A primer on game-based learning

A primer on game-based learning

iDesignX 2017

Me Gerard Friel

eLearning Instructional Designer

& Developer at PageGroup

15 Years L&D

7 Years in Australia

Created mix of physical and digital games

Serious Games Design student at USC

You 1. eLearning developers?

2. How many use advanced actions,

triggers and events?

Show you how to map game

development to existing L&D structures

A primer on

game-based

learning

1. What is game-based learning?

2. Why take a game-based learning

approach?

3. Practical tips for developing a game

x 3 skill coinsgerardfr ie l .com

http://www.gerardfriel.com/

What is game-based learning?

What is

game-based

learning?

Gamification

Serious games

Game-based learning

Edutainment

Learning Games

Playful learning

Gamified learning

Gamification

Serious games

Game-based learning

Edutainment

Learning Games

Playful learning

Gamified learning

What is

game-based

learning?

1. Structural Gamification

2. Content Gamification

3. Game-based assessments

4. Games

What is

game-based

learning?

“leveraging game elements to propel

learners through content without

altering the content itself”

Karl Kapp

Structural Gamification

Technology driven




4. Games

What is

game-based

learning?

Content gamification is the use of game

elements within the course itself such as

progress indicators, and the use of

scenarios and challenges

Content Gamification

Design driven




4. Games

What is

game-based

learning?

These are common to all major eLearning

authoring tools and provide quiz functionality

wrapped up in a game format to assess

knowledge

Can be based on well known TV shows or

sporting activities

Game-based assessments




4. Games Quiz driven

What is

game-based

learning?

Fully featured games where the player has

to achieve a goal within a set of rules

Numerous obstacles have to be overcome

on the way to achieving the goal

Games




4. Games Experience driven

What is

game-based

learning?

1. Structural Gamification Low

2. Content Gamification Medium

3. Game-based assessments Low

4. Games High

Implementation difficulty

What is

game-based

learning?

1. FPS – First Person Shooter

2. RPG – Role Playing Game

3. MMO – Massively Multiplayer Online

4. SIM – Simulation

5. PLA – Platformer

Types of digital games

vsnarrative gameplay

What is

game-based

learning?

1. Various types of games

2. Some that really don’t interest you

3. Build your game literacy

4. Call upon mechanics in your designs

Play games

Skill Coin #1

Why take a game-based learning approach?

Why take a

game-based

learning

approach?

Engagement

Motivation

1. Engagement

2. Motivation

3. Lower barriers

Why take a

game-based

learning

approach?

Immediate feedback

Know you’re on the right track

Correct errors

High degree of problem solving

Smart phones

Flow

Engagement

1. Engagement

2. Motivation

3. Lower barriers

Why take a

game-based

learning

approach?

Flow

1. Engagement

2. Motivation

3. Lower barriers

Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

Why take a

game-based

learning

approach?

Autonomy

Avatar

Choice

Freedom to fail

Mastery

View progress / win state

Relatedness

Sense of purpose

Share experience with others

Motivation

1. Engagement

2. Motivation

3. Lower barriers

Why take a

game-based

learning

approach?

Extrinsic

Rewards / prizes

Avoiding punishment

Intrinsic

Enjoyment of the task

Help or relate to others

Motivation

1. Engagement

2. Motivation

3. Lower barriers

Why take a

game-based

learning

approach?

Cost

Dramatically reduced

Many game engines are now free to use

Skills

Reduction of skill gap between L&D and game development

Organisational culture

Requirement for greater degree of engagement, behaviour

change and completion rates

Lower Barriers

1. Engagement

2. Motivation

3. Lower barriers

Why take a

game-based

learning

approach?

Game Engines

1. Engagement

2. Motivation

3. Lower barriers

Name Difficulty level Features

TWINE Low Narrative, text only

Scratch Low Web-based

Brick-like

programming GUI

Stencyl Low/Medium Web-based

Brick-like

programming GUI

GameMaker Medium 2D

GameSalad Medium 2D, Mac

Construct Medium 2D

Unity High 2D, 3D, VR

Unreal High 3D, VR

Practical tips for developing a game

Practical

tips for

developing a

game

Set up your team

Producer

Game Designer

Engineering Art

Instructional Designer

L&D Manager

eLearningDeveloper

Marketing/Design Team

Practical

tips for

developing a

game

Set up your process

Waterfall vs AGILE

Waterfall or ‘top down’ development

Practical

tips for

developing a

game

Set up your process

Waterfall vs AGILE

Iterative or looping development

Practical

tips for

developing a

game

1. Performance Problem

2. Learning Objectives

3. Concept Document: 1 pager

4. Iterative Design: Paper prototypes & playtest

5. Design Document: Art and engineering tasks

6. Iterative Development: Digital prototypes & playtest

7. Output: Deliver the game

7 Step Process

Practical

tips for

developing a

game


2. Learning Objectives (guiding light)






7 Step Process

Skill Coin #2

Practical

tips for

developing a

game

1. Don’t let game mechanics overtake the learning outcome

2. Easy to lose focus/sight of these in development

3. Have these clear upfront before design and development

4. Make sure all decisions align with these objectives

5. Keep objectives simple and small in number

Learning Objectives








Practical

tips for

developing a

game

“Documents have two purposes: memory

and communication”

Jesse Schell

Concept Document: 1 pager

high-level / overview of whole game

explain core mechanics

can include sketches

Documentation








Practical

tips for

developing a

game








Playtesting

Skill Coin #3

Practical

tips for

developing a

game

Paper PrototypingOver half of commercial game developers

still prefer paper-and-pencil prototyping tools







7. Output: Deliver the gameGame Developer Magazine 2009

Practical

tips for

developing a

game

1. The building of quick, rough, playable sections

of your game for feedback purposes

2. Used to identify flaws in gameplay or level

design early

3. Can be paper-based and/or digital

4. Who is involved?

Development team

Organisational representatives & end users

Blind testing

What is Playtesting?








Practical

tips for

developing a

game

1. Saves time and money

2. Quick and easy to make

3. Test ideas rapidly

4. Refinement of gameplay

5. Get early involvement and buy-in with stakeholders

6. Reduce likelihood of having to throw weeks of costly coding and artwork away later in the project

Why is Playtesting useful?








Practical

tips for

developing a

game

Sydney race

Epic (game) design fail!








Practical

tips for

developing a

game

No set template, each project will have different requirements but can include items such as:

Lists (everything that needs to be done to complete the game with estimates of time)

Programming tasks (levels, mechanics, Interface)

Artist tasks (images/animations)

Feature list (prioritise / drop items during development)

Story, characters, worlds, strategy

AGILE warning: “Working software over comprehensive documentation”

Documentation – Design doc








Practical

tips for

developing a

game

Working version of part of a game

Users can play them

Include interface

Used for development testing & refinement

Determine how playable the game is

Can reuse the code in actual game

Digital playtesting








Practical

tips for

developing a

game

1. Lockdown on features

2. QA and bug reporting

3. Refine artwork, animations & audio

4. Alpha

5. Beta

6. Gold

7. Release

7 Step Process








Practical tips for developing a game

WHS Platformer Example

Practical

tips for

developing a

game

1. Workplace Health & Safety (WHS)

2. Workplace injuries are increasing

3. New starters are not wearing safety

equipment on site

4. Fire evacuation procedures are not

followed

5. Fire evacuation roll calls are at 70%

Performance Problem








Practical

tips for

developing a

game

1. Identify the safety equipment required for

working on site

2. Follow the evacuation procedure in the

event of a fire

Learning Objectives








Practical

tips for

developing a

game

Concept Brainstorming








Practical

tips for

developing a

game

Concept Document: 1 pager








Practical

tips for

developing a

game

Iterative Design








Level Game

objectives

Learning

objectives

Flow indexSkills &

Challenge

level

1 Navigation 1 - low

2 Avoid/eliminate

hazards

2 - low-

medium

3 Identify safety

equipment

3 - medium

4 Follow fire

evacuation

procedure

4 - high

Practical

tips for

developing a

game

Iterative Design: Paper Prototyping








Practical

tips for

developing a

game

Documentation – Design doc








“Working software over comprehensive documentation”

Online project management tools rather than a large word document

Practical

tips for

developing a

game

1. Testing: Basic movement (left, right, and jump)

2. Playtest feedback: Player jumped too high

Iterative Development








Practical

tips for

developing a

game

1. Testing: Access next level

2. Pick up access card, Use card on reader, only

open lift if card is used on the reader

3. Enter lift to next level

4. Feedback: Player didn’t know what to do.

Instructions needed to play.

Iterative Development








Practical

tips for

developing a

game

Iterative Development: Program








Practical

tips for

developing a

game

1. Testing: Imported sourced graphics, player

animations, objects, and tilemap background

2. Feedback: Player confused when attempting to

access the lift with no pass

Iterative Development: Artwork








Practical

tips for

developing a

game

1. Testing: Health, score, start screens, game over

screen messages, level access UI

2. Feedback: Too busy when all menus open.

Need to simplify the interface

Iterative Development: UI








Practical

tips for

developing a

game

1. Alpha

2. Beta

Output – 4 completed levels








Summary

A primer on

game-based learning

A primer on

game-based

learning

1. What is game-based learning?

The use of full games to provide a learning outcome

2. Why take a game-based learning

approach?

Engagement, motivation, cheaper and easier than ever

3. Practical tips for developing a game

Use existing team structures and take an iterative

development approach

A primer on

game-based

learning1. Play games

2. Keep focus on learning goal

3. Playtest early and often

x 3 skill coins

www.ge ra rd f r i e l . com/ i des i gnx

iDesignX resources

http://www.gerardfriel.com/idesignx

Image

credits

Gameplay

https://www.flickr.com/photos/bagogames/25683700084

Mario

https://www.pexels.com/photo/cartoon-character-computer-

game-console-305576/

Date post:	03-Mar-2017
Category:	Education
Upload:	gerard-friel
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A primer on game-based learning

Education