Game, Gaming & Gamification’s value in Blending Learning

Game n

< a biteAK, BLA, SSAP, UWS

Game (noun)“a structured playing” undertaken for enjoyment or other motives

As early as 3,100 BC games are a universal part of human experience and present in all cultures.

Example of games? – too many to mentionDaring games, Guessing games, Board games, Card games, Dice games, Role-playing games, strategy games, cooperative games, arcade games, computer games, console games, first person games, third person games, puzzles games, word games, …

ancient Egypt board game 

Gaming (verb)the activity of playing

Why do people play game? Fun-creation

Fulfilment of human basic motivations

Why use game in learning? Primarily to improve engagement

but not the only reason

Educators wishing students to be motivated/engaged in learning as much as they are in gaming

Game & Gaming in Learning

Edutainment ↔ Serious Game continuum

Charsky, D. (2010). "From Edutainment to Serious Games: A Change in the Use of Game Characteristics." Games and Culture 5(2): 177-198.

Game as a peripheral

Game as a product

Game as a concept or a play

(*classification done for discussion purpose onlyit’s probably contested )

Game & Gaming in Learning (e.g.)

Game as a peripheral Actually there is no game, but basic elements or mechanics

of game (e.g. competition, goal, earning points, badges) setting are adopted into a learning activity

The learning and the game are two separate part, e.g. students earning points to complete an action, and the points counted towards a ladder board or badges

It’s not bad, it is just what it is, a peripheral

Game & Gaming in Learning (e.g.)

Game as a product It’s a game, but it introduces and uses skills/concept to

successfully play it, thus learning the play it will unavoidably learning the concept

e.g. Cargo-Bot learning about programming logic, subroutines, recursive, etc

Thus the mechanics of the game incorporate skills/concept to be learnt (game built around the learning)

Game & Gaming in Learning (e.g.)

Game as a concept or a play It’s a game, but it’s the playing which provoke critical

genuine serious thoughts

e.g. Geraci, R. M. and N. Recine (2014). "Enlightening the Galaxy: How Players Experience Political Philosophy in Star Wars: The Old Republic." Games and Culture 9(4): 255-276.

Socio-political landscapes, roles, conflicts, etc

Thus the environment allowsrich exploration & reflection (learning extracted from playing)

Game & Gaming in LearningChallenges

Game as a peripheral Designing meaningful motivator

Game as a ‘product’ Finding/producing the right game

Need re-enforcement to ensure learning is visible

Game as a ‘concept’ or gaming Finding/designing the right play

Need learning-scaffold to ensure learning occurs

Gamification

Gamification

"Harnessing the power of play" mantra Rest on assumption that everyone can and

enjoy to play game (of any sort)

Extracting game mojo injecting it into non-game activity such as learning

Not just about points, badges, and ladder-board but drives to play (why) + game elements & mechanics (how)

there are many frameworks out there attemptingto frame gamification … not talking design atm

Strong emotion

Does not have to be high cost

one example of such frameworknot specific to learning activity

Game’s value in Blending Learning

Game is one of the tool in learning; we thus when we know what kind of learning we want, what problem solving to learn, then what tool to use (game is one of them)

In what situation game is useful for my blending?

What kind of game useful in units I’m working on?

What affordance that game provides to the learning activity in my unit?

What do I need to produce/acquire it?

Game’s value in Blending Learning

How about the use of Game in assessment?