- 1. A Communication Framework: A Babel Fish forInstructional
Game Designers [email_address] [email_address] [email_address]
Raytheon BBN Technologies IDSI IDSI Talib Hussain, PhD Ellen
Menaker, PhD Susan Coleman, PhD
2. Topics
- What we found and what it means
3. Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy Douglas Adams 4. I need a
serious game! I need a game that has elements of fun and helps the
player attain instructional goals! 5. Research Purpose
- Examine how different disciplines conceptualize serious game
elements
- Identify specific actions that can be taken to mitigate
misunderstandings
- Inform a hybrid serious game design model
6. Procedure
- Final Learning Games Design Survey (88 items)
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- Rate importance of game elements (22)
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- Rate the agreement or disagreement with statements (33)
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- Rate frequency of expected change for game elements (22)
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- Select best definition of terms (4)
- Analyzed survey data by discipline and game-type
experience
- Reported findings in 5 areas
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- Goals, authenticity, design, feedback, fun
7. Participants
- Distributed survey to the Learning Game Design COI (n=89)
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- Entertainment games (27%)
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- Instructional games (38%)
8. Key Finding Agreement on many items, but significant
differences were detected in the levels of agreement
- May be the source of many communication issues
9. Findings - Goals
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- Communicating learning goals is important
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- Achieved learning goals are the most important aspect of game
evaluation
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- Learning objectives are important
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- LOs are primary driver of an instructional game
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- A good instructional game must produce measurable learning
outcomes
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- Game goals and learning objectives must align
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- LOs can be changed to accommodate scenario design
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- Usability is the most important aspect of instructional game
evaluation
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- Articulate alignment of LOs with game goals
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- Solicit multidisciplinary input into prototype evaluation
criteria
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- Agree on criteria for setting LO priorities
10. Findings - Authenticity
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- Tasks should align with required cognitive thinking
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- Fantasy should provide a useful metaphor
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- Important to mirror real-world tasks
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- Fantasy makes games more compelling
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- Discuss impact of design choices on associated cognitive
skills
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- Articulate the connection between cognitive requirements and
fantasy
11. Findings - Design
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- Incorporate well-developed characters
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- Adapt game to player performance
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- Allow for learner control
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- Accommodate novice and expert
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- Expect key design elements to change frequently
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- Identify all elements that are impacted by design changes
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- Discuss instructional trade-offs of changes to gaming mechanics
(and vice versa)
12. Findings - Feedback
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- It is important to assess performance and give feedback
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- It is OK to stop game to give feedback (even explicit
feedback)
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- Penalties are OK in an instructional game
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- Natural feedback alone may not be sufficient
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- Frequent feedback strategy changes during design are not
expected
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- Feedback is used for its instructional value
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- Feedback is used for motivation
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- Discuss how to design feedback to be instructionally
valuableandmotivational
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- Consider criteria for interrupting the game for feedback
13. Findings - Fun
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- Fun is not necessary for instructional effectiveness
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- Learners should enjoy the instructional game
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- An engaging game is a fun game
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- Someone having fun is more likely to learn
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- Better for users to think of themselves as players rather than
learners
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- Reconcile recommended design changes with fun
14. Findings - Definitions
- High-fidelity instructional game
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- Authentic environment (19%)
- An immersive instructional game
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- A rich environmental context (50%)
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- Player is constantly engaged (25%)
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- An emotionally compelling context (19%)
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- Player is constantly interacting with other players (6%)
15. Findings - Definitions
- Engagement in an instructional game
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- Player is always thinking (61%)
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- Player is always feeling (19%)
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- Player is always learning (11%)
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- Player is always doing (8%)
- Adaptive instructional game
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- Adjusts the difficulty of challenges (81%)
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- Adjusts the type and frequency of feedback (14%)
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- Adjusts amount of information provided (3%)
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- Adjusts type of gaming skills provided (3%)
16. Trend There is more variation among responses from the
gaming disciplines than the instructional disciplines
- Instruction has an established science that purposefully allows
us to make predications
- Instructional curriculums provide a common field of
professional preparation and experience
- Variation in game designer responses will likely decrease as
more is learned within the disciplines and preparation programs
mature
- This could be a sampling issue and needs to be verified with
future research
17. Hybrid design model implications
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- Set learning objectiveprioritiesearly in the design
process
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- Check adherence to established priorities during the design
process throughout design
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- Document connections between cognitive requirements and design
choices (including fantasy and fun)
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- Develop strategy regarding whether, when, and how to interrupt
game play for instructional reasons
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- Develop strategy for evaluating both instruction and game play
during development
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- Gain approval for all changes by lead game and instructional
designers
18. Conclusions
- Communication involves more than the simple translation of
terms that a Babel fish might offer
- Instructional game design teams need to understand the
expectations, principles and research upon which team members base
their actions
- Future research needs to focus on further distinctions among
disciplines to explore the subtle differences and the rationale
behind them
19. Questions?
- A Communication Framework:
- A Babel Fish for Instructional Game Designers
http://groups.google.com/group/designoflearninggames Learning
Games Community of Interest :