The document discusses how gamification can be used to motivate learning by "stealing" motivational elements from games such as feedback loops, community encouragement, and time limits. It argues that these game mechanics tap into intrinsic brain mechanisms and can help sustain motivation over the long term for learning as they do for playing games. The workshop aims to debate how teaching with personal learning environments can be improved by incorporating motivational structures inspired by game design.

1. ITMEDIA
Motivation in PLEs
- Should probably have had a subtitle mentioning the word gamification?
Annette Q Pedersen
University of Copenhagen
@anetqedu
.
i
The PLE Conference 2011, Southampton University.

2. Question 1:
What is your motivation
for participating in this
workshop?

3. ITMEDIA
A Core Conversation...
This will be a guided debate!
...about what KEEPS us motivated to learn.
My hypothesis is:
Gamification has strong motivational power
My hope is:
We can “steal” the motivational effect for educational purposes
(Don’t worry -> it’s not by adding a silly layer of points on top of things!)
The purpose of this debate:
Can we make our teaching with PLEs even better, by “stealing” ideas from
game mechanics to build in even better motivational structures - or even better
let the students do it themselves?
. But first, let me elaborate a little bit on why games are interesting, and what I
i
mean by gamification...
The PLE Conference 2011, Southampton University.

4. Can learning take place
without motivation?

5. Teaching can!

6. Games
Well this is what we usually think of...

7. How do games motivate us?
A curiosity trigger ‐>
Don’t press the button
http://www.newgrounds.com/portal/view/480188

8. How are games used
to motivate us?
Real life examples
Appointment dynamics – Happy Hour
In;luence & status – the black credit card
Progression dynamics – the status bar
Communal discovery – cooperating to solve a problem
Source: http://www.ted.com/talks/seth_priebatsch_the_game_layer_on_top_of_the_world.html

9. Game Mechanics = Brain Mechanics?
Doing good.
If the deal to do good is simple, you WILL choose it.
Community driven encouragement.
If the recognition is there, you WILL do it.
Unbroken feedback loops.
If the feedback is instant, you WILL use it.
The gaming factor.
If the factor is right, you WILL play it.
Time limit.
If the timing is right, you WILL run for it.
Morality contracts.
If the contract is reasonable, you WILL sign them, and doing so, you WILL behave
more honorably.

10. Stephen P. Anderson in http://www.slideshare.net/stephenpa/long-after-the-thrill-sustaining-passionate-users-sxsw-version

11. Stephen P. Anderson in http://www.slideshare.net/stephenpa/long-after-the-thrill-sustaining-passionate-users-sxsw-version

12. Stephen P. Anderson in http://www.slideshare.net/stephenpa/long-after-the-thrill-sustaining-passionate-users-sxsw-version

13. Question 2:
What do you think of,
when you think of
learning something new?

14. Can we harness the
power of motivation
from games?
Especially when it
comes to sustaining
motivation...

15. School is also a game...
6:55 http://www.ted.com/talks/seth_priebatsch_the_game_layer_on_top_of_the_world.html

16. Question 3:
Why is it so hard
to stay motivated?

17. Stephen P. Anderson in http://www.slideshare.net/stephenpa/long-after-the-thrill-sustaining-passionate-users-sxsw-version

18. Question 4:
Which
motivational structure(s)
(incentives, rewards, feedback, etc)
does your student’s PLEs have?
(or: Why should they do their work?)

19. Feedback loops, a key element
“Your call is important to us”
“Please hold”

20. Delayed gratification
Marshmallow experiment
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6EjJsPylEOY

21. Diabetes - a long term goal

22. Using game dynamics to trick ourselves
into doing things...
Influencing our own behaviour (for good)

23. Stephen P. Anderson in http://www.slideshare.net/stephenpa/long-after-the-thrill-sustaining-passionate-users-sxsw-version

24. Question 5:
How do we facilitate
Students co-creating
better feedback
for themselves and eachother?