This introductory presentation differentiates between Gamification, Serious Games and Simulations and provides some examples and references.

1. T4E 2014
Serious Games and Virtual
Devices
Viplav Baxi
LearnOS
Twitter: @viplavbaxi
Blog: http://learnos.wordpress.com

2. Gamification, Serious Games and Simulations
The Gamification of Education, Knewton, Feb 21, 2012
“self-efficacy, declarative knowledge, procedural knowledge,
and retention results all suggest that training outcomes are
superior for trainees taught with simulation games relative to
the comparison group’
Source: (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)
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3. Simulations
Serious Games
Fantasy worlds
“Real” worlds
Competition Experience, Behavior
Simple rules Complex rules
Highly Graphical/3D Variable GFX sophistication
Examples:
World of Warcraft
Simcity
Civilizations
Examples:
Scientific simulations
Business simulations
Augmented 4D Simulations
Non-linear learning experiences
Skills for problem solving and teamwork
Usually highly precise and ordered systems
Effective learning tools
Trans-Reality Games
Gamification
Layered Gameplay
Simplified frameworks
for competitive
learning situations
Games that seamlessly blend virtual and physical gameplay
Location based, Augmented, Mixed realities
Badges
Levels
Avatars
Leaderboards
Use of game
techniques in non-game
situations
Game experiences integrated with daily routines, social networks and media

4. Elements of Gamification Design
• Points
• Resource Collections
• Avatars
• Quests
• Progressions and Leaderboard
• Levels of complexity
• Badges
• The concept of Badges is an important one in online Learning today
• Badges are seen to increase motivation and provide portable references of
accomplishments for students
• Humans are “hard-wired” to enjoy games and have a natural tendency to interact
more deeply in activities that are framed in a game construct.
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George Olteanu, Into the Future of Gamification, 15-Jun-13
Gamification
Gamification is the use of game mechanics to drive engagement
in non-game business scenarios and to change behaviours in a
target audience to achieve business outcomes.
(Source: Gartner IT Glossary)

5. Jillian Michaels encourages users to stay on track with her fitness programs using
gamification techniques for a number of fitness challenges. With a multitude of
challenges to choose from, users can select a program that’s most closely aligned with
personal goals and lifestyle. Each challenge uses its own set of gamification techniques,
such as contests and prizes, badges, partner and group challenges.
http://blogs.clicksoftware.com/clickipedia/top-25-best-examples-of-gamification-in-business/

6. Treehouse is a virtual training academy for learning code, app development, and business skills,
used by beginners to learn valuable career skills and experienced professionals for career
advancement. Students choose from various tracks for defined outcomes, and earn badges and
points as they work through the library of courses to show off their achievements and impress
potential employers. Tracks are broken into manageable chunks, and a tracker shows your progress
as you work towards your goals. The more points you earn, the higher your potential salary.
http://blogs.clicksoftware.com/clickipedia/top-25-best-examples-of-gamification-in-business/

7. Elements of Serious Game Design
• Theme or Plot
• Analogical learning (learning is extrapolated for use in real life)
• Relatively more complex game dynamics
• Games personas / avatars
• Instant Rewards
• Levels of challenges
• Serious Games keep the character of video and computer games
• They are, however, linked to a serious end objective, such as learning how to do
something or changing the way you are
• Gameplay is an integral part of the plot, not layered on
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Serious Games
Serious Games are games for more serious uses, like education and health.
They are built in the same fantasy/other worldly style of entertainment
games, but are intended for more serious objectives like learning and
behavioural change.

8. Kingdom Konquest: A serious game to teach insurance
professionals the techniques of portfolio balancing and
management through a war theme/plot

9. Civilization: Beyond Earth
Explore and colonize an alien planet, research new technologies,
amass mighty armies, build incredible Wonders and shape the face
of your new world

10. Elements of Simulations Design
• Real world experience-based
• Experiential learning (learning is directly applicable to real life situations)
• Well defined rules, processes and structures
• Real-life outcome based metrics
• Levels of difficulty and complexity
• Simulations are built on the basis of real-life elements
• Learning is directly transferable to the job or task at hand
• Most suited for process and decision based training
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Simulations
Rigorously defined, hi-fidelity environments very close to real life and
designed for skill transfer to the real world

11. You are in an emergency
room trying to revive a
patient seriously hurt.
The instruments,
information panels and a
team of assistants help and
observe you in the process

12. Co-creating, shared
construction of real world
models (like for networks
or molecular structures)

13. Experiencing and exploring
machines. Working in a hi-fidelity
machine
environment for engineers.

14. Officer selects the
appropriate greeting…
Finacle system
Stamps
Phone
Printer
UV Scanner
Counting
Machine
Customer Service
examples of simulations

15. Elements of Trans-real Game Design
• Real and/or Fictional experiences
• Real and Virtual world components
• Experiential/Analogical learning
• Well defined interfaces between real and virtual
• Examples include Alternate Reality, Mixed Reality, Location Augmented games
• Levels of difficulty and complexity
• Trans-real gaming involves gaming as part of everyday life – play and work
• Can be used for serious learning experiences and may involve elements of
serious games, simulations and gamification
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Trans-reality Games
Games that blend the virtual game play with the physical game
play providing a 360 degrees gaming experience. Can involve
elements of gamification, serious games and simulations.

16. WorldWithoutOil
http://worldwithoutoil.org/
An Alternate Reality Game
“collectively imagining and collaboratively chronicling the
oil shock”
• First 32 weeks of a global oil crisis
• Over 1900 players
• 1500 stories
• An example of social activism
• Tour at http://gretchenv.wordpress.com/

17. Google glass is a pair of “glasses” but in reality it’s an awesome augmented reality
product that allows the user to take pictures, videos, use GPS, send messages and
much more hands free! The user is able to see real world surroundings and use the
glasses to do multiple activities during daily life.
http://www.creativeguerrillamarketing.com/guerrilla-marketing/10-rockstar-examples-augmented-reality-2014/

18. • Single user / Multi-user
• Synchronous / Asynchronous
• Self-paced / Blended classroom
• Adaptive, Intelligent / Fixed
• Simple / Complex variables, algorithms
• Social, Networked / Web 1.0
• Hardware Augmented / Software
• Location / No location
• Tablet / Phone / PC / Web / Cloud
• Type (Simulation / Serious Game / ARG / Mobile Game)
• Design Strategies (Evidence Centered Design, Epistemic Games)
• Competency / Action-Outcome based
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Key Design Considerations

19. • Increase student engagement and participation
• Allow safe-to-fail experiences
• Learn important things about students’ learning patterns and
preferences through their “play”
• Allow learners to evidence skills through Badges
• Allow geographically remote areas to be linked in through Virtual
LABs or virtual gaming experiences
• Prepare for next generation education on wearable computing and
quantified self devices that are already appearing on the horizon
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Key Benefits

20. • Cost, Money and Time
• Expertise: Low skill base in India
• Quality frameworks/benchmarks not available
• Productivity: Lack of frameworks and tools
• Standards not defined
• A shared vocabulary for design, development and inter-operable use
• Some shared understanding of quality
• Tracking, Capture & Reporting of Learning Analytics
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=W1Yp_KNTJBE
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Key Challenges

21. Thank You.
Viplav Baxi’s Meanderings
http://learnos.wordpress.com
LearnOS Consulting Services
vb@learnos.com
Twitter: @ViplavBaxi