Casual Games, Serious Learning, and Measurements to Prove It
Ben Katz & Jack Schaedler, Enspire Learning
Produced by
April 2 & 3, 2009
502
Let’s Get Serious … Games
Let’s Get Serious … Games April 2 & 3, 2009
Page 1Session 502 – Casual Games, Serious Learning, and Measurements to Prove It -Ben Katz & Jack Schaedler, Enspire Learning
Casual Games, Serious Learning, and Measurements to Prove It
Ben Katz Jack Schaedler
Enspire… Learning!
Who Are We?
Ben KatzLead Game Designer
Let’s Get Serious … Games April 2 & 3, 2009
Page 2Session 502 – Casual Games, Serious Learning, and Measurements to Prove It -Ben Katz & Jack Schaedler, Enspire Learning
Who Are We?
Jack SchaedlerTechnology Developer
A Poll!
Who plays games? Holler!
Let’s Get Serious … Games April 2 & 3, 2009
Page 3Session 502 – Casual Games, Serious Learning, and Measurements to Prove It -Ben Katz & Jack Schaedler, Enspire Learning
What is a Casual Game?
Why are casual game mechanics good for learning games?
Ease of developmentKey concepts can be communicated in a very short amount of timeGentle learning curveWide target demographics
Let’s Get Serious … Games April 2 & 3, 2009
Page 4Session 502 – Casual Games, Serious Learning, and Measurements to Prove It -Ben Katz & Jack Schaedler, Enspire Learning
Examples of casual games for learning
Layoff Celebrity Calamity
Casual learning games are not a series of multiple choice questions! The best casual games “borrow” tried and true
mechanics
TetrisMatch -3 Hidden ObjectMatching
Let’s Get Serious … Games April 2 & 3, 2009
Page 5Session 502 – Casual Games, Serious Learning, and Measurements to Prove It -Ben Katz & Jack Schaedler, Enspire Learning
A Poll!
How many of you have doubts about the efficacy of using casual games for learning?I mean really, How can Tetris teach me anything?
We’ll try to convince you otherwise!
*Try being the operative word
Let’s Get Serious … Games April 2 & 3, 2009
Page 6Session 502 – Casual Games, Serious Learning, and Measurements to Prove It -Ben Katz & Jack Schaedler, Enspire Learning
So how do we make a case for efficacy?
Play testingQualitative testingQuantitative testingIn game tracking and measurement
Metrics Metrics Metrics!
A Case Study
Celebrity CalamityD2D Fund in BostonTargeted at low to moderate income womenAges 18 - 35
Let’s Get Serious … Games April 2 & 3, 2009
Page 7Session 502 – Casual Games, Serious Learning, and Measurements to Prove It -Ben Katz & Jack Schaedler, Enspire Learning
So, who has a credit card?
*Do not give Jack your credit card number. Even if he asks nicely.
Play testing
Let’s Get Serious … Games April 2 & 3, 2009
Page 8Session 502 – Casual Games, Serious Learning, and Measurements to Prove It -Ben Katz & Jack Schaedler, Enspire Learning
Play testing
Not a focus groupPlay tests at each iteration in the development process
Qualitative Testing
Pre and post testing with surveys and vocalized feedback
Increase in confidence in managing credit card debt
Let’s Get Serious … Games April 2 & 3, 2009
Page 9Session 502 – Casual Games, Serious Learning, and Measurements to Prove It -Ben Katz & Jack Schaedler, Enspire Learning
Quantitative Testing
Pre and post Likert scale-based testing to show increases in knowledge, and eventually behavioral change
Some examples
Preliminary data from three testing groups
31 percent increase in confidence to pay off new credit card charges monthly58 percent increase in knowledge of APR
Let’s Get Serious … Games April 2 & 3, 2009
Page 10Session 502 – Casual Games, Serious Learning, and Measurements to Prove It -Ben Katz & Jack Schaedler, Enspire Learning
Now, a heartwarming anecdote
In game measurement and metrics
Let’s Get Serious … Games April 2 & 3, 2009
Page 11Session 502 – Casual Games, Serious Learning, and Measurements to Prove It -Ben Katz & Jack Schaedler, Enspire Learning
Example: APR Offers
An ocean of data
Game logs can be culled from any user playing the game anywhere in the worldWe’ve got an ocean of data under our feet!
Let’s Get Serious … Games April 2 & 3, 2009
Page 12Session 502 – Casual Games, Serious Learning, and Measurements to Prove It -Ben Katz & Jack Schaedler, Enspire Learning
An ocean of data
If we are smart and thorough when capturing data, we can make better design decisions
ExamplesDid users often click the help buttons?Did users often turn off the sound?Did users skip over written content?
Let’s Get Serious … Games April 2 & 3, 2009
Page 13Session 502 – Casual Games, Serious Learning, and Measurements to Prove It -Ben Katz & Jack Schaedler, Enspire Learning
Q/A
www.celebritycalamity.com
contact
[email protected]@enspire.com