The document discusses the gamification of learning, highlighting its impact on engagement and retention among learners. It outlines key elements such as storytelling, challenges, and characters that enhance educational experiences, while emphasizing that games do not need to be entertaining to be effective. Recommendations include embedding facts within stories and providing varying levels of challenges to cater to different learner needs.

1. Future of Learning: Games and
Gamification
By Karl M. Kapp
Bloomsburg University
Twitter:@kkapp Gamification of Learning and Instruction
September 6, 2012

2. Torn from the
book…

3. Google “Kapp Notes”
September 2011 Training Quarterly Article
Improving Training: Thinking Like a Game Developer
July 2012 T&D Article
Games, Gamification and the Quest for Interactive Learning

4. Agenda
1 2
What is gamification and why does it
What are the expectations of the Matter to learning professionals?
new generation of learners?
3
What elements from games can be
added to traditional learning to maximize impact?

5. Games 1.0
4 2
3

6. Games 1.0
4 3
How will the ball
Where is my
bounce off the wall?
opponent
going to go next?
In what direction
should I try to move
the ball?

7. Games 2.0

8. Games 2.0
What is the pattern
Should I shoot the aliens
these aliens are
on the end or in the
following?
middle or all the bottom
aliens first?
How long do I have
to shoot before an
alien shoots at me?

9. Games 3.0

11. What must I do to
Where do I explore achieve my goal?
first?
What activities are of
the most value?

12. Games 4.0

13. Games 4.0 What activities give
me the most return
for my efforts?
Can I trust this
person who wants to
team with me to
accomplish a goal?

14. Games 4.0
Flippy wants to become
friends with you. Do you
want to add Flippy to
your friend’s list.

15. Games 4.0

16. Games 4.0

17. - Realistic simulators for contemporary
Leadership Training
- Integrate these games into leadership development
programs
- Attempt various leadership structures
-Employees may make hundreds of leadership
decision an hour in a game
Leadership’s Online Labs
Leadership’s Online Labs
Harvard Business
Harvard Business
Review, May 2008
Review, May 2008

18. 10,000 hours
of
13 hours
Game play
of console
games a
week
87% of 8- to 17-
year olds
play video games
Digital divisions. Report by the Pew /Internet: Pew Internet & American Life.
US Department of Commerce
at home.

19. Almost 43% of the
gamers are female
and 26% of those
females are over
18.
Females play 5 hours a week of
console games. They make up
the majority of PC gamers at
63%.

20. Are games effective for
learning?

21. Yes!
Retention % Higher
Type of
Knowledge
Retention 9%
Procedural 14%
Declarative 11%
Sitzmann, T. (2011) A meta-analytic examination of the instructional effectiveness of computer-based
simulation games. Personnel Psychology .Review of 65 studies. Chapter 4 “The Gamification of Learning and
Instruction.”

22. Percentages of Impact
Retention
It wasn’t the game, it was % Higher
level of activity in the game.
Type of
Knowledge
Retention 9%
In other words, the
Procedural engagement of the learner in
14%
the game leads to learning.
Declarative 11%
Sitzmann, T. (2011) A meta-analytic examination of the instructional effectiveness of computer-based
simulation games. Personnel Psychology .Review of 65 studies. Chapter 4 “The Gamification of Learning and
Instruction.”

23. Do simulation/games have to be entertaining to
be educational?
Sitzmann, T. (2011) A meta-analytic examination of the instructional effectiveness of computer-based
simulation games. Personnel Psychology .Review of 65 studies. Chapter 4 “The Gamification of Learning and
Instruction.”

24. Do simulation/games have to be entertaining to
be educational?
NO
Sitzmann, T. (2011) A meta-analytic examination of the instructional effectiveness of computer-based
simulation games. Personnel Psychology .Review of 65 studies. Chapter 4 “The Gamification of Learning and
Instruction.”

25. Do Simulation/games build more confidence
for on the job application of learned
knowledge than classroom instruction.
Sitzmann, T. (2011) A meta-analytic examination of the instructional effectiveness of computer-based
simulation games. Personnel Psychology .Review of 65 studies. Chapter 4 “The Gamification of Learning and
Instruction.”

26. Do Simulation/games build more confidence
for on the job application of learned
knowledge than classroom instruction.
Yes, 20% higher
confidence
levels.
Sitzmann, T. (2011) A meta-analytic examination of the instructional effectiveness of computer-based
simulation games. Personnel Psychology .Review of 65 studies. Chapter 4 “The Gamification of Learning and
Instruction.”

27. Fact: Instructional games should be embedded in
instructional programs that include
debriefing and feedback.
Engagement
Instructional support to help learners
understandEducational the game increases
how to use
instructionalSimulation
effectiveness of the gaming
Game
experience. Pedagogy
Hays, R. T. (2005). The effectiveness of instructional games: A literature review and
Hays, R. T. (2005). The effectiveness of instructional games: A literature review and
discussion. Naval Air Warfare Center Training Systems Division (No 2005-004). Chapter 4
discussion. Naval Air Warfare Center Training Systems Division (No 2005-004). Chapter 4
“The Gamification of Learning and Instruction.”
“The Gamification of Learning and Instruction.”

28. Example

29. Recommendations
1) Use a game/simulation to provide a context for the
learning.
2) Don’t focus on “entertainment.”
3) Carefully craft the simulation/game to provide
opportunities to increase engagement and interactivity to
increase learning.

30. Use game-based mechanics,
aesthetics and game thinking to
engage people, motivate action,
promote learning, and solve
problems.
Gamificatio
n

31. Gaming
(Serious ) Games Gamification
Simulations
Course Hero
Whole Part
Toys Playful Design
Legos iPhone
Playing
From Game Design Elements to Gamefulness: Defining “Gamification”, Deterding, S. et. al

33. http://success.adobe.com/microsites/levelup/index.html

35. Use measurement achievements
instead of completion achievements to
increase intrinsic motivation through
feedback.
Locke, E.A., & Latham, G.P. (2002) Building a practially useful theory of goal setting and
task motivation: A 35-year Odyssey. American Psychologist, 57(9), 705-717 Chapter 11:
“The Gamification of Learning and Instruction”

36. Primarily use expected achievements so
players can establish goals for themselves
and create a schema of the learning
environment.
http://www.coursehero.com/courses/
Schooler, L.J., & Anderson (1990) The disruptive potential of immediate feedback. The proceedings of the Twelfth
Annual Conference of the Cognitive Science Society, Cambridge, MA. Chapter 11: “The Gamification of Learning and
Instruction”

37. 2 weeks after launching Courses (powered by gamification),
CourseHero received 350 suggested edits to existing courses and
122 requests for new courses.
Another 68 people offered to augment existing courses by creating
their own course to be hosted on coursehero.com.

38. • Since the implementation of gamification elements, time
on site overall has increased around 5 percent.

39. • For Gamified courses, the time on site for the Courses are
nearly three times as long as time onsite for all of
coursehero.com.
• Social sharing of achievements increased nearly 400 percent
in three months.

40. Some people think Gamification is only about
points, badges and rewards…
PBL (Points, Badges, Leader Boards)…

41. … if it was, this would be the most engaging game in
the world.

42. … but the possibilities of “gamification” are far
larger than points, badges and rewards.

43. Elements of
Games that Aid
Learning
• Story
• Character
• Recognition
• Levels
• Challenges
• Chance
• Replayability
• Aesthetics
• Time
• Continual Feedback

44. Three
Elements of
Games that Aid
Learning
1. Story
2. Challenges
3. Characters
4. Levels

45. Story

46. Researchers have found that the
Researchers have found that the Yep, People tend to remember facts
Yep, People tend to remember facts
human brain has a natural affinity
human brain has a natural affinity more accurately if they encounter
more accurately if they encounter
for narrative construction.
for narrative construction. them in a story rather than in a list.
them in a story rather than in a list.
And they rate legal arguments as
more convincing when built into
narrative tales rather than on legal
precedent.
Carey, B. (2007) this is Your Life (and How You Tell it). The New York Times. Melanie Green
Carey, B. (2007) this is Your Life (and How You Tell it). The New York Times. Melanie Green
http://www.unc.edu/~mcgreen/research.html. Chapter 2 “The Gamification of Learning and
http://www.unc.edu/~mcgreen/research.html. Chapter 2 “The Gamification of Learning and
Instruction.
Instruction.

47. Story Elements
1. Characters
2. Plot (something has to happen).
3. Ten s ion
4. Resolution
te rs pr ob le m
C ha ra ct er en co u n
n si on
5. Conclusion Pr ob le m bu il ds te
re d
A so lu ti on is of fe
te d /p os it iv e
R es u lt s ar e pr es en

48. NikePlus Stats for Karl

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

51. Re-design the Instruction to
Start with a Challenge

52. Investigatory Training
• Course Objectives
– Identify the Forms Required for an Investigation
– Practice Interview Techniques
– Describe and Follow the Investigation Model

53. It is your first day on the job as an investigator and
Jane, an employee in Accounting, just accused her
boss of embezzling $10,000.
What is the first thing you should do?

54. Challenge and Consolidation– Good games offer players a set
of challenging problems and then let them solve these problems
until they have virtually routinized or automated their solutions.
Games then throw a new class of problem at the players requiring
them to rethink their now, taken-for-granted mastery, learn
something new, and integrate this new learning into their old
mastery.
James Paul Gee,
University of Wisconsin-Madison

55. Recommendations
• Embed facts to be learned in the context of stories.
• Start the learning process by providing a challenge to
the learner.
• Provide a progression from simple to more difficult
tasks.
• Use stories that are related to the context of the
desired learning outcome.

56. We’ve Always W anted
Characters
Characters

57. On tests involving different word problems, the group who
had a character explain the problems generated 30% more
correct answers than the group with just on-screen text.
Animated pedagogical agents (characters) can be
aids to learning. A “realistic” character did not
facilitate learning any better than a “cartoon-like”
character.
Clark, R., Mayer, R. (2011) E-Learning and the Science of Instruction: Proven Guidelines for Consumers and Designers of
Multimedia Learning. New York: Pfeiffer. Pg. 194. Chapter 4 “The Gamificaiton of Learning and Instruciton”

58. Avatar as Teacher
Research indicates that learners perceive, interact
socially with and are influenced by
anthropomorphic agents (characters) even when
their functionality and adaptability are limited.
Baylor, A. 2009 Promoting motivation with virtual agents and avatars: R ole of visual presence and appearance. Philosophical
Transactions of the Royal B Society. 364, 3559–3565. Chapter 4 “The Gamification of Learning and Instruction”

59. Are two avatars better
than one?
Motivator
Mentor
Expert

60. Yes, two avatars are
better than one.
Motivator
Mentor
Baylor, A. L. & Kim, Y. (2005). Simulating instructional roles through
pedagogical agents. International Journal of Artificial Intelligence in
Education, 15(1), 95-115. Chapter 4 “The Gamification of Learning and Expert
Instruction”

61. http://codebaby.com/elearning-solutions/examples/

62. http://codebaby.com/elearning-solutions/examples/

63. Recommendations
• Use characters/agents to model desired behavior.
• Use characters/agents to provide feedback and
instruction to learners.
• Characters should speak in a natural, conversational
tone.
• Use two characters, one for coaching and one for
expertise is better than just having one character trying
to do both.

64. Levels

65. Games provide
different levels for
different points of
entry.

66. Scaffolding: Process of controlling
the task elements that initially are
beyond the learner’s capacity.
Guided Practice. Step-by-step
instructions and then fading of
instruction
Having different entry points into a learning
module provides players with a comfort level that
they can enter the learning and be successful.

67. Many of the instructional methods that are effective
for novices either have no effect or, in some cases,
depress the learning of learners with more
expertise.
Training designed for learners with greater prior
knowledge requires different instruction methods
than training designed for novice learners.
Clark, R., Nguyen, F. & Sweller, J. (2006) Efficiency in Learning: Evidence-based guidelines to manage cognitive load. Pfeiffer. Page
Clark, R., Nguyen, F. & Sweller, J. (2006) Efficiency in Learning: Evidence-based guidelines to manage cognitive load. Pfeiffer. Page
247. Chapter 7 and 7 of “The Gamification of Learning and Instruction.
247. Chapter 7 and 7 of “The Gamification of Learning and Instruction.

68. Recommendations

69. Fact
Greitemeyer, T. & Osswald, S. (2010) Effective of Prosocial games on prosocial behavior.
Greitemeyer, T. & Osswald, S. (2010) Effective of Prosocial games on prosocial behavior.
Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. Vol. 98 .. No. 2., 211-221.
Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. Vol. 98 No. 2., 211-221.

70. 28% helped to
pick up pencils

71. 33% helped to
pick up pencils

72. 67% helped to
pick up pencils

74. 22%
intervened

75. 56%
intervened

76. Take-Away
1) Interactivity of games leads to higher knowledge retention
for declarative and procedural knowledge.
2) Embed facts to be learned in the context of stories.
3) Games/Simulations do not need to be fun to be educational.
4) On screen characters can enhance e-learning.
5) Two on screen characters (mentor and expert) are better
then one.
6) Use stories rather than bulleted lists to present facts.
7) Present learners with a difficult challenge to engage and
motivate them.
8) Use stories that are related to the context of the desired
learning outcome.
9) Allow different entry points/levels into the instruction.
10) Games can be more influential than reading about a subject.

77. Questions?
Twitter:@kkapp
kkapp@bloomu.edu