Designing games for learning at the EMC
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The document discusses the design of educational games at Champlain College's Emergent Media Center, emphasizing collaborative learning and engagement through experiential gameplay. It highlights key concepts such as the 'magic circle' and 'flow,' alongside examples of games developed for specific health and social change outcomes. Results indicate that these games can improve patient compliance and have a significant effect on vital capacity and social awareness.
Designing games for learning at the EMC
- 1. Designing Games for Learning Ann DeMarle Artwork: Champlain alumni Dan Peavey Associate Professor, Champlain College Email: demarle@champlain.edu Web: http://www.champlain.edu/Emergent-Media-Center.html BREAKAWAY: http://www.breakawaygame.com
- 2. Experience: • Founder, current director Emergent Media Center • Founder, current director MFA in Emergent Media • Founder of Game Development degrees • Founder, director Governor’s Institute of VT in Info Tech
- 3. 1. Build games for learning Emergent Media Center @ Champlain College 2. Students learn collaboratively creating games
- 4. Motivation, Attention, Working Memory & Learning Why Games? Designed for Engagement. Key Concepts: 1. Magic Circle 2. Flow Image: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dopamine
- 5. The Magic Circle Johan Huizinga (1872–1945). "Homo Ludens: A Study of the Play- Element in Culture Boundaries
- 6. The Magic Circle Johan Huizinga (1872–1945). "Homo Ludens: A Study of the Play- Element in Culture Individual Choice Rules Empowerment Multiple Pathways Feedback Systems
- 7. Flow Proposed by Mihály Csíkszentmihályi The mental state of operation in which a person in an activity is fully immersed in a feeling of energized focus, full involvement, and success in the process of the activity.
- 8. Magic Circle, Flow, & Learning Choice • Exploratory & experiential • Try on differing roles • Creative expression • Borderless community Rules • Well ordered problems • Cause & effect Mastery Pathways • Cycle of expertise/mastery • No failure • Player has a story to tell Feedback • On demand & in-time learning • Cause & effect • Virtual presence
- 9. Skill-based—Cystic Fibrosis games: Ludicross & Creep Frontier Behavior change—Game to address violence against women: BREAKAWAY
- 10. Cystic Fibrosis games • Collaboration with Dr. Peter Bingham on Robert Wood Johnson Foundation grant • Ten students working in two teams • 1 1/2 years. Initial research with young patients • Questions: • Can games improve patient compliance? • Can games improve lung capacity?
- 11. Poster Nicole Lazzaro: http://www.xeodesign.com/about.html Nicole Lazzaro’s theory of the Four Keys of motivation. • Easy Fun—curiosity, creativity, exploration • Hard Fun—challenge, goals, mastery Top: Creep Frontier—ex. Easy Fun http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AV1j5gprhH4&feature=related Bottom: Ludicross—ex. Hard Fun http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s99Iwe_p3nc
- 12. Cystic Fibrosis Games Results • Subjects spent more minutes using Game than Control. • When effect of game period was adjusted for by covariates, there was a trend relating the game period to improved pulmonary function. • Game period had a significant effect on vital capacity, stronger still after adjustment for covariates. http://www.abstracts2view.com/pas/view.php? nu=PAS11L1_3660
- 13. BREAKAWAY http://www.breakawaygame.com • Sponsored by the United Nations Population Fund • Collaboration with Population Media Center • Three years—ongoing. Over 120 students • Initial research in South Africa • Testing in South Africa, Caribbean, Vermont, & online
- 14. Project Goal: Social Change 1. Awareness of Problem 2. Acknowledgement of Personal Accountability 3. Attitude & Behavior Change 4. Advocacy for Change
- 15. Games for Social Change Experiential Learning • Identification with characters • Role playing real life situations: Player becomes the Transitional Character • Critical thinking: Interactivity leads to decision-making • Player experiences cause & effect • Reflection & storytelling
- 16. Sabido Methodology • Entertainment Education • Social Change • Role Modeling: • Positive • Negative • Transitional • Narrative 70/30 rule
- 18. Challenges: Storytelling, Player Choice & Asset Management • Technology—delivery system • Universal story—theme • Setting—could this be every boy’s home turf? • Language & localization • Ethnicity — stereotypes • Clothing — religion—cool factor • Romantic or sexual implications • Portrayal of girls: victim, subjugation or strong women • Portrayal of violent actions • PR
- 21. Results 2000 CDs distributed. 750+ CDs to youth groups participating at the 2010 World Cup: • Grassroots Soccer • Ikamva Youth • ManUp Campaign • Streetfootballworld • Restless Development • Fundacion Privada Samuel Eto’o
- 22. Results Web site: • 178 countries • 11,710 unique visitors Online Game: • 143 countries • 2070 registered users • 52% under 18 • 65% are boys ages 10-16 • Play through& repeatedly (6 hrs/chapter) • 89% saved with positive decisions
- 23. Next Steps • UN: distribution of CDs worldwide • UN Marketing—getting the word out & the online game into the hands of more youth • Facilitators guide: for teachers, youth groups, soccer clubs, etc. • Impact Assessment • Mobile game
- 24. Designing Games for Learning Ann DeMarle Artwork: Champlain alumni Dan Peavey Associate Professor, Champlain College Email: demarle@champlain.edu Web: http://www.champlain.edu/Emergent-Media-Center.html BREAKAWAY: http://www.breakawaygame.com
Editor's Notes
- #6: Inclusion, safety
- #10: Skill-based Behavior change
- #15: Most programs focus on victims. Yet the UN has identified VAW as a key driver of worldwide poverty. So we took a different tack - our goal is to change the attitudes & behavior of men and boys. Its designed to educate during critical social development years from 9-14 years old.
- #16: Experiential learning
- #17: The solution is also depending on a behavioral methodology proven to be effective when used in a linear format of radio & video
- #18: The project brought forward some HUGE challenges to concept & development: How do you create a first person game that is meant to appeal to EVERY boy in the world?
- #19: Specifically our challenges mostly centered on storytelling, player choice, distribution, & asset management
- #20: The team’s solution is web delivered soccer game — most popular sport worldwide and with national teams in more countries than the UN is in. In our game, BREAKAWAY, the issue of violence against women is never explicitly conveyed & it does not demand the boys to take on adult violence. In fact to the boys, our players, the theme is soccer. Created for global distribution release the first chapter of BREAKAWAY launched with the World Cup in 2010. International soccer star, Samuel Eto’o is the game’s spokesperson and a walk-on character in the game!
- #21: BREAKAWAY is based on the age old dilemma of peer pressure - who do you side with & who will hang out with you? The game system is based on an interactive narrative and a series of skill-building mini-games (shooting, defending, tackling). Choices in these determine you and your teams’ chances at winning the longer play soccer matches. As the player, you make choices on how to treat the girls in the narrative. These decisions determine which team mates you practice with and therefore what soccer skills you learn from various team mates. Literally you can not win if you do not become a champion for the girls in the narrative.
- #23: Our target market enjoys the game!