Presenters: Peter Shea, Director of the Office of Professional Development, Middlesex Community College Nikki Boots, Instructional Technologist, Harvard University Jim Grenier, Associate Director of The Center for Teaching, Learning and Technology Innovation, Mass Bay Community College Despite the large body of research which supports the use of serious games and simulations in a variety of knowledge domains, sg/s have not made a significant impact in higher education. In this presentation, three professional instructional designers will discuss the reasons why higher education is a difficult market to break into, but also why and where there are signs of hope.

1. Serious Games in Higher Education:
Problems and Potentials
Peter Shea, Jim Grenier, and Nikki Boots
July 22nd, Serious Play Conference

2. Introductions: Who We Are
Nikki Boots, Ph.D.
Manager, Learning and
Development, DataXu, Boston,
MA (Formerly - Instructional
Technologist, Harvard
University)
Jim Grenier, M.Ed.
Instructional Designer,
Associate Director, The Center
for Teaching, Learning and
Technology Innovation at
Massbay CC, Wellesley, MA
Peter Shea, M.A.
Instructional Designer &
Director, Professional
Development Middlesex
Community College,
Bedford/Lowell, MA

3. Overview
•Introduction
•History of Serious Games in Education
•Obstacles & Problems to Games in Education
•Potential - Signs of Hope
•A Way Forward
•Questions & Answers

4. Let’s Test What You Know
•What percentage of American households play computer or
video games?
•What is the average age of a gamer today?
•What percentage of gamers are women?

5. What percentage of American households play
computer or video games regularly?
42%
Entertainment Software Association. 2015 Sales, Demographic and Usage Data Essential Facts. http://www.theesa.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/ESA-Essential-Facts-2015.pdf

6. What is the average age of a gamer today?
35
Entertainment Software Association. 2015 Sales, Demographic and Usage Data Essential Facts. http://www.theesa.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/ESA-Essential-Facts-2015.pdf

7. What percentage of gamers are women?
44%
Entertainment Software Association. 2015 Sales, Demographic and Usage Data Essential Facts. http://www.theesa.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/ESA-Essential-Facts-2015.pdf

8. Definition of Serious Gaming (Abt, 1970)
•Two or more independent decision-makers seeking to achieve their
objectives in some limiting context.
•A game is a context with rules among adversaries trying to win objectives.
•Games have an explicit and carefully thought-out educational purpose and
are not intended to be played primarily for amusement.
Abt, C. C. (1970). Serious Games. New York: Viking Press.

9. Definition of Serious Gaming (Zyda, 2005)
•Game: “A physical or mental contest, played according to specific rules, with the goal
of amusing or rewarding the participant.”
•Video Game: “A mental contest, played with a computer according to certain rules
for amusement, recreation, or winning a stake.”
•Serious Game: “A mental contest, played with a computer in accordance with
specific rules that uses entertainment to further government or corporate training,
education, health, public policy, and strategic communication objectives.”
Zyda, M. (September 2005). From Visual Stimulation to Virtual Games to Games. IEEE Computer, 38(9), 25-32.

10. Competing for Attention
•“What is different is children’s sense of entitlement: Whereas under earlier
conditions, students had to earn, to merit, to “deserve” their teachers
attention, nowadays increasingly today the tables are turning; it is the teacher
who must earn or ‘deserve’ the attention of her students—or they will turn
it elsewhere.” (DeCastell & Jenson, 2006)
•“Playing multiple-level video games because these games are
characteristically associated with high levels of engagement.” (Gee, 2004)
DeCastell, S., & Jensen, J. (2006). Education, Games, and Serious Play. The International Handbook of Virtual Learning Environments, III(Chapter 37), 999-1018.
Gee, J. P. (2004). What Video Games Have to Teach Us About Learning and Literacy. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.

11. The Equality of Gaming
•“That each and everyone of us ‘learn’ at whatever rate we are able given
shifting constraints like time, attention to the task, experience, interest, etc.
is, in a way, precisely what video games do presume.” (DeCastell & Jenson,
2006)
•“The strength of motivational engagement was in part influenced by the
gamers’ perceived ability to control the gaming process and the perception
that there were few consequences to failure when gaming.” (Hoffman &
Nadelson, 2009)
DeCastell, S., & Jensen, J. (2006). Education, Games, and Serious Play. The International Handbook of Virtual Learning Environments, III(Chapter 37), 999-1018.
Hoffman, B., & Nadelson, L. (2009). Motivational engagement and video gaming: a mixed methods study. Educational Technology Research and Development, September, 21.

12. Theories Applied in Gaming
•“Role play and case-based teaching and training are
examples of approaches, which quite naturally lend themselves
to be realize in a game-based training system.” (Martens,
Diener, & Malo, 177)
•Participants have the opportunity to settle their own learning
goals, construct models of reality, and define game rules.”
(Kriz, Puschert, Karl, Dufter-Weis, 220)
Martens, A., Diener, H., & Malo, S. (2008). Game-Based Learning with Computers – Learning, Simulations, and Games. Transactions on Edutainment I, 5080, 172-190.
Kriz, W. C., Puschert, M., Karl, J. & Dufter-Weis, A. (2004). Effective learning through gaming simulation design. In R. Shiratori, K. Arai, & F. Kato (Eds.), Gaming, simulation & society
(pp. 217-227). Tokyo: Springer

13. The Value of Gaming
Smith, R. (2007): Game Impact Theory: The Five Forces that are Driving the Adoption of Game Technologies within Multiple Established Industries. Games and Society. Retrieved September 12,
2009,www.modelbenders.com/papers/Smith Game Impact Theory.pdf

14. Recent Research Findings
D’Angelo, C., Rutstein, D., Harris, C., Bernard, R., Borokhovski, E., Haertel, G. (2014). Simulations for STEM Learning: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Menlo Park, CA: SRI
International.
•SRI International and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation –
Game-based learning can boost learning for average students up
to 12%.
•University of Central Florida DimensionM Research study –
Students gained an average of 8.07 points compared to a gain of
3.74 for the control group, after 18 weeks of gameplay

15. Common Criticism of Educational Gaming
• “Gaming-based education is criticized from the authoritarian viewpoint for
the following reasons.
•Students do not always consciously understand what they are learning.
•Teachers cannot control the way in which the content is made use of by
the students.
•Teachers cannot easily evaluate the learning results.
•It is as if the students are only playing, not learning.” (Arai, p. 17)
Arai, K. (2005). A Horizon of Simulation and Gaming: Difficulties and Expectations of Facilitating Science, Technology, and Practice . Agent-Based Modeling Meets Gaming Simulation, II, 15-
21.

16. Obstacles and Problems

17. Faculty Perspectives
Games, are you serious?
What is this, kindergarten?

18. Funding

19. Funding
The “Fawlty Towers”
Theory of Educational
Expenditure

20. Time

21. Resistance to Change

22. The Slowness of Innovation Adoption: One Theory.

23. Potential: Signs of Hope
Hey, I think I
see someone
using our game
in a classroom

24. Seven Reasons to Be Hopeful
1. Paradigm Shift
2. Potential Sources of Funding
3. Need for Data
4. The Rise of Mobile Platforms
5. Games & Sims Aligned with Current
Higher Education Priorities
6. DIY Game & Sim Tools
7. Promising Partnerships

25. Possible Sources to Fund Games & Simulations for Learning Development
• Department of Education (FIPSE, Title III)
•Department of Labor - Workforce Innovation
and Opportunity Act 2014
• Gates Foundation

26. Paradigm Shift

27. Paradigm Shift
“If great lecture is theatre,
the future of learning is
games.”
Anant Agarwhal – President, EdX
[Source: Inaugural Celebration Symposium: The Future of Education. 2012 MIT Alumni Leadership Conference .http://storify.com/mitalc/2012-mit-alumni-leadership-conference]

28. Analytics: The Need for Data
[Sources: http://www.maviinteractive.com/
https://maviflow.com]

29. Games & Sims for Multiple (but Especially Mobile) Platforms
[Source: https://www.kognito.com/changetalk/web/]

30. Games & Sims Aligned with Current
Higher Education Needs
[Source: www.toolwire.com]

31. Partnerships with LMS Providers

32. Partner with Community Colleges

33. Partner with Instructional Design Programs

34. Partner with Organizations Involved
in Higher Education Learning Assessment

35. Sim & Game Building Tools

36. Some Suggestions about a Way Forward….

37. Coordinate Our Efforts
Serious Game &
Sim Developers
(Commercial)
Serious Game &
Sim Developers
(Non-commercial -
iOER)

38. Consider a Consortium

39. Create a Direct Market to the Learners

40. Set a BHAG (Big, Hairy, Audacious Goal)

41. Questions & Answers

42. Bibliography
• Entertainment Software Association. (April 2994). 2009 SALES, DEMOGRAPHIC AND USAGE DATA
ESSENTIAL FACTS. Retrieved September 11, 2009, from www.theesa.com/facts/pdfs/ESA_EF_2009.pdf
Great source to find statistics on the exponentially growing gaming industry. Also strong connection to the
ESRB. 8/10.
• Smith, R. (2007): Game Impact Theory: The Five Forces that are Driving the Adoption of Game
Technologies within Multiple Established Industries. Games and Society. Retrieved September 12,
2009,www.modelbenders.com/papers/Smith Game Impact Theory.pdf Broke down the components of
design and the reasoning behind its impact in learning. 8/10.
• Zyda, M. (September 2005). From Visual Stimulation to Virtual Games to Games. IEEE Computer,
38(9), 25-32. Found this to be a good introduction to the differences in defining educational gaming,
and the important differences between serious games and gaming for pleasure. 9/10.
• Abt, C. C. (1970). Serious Games. New York: Viking Press. Great introductory novel to serious gaming,
covering some basic theories, examples of successful games, and some practical designing considerations.
7/10.
• Lee, J. A. (2004). History of Computing in Education. IFIP International Federation for Information
Processing, 145, 13. Short and informative introduction to the use of computers in education, more focused

43. Bibliography (cont’d)
• Hoffman, B., & Nadelson, L. (2009). Motivational engagement and video gaming: a mixed methods study.
Educational Technology Research and Development, September, 21. A new study to be present at AECT
2009, which involves feedback from participants in regards to why gaming is an enjoyable way of learning.
10/10Gee, J. P. (2004). What Video Games Have to Teach Us About Learning and Literacy. New York:
Palgrave Macmillan. An eye opening book regarding motivation, engagement, and learning while playing
video games. 10/10
• Boer, W. D., Janousek, S., & Leggett, R. (2006). Foundation Flash Applications for Mobile Devices
(Foundation). Tokyo: Friends Of Ed. Focuses mainly on the building applications with flash, while
introducing the era of mobile gaming. 7/10
• DeCastell, S., & Jensen, J. (2006). Education, Games, and Serious Play. The International Handbook of
Virtual Learning Environments, III(Chapter 37), 999-1018. Highly informative on the benefits of educational
gaming, and why it is effective. Addresses the change of today's learners, and the economics of attention.
10/10
• Martens, A., Diener, H., & Malo, S. (2008). Game-Based Learning with Computers – Learning, Simulations,
and Games. Transactions on Edutainment I, 5080, 172-190. Delves into game development, and considers
both the technical aspect, as well as the pedagogical theories that needs to be explored and incorporated.