Educational Games

1
Educational Games

• Kuo En Chang
• Department of Information and Computer Education
• National Taiwan Normal University

2
Initial

• You will know what edutainment is.
• You will understand the general factors and
  design rules in the game oriented CAI.
• You will know pitfalls in the design of games.

3
Advantages

• Edutainment
• Motivational
• Encouraging
• Enjoyable (intrinsic motivation)
• Competition and teamwork (critical part of the
  content)
• Adventure (facilitate the integration of
  knowledge and skills across a number of content
  areas)

4
Examples of Educational Games

• Adventure and role-playing games
• The one in which the player assumes the role of a
  character in s situation about little is known.
• The player must use existing information and
  resources to solve the problems posed for that
  character.
• The purpose varies from simple skill and
  knowledge practice to teaching problem-solving
  skills, deductive reasoning, or hypothesis
  testing.

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Examples of Educational Games

• Business games
• Not only apply the principles of running a
  business, but also incorporate competitive
  aspects.
• Make a natural methodology for teaching about the
  competition and teamwork that are a large part of
  the business world.

6
Examples of Educational Games

• Board games
• Combat games
• Teachers and parents are understandably
  suspicious of using games that include violence
  as a motivator for learning.
• There have been many new games with relatively
  innocuous forms of combat.

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Examples of Educational Games

• Logic games and puzzles
• The learner must solve a variety of visual
  problems and puzzles that include patterns,
  sequences, and cause-effect relationships.
• Teach general problem solving skills, such as
  careful observation, collecting information,
  formulating solutions.

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Examples of Educational Games

• Word games
• The learner is challenged with a variety of
  activities requiring the recognition, production,
  or analysis of words.

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General Factors

• Goals
• Popping balloons
• Solving mysteries and problems
• Scoring points
• Discovering unknown lands
• Guessing words
• Catching someone or something
• Competition and cooperation
• The relationship between the game goal and the
  learning goal

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General Factors

• Rules
• What actions are allowed within a game.
• What constraints are imposed.
• Rules must be designed to make a game
  interesting, challenging, and fair for multiple
  players.

11
General Factors

• Competition
• Against a human opponent
• Against the computer
• Against oneself
• Against chance
• Against time

12
General Factors

• Challenge
• To overcome or succeed at to reach a goal
• A learner may begin at the easiest level, but in
  order to win the game, the learner must
  eventually solve problems at the highest level of
  difficult.

13
General Factors

• Fantasy
• The degree of fantasy can range anywhere from a
  close representation of reality to a more distant
  representation to a totally imaginary one.
• Realistic fantasy imaging yourself in a
  desirable and possible situation is more
  appropriate for adults.
• Imaginary fantasy is more acceptable to children.

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General Factors

• Safety
• Serves as analogs for real-life activities and at
  the same time provide a safe way of participating
  in a more dangerous reality.
• Encourages learners to explore alternative
  approaches with the knowledge that failure at
  worst means losing the game.

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General Factors

• Entertainment
• To enhance motivation and learning.
• Potential use of multimedia techniques

16
Factors in the Introduction of a Game

• To set the stage for the game and to ensure that
  learners understand what to do and how to do it.
• If the game is poorly introduced it may lose much
  of its educational benefit because learners may
  have to concentrate on solving unimportant
  problem (How do I start?) rather than on the
  main activities and educational aspects of the
  game.

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Factors in the Introduction of a GameGoals

• The goal of game is the target toward which each
  player aims. Goals should be stated explicitly.
• Learners should be able to review them at any
  time.
• Goals will be beneficial if the connection
  between game goals and learning goals is made
  clear to learners.
• Game goals must reinforce the learning goals
• Successfully achieving the games goals comes
  about by the application of the skills or
  knowledge to be learned.
• Intermediate progress toward the games goals
  should be contingent on progress toward the
  learning objectives.

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Factors in the Introduction of a GameRules

• Games nature and role each player will take.
• Rules should be explicitly stated and available
  at any time.
• Rules should define
• The activities of different players
• Any equipment to be used
• The permissible procedures
• The constraint imposed
• The possible penalties

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Factors in the Introduction of a GamePlayers

• How many players are there?
• Do they play the same role or different roles?
• Are they independent, or do they from team?
• Can the computer be one of the players or teams?
• What are the players called, and what do they
  look like on the screen?
• Do players start out with equal resources or
  advantages?
• Do different players operate under the same
  constraints?

20
Factors in the Introduction of a GameEquipment

• Special equipment is sometimes needed for a
  computer game.
• Special equipment can restrict the games
  audience and require special programming and
  directions.
• To be accessible to the most people, games should
  use only standard equipment.
• If special equipment is required, it should be
  fully explained in the manuals, directions, and
  rules.

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Factors in the Introduction of a GameDirections

• Explain how to set up and start a game, how to
  play, and what to do when it is done.
• Explain the critical and frequent activities of
  playing the game.
• Operational and knowledge oriented directions
• How to operate game paddles
• How to enter each persons name or identifier
• How to set the level of difficulty
• How to specify the number of players
• How to request information
• Learners be able to review directions at any
  time.
• Directions appear in an accompanying booklet or
  manual.

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Factors in the Introduction of a GameConstraints

• Stipulate the boundaries and limitations of
  learning actions.
• Specify particular actions that are disallowed
  entirely.
• The time allowed
• The number of tries
• The permissible input values

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Factors in the Introduction of a GamePenalties

• Are the actions taken if a player violates the
  rules or does something incorrectly.
• Are stated explicitly
• A turn is forfeited if you fail to respond within
  a given time limit.
• Are stated implicit
• Your opponent gains an advantage when you perform
  poorly.

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Factors in the Introduction of a GameChoices

• Making the computer one of the players.
• Deciding at what level of proficiency it should
  play.
• Time in one of two ways how long the game will
  continue or how fast it will take place.
• Speed of action is closely related to the level
  of difficulty.
• Increased rate of movement or reaction usually is
  associated with greater difficulty.
• Individual players turns may have a time limit
  as well.
• The name by which you want to be known.

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Factors in the Body of a GameScenario

• The world in which the action takes place.
• Must be compatible with the subject matter and
  the type of game.
• Realism vs. simplification
• The more realistic the scenario, the harder it
  usually is to play the game, because of detail
  and complexity.
• The greater the simplification, the further it is
  from reality, which can lower the transfer of
  knowledge to real life.

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Factors in the Body of a GameScenario

• Concentration vs. comprehensiveness
• The more the game concentrates on a specific
  topic, the less perspective the player will have
  of that topic in the broader context.
• Increasing the comprehensiveness of the scenario
  can lead to the sacrifice of important details.

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Factors in the Body of a GameScenario

• Emotion vs. intellect
• The greater the presence of emotional involvement
  or reward, the less likely the player is to
  analyze the situation from a detached
  perspective.
• Games that have only intellectual appeal are
  frequently low in motivation.

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Factors in the Body of a GameScenario

• Classification
• Intrinsic the nature of what is being learned
  is practically identical to the scenario and to
  the learner activities within scenario.
• Related the learners operations affect the
  scenario.
• Arbitrary there is no relationship or
  interaction between the scenario and what is
  being learned.

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Factors in the Body of a GameLevel of Reality

• A real scenario is one that exists in real life
• An unreal scenario is something that exists in
  real life but in a different form.
• A fantasy game is one in which the scenario is
  purely a figment of the imagination.

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Factors in the Body of a GameCast

• May be one person or many persons
• All the players may be people or the computer may
  also become a player
• Sometimes a player, the computer, or both can
  play several roles simultaneously.

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Factors in the Body of a GameRoles of the Players

• A multimedia game can define or constrain the
  roles of the participants more than a traditional
  game.
• The roles of each player and the computer must be
  made clear.
• All players can have identical roles, different
  roles, or additional duties.

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Factors in the Body of a GamePresence of
Uncertainty

• Variable difficulty level
• A game may have different situations that require
  varying levels of effort by the players.
• Multiple-level goals
• The game has adjustable levels of difficulty,
  which are set either by the player or by the game
  itself.

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Factors in the Body of a GamePresence of
Uncertainty

• Hidden information
• A game is more challenging if each player
  operates with incomplete or hidden information.
• The attraction of a game is increased if each
  player is uncertain about some facts needed to
  attain the goal.
• Randomness
• This involves the extent to which random
  fluctuations or chance play a role in the game.

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Factors in the Body of a GamePresence of
Curiosity

• Motivate to learn beyond what we currently know
  or explore further than we have come.
• Sensory and cognitive curiosity
• Sensory a curiosity of images and sounds that we
  encounter.
• Cognitive a curiosity about information and is
  aroused by different means.

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Factors in the Body of a GamePresence of
Curiosity

• Evoke a learners curiosity by
• Providing an optimal level of information
  complexity
• The use of different colors or changing the scene
• Preventing or prolonging the natural ending or
  closure of whatever is happening
• Inconsistency in a persons view of the world
• Providing strange and surprising information

36
Factors in the Body of a GameNature of
Competition

• The number of participants.
• Whether play is individual or in teams.
• Against whom or what the players compete.
• It can be motivating for some students and
  demotivating for those who lose

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Factors in the Body of a GameRelationship of
What Is Learned

• Intended relationship
• When the learning has a strong relationship to
  the games stated educational goals or
  objectives, it is intended.
• Incidental relationship
• When the learning is not related to the stated
  goals or objectives, it is incidental.
• Incidental learning is often very valuable even
  though it is unanticipated or not the stated
  objective.

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Factors in the Body of a GameSkill vs. Chance

• Chance increases the unexpected, which can
  increase the challenge.
• If chance is overdone, the learner may not be
  sufficiently skilled to overcome its effects.
• If only skill is required to master the game,
  uncertainty is diminished, and the game may lose
  its appeal.

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Factors in the Body of a GameWins and Losses

• Wins
• Reaching an explicit target
• Defeating an opponent
• Reaching self-imposed level of performance.
• Losses
• What constitutes losing are more critical than
  those of winning.
• Losing does not create ill will or feelings of
  anger or inferiority.

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Factors in the Body of a GameChoices

• Information
• Access to information on which strategic
  decisions are based.
• Strategy
• A player makes to manipulate the context or to
  participate in the action of the game.
• Assistance
• Remember how to do everything in a game. Easy
  access to directions of the game or to help on
  both content and strategy.
• Leaving
• Play again or to leave at the time of completion
• Complete, temporary termination, or quit.

41
Factors in the Body of a GameInformation Flow

• Types of information
• Accurate
• If continuation of a game is dependent on
  accurate information, then that is what should be
  provided.
• Continuation of a game may require that a
  learners answer to a question is correct.
• Misleading
• The use of misleading information heightens the
  challenge by increasing the uncertainty of the
  player.

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Factors in the Body of a GameInformation Flow

• Types of information
• Partial
• May have a motivating effect.
• False
• Providing false information should be avoided
  unless the learner knows that this is a
  possibility.
• One purpose of this false information would be to
  make the game as challenging as possible for the
  learner by having the computer be continually
  competitive.

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Factors in the Body of a GameInformation Flow

• Source of information
• Computer
• Directions on how to play.
• The results of each players action.
• Questions or problems to be answered.
• Feedback on performance.
• Other booklet, manual, or other players.

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Factors in the Body of a GameInformation Flow

• When information is provide
• Some information is always supplied at the
  beginning of a game. This includes the rules,
  directions, and any other information necessary
  to begin.
• Sometimes, it is provided immediately in response
  to a players action, the passage of time, or as
  a result of a player failing to act.
• At other times information about an action is
  delayed in the same way that feedback can be
  delayed.
• How information is provided
• Explicitly (a message to the player) or
  implicitly (the relative movement of various
  pieces or tokens)
• Multimedia forms

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Factors in the Body of a GameTurns

• Taking turns in sequence
• Taking actions simultaneously.

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Factors in the Body of a GameTypes of Action

• Actions, such as
• Moving things on the screen
• Answering questions
• Choosing from options
• Attacking or defending
• Turning machines or switches on or off
• Seeking information
• Good for actions that utilize the relevant
  knowledge or skills and make sense within the
  context of a games scenario.

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Factors in the Body of a GameModes of Interaction

• Keyboard
• Mouse
• Joystick
• Voice
• Virtual reality

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Factors in the Conclusion of a Game

• Recognizing the winner
• A verbal message or an appropriate graphic
  display.
• A scoreboard that contains the best scores.
• It is motivating for all players if the computer
  not only recognizes the winner but also
  congratulates all players whose scores exceeded
  their previous best.

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Factors in the Conclusion of a Game

• The reward
• The reward should not become the end in itself
  rather, it should be another factor that can be
  manipulated to create a good learning
  environment.
• The promise of a large reward does not ensure
  motivation and rarely will negate the detrimental
  effects of an uninteresting game.
• If the game piques curiosity, is challenging, or
  has other characteristics that make it fun,
  external rewards are unnecessary.

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Factors in the Conclusion of a Game

• Providing information
• Once the game has ended feedback should be given
  to each player on the progress of the game and on
  individual performance.
• It is a good time tom supply information about
  better ways to play the game or to solve the
  problem embedded in it.

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Factors in the Conclusion of a Game

• The final message
• The learner may choose to play the game again
  immediately or to display a message stating that
  the program is ending.
• The lack of a final message may leave learners
  wondering if the program has malfunctioned.

52
Pitfalls Associated with Creating and Using Games

• Difficulty of making games that are fun
• Conflict between educational goals and the
  characteristics of games
• Efficiently of learning in games
• Disagreement about whether games are intrinsic or
  extrinsic motivators
• Educators negative beliefs about games

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Pitfalls Associated with Creating and Using Games

• Difficulty of making games that are fun
• An understanding of human nature
• The activities that are considered fun for your
  target population
• An artistic touch

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Pitfalls Associated with Creating and Using Games

• Conflict between educational goals and the
  characteristics of games
• A games goal (winning) must be consonant with
  the learning goals.
• The goal of winning the game will almost always
  take precedence over the goal of experimenting.
• If you want learners to experiment with the
  positive and negative outcomes of their actions,
  you probably should not embed the simulation in a
  game.
• Other game characteristics that may conflict with
  educational goals are luck, penalties, and
  fantasy.
• Fantasy may distract learners from the
  educational goals as they become immersed in the
  fictional world.

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Pitfalls Associated with Creating and Using Games

• Efficiently of learning in games
• Games are almost always less efficient than other
  methodologies.
• A significant amount of time is invariably spend
  reading directions, taking turns, obeying rules,
  and generally attending to the scenario of a
  game.
• A large and common trade-off in games is
  motivation versus efficiency.

56
Pitfalls Associated with Creating and Using Games

• Disagreement about whether games are intrinsic or
  extrinsic motivators
• It is plausible that the learner is intrinsically
  motivated to have fun and to win the game, but
  the learner is only extrinsically motivated to
  learn.
• Learning content that people already regard as
  reasonably relevant to their lives may be
  intrinsically motivated through game techniques,
  while learning content of dubious relevance may
  only be extrinsically motivated.

57
Pitfalls Associated with Creating and Using Games

• Educators Negative Beliefs about Games
• Learning of a content area should be motivating
  by itself and should not require games.
• Learning is serious work and should not be
  demeaned with games.
• Games use only for children and simply are not
  appropriate for adults.

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Avoids the Pitfalls

• Prototyping that trying out a partially completed
  program or a mock program on potential users, to
  ensure that people consider it enjoyable.
• Ensure efficiency through formative evaluation
  and revision.
• Facilitate intrinsic motivation by designing game
  scenarios that are intrinsically related to the
  educational goals
• Should not pursue game design unless analysis of
  user population guarantees that the methodology
  will be accepted by them.

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Ending

• Design a game scenario combining subject content
  (or learning goal) and game goal.