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Game-enriched learning environments

Gamification became a hot topic, then a buzzword, and then LMS systems started adding badges for completing painful eLearning modules and calling it gamification. Now those not in Learning & Development see “Gamification” as a worthless fad because they don’t know what it is. Let me attempt to explain game-enriched learning environments.

As I was at my local gym, I found a PRECOR elliptical machine that let me log in and create a user name. I was hoping that this would allow me to track my usage on my phone and therefore onto the YMCA app where I track all of my exercises, but I am not that far in my Metaverse journey to awesomeness.

But now that I’m logged into this elliptical machine, it started to throw badges up on the screen when I hit certain landmarks over my entire elliptical journey.

You just walked across the Golden Gate Bridge! Your cumulative distance over time is the same as Taking a train from Beijing to the Great Wall of China!

If these badges were used for unmotivated learners, then they would simply become asinine and probably, decrease motivation.

Just Don’t Say the “G”-Word

Often when I speak to experts, who are skilled and experienced in adding games to learning experiences, they tend to not like the word Gamification. It’s a dirty word now. Why is that? A lot of business leaders and learning stakeholders have requested Gamification in ways that don’t serve the learning model. Gamification is implemented without the funding or skill sets required to deliver.

For example, learning management systems have added only badges across-the-board, and called that gamification. Not even a leaderboard of who is ahead, just little images with arbitrary words like “HOT SHOT” and “ACE”. That’s not a game that is a reward that you could’ve won if you played a good game well to add merit to your performance. However, getting that badge after taking a raw DATA-DUMP in a trackable SCORM eLearning is more like a kick where the sun doth not shine than a game.

So, it has to be a good game and it has to build skills.

I like to think about games with learning purposes on a sort of quadrant.

1. First of all, is the game fun, or is the game not fun?
2. Second of all, does the game build skills are does the game not build skills?

( Skills here are skills that can be used in the real world. I would say Educational but that would be a circular definition and possibly a slippery slope that is not accurate.
I have also hesitated in using the word Educational here because I don’t want to trigger memories of your teacher or mother asking if the show is “educational” or not? and now I probably triggered it anyway, which is good.)

What are things that you can add to the games that make them great?

How do you make “FUN” games?

The game mechanics are the solution. (be sure to scroll down to the end to see videos of my favorite game.)

Game Elements

Believe it or not, there is a whole field around how to build games, and we are not just talking about video games here either. These ideas and tools work on all games from monitor and VR to paper and cardboard.

If you want to talk about building Gamified Learning Environments then you don’t have to look much further than the work of Karl M. Kapp. His book
“The Gamification of Learning and Instruction” is basically THE BOOK.

Why are some games a one-and-done and others are repeatable? It has to do with the elements of the game, the interrelationship of the elements is what makes the game engaging. Games are based on models of reality known as operating models. 

The benefits of abstracted reality:

• Easy to understand complex concepts
• Cause and effect are obvious
• Removes extraneous factors which pose distractions
• Reduces the time needed to grasp the concept

Goals

Game goals differ from instructional Goals. Game goals are specific and quantifiable. Instructional goals are broad and general. The final goal should not come too early. Ideally, there are sets of goals that build skill sets that are used to complete the final goal. 

Rules

A game is just a set of defined rules.

The Book of Rules: Game Design Fundamentals (Katie Salen, Eric Zimmerman) defines four types of rules:

1. Operational Rules: Need the right key to open the right door
2. Constitutive Rules of Foundational rules: these are usually most important to the game designer. Probability of a die hitting a 6 or card counting
3. Implicit rules or behavioral rules: Govern the social construct between players. Usually tied to a penalty if broken.
4. Instructional rules: Define gameplay. The player must internalize before gameplay

Conflict, Competition, or Cooperation

Conflict is a challenge from a meaningful opponent and focuses on slowing the opponent down. 

Competition is when a player is “constrained from impeding each other and instead devote the entirety of their attention to optimizing their own performance”. 

Cooperation is working with other players to achieve a desirable outcome.

Time

Time is often used as a motivator to take action. When the clock starts. Time is also a part of helping learners allocate time to pieces of their work. The benefit of games is that they can condense time to view actions and results in real time.

Reward Structures

Badges, points, and rewards are not all bad and it is equally fun to let someone else know you received them. The leaderboard is a prime example of a reward where the user sees how they match up against all other players. It motivates additional play. It is best if rewards are directly linked to difficult accomplishments in the game. The text claims that LMS systems do not have corporate leaderboards but that might be dated information?

Feedback

Feedback is more frequent in games than in traditional learning environments. Robin Hunicke describes engaging feedback as juicy. Juicy feedback is tactile, inviting, repeatable, coherent, continuous, emergent, balanced, and fresh.

Levels

There are three types of levels: Game level, Playing level, and Player level. 

The Game Level is useful for plot and storytelling. Skills can be built at each level. The level-up is a motivation to continue.

The Playing Level. A simple game is boring and an overly complex game is not fun. Therefore many games have an entry-level at the beginning, easy, moderate, and difficult. It is often helpful to have the first level as a demonstration with guidance and feedback on how to play.

A Player Level relates to the character’s experience level or experience points in role-playing games.  So, think Final Fantasy or Pokemon where a player has EP or “Experience Points”.

Storytelling

Storytelling can be as simple as the name of the game. It can be supported with minimal additions to create a plot. Today video games have huge storylines and back plots. Stories add meaning, provide context, and guide action.

The Hero’s Journey

The monomyth or the hero’s journey includes leaving the comfort of normal life and entering the unknown to battle the conflict. Stories like The Legend of Zelda and even Super Mario Bros build on the Hero’s Journey.

Curve of interest

Using “The hook” to move from this being a required training or an interesting topic toward the learner being excited about the learning experience. The entry point, is that it is mandatory learning, then the Hook where the learner’s attention is grabbed. Last is the climax and then the learning is over.

Aesthetics

Aesthetics range from the design of game board pieces to sweeping landscapes of imagined worlds. Game aesthetics relate directly to Learner Experience (LX).

Example

While we are discussing game aesthetics, I would like to share one of my favorite games. Simple to play, yet complicated to solve. I love this game so much that I think it deserves its own post. I played Monument Valley available on Apple Arcade and I couldn’t wait to download Monument Valley 2+ available on the same platform.

These videos are best viewed on YouTube using a smartphone.
(Just click on the YouTube icon on the videos to play there.)

Work Cited

Kapp, Karl M., 1967-. The Gamification of Learning and Instruction: Game-Based Methods and Strategies for Training and Education. San Francisco, CA :Pfeiffer, 2012.

Salen, Katie, and Eric Zimmerman. Rules of Play: Game Design Fundamentals. Cambridge, Mass. The MIT Press, 2004.