Understanding “Serious” Games Jonathan Frye, Ed. S. New York University.
-
Upload
jane-harvey -
Category
Documents
-
view
215 -
download
2
Transcript of Understanding “Serious” Games Jonathan Frye, Ed. S. New York University.
Essential Game Elements• Huizinga (1950)
• Free activity, outside “ordinary” life, not “serious”• Absorbs the player• No material interest or profit• Distinct Boundaries of time and space
• Caillois (1961)• Free (voluntary), separate (time and space)• uncertain, unproductive, governed by rules, make-believe
• Salen and Zimmerman (2003)• A system in which players engage in an artificial conflict, defined
by rules, that results in a quantifiable outcome
Advantages of Games• Motivation/Engagement• Interactivity• Mechanic is the Learning
• To beat the game is to learn the message/skill• But only when done right, very difficult• Beyond content to problem solving/systems learning
• Adaptive to the Learner• Real-Time Assessment
• Analytics/Data/Log Files
Simulations and Games• Squire (2003) examples of uses:
• manipulate otherwise unalterable variables• enable students to view phenomena from new
perspectives• observe systems behavior over time• pose hypothetical questions to a system• visualize a system in three dimensions• compare simulations with their understanding of the
system (p. 5)
Goals of Serious Games• Flow (Csikszentmihalyi)
• Balancing challenge• Scaffolding• “Transfer” Knowledge• System Understanding• Attitude/behavior change
Sectors (Sawyer & Smith, 2008)
• Government & NGO:• Defense:
• Ex. America’s Army, Skills based training• Healthcare:
• Ex. Surgery Simulations, Check-up routines• Marketing and Communication:
• Ex. Product placement, use of company characters
Sectors cont. (Sawyer & Smith, 2008)
• Education• Ex. Math, Science, current events etc.
• Corporate:• Ex. Training, continuing education, company policy
• Industry• Ex. Training, Skills acquisition
Uses• Learning & Education• Health Sciences• Advertising• Training• Science and Research• Art/Statement• Journalism
Learning & Education• Any subject you can imagine• History/Context, ex. Quest Atlantis, Civilization
Series• Math, ex. Dimenxion M, Lure of the Labyrinth• Physics, ex. Waker, Crayon Physics• Biology, ex. Beetle Readers
Health Sciences• Training/Practice for aspiring doctors and nurses
• Ex. Conducting an exam; the steps involved in surgery• Uses with Patients
• Psychological/Physical Therapy• Education• Ex. Re-Mission
Advertising• “Advergames”• Using product themes and characters in games• Product placement within a game (similar to in
movies)
Training• Often about learning tasks, policies, or skill
acquisition• Employee• Military
• Ex. Situational Awareness training• Ex. America’s Army
Art/Statement• Art
• Brenda Brathwaite’s “Mechanic is the Message Series”
• One Falls for Each of Us• Train
• Statement• Games for Change.org
• Human Rights, Economics, Public Policy, Public Health, Poverty, Environment, Global Health, News, Politics
Games for Change• Ayiti
• Manage a rural family in Haiti • Darfur is Dying• Budget Hero• Climate Challenge• Peacemaker
• Conflict in the Middle East