Gaming Beyond Boudaries

It's times like this that I am encouraged in my efforts with game design a learning science. Over at the Lost Garden, Dan wrote about a project to use gameplay to make Microsoft Office easier to understand and use. Another article I'm just reading now is one put out by the Defense Department of the US about the benefits of gaming on observation, creativity and handling new situations.

"I think we're at the beginning of a new science of learning," he [Ray Perez, a program officer at the ONR's warfighter performance department] said, "that will be the integration of neuroscience with developmental psychology, with cognitive science, and with artificial intelligence."

I've been going on about this for about a year and a half, while others have been talking about it for longer than that. Now it seems like some of the scientific proof is coming to prove what we've been saying all along, that game design can help educational design. Yet, this shouldn't discourage us little guys from putting our best out there for the world to see. Instead, it should encourage us that there are better times ahead.

We've known for a while that the US military has it's eyes on educational and training uses for video games. Besides the training simulators and similar games, there were the Army games made to share the experience with the public. I've also heard of combat video games being used to help experienced combatants re-integrate with civilian life. Yet this is even bigger than just the potential military uses. This is the military saying that their game-based training programs have had certain types of results.

It will be interesting to what happens this year.

Have fun, spread the word and tell me what you think,
Igen Oukan
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Gaming Beyond Boudaries

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Work Ethic and Play

It may seem like a strange combination, but this whole concept is based off of the quote, "if its purpose is more important than the act doing it, it probably isn't play" ( http://www.ted.com/talks/stuart_brown_says_play_is_more_than_fun_it_s_vital.html ). The idea is that if the quote is true, which I think it generally is, then work ethic is key to making more of life possible play situations. Why, because work ethic is caring for how well you do the work.

If asked about the purpose of work, many would say that it's to get paid, to pay the bills or both. Those focused on the long term goal loose track of the short term goal of getting the job done, but even focusing on the short term goal isn't enough for this relationship. See, it's still about the purpose, not the doing.

As much as this may irritate people, life isn't linear. Working towards a single goal, long term or short term, can cause problems. How? Let's say you make bagels. (Why bagels, because that's what came to mind first.) In making bagels there are several processes that happen in the kitchen, several business and selling processes as well. Now, if your focus is to do well financially, you will likely start valuing money more than product quality, employees and so on. Putting bagels on tables becomes more important than the bagels on the tables.

This is where the work ethic concept comes into play. If you care more about the doing than the purpose, the bagels rather than making money, you are more satisfied with the customer reactions and being able to continue doing the job, even when things get tight. The money and the quality of the effort are indirectly connected to the pay received to a person with high work ethic. The pay, the goal, the purpose is less important to them than the act of doing it, and doing it well.

It reminds me of the work places where people do what they love. They joke with each other and with the customers. So long as they can continue doing the job, they are happy to continue. How could this help you have a happier work experience?

Have fun, spread the word and tell me what you think,
Igen Oukan
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Work Ethic and Play

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The Mystery of Motivation in Games

It has been noticed for a long time that people seem to be more motivated when playing games than in school. This motivation has been left as inherent to games, but the efforts to create educational games has for the most part shown that this is not true, maybe. I think the motivation is outside the game entirely, but that the game design principles for user experience design should be helpful in encouraging motivation in learners.

For the last week I have been participating in the Serious Games Jam and it came about that I posted about motivation and approach. This setting contributed to the efforts, but did not generate the motivation to figure this out. Rather it gave context, which was a serious buzz word during the Jam. That perhaps pushed me as something not quite right, but that's still doesn't explain the motivation.

No, the motivation was outside the entire situation and a part of the picture that I brought. It wasn't due to the context of the jam or the "game" of earning "Karma" points to win a Nintendo DS. There was something inside me that motivated me to try to find answers related to serious games, that motivated me to participate in the Jam, that motivated me to push through the hardships and get to the good parts, the rewards, but the rewards didn't generate motivation. I'd stopped expecting to "win" the "game" early on. So, what was it?

How I Figured it Out:

Due to a tweet from Jim Groom, if I remember correctly, I came across a parody article. That's where it started.

Parody: http://bionicteaching.com/?p=997

Real Article: http://chronicle.com/wiredcampus/article/3797/students-prefer-real-classroom-to-virtual-world

The real article was also mentioned in OLDaily, by Stephen Downes.

OLDaily Edition: http://www.downes.ca/archive/09/06_02_news_OLDaily.htm

Specifically: http://www.downes.ca/cgi-bin/page.cgi?post=49149

While I thought it was interesting, nothing triggered at first, but in the post by Stephen Downes there is mention of the comments made on the article, so I started reading them. In there, somewhere, the ideas started smashing together like atoms in a giant atom smasher giving me a glimpse of smaller parts. That's where I found the motivation from outside video games that educators have been looking to add to their curriculum.

From my SGJ forum post:
"What came to mind is that motivation, approach and goals all need to coincide for the learning to really happen well. In the normal school environment grades are the goal, not learning. When you have people together who want to learn, and have a decent way to learn, the learning is likely to happen. Why?

Students are told what they should and shouldn't do all the time it seems. Truth is most of us are taught from a young age to follow orders without thinking about them. In that case you are being told not to care about the the how or even the what. So, the question becomes, why should they care about learning? The answer heard most of the time boils down to, "I said so." That's not the kind of motivation found in games.

In a game you expect to fail sometimes. That failure gives you feedback that you can use to improve, in good games. Most of the time that feedback is in the form of watching what happens as it happens. Then you use the scientific method to improve. Hypothesis, testing, analysis and repeat as needed. That's an engaged approach that is looked for in education, however it isn't the games themselves that generate the motivation and approach.

Through experiences we see potential, we create dreams/goals and then we hope to reach them. The more effective the action is perceived to be in reaching the dreams/goals, the more hope the person has that it will work. That hope motivates the person to go through the hardships to reach their dreams and goals.

So, first a person needs the experiences that open up the potentials of their life to the person. That gives them things to dream about doing and becoming. Goals are born of the dreams and hope is born of the perceived possibility to reach those goals and dreams."

There's the motivation, "hope motivates the person to go through the hardships to reach their dreams and goals". Give a person hope to attain their dreams and aspirations and suddenly their willing to go through hardship to get there.


In another thread there was a discussion about what serious games are, since people didn't seem to be agreeing. Before a certain video was shared with the group the defining point of a serious game was intent, after it was shared the defining point was agreed to be serious application. In essence, any game that could be used in a serious application became a serious game in that application.

The Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rN0qRKjfX3s



Suddenly there were two elements that the group decided were at play, the game and the context. However, both had been in use for a while now, not very well most of the time, but they are used. They didn't answer the big questions for me.

Here's what I wrote in response to the pre-video discussion about the intent being the deciding factor.

"I believe the serious vs entertainment comparison is counterproductive. A serious game can be an entertainment game as well as a an entertainment game can be a serious game. It's like saying something is either tall or wide. First, it depends on the direction you turn it. Second it depends on comparison and scale. To be honest, I don't like the term "serious game" because it doesn't easily map to the real meaning, a game with a serious application. Any game that can be used for a serious application is a serious game in that application to me.

Fact is that game design is user experience design and communication, and that means all you are able to do is give the opportunity. It's the user's way of using what you designed that determines how serious the game is to me."

Games are activities, mental or physical, with rules and goals where the player takes on a role in an agreed upon fictional setting and state of play. Within that setting the person may be a paddle, a fighter, hero, villain, monster or anything else, including themselves. That's the identity they take on, the role they play, in that pretend scenario.

Earlier this year I countered Stephen Downes on the topic of Educational Games. In it I mentioned a video of James Gee, but I would like to add to that two more videos I've come across. The first is "The Urgency of Open Education" by Brian Lamb. The second is Dave Egger's TED talk "Once Upon a School".

See, when you go through those videos you can see the motivational hope to reach goals through participation. Games are by their nature interactive with goals to be attained with a possible promise of being entertained, engaged or something else. The player is immersed into an environment designed to teach the player how to succeed in the game, to make it more enjoyable to play. They have to teach well to prevent the player from deciding not to play, due to frustration.

The games and context require something from the player to really work, participation, as I noted in the forum discussions. "Context influences the perception of the game experience the user has, but does not determine it. Those using games for serious applications should design the context to support the serious application. The rest is up the the user's motivation and approach. While I agree the context is important, I say that because it is part of the game experience, just like elements of the game. If somebody isn't open to the serious application of the game, that's pretty much it."

So, where is the root motivation, the approach? Well, that's where I come back to the original forum post I made about Motivation and approach, "From that logic I see a need to help people see potential and that it IS possible to attain." We need to encourage people to dream and show them that it is possible to make those dreams come true. If they don't have dreams or goals, why would they care enough to put out effort? If they have dreams and goals that are very basic, why would they work really hard to excel? If they have dreams and goals that they don't believe can become their reality, why would they really apply themselves?

Be real. Go big, or go home. Live your dream. When there is no fantasy in the mind there is no fantasy in the life. My life is like a cartoon show because I live it like that. Nature, dreams, friends, games, fun, wonder, learning, improving ... When people tell me that what I'm about to do is impossible, I respond with, "Just watch." That's because if I do it while they are watching, they can see that it IS possible. Since I didn't tell myself it was impossible, I stood a chance of doing it if it is possible. I dream and live, because I want to DO.

Imagination and dreams are what propel us into the unknown waiting for us to reach for it. At this point I ask you to watch another TED talk, because it sums up several cultural issues to be faced to motivate people to learn.

http://www.ted.com/talks/ken_robinson_says_schools_kill_creativity.html



We need to stop limiting the creativity of others with our fears. Parents can't protect their children from everything, nor should they. I mean that very seriously, and not just for parents. As a toddler I bit my Mother, once. I only did it once because she thought it was a Texan giant bug of some sort and tried to smack it full force. Since there was no bug there, I was smacked instead. Pain is just pain, not damage. Failure isn't the problem, it's the results that can come from failure. Because she smacked me, I learned and didn't bite as a child, at all.

When we are wiling to take a little pain here and there with some failures along the way, we become open to exploring ideas, like when we play. When playing, which is the state that games are supposed to induce, we do not mind a little pain, boredom, failure and we let go of the tight laced straitjacket of conformist tradition. Why, because it's play, not serious. This is where the term "serious games" goes completely wrong. It still needs to be play, meaningful learning play. Yes, that's another TED talk. Watch it and you'll understand why it's there and what I meant just now.

http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/stuart_brown_says_play_is_more_than_fun_it_s_vital.html



A play, is where people present role playing of a scene to the audience, and we call it art. It's not just art, it's make believe, pretend. It is encouraging people to think beyond their current lives and consider other possibilities that exist, showing them things that can be done. It's also entertainment.

This all comes together with an understanding of learning that says experience and knowledge together, not apart, enable learning. Work done to learn is a part of play. Play is a part of the motivation for doing some things, but even that does have a motivation sequence that matches what I have described. Seeing the enjoyment of those playing, one is likely to long to share such experiences. That's the exposure through experience creating dreams and goals. Since it is easy to participate and reach the goal, there is the hope to motivate the person to play.

This play motivation is the basis to really getting people motivated to do anything. If people refuse to play, it's nearly impossible to motivate them to do anything, because they have to at least be willing to entertain, play with, a thought to be motivated concerning that thought. People who open mindedly use logic play with it.

Have fun, spread the word and tell me what you think,
Igen Oukan
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The Mystery of Motivation in Games

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Opt In Effort Design

If a person holds self back, they will not fully experience a situation. This is where the adage "You get out of it what you put into it." When living by fear you hold back on the chance that the experience is bad and so you don't want to fully experience it. However this means you will get little benefit out of anything.

Whether I am designing a game or learning situation I still count it as user experience design, and so it seems logical to design an opt in part.

What's This About?

It's not about the possible misuse.
It's not about the actions or results.

It's about practice and experience.
It's about learning and growth.

If you want people to do, then you should train them by having them do. There is plenty of things that are done in schools, but the real world doing is reserved for those who have proved themselves in some way. This doesn't make sense as a general teaching approach. You don't learn while memorizing. They are two totally different actions.

Where's the fun?

Depends on the fun you are talking about, but I think fun generally comes from DOing something. Maybe that's just me. By taking on new identities and not just memorizing what other people have done you can have a more full learning experience, but it takes more than a little opt in to get there.

Learning and understanding require knowledge and dedication of self. Many things are not fun without a decent amount of personal dedication, and the knowledge needed to DO.

It's like stepping up to the plate. Sure, you swing and miss only to swing and miss again, but then comes the time where after trying and observing you learn and understand. Stepping up to the plate you pick up the bat with confidense and determination. The results don't matter, because the effort is all that's on your mind. Without reservation you swing the bat. Even missing the first two times means nothing, except that you will have to swing a third time. This is the time where trying and testing really count, because it has meaning to you. If you miss the third time, it would be disappointing, but to hit the ball out of the park is the point.

Who's helping out?

Those charged with helping people learn need to look for those stepping up to the plate and use their feedback appropriately. Positive and negative feedback can be used to not only help people reach this point, but also to make the most of these times.

Sure, it's not easy, but it's worth the effort. Getting to know all those students and learning about each of them enough to build a quality relationship. Then cultivating their creativity, showing that they matter and getting them to continue to try all take effort. Sometimes though, it's as easy as stepping out of the way and watching the student shine. Knowing when to give an opportunity, to push them harder and/or step out of the way is as much a part of this as helping students get to that point. In fact it may be more important as being able to identify success makes it easier to see what contributes to it.

Where to now?

A classic saying that encapsulates the reasons for opt-in design is, "Fake it till you make it." Another is, "Practice makes perfect." The first is geared more towards the motivation side of things and the second is more inline with results.

One of the pieces of advice I've heard several times about getting a job is to already being doing the work. The motivation for learning is usually to accomplish some goal. Trying, failing, improving and trying again shows the improvement, or lack there-of. This gives a way to judge training effectiveness. Think about the two phrases and how experience mixes with knowledge to become learning.

Have fun, spread the word and tell me what you think,
Igen Oukan
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Opt In Effort Design

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This is Serious Game Design!

Take it how you like; high quality game design or designing what's known as serious games. The truth is that it's both. I'll admit to being blinded by the math and science game designs that have come far more easily to mind than this kind of game design, but I know when I find quality work. It makes me want to design. Take a look for yourself at this blog post about Brenda's deep game design. That's something that doesn't just educate, it helps you learn and understand.

These are the kinds of things I look for as an artist. Yes, this is being written as an artist, not an educator, designer or anything else. Just reading about her designs and their results brings back the itch to create. I listen to the group Celtic Woman and I want to play music, sing songs and write poetry. It brings back the desire to learn, grow, push myself and most of all to create something worth the effort of creating and consuming repeatedly.

There is an art to game design and teaching that is easily lost even to the masters if they're not careful. Facts are not enough. Even video isn't enough. Let people live the history, the wonder. Yes there are topics like math and science that seem fairly cut and dry, but why not link that knowledge and those skills into the social and historical situations?

The inspiration for Brenda's design direction was teacher her daughter about the slave trade. The numbers from the school lessons distanced the tragedy from the here and now. "So she did what any game designer worth her salt would do: She made a game out of it." - http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/conferences/tgc_2009/6021-TGC-2009-How-a-Board-Game-Can-Make-You-Cry

'Brathwaite assembled a collection of tiny wooden figures, then had her daughter group them into "families." After her daughter was finished, she picked them up by the handful and placed them on a makeshift boat. Her daughter was confused: Why would she take the parents but leave the baby? Why wouldn't brothers stay with their sisters? "No one wants to go," Brathwaite explained. That's when it started to click.

Then Brathwaite devised a primitive resource management mechanic. It took 10 turns for the boat to cross the Atlantic. The boat had 30 units of food. Each turn, the player had to roll a d6, and reduce their food stores by that number. By the trip's halfway point, it was clear to her daughter that her "cargo" wouldn't make it. It wasn't a "fun" game by any means, but it served a different purpose: It helped her daughter intuitively understand the emotional experience of the slave trade, a lesson that numbers on a chalkboard couldn't provide.

At that point, Brathwaite was hooked.' - http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/conferences/tgc_2009/6021-TGC-2009-How-a-Board-Game-Can-Make-You-Cry

For years I've heard people saying why video games are so bad for society. I'll grant that constantly repeating violent behaviors in a way that encourages mindless slaughter is going to desensitize people. After all, look at the news and television. Their content keeps getting worse and worse, like the video games that are following suit, but that's not all video games.

Sometimes we need to be shown atrocities. We need to know they exist. When good becomes commonplace without bad, good looses its meaning. If you don't know its bad, you aren't likely to fix it. If we aren't shown the humanity of those around us, their needs, desires, faults and contributions, it becomes easy to dehumanize them in our minds. Just because somebody is different doesn't mean you are better than they are or that they are a lower form of life.

We also need to be shown hope. How about a follow-up game for the slave trade that covers the Underground Railroad? National Geographic has tried their hands at an Underground Railroad interactive experience. There is a path that leads out of such pits of despair, but usually you have to dig it yourself. That's the truth we need to share, and the fact that it can be done by those with little or nothing to start with except dedication. How about a Sims game that deals with raising public awareness of problems and community organizing?

With a couple simple mechanics Brenda brought the history to life for her daughter, and it's possible to duplicate it. One of the most repeated questions about school topics is when that knowledge will be useful in life, so why not use interactive models to shown them. In military campaigns there are a lot of logistics to be dealt with. I've seriously heard of people having trouble counting change while running a cash register. Make the problem real and interactive. Don't just tell students how it might be useful, show them.

Have fun, spread the word and tell me what you think,
Igen Oukan
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This is Serious Game Design!

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