Three things instructional designers can learn from game designers according to the document: 1) Begin with an engaging activity instead of passive content consumption. 2) Create curiosity and intrigue rather than revealing all information up front. 3) Provide an optimal challenge level and allow for failure instead of making learning too easy without risk.

1. Five Things Instructional
Designers Can Learn from
Game Designers
By Karl M. Kapp
Bloomsburg University
Gamification of Learning &Instruction
EMAIL: kkapp@bloomu.edu
TWITTER: @kkapp
BLOG: http://karlkapp.com/kapp-notes/

3. Covert Takeaway Challenge

4. Notes
Slides
Additional Ideas
www.karlkapp.com/kapp-notes

5. 4
2
3

9. What variables do I
balance to keep my
person happy?
Work Life Harmony
How should I
manage my time?

10. What leadership
strategy should I
use?

12. Not another
online
lecture.

13. Sorry, had you
on mute, could
you repeat the
question.

14. I am going to
need more
coffee.

15. “Study of 2,300 people found only 6% of
organizations are successful in influencing
behavior change among employees.”
--Al Switzler

16. We need to
think more
like Game
Designers

17. The Dragon Slayer Mission

18. You are a game designer at SuperGame
Corporation which has hit some hard times lately.

19. It is Friday at 4:55 PM and you only have two things on you mind…

20. Hey someone
wants us to
create a game
about slaying dragons.

21. We are competing internally for the
project. Winning team earns the
right to work on the project.

22. Two Development Teams
teama
teamb

23. Rules
• A statement is presented
– Choose the best response
• Text Keyword Response:
– To 37607
Standard Texting Fees
Apply!
Take out
your textmachines

24. How To Respond via Texting
Amaze
Inamaze
alright
TIPS
1. Polleverywhere has no access to your phone number
2. Capitalization doesn’t matter, but spaces and spelling do
Amaze

26. Each team will be confronted with a
series of questions. The team that
correctly answers the questions wins
the work.

27. What about the other team?

28. Losers are assigned to the
Watching Paint Dry game that’s
been under development.

29. Wow, I heard about that project,
its almost as fun as… never mind.
Dragon Slaying is much better.

30. First decision about this dragon slaying
game is how to start the game…what
should the players first in-game
experience be?

31. You have two choices:
Tell the player three things he/she needs to
know about slaying dragons.
or
Begin with a fight between the player and a
small, dangerous dragon.

33. Why does this answer make
sense?
Not Sure?

34. Good game designers know that games
are engaging because they require action
right away.
Action draws in the player and
encourages further engagement. Start
by battling a dragon.

35. Research indicates that learners who
used interactive games for learning
had the greater cognitive gains over
learners provided with traditional
classroom training.
Vogel, J. J., Vogel D.S., Cannon-Bowers, J., Bowers, C.A., Muse, K., & Wright, M. (2006). Computer gaming and
Interactive simulations for learning: A meta-analysis. Journal of Educational Computing Research, 34(3), 229-243.

36. Too often instructional design is about
the content and not about the actions
that need to occur.
Game Design is about action.

37. Ok, next decision.
Provide a map with the location of all
the dragons.
or
Create a sense of mystery and
curiosity concerning the location of
dragons.

39. It is always a good idea to build curiosity into a
game. Reveal locations of dragons throughout the
course of the player’s journey.

40. Here are some of my
notes on the subject.

42. A sense of suspense, mystery
and intrigue draws people into
games and can draw them into
learning as well.

43. OK, next decision, should we:
Make the game easy so we don’t discourage the
players.
or
Make the game challenging, knowing some
players will fail the first few times.

45. It needs to be challenging.
Jones, B., Valdez, G., Norakowski, J., & Rasmussen, C. (1994). Designing learning and technology
for educational reform. North Central Regional Educational Laboratory. [Online]. Available:
http://www.ncrtec.org/capacity/profile/profwww.htm and Schlechty, P. C. (1997). Inventing
better schools: An action plan for educational reform. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. Chapter 2
“The Gamification of Learning and Instruction.”

46. In fact, give them the
Kobayashi Maru of challenges.

47. Harsh!

48. Look! Things that are too easy or too difficult
will not pique a learner’s interest because they
lead to boredom or frustration.
Research has shown that challenge is
correlated with both intrinsic motivation and
motivation related to the desire to seek
competence and self confidence.
White, R.W. (1959) Motivation reconsidered: The concept of competence. Psychological Review, 66, 297-333.

49. Well said!

50. Well, the next decision, should we:
Put the player at risk, they could die at any
moment.
or
Let the player safely explore the environment.

52. Seriously, you are asking me
this question. The player needs
to be at risk.

53. No risk, or danger equal no skin in
the game.
Get the player emotionally involved
by putting him or her at “mock”
risk.

54. In games, failing is allowed, it’s
acceptable, and it’s part of the
process. Games accommodate
failure with multiple lives, second
chances and alternative methods of
success.

55. Do you punish failure in your
learning design or do you allow and
encourage the freedom to fail?

56. Last decision, should we:
Give player choices about what level to enter
the game.
or
Create one path for every player.

58. Choices, players need choices. Look,
let me tell you what motivates
people.

59. People are motivated when they have
autonomy, mastery and relatedness.

60. Hey, isn’t that the Self-Determination Theory?

61. Why, yes…yes it is.

62. When given control over their learning, research
has shown that learners invested more and
attempted more complex strategies than when
they had no control. So give learners control.
Cordova, D.I., & Lepper M. R. (1996) Intrinsic motivation and the process of learning: Beneficial effects of
contextualization, personalization and choice. Journal of Educational Psychology, 88, 715-730

63. Lot of information, thanks. So let
me ask one more question.

64. Ok, so which team won?

65. Well, there all winners to me….

66. Ugh….

67. How about a re-cap…

68. Here are five tips to help an
instructional designer to think like a
game designer:
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
Begin with activity
Create curiosity, mystery, intrigue
Create a challenge for the learner
Put learners at “mock” risk
Give learners choices

69. Bonus information.

70. Mobile game designers
create games to be played
over time. Use time to
your advantage

71. A study using a randomized control group conducted a
trial between Aug 10, 2009, and Nov 30, 2012, at ten
sites in southeast India with over 500 subjects.
Working Indian men (aged 35—55 years) with impaired
glucose tolerance were randomly assigned to either a
mobile phone messaging intervention or standard care.
Ramachandran, A. et. al. Effectiveness of mobile phone messaging in prevention of type 2 diabetes by lifestyle modification in men in
India: a prospective, parallel-group, randomised controlled trial The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology, Early Online Publication, 11
September 2013 doi:10.1016/S2213-8587(13)70067-6

72. “Use stairs instead of
an Elevator”
“Avoid snacks while watching
TV; you may overeat. “
Ramachandran, A., et. al.., Effectiveness of mobile phone messaging in prevention of type 2 diabetes by lifestyle modification in men in
India: a prospective, parallel-group, randomised controlled trial The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology, Early Online Publication, 11
September 2013 doi:10.1016/S2213-8587(13)70067-6

73. Lowered risk of developing
Type 2 diabetes by 36%.
Ramachandran, A., et. al.., Effectiveness of mobile phone messaging in prevention of type 2 diabetes by lifestyle modification in men in
India: a prospective, parallel-group, randomised controlled trial The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology, Early Online Publication, 11
September 2013 doi:10.1016/S2213-8587(13)70067-6

74. Larsen DP, Butler AC, Roediger HL 3rd. Repeated testing improves long-term retention relative to repeated study: a randomized controlled
trial. Med Educ 43: 1174–1181, 2009.
Dobson, J. L. (2013) Retrieval practice is an efficient method of enhancing the retention of anatomy and physiology information Advances
in Physiology Education 37: 184–191, 2013; doi:10.1152/advan.00174.2012.

75. Covert Takeaway Challenge

78. Copy of Slides and Notes available at
www.karlkapp.com
Contact Karl at:
kkapp@bloomu.edu

79. Covert Takeaways
•
•
•
•
Learning should be engaging.
Stories provide a context for learning.
It is ok for a learner to struggle.
Simply adding points, badges and
leaderboards does not make learning
effective.