10 lessons learnt in the first ten years of the serious games movement
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Transcript of 10 lessons learnt in the first ten years of the serious games movement
10 LESSONS LEARNT IN THE FIRST TEN YEARS OF THE SERIOUS GAMES MOVEMENT.
Sports, Games and Learning Conference
Cologne, Germany
17th March 2011
Simon Egenfeldt-Nielsen
CEO Serious Games Interactive
MY BACKGROUND
• MA Psychology• PhD Games & learning• Mixing industry & research
Current Research projects: SIREN, PlayMancer & GaLa
Computer games• Global Conflicts-series• Playing History-series• +30 games for clients
THE COMPANY
Serious Games Interactive (SGI) was founded in 2006 in Copenhagen, Denmark. Today also offices in United Kingdom and Vietnam.
We develop serious games that contain an inseparable combination of “playing”, “learning” and “story-telling”.
We are a cross-disciplinary team of 25 people with strong roots in research.
We work with a range of different national and international partners including Amnesty, Kaplan, Unicef, WWF, The Danish National Museum, LEGO, ECHO, and European School Net.
AWARDS
Children’s Technology Review (US)- Editors Choice Award 2008.
Danish Game Awards (DK) – Game of the Year 2009 & 2010.
PC ZONE (UK) – Independent Game Award 2007.
Nordic Game (Scandinavia) – Best Nordic Game 2007 & 2008 nominee.
IndieCade (US)- Best Indie Game Nominee 2008 & 2009.
BETT Award (UK) – Secondary educational products 2010.
AGENDA
Section 1: What is it?
Section 2: What we know?
Section 3: Why it ain’t happening
EUR 15bn EUR 30bn
1990 2000
EUR 75bn
2010
GAME INDUSTRY GROWING FAST
We invest 3 Billion hours every week in playing
gamesEveryone…
Games are becoming mainstream – avg. gamer is 33 years old in US and UK.
Today games have become an universal language for playing, learning & communicating.
Today games are out-growing other popular media in importance.
Games are already forecasting the future of learning…
WHY CONSIDER GAMES?
Source: Mr. Toledano
Education & training
NewsPolitics
Museums
Military
Schools
Healthcare
Corporate training
Satirical
BEING USED IN MOST AREAS
Education & training
AGENDA
Section 1: What is it?
Section 2: What we know?
Section 3: Why it ain’t happening
LESSON #1: THERE ARE DIFFERENT USES
Games are a multi-dimensional beast
Including games to enrich existing curriculum
Making games about relevant curriculum
Using games directly to learn curriculum
LESSON #2: MANY TEACHERS USE IT
Several studies indicate around 60% teachers
Very few teachers are dismissing it
Adaptation varies with countries
Almost all use curriculum games
Favourites are still training (math & spelling)
Use is almost exclusively in early school years
LESSON #3: NEED TO KEEP LEARNING
Challenge player to use knowledge actively
Make learning contents explicit
Make integration between learning & playing
Focus on learning for both verbs & substantives
Debriefing is a pre-requisite for effect
LESSON #4: MUST KEEP ENGAGEMENT
Real consequences in the game
Strong and constant feedback loops
Visual attractive on its on turf
Maintain relevance and authenticity
Use both extrinsic & intrinsic motivation
LESSON #5: BUILDING THEM – KEEP SIMPLE
Use standard technology
Avoid any solution adding complexity
Integrate with existing systems
Focus on casual approach
Build in SCORM compliance
LESSON #6: HOW TO DISTRIBUTE – FEW ROADS
Browser-based solutions is a must
Channels are still missing
Education is more local than global
Curriculum differences major obstacle
Traditional publishers are not the answer
LESSON #7: BARRIERS OFTEN ICT NOT GAMES
Computer equipment is not good enough
Installation & licensing is difficult
Own lacking skills are perceived as barriers
LESSON #8: CONVINCE PEOPLE = SHOW THEM
Get them in front of the games
Get into the teacher seminars
Create good cases with other teachers
Involve teachers in development
LESSON #9: FUNDING IS A CHALLENGE
Funding haphazard and random
Support schemes crucical
Venture investment limited
Schools don’t have the ressources
Funding should be cross-border
LESSON #10: BUT IT WORKS
Evidence retention is better
Indications transfer is better
Student more motivated to learn
Students feel closer to the content
Student perceive they learn more
Teacher’s can reach challenged learners
LESSONS SUMMARY
Lesson #1: There are different uses
Lesson #2: Many teachers use it
Lesson #3: Need to keep learning
Lesson #4: Must keep engagement
Lesson #5: Building them – keep simple
Lesson #6: How to distribute – few roads
Lesson #7: Barriers often ict not games
Lesson #8: Convince people = show them
Lesson #9: Funding is a challenge
Lesson #10: But it works
AGENDA
Section 1: What is it?
Section 2: What we know?
Section 3: Why it ain’t happening
OVERVIEW: DIFFUSION OF INNOVATION
Five attributes can explain 49-87% of the variation in adaption of an innovation (Rogers, 2003):
Relative advantage: How much is the innovation perceived as being better than what already exists.
Compatibility: How well does the innovation match existing norms, values, needs, expectations and previous experiences?
Complexity: How easy is the innovation to use and understand for users?
Observability: How easy is it to observe the advantages achieved from adapting the innovation?
Trialability: How easy is the innovation to try out and experiments with without going all in?
RELATIVE ADVANTAGE
The most important attribute according to Rogers.
Studies show motivation is high-scorer with 25% of all teachers adhering to that.
Advantages very mix & diffuse.
Perceived advantage low on teacher’s priority list
COMPABILITYLots of challenges like lacking game skills, bad fit with educational system and limited capable of evaluating games.
Values & beliefs Lots of negative discussion, seems to be wavering in some
countries. Teacher role, transformation; need to change their role & habitus to
harness game's potential.
Previous ideas Games cover a broad spectrum of learning theory, praxis and
didactics – some more in line with previous praxis.
Actual needs GBL don't really solve top-priority issues like special needs and too
little teacher time. Many games for non-core curriculum: demands much preparation
time and put new demands on teacher.
COMPLEXITY
Games are NOT necessarily complex but most teachers perceive them as such.
Many games ARE complex: plug-ins, installation, drivers, different genres, interface etc.
Seen as dangerous to engage with.
OBSERVABILITY
In schools it difficult to observe each other and spread new knowledge.
See consequences of the intervention.. could probably not be further away than in school.
TRYABILITY
Becoming easier to try out games. But still ‘costly’ with 28 students on
'challenging' machinery. You are trying out a new format, not just new
contents like in books/online resources.
CASE STUDIES
Award-winners, several years in market place, good trials and decent level of graphics.
Making History (history)
Global Conflict-series (citizenship)
Dimension M (math)
Marketing and price are not really crucial as that will hinder speed but not really final impact.
All companies still struggling.
FIT WITH ADAPTATION CRITERIA Relative Advantage: All are motivational fairing well. Dimension M
is a an action game closer to students, and related to curriculum.
Compatibility: Share values & beliefs but Dimension M is VERY focused on standards/curriculum. Dimension M closer to the textbook covering breadth rather than depth. Positioned as overall praxis.
Complexity; Quite similar but Dimension M is much quicker to overview and then deduce from than especially Making History but also Global Conflicts. Dimension M; cover more with less time-investment.
Triability: All do trials quite well through online, but Making History a bit more difficult as a download.
Observability: Quite hard with Making History and Global Conflicts. Dimension M ahead with tournament features showcasing existing schools. Assessment also easer with skills-based learning..
DISCUSSION
Do teacher want better learning?
Do teachers want more motivated students?
A lot don’t..!
Just teach the curriculum
Use what they already know & use
Not put in extensive over-time on ‘hype’
Don’t take chances on unreliable technology
They simply want to fulfil their job requirements:
GBL is often not solving teachers challenges = no adaptation.
CONTACT DETAILSSerious Games InteractiveCorporate: www.seriousgames.dk Global Conflicts: www.globalconflicts.eu Playing History: www.playinghistory.eu
Simon Egenfeldt-NielsenPersonal: www.egenfeldt.eu Email: [email protected]