Game Elements

Game Gamification

“A game is a system in which players engage in an abstract challenge, defined by rules, interactivity and feedback that results in a quantifiable outcome often eliciting an emotional reaction.”

“Gamification is using game-based mechanics, aesthetics and game thinking to engage people, motivate action, promote learning, and solve problems.”

ConstraintsEmotionsNarrative

ProgressionRelationshipsAbstraction

Dr. Kevin Werbach, Professor Wharton School of Business. MOOC Gamification Course

ChallengesChance

FeedbackCompetitionCooperation

TurnsFeedback

Resource AcquisitionRewards

TransactionsWin-States


AchievementsAvatarsBadges

Boss FightCollectingCombat

Content UnlockingGifting

LeaderboardLevelsPointsTeams

Virtual Goods


Not all games have all these elements.


Abstraction of Concepts and Reality

-Helps players manage the space being experienced.

-Cause and effect can be more clearly identified.

--Remove extraneous factors.

Role Play

-Assuming a role means the player must actively think about their

actions, decision and choices from the perspective of another.

-Forcing a learner to mimic behavior will influence future behavior.

Multiplayer

-Interacting with others is a large portion of games, even simple games typically involve more

than one player.

-Multiplayer means the chance for cooperation , conflict and

cooperation.

-Players add their own, unique changes to a game.

Social Aspects-The social elements of

games lead to Reputational Capital

-Dialogue among players.

-Common and shared experiences.

Rules-Operational Rules-Describe

how the game is played.

-Foundational Rules-Underlying formal structures, like the mathematics involved

with dice.

-Behavior Rules-How players are expected to act toward

one another.

-Instructional Rules-What you want the learner to gain from

playing the instructional game.

Objectives

-The introduction of an objective or a goal is what differentiates a game from

play.

-It gives the players something to work toward.

-Objects are either obtained or not obtained and that is a

quantifiable outcome.

StoryStory

Researchers have found that the human brain has a natural affinity

for narrative construction.

Researchers have found that the human brain has a natural affinity

for narrative construction.

Yep, People tend to remember facts more accurately if they encounter

them in a story rather than in a list.

Yep, People tend to remember facts more accurately if they encounter

them in a story rather than in a list.

And they rate legal arguments as more convincing when built into

narrative tales rather than on legal precedent.

Carey, B. (2007) this is Your Life (and How You Tell it). The New York Times. Melanie Green http://www.unc.edu/~mcgreen/research.html. Chapter 2 “The Gamification of Learning and Instruction.

Carey, B. (2007) this is Your Life (and How You Tell it). The New York Times. Melanie Green http://www.unc.edu/~mcgreen/research.html. Chapter 2 “The Gamification of Learning and Instruction.

http://www.unc.edu/~mcgreen/research.html

http://www.unc.edu/~mcgreen/research.html

Stories provide, context, meaning and purpose

1.Characters

Story Elements

5. Conclusion

2. Plot (something has to happen).

3. Tension

4. ResolutionCharacter encounters problem

Problem builds tension

A solution is offered

Results are presented/positive

NikePlus Stats for Karl

Write a story to match your game.

Provide a challenge

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.”

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.”

Re-design the Instruction to Start with a Challenge

Investigatory Training

• Course Objectives– Identify the Forms Required for an Investigation– Practice Interview Techniques– Describe and Follow the Investigation Model

How would you turn this into a challenge?

It is your first day on the job as an investigator andJane, an employee in Accounting, just accused her boss of embezzling $10,000.

What is the first thing you should do?

Challenge and Consolidation– Good games offer players a setof challenging problems and then let them solve these problemsuntil they have virtually routinized or automated their solutions.

Games then throw a new class of problem at the players requiringthem to rethink their now, taken-for-granted mastery, learnsomething new, and integrate this new learning into their old mastery.

James Paul Gee, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Recommendations

• Embed facts to be learned in the context of stories.

• Start the learning process by providing a challenge to the learner.

• Provide a progression from simple to more difficult tasks.

• Use stories that are related to the context of the desired learning outcome.

• Embed facts to be learned in the context of stories.

• Start the learning process by providing a challenge to the learner.

• Provide a progression from simple to more difficult tasks.

• Use stories that are related to the context of the desired learning outcome.

FeedbackFeedback

Games like The Sims provide feedback on many dimensions which provide

opportunities to consider tradeoffs and higher level cognitive thinking.

The most helpful feedback provides specific comments about errors and suggestions for improvement. It also encourages learners to focus their attention thoughtfully on the task rather than on simply getting the right answer.

Shute, V. J., Ventura, M., Bauer, M. I., & Zapata-Rivera, D. (2009). Melding the power of serious games and embedded assessment to monitor and foster learning: Flow and grow. In U. Ritterfeld, M. J. Cody, & P. Vorderer (Eds.), Serious Games: Mechanisms and Effects. Philadelphia, PA: Routledge/LEA. 295-321.

Leaderboards provide opportunities for players to

receive feedback about their performance as compared to

others.

Authentic Feedback provides realistic

feedback based on player actions.

Games can accelerate natural

feedback loops.

Recommendations • Provide authentic and realistic feedback.

• Feedback should be continuous through out the learning.

• Feedback should be instructional and provide knowledge of learner’s performance.

• Allow learners to create their own social “leaderboard” of friends.

• Provide authentic and realistic feedback.

• Feedback should be continuous through out the learning.

• Feedback should be instructional and provide knowledge of learner’s performance.

• Allow learners to create their own social “leaderboard” of friends.

Time Motivator for player/learner

activity and action.

As a resource allocated during the

game-play.

A game can compress time to show consequences of actions more quickly than

real-time.

We’ve Always Wanted Characters

Avatars/CharactersAvatars/Characters

Identity– no deep learning takes place unless an extended commitment of self is made for the long haul.

Good gamification captures players through identify.

Players either inherit a strongly formed and appealing character or they get to build a characterfrom the ground up.

Players become committed to the game space in which they will learn and act.

Based on work from James Paul Gee, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Avatar as Teacher

Research indicates that learners perceive, interact socially with and are influenced by anthropomorphic agents

(characters) even when their functionality and adaptability are limited.

Baylor, A. 2009 Promoting motivation with virtual agents and avatars: R ole of visual presence and appearance. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal B Society. 364, 3559–3565. Chapter 4 “The Gamification of Learning and Instruction”

On tests involving different word problems, the group who had a character explain the problems generated 30% more correct answers than the group with just on-screen text.

Animated pedagogical agents (characters) can be aids to learning. A “realistic” character did not facilitate learning any better than a “cartoon-like” character.

Clark, R., Mayer, R. (2011) E-Learning and the Science of Instruction: Proven Guidelines for Consumers and Designers ofMultimedia Learning. New York: Pfeiffer. Pg. 194. Chapter 4 “The Gamificaiton of Learning and Instruciton”

Mentor

Motivator

Expert

Are two avatars better than one?

Mentor

Motivator

Expert

Yes, two avatars are better than one.

Baylor, A. L. & Kim, Y. (2005). Simulating instructional roles through pedagogical agents. International Journal of Artificial Intelligence in Education, 15(1), 95-115. Chapter 4 “The Gamification of Learning and Instruction”

http://codebaby.com/elearning-solutions/examples/




Player as an avatar or character in game.

Who is more likely to run 24 hours later?

A.Person who watched an avatar not like them runningB.Person who watch an avatar like them runningC.Person watching an avatar like them loitering

Within 24 hours of watching an avatar like themselves run, learners were more likely to

run than watching an avatar not like them or watching an avatar like them loitering .

Fox, J., Arena, D., & Bailenson, J.N. (2009). Virtual Reality: A survival guide for the social scientist. Journal of Media Psychology, 21 (3), 95-113.

If learners watch an avatar that looks like them exercising & losing weight, they will subsequently exercise more

in the real world as compared to a control group.

Fox, J., Arena, D., & Bailenson, J.N. (2009). Virtual Reality: A survival guide for the social scientist. Journal of Media Psychology, 21 (3), 95-113.

First Person ViewFirst Person View

Third Person ViewThird Person View

Carey, B. (2007) This is Your Life (and How You Tell it). The New York Times. And Sestir, M. & Green, M. C. (2010). You are who you watch: Identification and transportation effects on temporary self-concept. Social Influence, 5, 272-288 and research by Libby, L.K., Shaeffer, E.M., Eibach, R.P., & Slemmer, J.A. ( 2007) Picture yourself at the polls: Visual perspective in mental imagery affects self-perception and behavior. Psychological Science. Vol. 18: 199-203.


Third Person ViewThird Person View



“Seeing oneself as acting in a movie or a play (or a video game) is not merely fantasy or indulgence; it is fundamental to how people work out who it is they are, and may become.” Ben Casey

“Seeing oneself as acting in a movie or a play (or a video game) is not merely fantasy or indulgence; it is fundamental to how people work out who it is they are, and may become.” Ben Casey

Agency– The concept that players feel a real sense of agency and control. They have a real sense of ownership over what they are doing. They see themselves in the game or situation.

James Paul Gee, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Recommendations • Use characters/agents to model desired behavior.

• Use characters/agents to provide feedback and instruction to learners.

• Characters should speak in a natural, conversational tone.

• Use two characters, one for coaching and one for expertise is better than just having one character trying to do both.

• User third-person rather than first person to show activities.

• Use characters/agents to model desired behavior.

• Use characters/agents to provide feedback and instruction to learners.

• Characters should speak in a natural, conversational tone.

• Use two characters, one for coaching and one for expertise is better than just having one character trying to do both.

• User third-person rather than first person to show activities.

LevelsLevels

Games provide different levels for different points of

entry.

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

Having different entry points into a learning module provides players with a comfort level that they can enter the learning and be successful.

Many of the instructional methods that are effective for novices either have no effect or, in some cases, depress

the learning of learners with more expertise.

Training designed for learners with greater prior knowledge requires different instruction methods

than training designed for novice learners.

Clark, R., Nguyen, F. & Sweller, J. (2006) Efficiency in Learning: Evidence-based guidelines to manage cognitive load. Pfeiffer. Page 247. Chapter 7 and 7 of “The Gamification of Learning and Instruction.Clark, R., Nguyen, F. & Sweller, J. (2006) Efficiency in Learning: Evidence-based guidelines to manage cognitive load. Pfeiffer. Page 247. Chapter 7 and 7 of “The Gamification of Learning and Instruction.

Don’t overload experienced learners with extra information. Keep to critical information they need

to know..

Use a problem-based or challenge-based approach to teaching experts.

Position the learning event as a “scale up” of existing skills.

Recommendations

• Provide different entry points into the instruction.

• Provide different learner experiences within the same e-learning module.

• Consider “leveling up” learner challenges.

• Provide different entry points into the instruction.

• Provide different learner experiences within the same e-learning module.

• Consider “leveling up” learner challenges.

Curve of Interest

Monitor within the instruction. Track player movement,

time on task, level of activity.

Replayability

• Replay provides learners with a chance to try a different approach, explore different hypothesizes and reduces the “sting of failure”

Replay and exploration can be placed in games by providing

additional pathways through the content.

Achieving goalsCollecting Items

Exploring SocializingEaster Eggs

Conflict, Competition and Cooperation

Conflict

Conflict-inflicting damage on other players

Competition

Competition-competing against other players

Cooperation

Cooperation-working with other players to achieve a goal.

Rewards, Incentives and Points

• Many games have leaderboards, badges that can be collected and other ways of rewarding players for certain activities and allow them to “show off” those awards.

Rewards release chemical dopamine in

brain.

Variable rewards release it twice.

In games like Super Mario Brothers, coins are collected and players are rewarded for having a large number of coins. This is

extrinsic motivation which keeps players playing to get more coins.

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

correctness.

Leaderboards provide opportunities for players to

receive feedback about their performance as compared to

others.

Aesthetics

• A large element of any game is how the game looks and the overall congruency of the artwork, interface and activities.

Artwork and the “look and feel” of the game plays a major role in the overall design and enjoyment

of a game.

Includes audio as well as visual.

Chance

• Chance and luck are two key elements in games, the randomness of events and unpredictability of outcome is what keeps players engaged.– 50/50 chance is best level of chance in a game.

Chance or luck is a highly motivational element of games both of traditional games of chance but in other video games like finding hidden treasures.

Freedom to FailFreedom to Fail

Recommendations

• Allow failure.

• Provide for multiple attempts.

• Focus on learning from mistakes and failure.

• Allow failure.

• Provide for multiple attempts.

• Focus on learning from mistakes and failure.