globalconflicts.eu Playing History: www.playinghistory.eu

Simon Egenfeldt-NielsenPersonal: www.egenfeldt.eu Email: sen@seriousgames.dk