Games, Curiosity, and the Future of Education

Jesse Schell

2014

+ = Psychology Technology Destiny

Have you noticed?

Beautiful!

Customized!

Shared!

Real!

TV

Groceries

Reality TV

Organic Groceries

Purina Dog Chow

“Blue Wilderness”

Beautiful! Customized!

Shared! Real!

Beautiful? Customized?

Shared? Real?

Ugly. Standardized. Withheld. Fake.

1) Beauty

Things become BEAUTIFUL through design

2) Customization

CUSTOMIZING respects the learner

I have no special talents, I am only passionately curious. –Albert Einstein

Fear Apathy

Curiosity

Curiosity

Insight Wonder

The cure for boredom is curiosity.

There is no cure for curiosity.

The curious will win

3) Sharing

Create situations that demand SHARING

4) Reality

Pair REAL teachers with REAL students

Use simulations to get close to REALITY

Beautiful, Customized,

Shared, Real…

Can games

help?

History of symbolic logic (3,000 years)

History of tool use (3,000,000 years)

History of touch (300,000,000 years)

Some Thoughts On Education (1692) Johnathan Locke

“I have always had a fancy that learning might be made a play and recreation to children…”

What is a game?

A game is

something you

play.

But what is play?

Play is

manipulation

Play is

manipulation

that

indulges

curiosity.

But what makes a

game a game?

But what makes a

game a game?

Games have goals.

But what makes a

game a game?

Games have goals.

Every game is a

problem to be solved.

A game is a

problem solving

activity

A game is a

problem solving

activity

approached

playfully.

Our Dictionary

• play (pla), v. Manipulation that indulges curiosity.

• game (gam), n. A problem solving activity approached playfully.

7/11

Games Are Bad At…

1) Being Cheap

Games Are Bad At…

1) Being Cheap

2) Tricking Students Into Learning

Games Are Bad At…

1) Being Cheap

2) Tricking Students Into Learning

3) Limitless Exploration

Games Are Bad At…

1) Being Cheap

2) Tricking Students Into Learning

3) Limitless Exploration

4) Adhering to Time Limits

Games Are Bad At…

1) Being Cheap

2) Tricking Students Into Learning

3) Limitless Exploration

4) Adhering to Time Limits

5) Understanding Mistakes

Games Are Bad At…

1) Being Cheap

2) Tricking Students Into Learning

3) Limitless Exploration

4) Adhering to Time Limits

5) Understanding Mistakes

6) Long Shelf Lives

Games Are Bad At…

1) Being Cheap

2) Tricking Students Into Learning

3) Limitless Exploration

4) Adhering to Time Limits

5) Understanding Mistakes

6) Long Shelf Lives

7) Staying Interesting Forever

7/11

Games Are Good At…

1) Giving the Brain What it Wants

a) Visible Progress

b) Abstract -> Concrete

c) Full Engagement

d) Fantasy Motivations

Betty’s Brain – Vanderbilt University

“These kids know these characters aren’t alive, but they get engaged with the narrative, and play pretend, and it brings out a lot of good behaviors.”

Games Are Good At…

1) Giving the Brain What it Wants

2) Illustrating Complex Systems

Games Are Good At…

1) Giving the Brain What it Wants

2) Illustrating Complex Systems

3) Keeping You in Flow

Games Are Good At…

1) Giving the Brain What it Wants

2) Illustrating Complex Systems

3) Keeping You in Flow

4) Showing New POV

Games Are Good At…

1) Giving the Brain What it Wants

2) Illustrating Complex Systems

3) Keeping You in Flow

4) Showing New POV

5) Being Authentic

Games Are Good At…

1) Giving the Brain What it Wants

2) Illustrating Complex Systems

3) Keeping You in Flow

4) Showing New POV

5) Being Authentic

6) Raising Questions

Games Are Good At…

1) Giving the Brain What it Wants

2) Illustrating Complex Systems

3) Keeping You in Flow

4) Showing New POV

5) Being Authentic

6) Raising Questions

7) Creating Shared Experiences

Games Are Good At…

2) Illustrating Complex Systems

3) Keeping You in Flow

4) Showing New POV

5) Being Authentic

6) Raising Questions

7) Creating Shared Experiences

8) Allowing Independent Exploration

Games Are Good At…

3) Keeping You in Flow

4) Showing New POV

5) Being Authentic

6) Raising Questions

7) Creating Shared Experience

8) Allowing Independent Exploration

9) Practice for Dangerous Situations

Games Are Good At…

4) Showing New POV

5) Being Authentic

6) Raising Questions

7) Creating Shared Experiences

8) Allowing Independent Exploration

9) Practice for Dangerous Situations

10) Creation of Teachable Moments

Games Are Good At…

5) Being Authentic 6) Raising Questions 7) Creating Shared

Experiences 8) Allowing Independent

Exploration 9) Practice for Dangerous

Situations 10) Creation of Teachable

Moments 11) Giving Students

Ownership

I can learn anything myself.

School is a tool,

but who I become

is up to me, and no one else.

+ = Psychology

Beautiful Customized

Shared Real

Technology Ubiquitous Networked Simulation

Tablets

Destiny Powerful Life-Long

Transformative Education

Thanks! Slides: slideshare.net/jesseschell

Twitter: @jesseschell Email: jesse@schellgames.com

1) Being Cheap 2) Tricking Students Into

Learning 3) Limitless Exploration 4) Adhering to Time Limits 5) Understanding Mistakes 6) Long Shelf Lives 7) Staying Interesting Forever

1. Giving the Brain What it Wants

2. Illustrating Complex Systems 3. Keeping You in Flow 4. Showing New POV 5. Being Authentic 6. Raising Questions 7. Creating Shared Experiences 8. Allowing Independent

Exploration 9. Practice for Dangerous

Situations 10. Creation of Teachable

Moments 11. Giving Students Ownership