The Edugaming Framework
Keeping the Quiz Out of Educational Games to
Create Effective Learning Environments
Steven Weitz & Mary Rasley
sweitz@lccc.edu & mrasley@lccc.edu
Lehigh Carbon Community College
Pennsylvania
NSF-ATE Grants 1003154 & 1304216 - Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or
recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily
reflect the views of the National Science Foundation
Educational
… because most
games
educational
have a reputation
games
for being
are terrible.
terrible…
wrong with most educational
games?
But they don’t have to be!
They are quizzes
pretending to be games
Quizzing has a place in the
classroom.
Quizzing does not have
a place in games.
Games are NOT great
for fact retention
What the player does
is what will be
reinforced.
All games “teach” something.
We’re trying to make games
that teach something useful.
Bloom’s Taxonomy
The educational content needs
to be the play.
We found the problem…
but why are any games good?
It’s all about Choices
Not all choices…
… are created
equal
“A game is a series of
interesting choices.” – Sid Meier
“A game is a series
Interesting choices.” – S
The choice must have an impact on the game.
The player must have a reason to choose one
option over another.
Too many educational games have no
interesting choices.
They are a series of right or wrong questions,
mixed in with sequences of pure luck.
Quiz + Luck =/= Engaging Game.
So how do we make
educational games that aren’t quizzes?
The Edugaming Framework
1) Identify the specific concept
to reinforce
2) Analysis: Break the concept
into
its component parts
An example:
2 + (- 4) = X
•
2 is a piece
•
+ is a piece
(- 4) is a piece
•
•
X is a piece
These can be elements in your game
3) Consider the essence of the
knowledge those components
represent.
Back to our example…
2 + (- 4) = X
•
•
2 is a starting point
+ is how to alter that starting point
• (- 4) is how much to alter it by
•
X is the end result
This is about manipulating numbers
4) The essence becomes the
core gameplay using the
relationship of the
components.
Back to our example…
2 + (- 4) = X
•
Components: Numbers, Combinations, Results
•
Essence: Manipulation
• Core Gameplay: Acquiring numbers to be
manipulated to reach a goal.
5) Determine what the User
Experience (UX) will be.
5) Determine what the User
Experience (UX) will be.
6) Build the rest of the game
around the core gameplay,
within the desired experience.
7) Refine the game through
iterative playtesting.
As you playtest your game,
analyze the choices the
players are making.
Steven Weitz & Mary Rasley
sweitz@lccc.edu & mrasley@lccc.edu
Lehigh Carbon Community College
Pennsylvania
NSF-ATE Grants 1003154 & 1304216 - Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or
recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily
reflect the views of the National Science Foundation
The Exercise:
•
Take the BAD Educational Game provided.
•
Play it (or don’t – you may be able to easily see the
problems without playing it).
•
Analyze the game based on the framework.
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
What is the concept being reinforced?
What are the components?
What is the essence of the knowledge?
What user experiences are appropriate?
What should be the core gameplay?
What rules/actions will allow the core gameplay to
work?
Implement these rules – playtest, refine, iterate.
Remove the questions! Change or Remove the Board!
Add in Interesting Choices!