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Why make learning games?
Immune Defense. Blood. Death. Strategy. Protein.
www.MolecularJig.com
Molecular Jig GamesMelanie Stegman, Ph.D.
• They really can be effective at teaching
• They stand out in a crowded market
• They have a larger/different audience
• They can have alternative funding sources
• They can be a step in your career in serious games, science communication or data analysis
• Why not make them?
– Known market for known game types
– Easier to develop when change game world can be changed at a whim, whereas reality can’t change
– Working with an expert requires working with another person where as indie is alone.
Why make learning games?
Learning games can be very effective
• Players remember names of proteins and cells.
• Players gain confidence with the material.
All 0 hours/week 1 to 5hours/week
6+hours/week
Immune Attack ControlControl
0
5
10
15
20
All Girls Boys
Students learned molecular biology by playing a 3rd person shooter
about cells and proteins.
Biology Game players N = 180 Control game players N = 160
All Girls Boys 0 1-5 6+Hours video games played/week
0
5
10
15
20
Ave
rage
nu
mb
er
of
corr
ect
answ
ers
Standard deviations, measure of variance not error, are shown.
Players who never passed the first level still learned molecular biologyA
vera
ge n
um
be
r o
f q
ue
stio
ns
corr
ect
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
20
Immune Attack Level 1 Levels 2 and 3 Level 4 Level 5 Levels 6 and 7 ControlAll Players Level 1 Level 2/3 Level 4 Level 5 Level 6/7 Control
Biology Game players N = 180 Control game players N = 160
Standard deviations, measure of variance not error, are shown.
Effect sizes: 0.81 0.54 0.55 0.65 1.18 1.09 P << 0.01
Something that will damage your ship.
An amino acid A protein that stops Monocytes.
A wiggly thing that is the wrong target.
A lipid A protein that makes Monocytes exit the blood vessel.
An object you need to avoid.
A complex carbohydrate
A protein that does not interact with Monocytes.
A wiggly thing you need to shoot to win.
A protein A protein that causes the Monocyteto slow down.
75% 50% 51%75% 52% 54%74% 49% 50%
What is the arrow pointing to?
AllGirlsBoys
Students remember objects and their role in the game.
Measuring confidence
Nature Reviews Immunology, 2007. 7:678.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Immune Attack players gain confidence in their molecular biology skills
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
1 2 3 4 5
Transmigration
1 2 3 4 5
Yellow Macrophages
Total Ctrl n = 161Total IA n = 180
Immune Attack players gain confidence with related images.
I would be able to understand this diagram if I read it and thought about it.
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
1 2 3 4 5
DATA All IA Players n = 180
Perc
ent
of
tota
l stu
de
nts
Disagree -------------- Agree
• They really can be effective at teaching
• They stand out in a crowded market
• They have a larger/different audience
• They can have alternative funding sources
• They can be a step in your career in serious games, science communication or data analysis
• Why not make them?
– Known market for known game types
– Easier to develop when change game world can be changed at a whim, whereas reality can’t change
– Working with an expert requires working with another person where as indie is alone.
Why make learning games?
Starting out as an indie game developer… The casual game market is full…
• iOS getting featured is required for big big sales…
• ~800 games submitted to the iTunes App Store daily. High quality game, that is updated often and is exceptional.
• OneSkyApp.com/blog/app-store-feature
• www.nativex.com/blog/uncovering-mystery-behind-app-store-editors-choice
• www.pocketgamer.biz/metrics/app-store/submissions/
• A Dark Room:www.reddit.com/r/startups/comments/4f74dv/quit_my_full_time_corporate_job_built_an_ios_game
Games in general and Educational apps featured in 2015 iOS app store
www.nativex.com/blog/uncovering-mystery-behind-app-store-editors-choice
Of all apps selected by editors, Games = 65% Educational apps = 9 %Games were only 25% of submitted apps
Niche audiences for your reality game
Just like for any game, it’s not easy to find support for a reality game…
however you can find individuals, associations, universities or companies that might support you.
Support might be cash, advertisement, giving you space to demo at their events
Games for ChangeAmerican Society for MicrobiologyAAASExtra Credits on Steam
ScienceGameCenter.org
A science game development team
Academic Sponsors
Castl
Test Tube Games
http://www.testtubegames.com/bondbreaker.htmlhttp://www.castl.uci.edu/games/bondbreaker_lessons
Federal Funding
Non-Profit Research Projects “Research Grants”
1 million dollars to study learning
For Profit Small Businesses “SBIR”
150,000 and perhaps 1 million dollars to prove learning and build the game.
Grants require a larger team, because research
Evaluation Team
1/3 of the funding
Subject Matter experts = co-game designers
Game development
team
Grants to non-profit research companies and to for profit game companies
Who offers grants to fund games?
To commercial companies, SBIRs for games:
National Institutes of Health (NIH)
National Science Foundation (NSF)
Institute for Education Science (IES)
National Oceanic Atmosophere Administration (NOAA)
To researchers at non-profits
NIH, NSF, IES
Evaluation Team
1/3 of the funding
Subject Matter experts = co-game designers
Game development
team
However a grant application is created, talking to the “Program Officer” in person on the phone 6 months in advance of the deadline is a minimum requirement.
*Professor at non-profit is leader of a research grant
*Indie Game company is leader of an SBIR grant
Indie game company could lead the grant application or play a role on a research grant
A very successful, indie lead SBIR grant project
www.strangeloopgames.com/eco/
EcoArgue with your friends about how to save the world
Eco by StrangeLoop Games
Eco collaboration structure
Evaluation Team = University of
Illinois
Subject Matter experts
University of Illinois
Game development
Team =Strange Loop
Games
Federal Funding plus….
www.strangeloopgames.com/eco/
Immune Defense. Blood. Death. Strategy. Protein.
www.MolecularJig.com
Molecular Jig GamesMelanie Stegman, Ph.D.
Immune DefenseJoin the Oldest Battle on Earth
1. Kids 12-18 learn molecular biology by playing molecular biology video games
a. Engagement helps learning
b. Complexity does not inhibit learning or confidence
2. How to make an engaging game about biochemistry?
How to make an engaging game about an actually, truly foreign world?
3. George Fan method of game design: Use familiar and easy to understand objects
so their purpose is easy to explain, and you tutorial is easier to design.
4. Melanie Stegman method: Let player easily and continuously conduct
experiments: GMES: Get data, Make hypothesis, Experiment and See results.
5. Immune Defense
a. Players regulate surface proteins on neutrophils in level 1
b. 75% of players move onto the second level.
Immune Defense. Blood. Death. Strategy. Protein.
www.MolecularJig.com
Molecular Jig GamesMelanie Stegman, Ph.D.
Data tables
