I had the opportunity to attend and participate in the Global Game Jam. I had a wonderful time, and if you didn’t have the chance to join in this year, I highly recommend checking it out next year.
I mention the Global Game Jam because it relates to the topic of this post, rapid prototyping. At the Jam, we had 48 hours to come up with a game idea and develop a working prototype.
If you are trying to pitch an educational game for your organization, what better way to make your presentation than with a playable demo? With rapid prototyping, you don’t need to have a finished, polished product (in fact, you probably won’t), but you can still give potential funders and backers a first-hand look at what your game idea can offer.
Today I’d like to share some thoughts and guidelines for rapid prototyping.
Use Familiar Tools
If you have a tight deadline, this is not the time to be trying to learn a brand new, unfamiliar development tool. You will need to consider your tool set when you’re working on your game idea. Do you want to create an RPG, but your development environment is geared towards first-person shooters? If you’re not proficient enough to make the necessary adjustments in that tool, you will either want to look at a different tool that you know well, find someone who has the skillset you need, or consider whether, given your tools and your collective knowledge pool, your game idea is something that can feasibly be done within the deadline.
Choose a Balanced Development Team
Just like with a fully-developed game, you are still going to need art, sounds, music, and other assets in addition to the game programming itself. You need to make sure you have teammates that can cover all of the necessary ground. This consideration gains special importance with rapid prototyping, because the tight deadline means that a lot of the work will need to be done in parallel. Even if you’re a “one-person wrecking crew” who can program, create music, write scripts, and animate 3D models to perfection, you won’t have time to do it all by yourself.
Have a Game Plan
Just because you don’t have time for a detailed, gargantuan game design document doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t have some kind of planning documentation before you start programming. You still need to plan ahead, write down your game specs, decide what needs to happen, what you need to develop, and how you will implement it. You can put together basic design document for a simple game in a few hours. Remember, regardless of development time, sitting down and coding without some kind of plan will result in spaghetti code and much frustration, only with rapid prototyping you won’t have as much time to fix the mess.
Get Something on the Screen As Soon As Possible
While planning is essential, all the planning in the world won’t save your demo if at the end of the deadline, all you have is documentation and code, but nothing on the screen. Remember, the whole point of a rapidly prototyped demo is to have something playable to show off. You can’t even really test your ideas during development if you can’t play the game. Sometimes the biggest initial step is just to get a player walking around on the screen. From there, you can build out the rest of your ideas.
Know When to Make Adjustments
With rapid prototyping, you don’t have a lot of time to waste, so it’s important to recognize when an idea or feature just will not be worth pursuing. Don’t get so attached to an idea that you’re reluctant to drop it and backtrack a bit if it’s that the ROI is not worth it. Know when to cut your losses with an idea that isn’t going anywhere. I realize that this step can be a blow to the ego, but in the long run you’ll save lots of wasted time, code, and effort, not to mention you’ll have a better end result. If you still think the idea has potential, file it away for another day, another game, when you’ll have time to make adjustments and polish it into something better.
These are just a few thoughts to keep in mind. If you have any additional thoughts and suggestions, please feel free to share them in the comments.
Once you have an idea for a game, you’re going to need funding and support to make the idea into a finished product. How do you gain this necessary backing? There are several ways to accomplish this goal. I’d like to discuss two key components of this process: the game pitch and rapid prototyping. Let’s start in this post with the game pitch document.
What exactly is a game pitch document? It is a short document that explains the basics of the game, what the game is about, and why it should be created and published. As the name suggests, in the document you are “pitching” the idea to someone, be it a publisher, your boss, or whoever can give you the support you need.
Length
An important consideration to remember is that the pitch document should be concise and to the point. The person/people to whom you are presenting your idea probably have a lot of other business to handle, so you want to get across your most important points without losing your audience. Pitch documents are usually about one page or so in length. Once the pitch is approved, you’ll get much more lengthy and detailed in the game design document.
Key Features and Information
Here’s some important points to cover in your pitch document.
Game title: Keep in mind that this may change, so consider it a “working title.”
Genre: Is it a puzzle game, an RPG, an action/adventure game, a platformer?
Learning objectives: For commercial entertainment games, this information is obviously not applicable in most cases, but for our purposes, the proposed game has important learning goals for the player. List those, and you also will want to mention any applicable instructional strategies. How will you present these objectives to the player, and how will you be evaluating his progress?
Target audience: Target audience will affect the presentation and gameplay. Relevant information can include the target age group, demographic information, player location information (are they playing this game in a well-equipped classroom, or are your learners soldiers in a military location in Iraq?).
Platform: This will include technical information such as the proposed game platform (console, PC, mobile device, etc), minimum technical specifications, distribution media (CD, internet download, cartridge, etc).
Hook/tagline: Look on the back of any video game packaging or on the page of a video game advertisement. Usually there’s a one to two line “tagline” that draws in the potential player.
Gameplay: Give a brief overview of the game mechanics and gameplay.
Cost: If you need approval from someone to create this game, funding is going to be important.
Team: How many people will be needed to create this game, and in what capacities? Do you have an idea for specific people who will be on the team?
Timeline: About how long will be needed to create and roll out this game?
These are some of the details to include in your pitch document. There is not one standard template that everyone uses, but these details are pretty standard across the board. I will be posting example pitch documents as well.
One topic I will be discussing in the very near future is rapid protoyping for games and simulations. In the meantime, there’s an event coming up this weekend called Global Game Jam. Participants work in teams to design and rapidly prototype games. You don’t have to be a programmer, because every team needs someone to work on art, design, and other aspects.
If you have some time this Friday, Saturday, and Sunday I encourage you to check it out.
Andy Petroski is a co-coordinator of LEEF and Director and Assistant Professor of Learning Technologies at Harrisburg University.
When I was designing and developing my first games for learning in 2000, the framework of most serious games was fairly well established . . . “An interactive activity to reinforce rote learning; built in Flash.” Fast forward a decade-plus and the options and opportunities in games for learning have exploded. The strategies for creating and using serious games has advanced. No longer confined to rote learning at the end of a tutorial or even to the desktop, serious games come in all shapes and sizes. While the desktop is still a primary delivery method, today’s experiences can be much more immersive. And, there are some new and evolving ways to design, deliver and experience games for learning.
Alternate Reality Games (ARGs)
Alternate Reality Gaming is difficult to explain. I found this out first-hand when we were recently proposing an ARG for a regional educational technology conference. I think after seven (7) article references and three (3) meetings we were able to communicate the vision. Well, we got the project anyway.
The simplest definition of ARGs that I’ve seen is by Brooke Thompson; “Alternate Reality Gaming (ARG) is an experience that encourages players to interact with a fictional world using the real world to do it.” The Wikipedia article also provides a good introduction to ARGs.
Essentially ARGs are an electronic scavenger hunt, built around a storyline, with some clues in the real-world and some in the virtual world (email, tweets, etc.). ARGs are big at conferences (including an ARG at the LEEF event in June) as a way to create community and activity in between sessions. ARGs for learning are also proving useful for orientations and team building.
I believe Alternate Reality Games are so difficult to explain, because they’re a “mish-mash” of activities and ideas that can’t necessarily be related to anything else (e.g “it’s like [blank]). And, you can’t capture a screen or give someone access to a demo to “show” the game either. You’ve really got to experience an ARG to understand ARGs. Two shout-outs for ARG experiences:
Thanks to the good people at Tandem Learning for a great ARG experience (Dr. Strangelearn’s Laboratory) at DevLearn in November. The game inspired me to watch the movie – Dr. Strangelove. I liked the game more than the movie!
Augmented Reality Games (ARG)
Yes, another ARG. This time it’s Augmented Reality Games, not Alternate Reality Games. Nothing like a dual purpose acronym to make things more confusing! And, to make things even clearer, Augmented Reality is also a combination of the real world and the virtual world. This one’s a little easier to explain however. If you’ve ever watched NFL (or college) football, the yellow first down indicator is an example of augmented reality. It’s a digital image that’s layered over the real-world to enhance the experience. From a Ryan Kim article in the San Francisco Chronicle, “Augmented reality involves the layering of digital objects over a camera view of the world, allowing users to interact with an environment transformed by virtual items.”
Right now, augmented reality is getting a lot of visibility from the entertainment sector as a number of the handheld gaming devices (i.e. Nintendo DS) are integrating augmented reality capabilities. But, there are applications happening in learning as well. Medical training, manufacturing training and device repair are three areas where augmented reality is having an impact. Check out this video that demonstrates augmented reality for maintenance repair. This example is more of an Electronic Performance Support System (EPSS), but game play elements could certainly be integrated.
Experience examples of cutting-edge technology like augmented reality in the high tech demo area at LEEF 2011.
Quick Response (QR) Codes
From Educause, “QR codes are two-dimensional bar codes that can contain any alphanumeric text and often feature URLs that direct users to sites where they can learn about an object or place.” Check one out at http://2d-code.co.uk/bbc-logo-in-qr-code/. QR codes are primarily used to enhance a physical experience by providing access to digital content. They can be part of print piece (magazine or newspaper), projected onto a screen or even displayed on clothing. There are a number of QR Code generators available for generating your own codes (http://qrcode.kaywa.com/, http://zxing.appspot.com/generator/, http://delivr.com/qr-code-generator . . . and many more). A smartphone camera, along with a QR decoder is all the end user needs to gain access to the hidden information in the QR Code. A smartphone camera isn’t the only environment where QR codes are used. QR decoding in the browser, on the desktop, is also available, but the QR Code activity started with mobile devices and is where the most use is occurring.
QR codes can be a way of distributing clues in an alternate reality game or a QR code might be utilized to launch a person into an augmented reality experience. In addition, a QR code might be used in a variety of learning environments to provide more detailed information, at the learner’s request. User manuals, location orientation and device operation are just some of the ways in which QR codes could be used for learning. Check out some additional ideas on the Instructional Design Fusions blog.
Social Games
The social game genre primarily brings us back to the confined desktop (or mobile device) for gaming, but in a much different environment than asynchronous gaming experiences. And, while alternate reality games could be considered social games, they don’t necessarily depend on others for game play.
Social gaming has accelerated with the use of social networks, primarily Facebook. If you don’t play any social games, but are on Facebook, you’ve probably received notifications from friends playing Farmville or Mafia Wars. Nick O’Neil identifies five (5) elements of social games in his Social Times article. Social games by their nature (1) include multiple players (2 to 2,000+), are (2) turn-based, (3) include awareness of other players’ actions in the game, are (4) casually played (intermittently) and are (5) based on social platforms. Check out Inside Social Games for the best Facebook games of 2010.
While the use of social games for learning in education and business are just beginning to develop, the social game approach has potential for impact in knowledge building, skill development and attitude change. Social games have been used for orientations and learning about the rainforest. Ayogo Games has recently launched HealthSeeker™ for Facebook, with the goal of helping adults with specific lifestyle and nutritional challenges make more informed lifestyle decisions.
Mind Games
We’ve all been playing mind games since we were two years old, and some still do more than they should. But, this type of mind game is a little different. And, unlike the other game experiences described previously in this post, mind games have more to do with the input device than the game principles or game play, at this point. Companies like Neurosky and Emotiv have developed brainwave sensory input devices that can be used for controlling computer applications and games with your brainwaves. Games specifically for brainwave sensory input have also been created, like Cortex Arcade and MindFlex.
Education and corporate training is not being impacted by brainwave sensory input yet. But, businesses are using the technology for research and there are entertainment games available. It won’t be too long before you’re completing a course in negotiation or effective communication and your sensory input (concentration and emotion) are part of the training experience.
Experience examples of cutting-edge technology like brainwave sensory input in the high tech demo area at LEEF 2011.
Gamification
The application of game mechanics to everyday business, commerce and communication has been termed “Gamification.” According to Gamification.org “Gamification is the concept that you can apply the basic elements that make games fun and engaging to things that typically aren’t considered a game.” Why would you want to do that? Well, good games are engaging, interactive, immersive, collaborative and challenging; most activities in everyday life are not. Gamification is an opportunity to enhance normally mundane experiences for increased motivation and increased performance.
Frequent flier programs are an example of Gamification and a more recent phenomenon, badges in FourSquare is another. Companies like Seriosity, Gamify and Natron Baxter Applied Gaming are bringing Gamification to the business with immersive onboarding, gamified applications and gamified business operations. In his “Gamification Explained at GoogleTechTalks” post Karl Kapp points to a video from Gabe Zichermann on the changing rules of engagement to begin the discussion on how Gamification might become a bigger part of learning solutions in the future. Check it out and think about how game mechanics in education and training might help increase motivation and performance.
Nathan Verrill, Co-Founder of Natron Baxter Applied Gaming will be the opening day keynote at LEEF 2011.
Attend LEEF on June 16-17, 2011 to experience Nathan’s session on “Fun is Not the Enemy of Work.”Also learn more about all of the opportunities in games, simulations and virtual worlds for learning and see examples of many of the new game types highlighted in this post at LEEF 2011.
Join us at the Learning and Entertainment Evolution Forum on June 16-17 to explore the changing nature of games, simulations and virtual worlds. LEEF is an interactive professional development event that explores the use of games, simulations and virtual worlds for learning. Go to www.goleef.comto learn more about the event!
For the concluding post in this series, the topic is adult learning and intrinsic motivation. This concept means that adult students learn most effectively when motivated by internal, rather than external factors. Unlike younger learners, adults generally are not mandated to attend school or seek further education. Even if the education is part of a job or career, in general it is still a career choice that the adult learner makes.
We learn more effectively when the education has some sort of applicable value to us, when the learning is meaningful. The experience is even more valuable if we actually enjoy the learning process. Games and virtual worlds can help make education more meaningful and fun.
Games and virtual worlds make learning meaningful when students can see the results of their actions. Players are applying their knowledge, so it’s not just learning for the sake of knowing, but putting the learning to use. The feeling of immersion in a game or virtual world can lead the player to a sense of inclusiveness and empowerment, because the player’s actions matter in the game world. The amount of control that the player has in the game world is also correlated with her sense of value. If the player’s actions have little to no bearing on the game’s outcomes, then the sense of meaning is lost.
Most of us think that games are fun by definition (or that they should be, at least). When we create educational games, we want to ensure that the students will actually want to play them. If a game is boring, too frustrating, or simply a rehash of traditional rote-memorization and lackluster drills, then we have lost one of the main advantages of using games. On the other hand, if we can create games that engage the learner, that makes him want to play it even during free time, the learner now has an intrinsic motivation to interact with and learn the material. We can take the idea a step further and suppose that the learner will even be more motivated to engage in traditional methods in order to perform better in the game. After all, would most people want to sit down and read an instruction manual for a game, if they didn’t need to? If you have ever bought or received a video game, was your first instinct to sit down and read the instruction manual in its entirety, or to just start playing the game? I personally enjoy reading the manuals, but even still, I mostly enjoy it because I’m anticipating playing the game itself, or learning about the game world.
The principle of application of knowledge is closely related to the concept of changing societal roles, which I mentioned in my previous blog post. The knowledge and skills that adult students learn must be relevant and applicable to the challenges they face in real life. Task-oriented instruction, rather than rote memorization, helps to create a curriculum that allows learners to apply what they have learned. Even in cases where memorizing key facts is necessary (for example, when you learn how to drive, you still need to remember basic rules of the road), adult learners generally want to know why the key facts are necessary and relevant.
New knowledge should also be integrated with existing skills. I mentioned this concept in my last post. In video games and simulations, the player does not learn all the necessary skills at one time. Rather, games progressively introduce new skills and tools, allowing the player to evolve and solve new challenges by synthesizing new skills with previous mastery.
In games, a new skill’s relevance is often immediately apparent through feedback and interaction with the game environment. Returning to our previous example about the Legend of Zelda games, when the player explores a new dungeon or area, he is almost immediately faced with a challenge that cannot be overcome via his current toolset. However, no need to despair, as the necessary solution is waiting in a nearby treasure chest. The new item is presented in such a way that its relevance of the new item is immediately apparent. Very rarely do you as a player get an item in the game that is not useful at the moment. However, there are usually challenges in the game that cannot be cleared until later during gameplay, so once the player has gained and mastered a new item or skill, she can go back and use her new-found prowess to solve old problems.
Another interesting example of application of knowledge in video games are the “tycoon” type of games, such as Lemonade Tycoon. These are games in which the goal is for the player to successfully set up and run some type of business (like lemonade stands in the aforementioned Lemonade Tycoon games). The games may present new knowledge in a tutorial type of presentation, but more often the player learns from trial and error or applies knowledge that was first taught in a traditional format. These type of games would be a good supplement in a traditional business and economics class, where the instructor first presents key concepts and allows them to practice applying the principles in a game or simulation.
One of the principles of andragogy is that adult learners need education that can help prepare them for changing societal roles, which can include new jobs and additional responsibilities at work. Adult educational must provide learners with fast, efficient and effective task readiness to take on new roles.
Games and virtual worlds inherently allow players to take on different roles to achieve tasks. These roles can be cumulative or more specialized. An example of cumulative roles would be a game in which the player acquires a new ability in each level or quest. Look at games in the Legend of Zelda games. You start out as a character with usually nothing more than a wooden sword and small shield. As you tackle each new dungeon, you encounter a series of puzzles and opponents that you cannot conquer with your current toolset. You have to explore the dungeon to find a new item or ability. The challenges throughout the dungeon are practice opportunities to help you learn how to use your newfound tool, and the dungeon’s boss requires that you master and apply your new knowledge. All of these new tools create a more powerful character with a synthesis of abilities.
In some games, rather than mastering a more diverse range of skills, you are asked to pick a more specialized role. In older role-playing games (RPGs), for example, you start the game by assigning your characters to different “classes” such as mage, ninja, paladin, and other options. Each class has a different set of skills, and there are tradeoffs and benefits to each. In some games, you cannot change your characters’ classes once the game starts, but there are other games that allow you to switch during the game so that you can tailor your party’s skills to the game’s challenges.
While many of the games I mentioned are commercial entertainment games, there are many examples of training games that take advantages of roles in games. For example, military simulators are a primary example of using games to train learners in different roles. The game America’s Army was designed to help with recruitment, but it is also used for training purposes. The game allows players to choose different roles, each with a different skill set and important function to play in order to complete the missions.
Tom Chatfield discusses methods for transforming the levels of engagement in testing and training in this inspiring TED video.
About the talk
We’re bringing gameplay into more aspects of our lives, spending countless hours — and real money — exploring virtual worlds for imaginary treasures. Why? As Tom Chatfield shows, games are perfectly tuned to dole out rewards that engage the brain and keep us questing for more.
In Malcolm Knowles’ theory of andragogy, one of his assumptions about the characteristics of adult learners was that adults have a wealth of experience that serves as a resource for learning. Familiarity often leads to knowledge and at least some degree of understanding. Even previous basic exposure to a subject can increase a learner’s comfort level and build the foundation for deeper learning. To use an example from everyday life, if I’m trying to find an unfamiliar location in my hometown, I might not know the neighborhood, but I have a vast framework in my mind about how the city is laid out, possible nearby locations, and so on. Finding a location in a city that’s completely foreign to me would not be as easy.
Perhaps more importantly, in addition to providing a repository of basic facts and concepts, experience can help us identify how we learn. Think about a child starting school for the first time. His study skills are generally going to be underdeveloped, compared to a college student. Of course! The college student has spent years figuring out and refining how to balance a schedule, how to take notes, how to review, how to be an active listener. Even the transition from high school to college requires a new set of learning techniques, but high school students generally have a foundation that they can adjust and build upon (at least, one would hope).
However, sometimes experience can be a hindrance, if we as learners are too tightly bound to it and not willing or able to look at things from a different perspective. The experience of failure is an example with which most of us are familiar. We fail at something, and because we do not want to repeat that unpleasant experience, we close ourselves off from trying again. We might have been close to the right solution, but we don’t focus on making the minor necessary changes for success. Also, if we have been successful with an experience in the past, we might get stuck in what worked previously, rather than changing and learning new approaches when the situation changes.
Games and simulations provide us with a safe environment to gain experience. Are you a medical student who has never touched a scalpel before in real life? Rather than risking lives or limited resources, you’ll probably practice first on a simulator. You can reset the simulator as many times as you require, with no life-or-death consequences.
One of the great attributes that gamers have, is that when they’re playing games, there seems to be a remarkably lower fear of failure than in real life. Of course, because if I lose at a level of Super Mario Brothers, sure, it may be frustrating to have to go back and retrace my steps, but there’s no major repercussions. I can almost immediately take what I learned from my failure and correct myself, so that next time I win, or at least get closer to it. It’s safe for me to try a different approach. It’s the best benefits of experience, without the negative feelings associated with a “bad” experience.
Interestingly, if the game has some sort of save feature, you might be more hesitant as a gamer to make mistakes, because you might not be able to undo them! If I’m halfway through a role-playing game, and I save before I realized I have irretrievably missed out on a quest or item, I’m more likely to be kicking myself for the rest of the game. So, in educational games and simulations, we need to make sure that our design makes the learner comfortable with being able to make mistakes and learn from them.
Simulation as a learning strategy has been employed for many years in various forms (from flight simulators to live first response simulations to business simulations), and games are quickly gaining ground as legitimate learning experiences. It is critical that we as learning designers understand how long-standing theories and principles of adult learning support these strategies so that 1) we are employing appropriate design techniques that will help us create a more effective experience, and 2) we can justify the use of these strategies in organizations where stakeholders may not understand the value of games and simulations. In this post, I’ll outline a few of the theories that justify games and simulations as learning strategies.
Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi’s Flow Theory
Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi is not a learning theorist, but a psychologist. His work in Flow Theory has been applied to many disciplines, including sports, religion, music, computer programming, and business. The concept of flow is also directly applicable to the design of instruction, particularly in games and simulations. In short, flow is the state of mind/being in which one is completely immersed in the task at hand. (I have elaborated on this theory here, and see Csikszentmihalyi’s talk on TED for more.)
There are many elements of games and simulations that, when designed effectively, can help our learners achieve a state of flow: rich back stories and characters, compelling plotlines, and that delicate balance between something that is difficult, yet still achievable.
Gagne’s Nine Events of Instruction and Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences
According to Gagne, there are nine events that need to be present in order for learning to occur. While a very sequential, prescribed strategy (and I believe some liberties can be taken when designing games and simulations), in general, each of the events can be met in games and simulations.
This paper by Katrin Becker draws parallels from the Nine Events, as well as Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences to the design of games.
Rieber and Play Theory
In his writings on Play Theory, Lloyd Rieber presents compelling evidence of the validity of games as a learning strategy. He also cites the work of Piaget, Papert, and other leading theorists in his papers: Seriously Considering Play and The Value of Serious Play.
Reigeluth’s Elaboration Theory
Elaboration Theory as defined by Charles Reigeluth is very similar to the way leveling works in games. The strategy behind Elaboration Theory is to start instruction with a broad concept, then add on to the complexity of the concept gradually. Many games follow this same approach, requiring players to complete an introductory level, where they are guided through basic mechanics. Each subsequent level adds a new element (eg, new tools, new locations, new powers), until the full complexity of the game is made available to the player.
These parallels are not a stretch just to make a point; there seems to be a very natural alignment of many long-standing and respected learning design tenets, theories, principles, and practices to games and simulations. While there are many adult learning theories, practices, and principles that support the use of games and simulations for learning, these are a few that I believe offer the strongest validation. If you’re not familiar with these (or just haven’t checked them out in a while), they are well worth some quality reading time. They might provide some needed inspiration for your designs, and can serve as valid justification when implementing games and simulations in your organization.
