Power up!
Game-based
learning design
www.brightwave.co.uk
Contents
Foreword 2
Exploring virtual environments 12
Why use game-based learning?
3
Mobile games 15
Story, characters and goals
5
Take-a-break games 16
Virtual role-play 7
Conclusion 17
Avatars and reward systems 9
Acknowledgements and further reading 18
Leaderboards, competition and
team games 10
Games.
Almost by definition they are nothing to do with work,
right? But when it comes to learning, games can be
powerful medicine.
Foreword by Charles Gould, CEO at Brightwave
What are some of the most common
with irrelevant gimmickry. What it does
problems people have with e-learning
mean is using competition, problem-solving,
- or any type of training for that matter?
story-telling, socialising and exploration to
It’s boring. It’s not challenging. People
stimulate and enhance learning. Now that’s
lose interest quickly. Yet, it doesn’t have
not as easy as it might sound. Your
to be like that. There are lots of tools
media-savvy audience will spot a naff
and techniques we use when we design
attempt to sex up something dull a mile off.
e-learning to make it relevant and effective.
Games are definitely among them.
That doesn’t mean turning a serious subject
But, as this paper explores, in the right place
for the right reason, clever game design
can be a winner.
into one big game or peppering e-learning
2
2
Why use
gamebased
learning?
Alex Reeve, Blended Learning
Consultant at Brightwave
In recent years there has been an
explosion of interest in using video game
techniques (or ‘gamification’) to make nongame applications more fun and engaging.
Gaming strategies can now be seen in a
wide range of contexts including business
(gamified marketing campaigns and loyalty
programmes), health (the gamification of
fitness through programmes like Wii Fit
and Nike+), government (the application
of ‘nudge’ tactics and behavioural
economics) and the military (war games
and simulations).
3
So whether you enjoy playing games or not, it’s
Throughout the paper we’ll provide examples
important to understand how they’re shaping
of game-based learning that has made a
the world we live in.
positive, measurable impact. Some techniques
The concept of game-based learning is not
new. Effective teachers and instructors have
always understood the power of games to
motivate and inspire. From using chess to
develop strategic thinking; backgammon and
(such as immersive 3D virtual environments)
require substantial levels of investment,
while others can be produced quickly and
cost-effectively with just a little imagination,
planning and game-based thinking.
Monopoly for mental arithmetic; Scrabble for
If you’re interested in gamifying the
spelling and vocabulary; to sophisticated driving
provision of learning in your organisation,
and flight simulators - games make learning fun.
this white paper will give
The buzz word of the moment -
you some useful food for thought.
‘gamification’ - has simply reactivated
interest in how games can increase learner
engagement and influence behaviours.
In this white paper we’ll look at how
game-based techniques can energise
online learning programmes.
4
Fast
Facts
•
•
•
By 2014, more than 70% of Global 2000
•
Students recall just 10% of what they
organisations will have at least one
read and 20% of what they hear. If
‘gamified’ application (Gartner).
visuals accompany an oral presentation,
By 2015, more than 50% of organisations
retention rises to 30%.
that manage innovation processes will
But if they do the job themselves,
gamify those processes (Gartner).
even if only as a simulation, students
The average game player today is 37
years old, and 42% of game players are
can remember 90% (the Federation of
American Scientists, 2006).
women (The Entertainment Software
Association).
5
Story,
characters
and goals
Easy to understand and remember
In the same way that the novel defined
19th century culture, and cinema was the
dominant art form of the last century, video
Many online learning courses fail to
engage because they transmit too
much information in an uninvolving and
decontextualised way, i.e. screen after
screen of dense text, diagrams and bullet
points. So why not take a lesson from
game designers and reimagine your
training course using a compelling story?
As well as being more fun and engaging,
research shows that stories are much
easier to remember than text and bulleted
lists. Let’s take a look at some examples.
games are the most influential medium of
our time. And what do all three media tap
into? The human fascination with stories,
characters and goals.
6
The Sky Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) programme shown above is based on a fairy tale
quest narrative. Learners must overcome a series of challenges in order to gain magic crystals and
free the princess. Who said that compliance training had to be boring?!
Value your friends (developed for Belgian NGO ‘Iles de Paix’) is designed to raise awareness about the
plight of people living in impoverished regions around the world. The game allows players to make aid
allocation decisions and then see the human and environmental consequences of their choices.
7
Virtual
role-play
Practising skills in authentic situations
These were:
So does game-based learning actually
•
20% higher confidence levels
•
14% higher skill-based knowledge
•
11% higher factual knowledge levels
•
9% higher retention levels
work? Recent research evidence suggests
it can be highly effective.
In a major study, researchers at the
University of Colorado (Sitzmann T: “A
Meta-Analytic Examination Of The
Instructional Effectiveness Of
Computer-Based Simulation Games”,
Personnel Psychology 2011) found that
trainees who used simulation games
gained performance improvements over a
comparison group who were trained with
traditional forms of instruction.
The beauty of simulations and virtual roleplay activities is that they allow learners
to practise skills in situations that feel
authentic, without fear of failure or public
embarrassment if they get things wrong.
This means that learners can take risks
and see the consequences of their actions
quickly, thereby accelerating the learning
process and time-to-competence.
8
The Perfect Match is a video-based simulation which allows new starters at Sky to interact
with five fictional customers. Learners must select the right responses to customer questions to
complete these ‘virtual’ calls successfully.
Inside the Haiti Earthquake (produced by PTV Productions Inc.) is a first-person simulation based
on documentary footage from Haiti. It allows you to experience the earthquake as a survivor,
journalist or aid worker and features compelling content, high quality videos and branching
scenarios which make you an active participant in the story.
9
Avatars and
reward systems
In this section we’ll look at how game mechanics can be used to motivate learners to complete online
learning programmes and achieve high scores in assessments.
Avatars
Reward systems
Learners sometimes complain that online
Drop-out rates from online learning
learning courses can feel cold and impersonal
programmes are notoriously high, so simple
- they miss the presence of an instructor or
reward systems can be a great incentive to keep
buddy to support them through the instruction
going. When the learner completes a topic in
process. One way to overcome this problem
Financial Essentials, virtual money accrues in
is by using avatars or ‘learning agents’ to
the piggy bank at the top of the screen. To hit
personalise the experience. For example, in
the top score of £500/£500 the learner must
Co-op Financial Essentials a virtual guide leads
visit every screen. This game-based device not
you through each part of the programme, role
only shows progress in an interesting way but
models best practice, and provides instructive
also ties in nicely with the overall theme of the
feedback.
programme, which is about the importance of
financial planning and saving for the future.
10
Competition
and team
games
Game mechanics can help satisfy our
desire for achievement, recognition and
status.
For example, Leaderboards offer the
opportunity to celebrate success and
encourage friendly competition. And as a
further incentive, why not award prizes to
your top scoring learners or teams?
11
HEINEKEN Capability Academy is a blended learning solution which features the following
game-based strategies to equip new starters with core knowledge and skills:
•
A board game, which has over 700 questions on categories including product knowledge,
brand awareness and sales skills. This game is designed to encourage collaboration,
discussion and competition between regional sales teams.
•
An online quiz where players earn Leaderboard points by answering questions correctly.
12
•
A visually rich learning portal, which hosts a wealth of online learning resources, including the
online quiz and a Leaderboard with real-time player scores.
Sky Get Up To Speed is a pre-joiner learning portal which also features a Leaderboard. Learners
are rewarded with points for completing courses before their first day at work. This means they
are up to speed and more effective in their role from day one. An evaluation of the course showed
that staff were achieving customer-related targets one week earlier (a 25% acceleration in time to
target performance) and an 11% increase in sales conversions in week one for new starters.
13
Gamification techniques are increasingly visible in the latest generation of Learning Management
Systems where positive behaviours - like contributing to discussion forums, rating and reviewing
content, collaborating on projects, as well as working through courses and assessments - are
rewarded with points and badges.
By taking advantage of the social aspect of games which many players enjoy (see FarmVille, the
hugely successful Facebook game where players work together to build virtual farms), we can
develop team-building and cooperation skills that have practical applications in the workplace.
Total immersion
14
Exploring
virtual
environments
One of the great benefits of video games is
the ability to explore environments (e.g. war
zones, alien worlds, magical kingdoms) that
would be difficult, dangerous or impossible
to experience in real life. Immersive virtual
environments also have a number of
practical applications for work-based
learning, including orientation and
emergency skills training.
15
Lives at War is an online virtual reality learning resource (produced by Corporation Pop using
the Unity 3D game engine) which allows players to experience what it was like to live in Britain
during World War II. Aimed at KS3/4 pupils, this is a truly immersive learning experience which also
features fascinating archive footage and first-person oral histories.
Virtual environments can also be used to immerse learners in an organisation’s brand. HEINEKEN
Is Our World is an interactive and visually engaging programme demonstrating HEINEKEN’s vision
of a brand-led business. As well as providing a detailed understanding of the range of brands within
HEINEKEN, the course aims to help staff ‘live’ the HEINEKEN brand in and out of work. Moving through
different interactive worlds, the course shows examples of what living the brand means in practice.
16
In the Fire Safety game shown below, learners have just 20 seconds to follow the correct
procedures and escape the office safely. If they fail to take the right course of action, the results
can be explosive.
IKEA, The Missing Stock Mysteries begins with a customer who can’t find the item they’re
looking for. The learner takes the role of inspector and investigates the problem within a simulated
store, interrogating people and investigating evidence. Other scenarios follow, exploring different
aspects of stock loss and the implications for colleagues, customers and IKEA. Learners are given
clear guidance on how to recover lost items and prevent further losses.
17
Mobile
games
Learning on the move
70-80% of all mobile downloads are now
games and the mobile gaming industry
is predicted to reach $54 billion by 2015
(Digital Buzz). So if you really want to
engage learners, why not gamify your
m-learning applications?
The mobile quiz shown here tells a story,
Monday to Friday. Each day becomes
a ‘good day’ or a ‘bad day’ based on
questions that are answered correctly and
incorrectly. Learners are allocated ‘three
lives’ with a life lost for each wrong answer.
18
To increase engagement, a Leaderboard records top scores and learners are given the opportunity
to repeat the quiz as often as they like to earn bonus points.
Bupa’s pre-joiner portal also features a range of fun and informative games and quizzes which can
be played on tablets and smartphones, as shown here.
19
Take-abreak
games
Spaced Learning
Spaced Learning is a learning method
underpinned by neuro-scientific research,
which emphasises the importance of
repetition and short breaks at regular
intervals.
20
The basic structure of a Spaced Learning activity comprises:
•
Presentation of key facts
•
10-minute break
•
Learner recall of key facts
•
10-minute break
•
Learner application of key facts
During each break, it’s important that the learner completes a distractor activity which uses parts
of the brain that are not being used during the formal instruction. For example, take-a-break
games like Whack-A-Cone can be used to let off steam and stimulate different parts of the brain
during lengthy online learning courses.
Research shows that by scheduling distractor activities like this into the learning experience, the
chance of embedding information into long-term memory is greatly improved.
21
When used appropriately, game-based
techniques can greatly enhance online learning
techniques including:
•
Stories, characters and goals
challenge for L&D professionals is how to
•
Virtual role-play
commission effective game-based learning at a
•
Avatars
time when training budgets are under pressure.
•
Reward systems
While immersive 3D games and simulations
•
Leaderboards
often require significant levels of investment
•
Board games
•
Online quizzes
year-on-year, with technologies like Unity,
•
Mobile games
WebGL and the 4G mobile network making
•
Take-a-break games
courses and delight learners of all ages. The
and production time, the cost barriers for
game-based learning as a whole are falling
rich interactions possible on a wide range of
platforms.
The application of game-based strategies
promises to increase engagement, improve
And as we’ve shown in this white paper,
assessment scores and reduce drop-out rates.
corporate training interventions can be gamified
By thinking more like game designers, we can
very cost effectively using simple but effective
create more compelling learning experiences
that help support lasting behavioural change.
www.brightwave.co.uk
@BrightTweet
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