edinburgh 20-24 june 2011 european commission information society and media gala game and learning...

EdinburghEdinburgh20-24 June 201120-24 June 2011

European Commission Information Society and Media

GaLAGame and Learning Alliance

The European Network of Excellence on Serious Games

Serious Games MechanicsWP2 T2.1

Game Mechanics – A Conundrum SoupHeriot-Watt University

T. Lim, S. Louchart, A. Thin, R. Aylett, J.M. Ritchie

1



T2.1 Objectives

• Serious Game Mechanics– Survey results– Dimensioning the game mechanics conundrum– Towards an ontological framework– A side order of game-pedagogy?– Unifying the dimensions– Conclusion

2



Survey Results: Towards a common understanding of Serious games

3

What is Game mechanic? And our survey says….

How the player makes decisions and choices, and the game progresses

Describes evolution and responsiveness of the game environment

It is the ensemble of mechanisms that makes a gameplay

Details of a game depending on the game genre

How does a game work: settings, objectives and rating evaluations

What makes a game work be it the rules, interaction, simulations, visuals, feedback, etc.

Rules that define how objects interact within a game. Most commonly they refer to laws of physics but they can also describe game conditions and triggers in an abstract manner.

The rules of the interaction of player with game (e.g., specific physics or control response times)

Construct of rules to produce an enjoyable and meaningful game. Interaction of game mechanics determines the complexity of user interaction within a game.

Elementary component of game: software (functionality) or interaction or game design

Related to game design, with an additional focus on how different types of gameplay and engagement have an effect on the learning experience

Game mechanic is an input-output interaction. It’s the interactivity the player has with a game.



Survey results: Game mechanic attributes

4



Dimensioning the game mechanics conundrum

1. The pedagogical approach with a particular focus on learning mechanisms.

By identifying practices specific to pedagogical approaches will aid in

gathering elements towards determining SG patterns.

2. Deconstructing current SGs to better understand the boundaries of game

rules and their relationships with learning mechanisms in terms of

integration and adaptability.

3. Understanding the motivations of the player in SG games and his/her

relationship towards pedagogical outcomes and the gaming experience. We

hypothesise that SG design patterns must encompass these three

components. However, each approach represents in itself a challenging

task.

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Differences between entertainment games and serious games

6

Serious games Entertainment games

Task vs. rich experience Problem solving in focus Rich experiences preferred

Focus Important elements oflearning,

To have fun

Simulations Assumptions necessaryfor workable simulations

Simplified simulationprocesses

Communication Should reflect natural(i.e., non-perfect)communication

Communication is oftenperfect

Agreement… ?

The essay “Serious Games: A Broader Definition” (lostgarden.com), which discusses serious games from a business perspective, criticises descriptions of

serious games as being too narrow.



Stakeholders

Kids Adults Peers

High-school & Secondary Parents & Instructors Co-workers

Tertiary, Vocational, University

Seniors & Professionals Management

Deconstructing Game Mechanics

7

Game Mechanics

Gameplay Game Attributes Game rules

Interaction Feedback Storyline Challenge Task Activities

CONTEXT

What you want players to experience, to learn, to gain

knowledge on, to understand.

CONTENT

Data used, facts, presentation and representation methods,

actions, features, etc.

Stakeholders

Teaching & Education Health & Medicine Business & Management

Training & Skills Exercise & Well-being Sports & Entertainment

Production & Industry Psychology, Sociology & Humanities

Government , Enterprises & Military

Governed by Governed by Governed by

Components or features



Game Elements

8

How do we compare to Aki Järvinen’s Game Elements?

Source: Games without Frontiers - A Resource for Game Studies & Design



Common mechanics in learning and games

9

Game Mechanics

Rewards / Penalties

Protégé effects

Tokens

Resource Management

Role Play

Questions & Answers

Selecting / Collecting

Game Turns

Capture / Eliminate

Pavlovian Interactions

Action Points

Tiles / Grids

Communal Discovery

Ownership

Status

Cascading Information

Pareto Optimal

Meta-game

Time pressure

Cooperation

Levels

Movement

Cut Scenes / Story

Feedback

Design /Editing Simulate / Response

Collaboration

Goods / Information

Realism

Competition

Strategy / Planning

AssessmentTutorial

Appointment

Virality

Behavioural Momentum

Urgent Optimism

Infinite Gameplay

Learning Mechanics

Participation

Reflect / Discuss

Repetition

Observation

Experimentation

Question & Answer

Plan

Identify

Imitation

Modelling

Action / Task

Objectify

Analyse

Feedback

Shadowing

DiscoverExplore

Hypothesis

GuidanceInstructional

Ownership AccountabilityMotivation

Responsibility Incentive

Competition

AssessmentTutorial

Demonstration

Simulation

Generalisation / Discrimination



Towards an Ontological Framework

Ontology precision of Game Mechanics

Gameplay: Is the space the player can effectively act/engage in.



Different learning experiences

World Game Institute: http://www.worldgame.org/mba/exhibits/exhibit3.htm

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Extent to which the experience is active not passive

Action planning

Wake-up call speech

Story telling

Public Voting

Anonymous Voting, instant

feedback

Ordinary presentation

Open exchange with

decision makers

Real case on your problem

Back-casting your company’s

markets

Just in time competitive

analysis

Scenario writing

Just in case

competitive analysis

Fact based model

building

Build-a-boat exercise

Simulation game

Wargame with real

customers

Engagement Level

Extent to which the experience is emotionally compelling, real, relevant, consequential

Passive

Lecture

Q&A

Voting

Facilitated Discussion

Case study

Debate

Story writing

Problem-solving exercise

Visual analysis

Real project

Skit or Game

Active

How Engaging are Engaged Learning Experiences?



Mapping Pedagogical mechanics to game mechanics

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SG / Game Agenda

Activism

Advergames

Business

Exergames

Health & Medicine

News / Current affairs

Engineering / Manufacturing

Politics

Realism

Edutainment

Educational Agenda

Pedagogy

Andragogy

Curriculum

Learning

Organisation

Leadership

Sociology

Use

To acquire outcomes

Use

To acquire outcomes Acquisitions

Skills

Attitude

Knowledge

Experience

Game Mechanics

Rewards / Penalties

Protégé effects

Tokens

Resource Management

Role Play

Questions & Answers

Selecting / Collecting

Game Turns

Capture / Eliminate


Action Points

Tiles / Grids

Communal Discovery

Ownership

Status


Pareto Optimal

Meta-game

Time pressure

Cooperation

Levels

Movement

Cut Scenes / Story

Feedback


Collaboration

Goods / Information

Realism

Competition

Strategy / Planning

AssessmentTutorial

Appointment

Virality


Urgent Optimism

Infinite Gameplay

Learning Mechanics

Participation

Reflect / Discuss

Repetition

Observation

Experimentation

Question & Answer

Plan

Identify

Imitation

Modelling

Action / Task

Objectify

Analyse

Feedback

Shadowing

DiscoverExplore

Hypothesis




Competition

AssessmentTutorial

Demonstration

Simulation

Generalisation / Discrimination



Complex Learning: The 4C/ID-model

13

Learning tasks

–Concrete, authentic whole-sale experiences

–Organised in simple-to-complex task classes

–Learner supported via a process of ‘scaffolding’

–Learning tasks within the same task class show high variability

van Merri¨enboer, J.J.G., Clark, R.E., de Croock, M.B.M. (2002). Blueprints for complex learning: The 4C/ID-model. Educ. Technol., Res. Dev. 50(2): 39–64.

Part-task practice

–For selected recurrent constituent skill to reach required level on automaticity

–Sessions intermixed with learning tasks

–Snowballing and REP-sequences used for complex rule sets

–Practice terms are divergent for all situations that underlying rules can deal with

Supportive information

–Supports learning and performance of non-recurrent aspects of learning tasks

–Mental models, cognitive strategies and cognitive feedback

–Is specified per task class

–Always available to learners

JIT Information

–Prerequisite to the learning and performance of recurrent aspects of learning tasks or practice items

–Consists of information displays, demonstrations and instances and corrective feedback

–Is specified per recurrent constituent skill

–Presented when needed and quickly fades away as learner acquire expertise



A side order of game-pedagogy?

14

Learning Mechanics

Participation

Reflect / Discuss

Repetition

Observation

Experimentation

Question & Answer

Plan

Identify

Imitation

Modelling

Action / Task

Objectify

Analyse

Feedback

Shadowing

DiscoverExplore

Hypothesis




Competition

AssessmentTutorial

Demonstration

Simulation

Game Mechanics

Rewards / Penalties

Protégé effects

Tokens

Resource Management

Role Play

Questions & Answers

Selecting /Collecting

Game Turns

Capture / Eliminate


Action Points

Tiles / Grids

Communal Discovery

Ownership

Status


Pareto Optimal

Meta-game

Time pressure

Cooperation

Levels

Movement

Cut Scenes / Story

Feedback


Collaboration

Goods / Information

Realism

Competition

Strategy / Planning

AssessmentTutorial

Appointment

Virality


Urgent Optimism

Infinite Gameplay

Learning tasks Supportive information Just-in-time (JIT) information Part-task practice



Sim’s (1995) taxonomy of interactivity

• Object Interactivity – e.g. mouse-activated objects.

• Linear Interactivity – e.g. forward or backward browsing of instructional material.

• Support Interactivity – e.g. simple help messages to complex tutorial systems

• Update Interactivity – e.g. feedback or update that responds to the user input

• Construct Interactivity – e.g. extension that requires more design and strategic effort

• Reflective Interactivity – providing new users with feedback from old users or experts. This way the

learner can reflect on the response.

• Simulation Interactivity – extends the role of the user to be more like a controller or operator.

• Hyperlinked interactivity – “Travel” over the Internet with help from updated hyperlinks.

• Non-immersive Contextual Interactivity – combination of interactive elements e.g. virtual training

environment.

• Immersive Virtual Interactivity – Projects the user into a completely computer generated world,

providing response to individual movement. The ultimate interactivity.

15

Sims, Roderick. Interactivity: A Forgotten Art?. [Online] Available http://intro.base.org/docs/interact/, January 27, 1997.



How can games and simulations create an effective Learningproduct?

16

SG mechanics that lack instructive qualitative factors of engagement will not

lead to new ways of creativity, competitiveness, or a successful SG design.



Interdependencies and related activities

17

Game Mechanics (T2.1)

SG Architecture (T2.3)

HCI (T2.4)

Interoperability + Semantics (T2.5)

Simulation (WP3)

Modelling (WP3)

Methodology (T2.1 – T2.9)

Applications (WP3, WP4*)Assessment (T2.6)

Task

-bas

ed G

ames

Business + management (T3.1)

Engineering + Manufacturing (T3.2)

Health + Fitness (T3.3)

Security, safety + Crisis Management (T3.4)

Humanities + Heritage (T3.5)

Personal + Social learning (T3.6)

Ontology (T2.1)

Psychology (T2.7)

Pedagogy (T2.8)

Neuroscience (T2.9)

AI (T2.7)

Agents (T2.1)

NPC (T2.1)

Crowd Simulation (T2.1)

Synthetic Characters (T2.1, T2.2)

Capture + Information Push (T2.1)

Narratives + Storytelling (T2.2)

Profiling (T2.2)

Collaborative Environments (T2.3)

Social Networks (T2.3)

Multi-player (T2.2)

Acquisition + Discovery (T2.8)

Knowledge (T2.1, T2.8)

BCI (T2.4, T2.9)

Natural Language (T2.2, T2.4)

Devices (T2.4)

Environment (WP8)

Field description

Field analysis

Field evaluation

Field critique

Knowledge Sharing through Alignment Schools (WP5)

Standardisation (T2.5)

All fields feed forward or feedback to all WPs

WP4* - Need to know SGs that stakeholders use, want, etc.



Identifying gaps to unify the dimensions

Developer / Educator:

• What key features should the product/course have for effective learning, and why?

• Which factors are most important when contemplating informed education and entertainment?

• Which mechanics would you consider as the most important to generate engagement in the product/course, and why?

• What do you see as the most important mechanics to ensure a good learning outcome?

• Is there a social context around the game? If so, how do you facilitate it and how useful is it for the end-user (why/why not)?

Users:

• What is the feedback from users?

• How is learning outcome measured, evaluated and justified?

• How are the different game mechanics important for learning outcome?

• Can you give examples of possible improvements in the game, and what are the lessons learned from using it?

• Was the game used as a standalone application, or placed within a social context? (Why, why not?)

• Which elements in the game/course created engagement, and why?

18



Conclusions

19

• Do all games exhibit a ‘serious’ potential?

• Do the mechanics in casual/mainstream games and entertainment

games qualify to the conformance of a SG?

• Are there any mechanics to force reflection, practice, revisiting

software?

• Can SG inculcate learner autonomy?

• Subjectivity and interpretation - Which and what game taxonomies

can be considered to have the mechanisms for SG?

Complex mathematical formulas describing every single detail of the mechanics in the Pokemon game

Game mechanics is serious business

edinburgh 20-24 june 2011 european commission information society and media gala game and learning...

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