Designing for Flow: Creating Compelling User Experiences for Learning

Julie DirksenUsable Learning - LEEF

2011

How did we get here?

Flow? Sure Andy, no

problem…

Pop Quiz

How you do you say:

“Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi”

cheat code

What’s Flow?

Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience

By Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

ArousalAnxiety

Worry Control

RelaxationApathy Boredom

Flow

Low Skill Level High

Ch

alle

ng

e L

evel

High

Low

The Flow Channel

Challenge

Abili

ty

Flow Channel

- Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

Why are YOU here?

First Person to say “engagement” gets a prize!

Video Game Stare

What do you want to teach?

Three Things

• Structure• Goals and Feedback• Immediacy

What if riding a bike was like playing a video game?

What if riding a bike was like playing a video game?

What if riding a bike was like playing a video game?

What if riding a bike was like playing a video game?

What if riding a bike was like playing a video game?

What if riding a bike was like playing a video game?

What if riding a bike was like playing a video game?

What if riding a bike was like playing a video game?

What if riding a bike was like playing a video game?

Now, what if riding a bike was like a typical e-Learning course?

Now, what if riding a bike was like a typical e-Learning course?

Now, what if riding a bike was like a typical e-Learning course?

Now, what if riding a bike was like a typical e-Learning course?

Now, what if riding a bike was like a typical e-Learning course?

Now, what if riding a bike was like a typical e-Learning course?

Now, what if riding a bike was like a typical e-Learning course?

What does your learning look like?

What’s happening in the brain?

What is going on when you are learning something new?

Well, areas like your frontal cortex gets busy. It starts burning a lot of fuel, and hits its limits pretty quickly.

What is going on when you using a regular pattern you already know?

That leverages parts of the brain that can run without a lot of conscious attention.

Glucose Metabolic Rate after several weeks of Tetris Practice

Most e-Learning is biking straight uphill

Module 1 Module 2 Module 3 Module 4 Module 5 Module 6

Intro

New Info

More new Info

Even more

new Info

Yet again

with the new info

Summary Whe

w!

Games, on the other hand…

Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4 Level 5 Level 6

Some new stuff, pretty easy

though

Stuff you know plus a bit more

Stuff you

know, maybe a little faster

Stuff you

know plus a

bit more

Stuff you

know, kicked up a notch

Boss Fight

It’s a lot like flow:

Challenge

Abili

ty

Flow Channel

- Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

It also allows you to pay attention to what’s different.

In this model, everything is new and everything is important (so nothing is).

Whew!

It also allows you to pay attention to what’s different.

In this model, the new material is mixed in with existing stuff, so the new material stands out.

Whew!

We all need a rest sometimes:

If you don’t give people a break, they will take it anyway.

Okay, I get it

Uh huh. Uh huh...

Wait, this is important

Whew!

Brain dead, leaking out the ears

Tuned out

Kind of distracted

So, let’s look at a game

http://bit.ly/mSEBvT

Now you try

http://bit.ly/pzomb

What did you notice?

Using this for Learning

Next, let’s talk about GOALS

Image Attribution: modified version of an image from Sebastian Deterding, “Don't Play Games With Me! Promises and Pitfalls of Gameful Design” June 15, 2011 via Slideshare, Creative Commons Attribution.

Ever been rock climbing?

Micro-level goals

Medium Goals

End Goal!

Even if you don’t notice it…

Even if you don’t notice it…

The Art of Game Design

By Jesse Schell

Keep it balanced

Challenge

Abili

ty

Flow Channel

- Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

Plants vs Zombies Level Difficulty

http://www.slideshare.net/gwertzman/the-making-of-popcaps-plants-vs-zombies

How are goals handled in the workplace?

Annual Performance Review

Annual Performance Review

How are goals handled in the workplace?

It will be rainy and 65 degrees one year from now.

Annual Performance Review

Instead of this…

Image Attribution: modified version of an image from Sebastian Deterding, “Don't Play Games With Me! Promises and Pitfalls of Gameful Design” June 15, 2011 via Slideshare, Creative Commons Attribution.

…we get this

What this ISN’T

Chunking Content

Image Attribution: modified version of an image from Sebastian Deterding, “Don't Play Games With Me! Promises and Pitfalls of Gameful Design” June 15, 2011 via Slideshare, Creative Commons Attribution.

What this ISN’T

Chunking Content

These are accomplishments

I just got the database

integration working for

my leaderboard application.

I RULE.

How long is this

chapter?

Oh good, I just

finished chapter 7.

How can I use this? And this? And this?

Okay! I know that somewhere in one of

these chapters or books, there will be

something that helps me troubleshoot the

asteroids motion. I’m going to check the online forum again.

Accomplishments Content

I just successfull

y wrote “Hello

World” to the

database.

Leveling up

For example:

• How could you create levels and accomplishments for new manager training?

Todd – A brand new manager

Create Levels for Todd

• What would the levels be?

• What would the achievements be for each level?

Now you map it

Image Attribution: modified version of an image from Sebastian Deterding, “Don't Play Games With Me! Promises and Pitfalls of Gameful Design” June 15, 2011 via Slideshare, Creative Commons Attribution.

Making Progress Visible

ImmediacyI don’t

need to worry

about that yet…

Why are brains like elephants?

Why is our brain like a child riding an elephant?

Jonathan Haidt – The Happiness Hypothesis

Child = conscious mind / executive function (prefrontal cortex)

Elephant = everything else

Sometimes the elephant is willing

Other times...

So, get the elephant’s attention?

 ”try to make just-in-case learning feel more like just-in-time learning”

- The always fabulous Kathy Sierra

What are you using here?• How many people have had to take the written drivers

test lately?

Right of Way and YieldingRight-of-way and yielding laws help traffic flow smoothly and safely.They are based on courtesy and common sense. Violation of theselaws is a leading cause of traffic crashes.

When two vehicles reach an intersection at the same time, and thereis no traffic light or signal, the driver of the vehicle on the left mustyield to the vehicle on the right.

-Minnesota Driver’s Manual

Right of Way and YieldingRight-of-way and yielding laws help traffic flow smoothly and safely.They are based on courtesy and common sense. Violation of theselaws is a leading cause of traffic crashes.

When two vehicles reach an intersection at the same time, and thereis no traffic light or signal, the driver of the vehicle on the left mustyield to the vehicle on the right.

-Minnesota Driver’s Manual

• Think about how that feels.

Now, how about this?

If there’s no urgency...

Most of the burden is on the executive function (e.g. frontal cortex).

Learning without urgency:

Relying solely on the executive function is like:

Gasp!

What happens when there is urgency?

Mid-brain areas (e.g. limbic system / amygdala are saying:

“PAY ATTENTION! This could be important.”

Learning with urgency:

Learning that engages the whole brain requires much less conscious effort:

What makes it work?

• Balanced gameplay– Expectation– Surprise– Reward

Good surprises are good• Pleasant surprises cause a dopamine spike

“PAY ATTENTION!

If this is good, then you want more.

Even bad surprises are good• Unpleasant surprises cause a dopamine drop.

“PAY ATTENTION!

This is bad. Avoid in future.”

No surprises are bad

Hmm. I wonder what I should

have for dinner...

How can you make your topic more immediate?

Questions?

Julie Dirksen

Email: julie@usablelearning.com

Blog: http://usablelearning.wordpress.com

Twitter: usablelearning