Participation Matters

Evaluating Shared Leadership in Online Games

Linda HamonsAndrew StrickerCynthia CalongneAnne-Marie Armstrong

TCC Worldwide Online ConferenceApril 18, 2013

Colorado Technical UniversityDoctoral Symposium Workshop

This session reflects on how to foster shared leadership opportunities for group work in online learning environments through the study of how the leadership role was shared between virtual team members in an online game.

Highlights from the study feature the game environment that was designed by Air University's Innovations and Integrations Division, the research methods, instruments and a summary of the findings that may assist educators in their online course development.

Experimental Design

Games and Play StylesTypes of games

• Word , trivia or puzzle• Scavenger or Treasure Hunt• Action or adventure• Real Time Strategy (RTS)• Roleplay game (RPG)• MMORPGs• Arcade or Video games• First Person Shooter (FPS)• Simulations (Sims)• Board or card games

Play styles

• Individual or social• Multiplayer cooperative• Multiplayer competitive• Everyone is a winner!• Last man standing – PvP• Player vs Environment• Roleplay• Capture the flag• Team wins• High score

Instructors’ Game Consoles

Game Master Control Console

Game Roles and Tactics

Ethnographic Study Results

Who is the Leader?

Observations

Protection, Guidance and Leadership

Conflict and Leadership Change

Avoiding Conflict During the Game

The Reusable Game Environment

Shared Leadership Study Findings

• A single leadership role may be faster– The quality of the experience was lower

• A shared leadership role – Increases the protective actions & behaviors after

increased conflict– Shared leadership teams take more time• Players completed the game with fewer objectives/clues

• Voice seems to be preferred over text – Faster for gameplay; smoother for communications

Implications for Online Education

• While a team leader is more direct– May experience an increase in individual involvement

through shared leadership

• A shared leadership role – May result in better topic exploration

– Centers on discussion and may leverage conflict• Team members shift between protective and directing roles

• Further study is needed to analyze the behavior of these self-organizing leaders

Participation Matters

Evaluating Shared Leadership in Online Games

Linda HamonsAndrew Stricker

Cynthia CalongneAnne-Marie Armstrong

TCC Worldwide

Online ConferenceApril 18, 2013

Colorado Technical University

Doctoral Symposium Workshop

Questions?