Company overview

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A Serious Games 101 What are they what are
the opportunities?
Kevin Corti, Founder, PIXELearning.
Company overview
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Setting the scene

• What is GBL (a.k.a. Serious Games)
• Why should organisations be interested?
• Examples case studies

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Company background

• Established in 2002, Coventry University
  Technology Park
• Business education, vocational and management
  skills development
• 550k investment in GBL technology platforms
• Clients - Coca-Cola, Scottish Enterprise, AWM,
  Edexcel, Skillsmart Retail many schools, colleges
  and universities
• A growing reputation in UK overseas

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Psychobabble
Experiential Problem-solving Learning by
doing Task-based Authentic Relevant Meaningful Eng
aging Immersive Memorable Enjoyable Stimulating En
grossing Constructivism focus Job-specific Truly
interactive
Play Rules Goals Objectives Structure Drama Story
Narrative Humour Higher order cognition Apply
information knowledge Fun
Feedback Adaptive Flow state Competition Collabora
tion Role play Strategy Exploration Eye candy
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Serious Games definition v1.0
The use of computer game technologies and
approaches for primarily non-entertainment
purposes.
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Serious Games definition v2.0
University of Central England
Coventry University
BECTa
Birmingham University
University of Warwick
JISC
Penn State University
A.W.M.
D.T.I.
EA Games NESTA
The MOVES Institute
M.I.T.
Microsoft
Carnegie Mellon
NOKIA
Intel
University of Southern California
LearningLab
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Serious Games definition v3.0
Serious games are simply a new(ish) business
application which will solve client problems.
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This isnt new!
You can learn more about a man in an hour of
play than in a year of conversation
Plato
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This isnt new!
You can learn more about a PERSON in an hour of
play than in a year of conversation
Plato (2006)
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How often does this happen?
Pleasejust another hourI really want to finish
this course
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Does eLearning engage?
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Does eLearning engage?
Ummno thanks!
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We know games are compelling
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Games engage beyond the bedroom!
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Its not all Single-player!
Games are increasingly social (e.g. XBOX live
MMORPGs)
Multiplayer GBL Social learning environments
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Characteristics of games
Realistic environments systems
Clearly defined rules structure
Clearly defined objectives
Drama story
Truly interactive
Humour
Characters
Clear outcomes feedback
Challenge
Adapt (flow state)
Higher cognitive activity
.and they are enjoyable!
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So why should YOU be interested?
Performance improvement Awareness of
role Competency testing Assessment/ROI Recruitment
Customer education Promotional
tool Induction Motivational tools Aspirational
tools Best practise
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The F word
There is a lot more to Games-based Learning than
simply trying to make learning fun.
.although that wouldnt be a bad start!
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Pedagogy??

• Andragogy (Adult learning)
• experience (including mistakes) provides the
  basis for learning activities
• problem-centered rather than content-oriented
• need involvement in planning evaluation of
  their instruction
• interested in learning subjects that have
  immediate relevance to their job or personal life
• Malcolm Knowles (1913 to 1997)

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Experience
Games-based learning Provide safe, realistic
and meaningful environments ..in which
learners actually apply information to develop
knowledge and skills.
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GBL is heavily experiential
GBL gives learners virtual experience which they
can use for real in workplace
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Ask yourself Would you let your new management
trainees run your organisation?
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Ask yourself Would you let your new management
trainees run your VIRTUAL organisation?
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Problem-centred learning

• Games are pre-defined problem spaces
• Solving the problems satisfaction
• GBL problems are authentic relevant

Game over! You won
Game over! You won
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What you do (or dont do) has an obvious and
meaningful effect in the game. The game changes.
Each time you try itit is different. Information
/ choices / behaviours / approaches / tactics /
strategies ..meaningful outcomes
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This isnt about using Pong or Millionaire to try
to help learners memorise facts.
Chocolate-coated broccoli still tastes like
broccoli
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Evaluation (and feedback!)

• For employer employee
• Games capture staggering amounts of data
• GBL applications provide this for assessment
  purposes.
• History data, learners inputs, decision logging

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That word. Game
The first step is admitting it! - Gamers
Anonymous My name is Kevin and I ama gamer.
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That word. Game
Lonely hearts Spotty, white, teenage male with
poor social skills seeks fellow XBOX enthusiast
to share long nights in front of the bedroom
TV. Trevor, aged 15 from Guilford
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The gamer demographic

• The reality
• 18 to 35 core market for Sony Microsoft
• 41 female
• 42 aged 25 to 49
• 35 income of 50k to 100k
• 16 income gt 100k

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The natives are digital

• Key message!
• Learners are changing
• Opportunity NOT threat
• Organisations needs to evolve to take advantage.

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Examples of GBL in action
Financial Management / Ffn-FMs
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Marketing skills for SMEs
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Team dynamics (TPLD)
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Marketing skills (LearningBeans)
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Legal, regulatory sales training (Caspian)
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Corporate Social Responsibility
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http//www.virtual-u.org
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Promoting retail careers / retail training
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Sam holds a Masters degree in Marketing (Henley
College). She has 12 years of experience in blue
chips (HASDA, Tisco and Sansberries)
HR / managing people teams
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IT sales process training (SEER)
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GCSE Business Studies (PXL Edexcel)
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Examples
Food Force
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Examples
www.food-force.com
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Enterprise training (PXL BCKS)
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Hospitality catering manager training
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Project management fundamentals
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Implementation issues
How quick? How specific COTS or bespoke? How
easy to update? Web-based? IPR? Cost /
licensing model?
Assessment criteria? SCORM/ADL? Curricula/qualif
ication? Who designs it?
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Implementation issues
Game Design Instructional Design As easy as
mixing oil and water! Partnerships are key
Matchett Group, Edexcel Coventry
University Projects need to be driven by
learning needs (learn from the past!)
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Core technology in place?

• gt Minimise risk
• gt Cut cost
• gt Reduce delivery time
• gt Easy to update
• gt Profitable for provider

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The future. Tools (middleware authoring
platforms) for non-technical learning
professionals. Allow YOU to create, manage and
deploy GBL quickly and easily.
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PIXELearning Ltdwww.pixelearning.com T 44 (0)
24 7623 6971
Kevin Corti,Managing Director kevin.corti_at_pixelea
rning.com