By Karl M. KappBloomsburg UniversityGamification of Learning &Instruction EMAIL: kkapp@bloomu.eduTWITTER: @kkappBLOG: http://karlkapp.com/kapp‐notes/

How to Elevate Your Learning:

What is Gamification? Is there any Science Behind It?

Covert Takeaway Challenge

NotesSlides

Additional Ideas

www.karlkapp.com/kapp-notes

Brief history of…

The World

You know, we could make human growth hormone; all we have to do is isolate the gene.‐‐ Herbert W. Boyer, Ph.D., Co‐Founder of Genentech

We’ve learned and struggled for a fewyears here figuring out how to make a decent phone. PC guys are not going to just figure this out.

They’re not going to just walk in.

--Palm CEO Ed Colligan, 16 Nov 2006

This is our best iPhone launch yet — more than 9 million new iPhones sold — a new record for first weekend sales—Tim Cook, 2013.

Palm sold to HP in 2010, by 2011 Palm was done.

ENIAC's main control panel

4 23

What variables do I balance to keep my

person happy?How should I

manage my time?

What leadershipstrategy should I

use?

Not another online lecture.

Sorry, had you on mute, could you repeat the 

question.

I am going to need more coffee.

“Study of 2,300 people found only 6% of organizations are successful in influencing behavior change.”

‐‐Al Switzler

are Needed

New Instructional Approaches are Needed

Gamification

Gamification

Lots of Hype

Gartner Group predicts by 2015,  40 percent of Global 1000 organizations will use 

gamification as the primary mechanism to transform business operations.

Gartner Group predicts that by 2014, 80 percent of current gamified applications will fail to meet business objectives, 

primarily due to poor design.

Let’s Play

Fact or Fishy…

Rules• A statement is presented

– If “true” indicate: FactX– If “false” indicate: FishyX

• Text Response:

Take out your text‐machines

Standard Texting Fees Apply! But you have UNLIMITED TEXTING

How To Vote via Texting

1. Polleverywhere has no access to your phone number2. Capitalization doesn’t matter, but spaces and spelling doTIPS

FACT01

FACT02

FISHY01

FACT01

Room is Divided in Half

teama teamb

“Games” and “Gamification” are the same thing.

Is that Fact or Fishy?

Gamification is the use of gaming elements integrated into a training program aligned with training and/or business goals to promote change in behavior

Game-based Learning is the use of a game to teach knowledge, skills and abilities to learners using a self-contained space.

What is this “game” stuff?

Simulation Learning is a realistic, controlled-risk environment where learners can practice specific behaviors and experience the impacts of their decisions.

• Gamification is to Learning Game as:– Part is to Whole– Piece is to Puzzle– Slice is to Pie– Steering Wheel is to Car

• Gamification uses elements of games but is not a game in-and-of itself.

What is this “game” stuff?

Gamification + Simulation = Learning Game

What is this “game” stuff?

GamificationElements that Aid Learning

1. Story2. Challenge3. Mystery4. Characters/Avatar5. Challenge6. Levels7. Feedback8. Replayability9. Freedom to Fail10.Asethetics11.Time12.Rewards

GamificationElements that Aid Learning

1. Story2. Challenge3. Mystery4. Characters/Avatar5. Challenge6. Levels7. Feedback8. Replayability9. Freedom to Fail10.Asethetics11.Time12.Rewards

NOT Enough Time 

Elements of Games

1. Reward Structures2. Feedback3. Story4. Challenge

Adding points, badges and leaderboard to any training makes it awesome!

Is that Fact or Fishy?

Fishy… if it was that easy…this would be the most engaging game in the world.

20% increase in profile completion.

Use coins, points and rewards to provide feedback on performance, updates on progress and level of 

correctness. 

Kapp, K. M. (2012) The Gamification of Learning and Instruction. New York: Pfeiffer. Chapter Four. Pages 89-98.

The value, or size, of an anticipated reward influences the motivational signal sent to the brain only within 

the contexts of the reward system.

Howard-Jones. P.A., & Demetriou, S. (2008, September 11). Uncertainty and engagement with learning games. Instructional Science, 37, 519-536.

Receiving a PREDICTABLE reward releases one shot of dopamine.

Howard-Jones. P.A., & Demetriou, S. (2008, September 11). Uncertainty and engagement with learning games. Instructional Science, 37, 519-536.

Receiving an UNPREDICTABLE reward releases two shots of dopamine. 

Yeah, me!

Howard-Jones. P.A., & Demetriou, S. (2008, September 11). Uncertainty and engagement with learning games. Instructional Science, 37, 519-536.

What can you do?

Intelligently add game elements to instruction. Use points, rewards and badges to convey meaning…not simply completion.

Feedback

Encourages learners to focus their attention thoughtfully on the task rather than on simply getting the right  answer.

Shute, V. J., Ventura, M., Bauer, M. I., & Zapata‐Rivera, D. (2009). Melding the power of serious games and embedded assessment to monitor and foster learning: Flow and grow. In U. Ritterfeld, M. J. Cody, & P. Vorderer (Eds.), Serious Games: Mechanisms and Effects. Philadelphia, PA: Routledge/LEA. 295‐321.

Provide specific comments  about errors and suggestions for improvement. 

Games like The Sims provide feedback on many dimensions which provide 

opportunities to consider tradeoffs and higher level cognitive thinking. 

Leaderboards provide opportunities for players to receive feedback about their performance as compared to 

others. 

Comparative and relative feedback

What can you do?

Use feedback to inform learners of errors in thinking and to focus them on the task they are learning.

Learners remember clinical facts better…

When presented as bulleted list rather than presented as a story.

Is that Fact or Fishy?

Researchers have found that the human brain has a natural affinity for 

narrative construction.

Yep, People tend to remember facts more accurately if they encounter them in a story rather than in a list.

And they rate legal arguments as more convincing when built into narrative tales rather than on legal precedent.

Carey, B. (2007) this is Your Life (and How You Tell it). The New York Times. Melanie Green http://www.unc.edu/~mcgreen/research.html. Chapter 2 “The Gamification of Learning and Instruction. 

1. Characters

Story Elements

5. Conclusion

2. Plot (something has to happen).

3. Tension

4. Resolution

NikePlus Stats for Karl

What can you do?

Use meaningful stories. Provide the context for the learning.

One way to engage learners is to…

Present them with a difficult challenge.

Is that Fact or Fishy?

Fact. Provide a challenge

Jones, B., Valdez, G., Norakowski, J., & Rasmussen, C. (1994). Designing learning and technology for educational reform. North Central Regional Educational Laboratory. [Online]. Available: http://www.ncrtec.org/capacity/profile/profwww.htm and Schlechty, P. C. (1997). Inventing better schools: An action plan for educational reform. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass

Re-design the Instruction to Start with a Challenge

Sales Training

• Course Objectives– Adhere to the proper policy for providing

information to physicians– Understand what is permissible to share with

the doctor and what is not– Identify off-label sales practices

It is your first day on the job as a sales representative and you have just witnessed a rival sales representative providing off-label information to a physician you are going to see in five minutes.

What is the first thing you should do?

What can you do?

Give your learners the “KoboshyiMaru” equivalent.

“Koboshyi Maru” is a no win, difficult situation designed to teach “thinking.”

Putting it All Together

ExactTarget is a global marketing organization focused on digital marketing tools – email, mobile, and web and was recently purchased by Salesforce.com. ExactTarget is a leading cloud marketing platform used by more than 6,000 companies including Coca‐Cola, Gap and Nike.

Introducing a new product, MobileConnect and wanted to bring the sales force up‐to‐speed on the features and functionality of the product.

VENDORhttp://www.theknowledgeguru.com/

“I can’t tell you how many people are coming to me wanting another game solution.” 

“The repetition of the different paths helped me retain the information.”

“I’m a pretty competitive person so challenging myself to get one of the top scores added a layer of fun to learning about the MobileConnect product.”

“The game was a fun way to learn about MobileConnect. I enjoyed the scenario‐type questions, which put it all into context.”

Player Results

Business Results

Average contract value 2x higher than for previous mobile product.

First call resolution ($35 a call/average) is up 45%.

Of all the launches done in the previous two years prior to MobileConnect, the sales team built the quickest pipeline for this product.

Business Results

Average contract value 2x higher than for previous mobile product.

First call resolution ($35 a call/average) is up 45%.

Of all the launches done in the previous two years prior to MobileConnect, the sales team built the quickest pipeline for this product.

Larsen DP, Butler AC, Roediger HL 3rd. Repeated testing improves long‐term retention relative to repeated study: a randomized  controlled trial. Med Educ 43: 1174–1181, 2009.

Dobson, J. L. (2013) Retrieval practice is an efficient method of enhancing the retention of anatomy and physiology information Advances in Physiology Education  37: 184–191, 2013; doi:10.1152/advan.00174.2012.

Dobson, J. L. (2013)    Retrieval practice is an efficient method of enhancing the retention of anatomy and physiology information Advances in Physiology Education  37: 184–191, 2013; doi:10.1152/advan.00174.2012

Retention benefits between 35% and 61% with 41% 

average.

Subject matter was Anatomy and Physiology

Ramachandran, A.  et. al. Effectiveness of mobile phone messaging in prevention of type 2 diabetes by lifestyle modification in men in India: a prospective, parallel‐group, randomised controlled trial The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology, Early Online Publication, 11 September 2013 doi:10.1016/S2213‐8587(13)70067‐6

A study using a randomized control group conducted a trial between Aug 10, 2009, and Nov 30, 2012, at ten sites in southeast India with over 500 subjects.

Working Indian men (aged 35—55 years) with impaired glucose tolerance were randomly assigned to either a mobile phone messaging intervention or standard care. 

Ramachandran, A., et. al.., Effectiveness of mobile phone messaging in prevention of type 2 diabetes by lifestyle modification in men in India: a prospective, parallel‐group, randomised controlled trial The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology, Early Online Publication, 11 September 2013 doi:10.1016/S2213‐8587(13)70067‐6

“Use stairs instead of an Elevator”

“Avoid snacks while watching TV;  you may overeat. “

Lowered risk of developing Type 2 diabetes by 36%.

Ramachandran, A., et. al.., Effectiveness of mobile phone messaging in prevention of type 2 diabetes by lifestyle modification in men in India: a prospective, parallel‐group, randomised controlled trial The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology, Early Online Publication, 11 September 2013 doi:10.1016/S2213‐8587(13)70067‐6

Covert Takeaway Challenge

Covert TakeawaysOnce upon a time, there was a well known doctor, Gee Ames. Dr. G. Ames always told engaging stories to her patients to encourage the behavior of maintaining their treatment plan because learning needs to be engaging to change behavior. It was highly effectiveand her patients were among the most compliant in the hospital.

She was also a teaching doctor and taught interns. She was widely regarded as the best instructor within the hospital but she did not always tell her interns the answer to questions because she knows that is ok for a learner to struggle. 

She also really liked games. She played Halo all the time. So she knew what made games motivating.  One day her colleagues wanted to create gamification for examining X‐Rays. 

They simply gave points for correctly reading an X‐Ray.  Created a leaderboard and handed out badges. 

The wise doctor, Gee Ames,  informed her colleagues that simply adding points, badges and leaderboards does not make learning effective. You need context, feedback and challenge she chastised.

Her wisdom prevailed and an effective gamification solution was put into place. As a result, she was able to rise to the position of chief medical officer in a large healthcare organization.  

Today, she helps thousands of people through intelligent gamification—so can you. 

Copy of Slides and Notes available at www.karlkapp.com

Contact Karl at:karlkapp@gmail.com