Educational Gaming for
Free Spirited Skeptics
Theory and Challenges of Pedagogical Games
May 8, 2012
Elizabeth Pyatt
gaming@psu.edu
Who Am I?
 Elizabeth

Instructional Designer


Pyatt
Penn State since 2000
Solitaire addict, just brought Wii

Minesweeper, Puzzles, PacMan, Space
Invaders, Missile Command, Jeopardy
 Educational

Gaming Commons
http://gaming.psu.edu
Outline
 What’s

a Game?
Does there have to be a winner?
 Potential

PBL, motivation/affect, teams…
 Skeptics

for Learning
Corner
Leading to “What to Avoid”
 First
Steps
But first a contest
 How

many games will I mention?
Need names plus count
 There
are some prizes on the line.
 Audience will determine accuracy
of list
What’s a Game?
 Favorite
 What
games (any genre)
do they have in common?
Official Characteristics
 Set
of rules/restrictions
Semi-arbitrary (e.g. no hands on the ball)
 Context is “Not Real”

 Scoring
Method
 Competition (& a “Winner”?)
Many expect there to be
 Sometimes you beat the computer…or
yourself

 Successful
games are “fun”
Parameters?
 There’s
some candy on the line…
Interesting Parameters
Electronic vs. Non-Electronic
 Team vs. Individual
 What Skills are Being Practiced?

Math, Word, Strategy, Dancing, Music
 Meditation, Building, Flying, Farming, Sales


Time investment
Casual (short & sweet)
 Non-casual (lots of investment, high reward)

Background Narrative
 Games vs. Puzzles vs. Toys
±

How many outcomes?
Educational Possibilities
 Games
invoke a variety of
pedagogical principles such as…
Team Playing
Group Learning

World of Warcraft



Discuss strategy, plan missions
Make trades
Compile notes



http://www.wowwiki.com/
Practice English grammar
Econ in Outer Space

A game in which students build a modern
economy from scratch post spacecraft wreck

ECON 201, UNC Greensboro
Role Play
Empathy

What’s it like to be another person?


“Warrior” is a common role BUT
Business Administrator


Bucket of Beans (S. Pacific Reciprocity)


Sims & ECON 102 Sims (Campus)
Players learn the value of “cashing in” favors
StarPower
Establish an arbitrary upper class via trades
 This class can establish new rules



BEWARE
http://www.stsintl.com/schoolscharities/star_power.html
Quests and Missions
Pot Assembly Required
PBL/Challenge Based
Learning
 Games
are often won by solving
problems

AKA “Quests” or “Missions”
 Educational
Quests
Beer Distribution Game (used in Smeal)
 Oregon Trail


Rare educational game that was a commercial
success
Simulation Game Genres
 God

Game
Game in which players control parameter
of universe (e.g. Sim Games)
 History
Sims
Age of Empires
 Trial of Lizzie Borden (U Mass)

 Science

Simulations
Flight Simulator, Spore
SimHealth
Played as part of HPA 101
Leveling Up
Pac Man Maze levels
Pac Man 5D which presents a
variable 3D grid. Invented by
a Russian gamer.
Mastery Learning

Achieve Minimal Score before moving to
next Lesson


AKA complete level 1 before level 2
Scaffolding


Each level introduces new element
Adding a touch of difficulty adds interest




Too little is boring
Too much causes gamers to quit
Zone of Proximal Development
Unlocking in Games

Leveling up unlocks new tools (reward)

New equation? New diagram?
Shoot To Kill
“Drill and Kill”
 Games
encourage
practice



And automaticity of
skills
Such as pattern
recognition
But with fun
graphics & music
See also
 Math

drills
More fun with tiny angry scientists?

Algebra Meltdown
(http://www.mangahigh.com/en_us/games)
 Vocabulary

and spelling
More fun as Hangman, crossword?
 Identification

…
Affect/Motivation
 Games
can add motivation to
Chores (Chore Wars – competitive chore
points)
 Jogging (Nike Plus) – badges, leaderboard
 Self-Improvement (SuperBetter)

Skeptics Corner
 Games
“better than reality”
Aren’t we supposed to be helping
students deal with reality?
 YES…however

Gamers often good at tackling real world
challenges and learn real world skills
 Reflection can help them see how…

Just Games?
 What

about
Active Star Trek fan communities…

Or Dorothy Dunnett readers
Knitters, needlepointers, metal workers
 Toastmasters
 “Stovetop” league? Monday Morning
quarterback?
…

“Gaming the System”
 AKA
Cheating
 Games
Cheat codes, destroying weaker
opponents
 Some socially OK, others not

 In
School
Academic Dishonesty
 BECAUSE…

When games are high stakes…
Survive annihilation. Win
free nail polish for life?
Can we still have fun?

Low Stakes vs High Stakes


Students do enjoy





Games (low stakes) + reflection (higher)
Change from lecture/quiz
Leader Boards (when low stakes)
Games if logistics not too burdensome
A certain level of goofiness or joie de vivre
Game may teach crucial skill

So maybe we do require it anyway
Can we make Failure an
Option?
 Games

teach via mistakes
Because they allow resets

Gamers comfortable experimenting
Can we use more “maximum scores”?
 Can we give hints


Maybe with minor points deductions
Thinking Game Goals
 Games
can allow for:
Strategic/Systems thinking
 Experience as a different person
 Add motivation
 Practice of low level skills/knowledge

 Games

don’t
Convey content (except in the
“narrative”)
Oregon Trail

Goal: Teach about life on the Oregon Trail
Life on the Oregon Trail is very
hazardous, requires careful planning,
and crosses a variety of terrain
Quick Starts
 Casual

Games
Hangman/Peril/Typo

http://gaming.psu.edu
PowerPoint Templates
 ANGEL games (crossword/match)

 Gamification

Badges? Quests? Avatars?
 Case

Studies (gussied up)?
Many avatar/graphics tools
Fun Play
 Find
the challenge “sweet spot”
Not too easy or too difficult
 Challenging gun for faculty ≠ fun for
students

 Allow

Graphics, sound effects, puns
 Allow

for goofiness
for some “low stakery”
Can activities be replayed?
What do you mean “goofy”?

Many use great cartoons but do we




Show warriors fleeing the scene after a
mistranslation?
Simulate explosions in engineering?
Turn ourselves into an avatar?
Turn homework into “quests” or “missions?



Add game graphics to assignments?
Allow students to earn points towards late
assignment submissions?
Unlock “power” equations? Tools?
Explaining Functions w/Subs

Using cash register buttons as metaphors
for algebraic functions in Math 21
Starring Deb
Mirdamadi,
Mont Alto
Campus
Failing can be Funny
Today we learned

Games can be good learning
environments

Problem solving, skills practice,
collaboration
Games have many facets
 Games in school ≠ games in the wild



But hopefully can be fun & educational
Gaming does require a mental
readjustment for instructors

But there are many paths to victory
Who Am I?
 Pragmatrix

Super Powers
Master of Learning Objective Congruence
 Assessor of Pedagogical Games
 Explorer of New Technologies
 Queen of “Keeping it Real”

Some References

McGonigal, Jane


James Paul Gee


What Video Games Have to Teach Us about
Learning and Literacy
Koster, Ralph


Reality is Broken: Why Games Make us Better.
A Theory of Fun
Bartle, Richard (player types)

Hearts, Clubs, Diamonds, Spades: Players who
Suit MUDs
Contest Results
 How

many games did I mention?
Must provide names