This clinic at the Training Magazine Online Conference focused on the role of “play” in online learning, exploring design thinking methods and tools that you can be used to engage your learning communities in “play.” Participants had the opportunity to experiment with these methods and tools, and actualize “play” through the use of Learning Battle Cards—a deck of playing cards designed to inspire and facilitate a variety of instructional design and development methods.

1. The Power of Play
The Gamification of Instructional Design

2. @phylisebanner
#LearningBattleCards
Master Craftswoman
eLearning Craft

3. GOALS FOR TODAY
1. Learn
2. Play
3. Share
4. Win

4. Shout it out!
Icon created by Magicon from Noun Project

5. What is YOUR name?

6. What do you DO best?

7. What does PLAY mean to you?

8. “Anything that spontaneously
is done for its own sake”
He also says that play:
“Appears purposeless,
produces pleasure and joy,
and leads one to the next
stage of mastery”
As defined by Stuart Brown, the founder
of the National Institute of Play:

9. RESEARCH TELLS US
Pleasurable: We must enjoy the activity.
Intrinsically motivated: We do it just
to do it.
Process oriented: The means are
more important.
Freely chosen: We can opt in or out.
Actively engaged: We must be involved.
Non-literal: It’s only a paper moon!

10. RESEARCH TELLS US
Play can help us regulate
our emotions by providing
an outlet to exert control
over our environments
and deal with stress in
the moment.

11. HOW WE PLAY
Solitary: We play alone.
Parallel: We do the same thing, but
separately.
Associative: We do the same thing
separately, but we share.
Cooperative: We play together with
a common goal.

12. “PLAY makes learning
something that happens
naturally and joyfully,
when we laugh,
wonder, explore,
and imagine.”
Quote adapted from the Minnesota Children’s Museum

13. How can we PLAY at work?

14. Who here PLAYS cards?

15. LEARNING BATTLE CARDS
to share . to understand . to use

16. I am an independent design consultant
and I do NOT represent any vendors!

18. THE XYLearning TEAM
… and a CROWD of hundreds!

19. To deliver a uniform ecosystem
and handy artifacts helpful in
designing instruction

20. To promote rich LEARNING, or (maybe even
better) to promote a rich Instructional Design
process based on the understanding of a large
VARIETY of training and development methods.
To train the trainers; give educators INSPIRATION,
knowledge, and a FRAMEWORK of thinking in a
Learning Battle Cards way.

21. CAN DESIGNING LEARNING BE A GAME?
START
Organizational
goals define
the “win”
of the game.
Organizational
or project
constraints
define the deck.
Time and budget
scope out the
rules of the
game.
Ideas and
approaches are
thrown around
throughout
the process.
Strategies are
used to
continuously
revise and adapt.
There is a finish
line for delivery. WIN

22. Ready to PLAY?

23. ANATOMY OF A CARD

24. GRANULARITY
The level of practical
complexity that
a given card has.
• Component
• Mechanism
• Form

25. GRANULARITY

26. HOW WE PLAY
Solitary: We play alone.
Parallel: We do the same thing, but
separately.
Associative: We do the same thing
separately, but we share.
Cooperative: We play together with
a common goal.

27. GAME 1

28. Appoint a DEALER and a
LEAD VOCALIST in your group

29. Deal ONE card to each person

30. Each person needs
to share 2 benefits
and 2 drawbacks
to implementing the
approach on
their card.
15 MINUTES

31. Time to SING!
5 MINUTES

32. GAME 2

33. The DEAL passes to the left

34. Get into groups of 5
Appoint a VOCALIST and REALIST

35. REALIST
worry about
budget, time,
client demands
IDEALISTS
shoot for the
moon, dream big

36. Deal out 5 random cards
to each group

37. Design a LEARNING solution

38. Each group needs to design
a LEARNING solution using
at least four approaches in
your hand, while being
“inspired” by the REALIST.
15 MINUTES

39. Time to SING!
10 MINUTES

40. GAME 3

41. The DEAL passes to the left

42. Deal FIVE cards to each person

43. Who has the best HAND for
building a learning community?

44. 1. Royal flush
2. Straight flush
3. Four of a kind
4. Full house
5. Flush
6. Straight
7. Three of a kind
8. Two pairs

45. Time to SING!
5 MINUTES

46. “PLAY makes learning
something that happens
naturally and joyfully,
when we laugh,
wonder, explore,
and imagine.”
Quote adapted from the Minnesota Children’s Museum

47. http://learningbattlecards.com
http://store.learningbattlecards.com
LBC#PHYLISE
pbanner@gmail.com
@phylisebanner