Steven Weitz, Associate Professor of Media Arts, Lehigh Carbon Community College Mary E. Rasley, Professor of Computer Information Systems, Lehigh Carbon Community College This presentation was given at the 2016 Serious Play Conference, hosted by the UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School. Educational games often rely on quizzing, limiting the potential for learning. Games excel at having players repeat actions, creating environments where practice is expected, which leads to deeper understanding of content. By making the educational content the core gameplay, the “Edugaming Framework” approach eschews quizzing, resulting in effective educational games. Note that when not presenting it, some of the slides look a bit jumbled, due to the way I had to hijack PowerPoint to get the animations I needed. If anyone wants a straight copy of the framework - the steps without the accompanying presentation, click here: http://seriousplayconf.com/edugamingframework_2016/

1. Steven Weitz & Mary Rasley
The Edugaming Framework
Keeping the Quiz Out of Educational Games to
Create Effective Learning Environments
sweitz@gmail.com & mrasley@lccc.edu
NSF-ATEGrants1003154&1304216- Anyopinions,findings,andconclusionsor
recommendationsexpressedinthismaterialarethoseoftheauthor(s)anddonotnecessarily
reflecttheviewsoftheNationalScienceFoundation

2. Educational games have a reputation
for being terrible…
… because many educational games
are terrible.

3. But they don’t have to be!
wrongwithmanyeducational
games?That’s actually 2
questions…

4. What’s wrong with many educational
games?
That’s actually 2
questions…

5. Why don’t games cause a
deeper understanding?
1.
Why aren’t educational
games engaging?
2.

6. They are quizzes
pretending to be games

7. They are quizzes
pretending to be games
Quizzing has a place in the
classroom.

8. Quizzing has a place in the
classroom.
Quizzing significantly
detracts from games.

9. Quizzing has a place in the
classroom.
Quizzing significantly
detracts from games.

10. Bloom’s Taxonomy

11. Why don’t games cause a
deeper understanding?
1.
Why aren’t educational
games engaging?
2.

12. Why don’t games cause a
deeper understanding?
1.

13. Assessment is NOT
learning

14. “Constant testing will no more
address the problems with our
education system than
constantly putting an overweight
person on the scale will cure
obesity.”
- Anna Quindlen
Assessment is NOT
learning

15. “Constant testing will no more
address the problems with our
education system than
constantly putting an overweight
person on the scale will cure
obesity.”
- Anna Quindlen

16. Games are NOT great
for fact retention

18. What the player does
is what will be
reinforced.

19. All games “teach” something.
We’re trying to make games
that teach something useful.

20. The educational content needs
to be the play.

21. The educational content needs
to be the play.playplay

22. Why don’t games cause a
deeper understanding?
1.
Why aren’t educational
games engaging?
2.

23. Why aren’t educational
games engaging?
2.

24. It’s about Choices

28. Two choices…
… one right
answer

29. “A game is a series of
interesting choices.” – Sid Meier

30. Interesting choices.” – S
“A game is a series
Interesting

31. Quiz =/= Engaging Game.

32. =/= Engaging Game.Quiz

33. Quiz + Luck =/= Engaging Game.

34. Quiz + Luck =/= Engaging Game.?Twitch Skill

35. Quiz + Twitch Skill?

37. Quiz + Twitch Skill?

38. Quiz + Twitch Skill?

39. Quiz + Twitch Skill?
Reinforces reflexes and fast recall…
NOT understanding.

40. Educational games that aren’t quizzes
Easier said than done.
...

41. The Edugaming Framework

42. 1) Identify the specific concept
to be learned

43. 2) Analysis: Break the concept
into
its component pieces

44. 2) Analysis: Break the concept
into
its component pieces
Question:

45. What pieces must be present
to form the concept?
Question:

46. • 2 is a piece
• + is a piece
• (- 4) is a piece
• X is a piece
• = is a piece
• 2 is a piece
• + is a piece
• (- 4) is a piece
• X is a piece
• = is a piece
An example:
2 + (- 4) = X
GENERALIZE

47. • 2 is a piece
• + is a piece
• (- 4) is a piece
• X is a piece
• = is a piece
An example:
2 + (- 4) = X
GENERALIZE

48. • is a piece
An example:
2 + (- 4) = X
• is a piece
(- 4)
2
• 2 and (- 4) are valuesvalues

49. • 2 and (- 4) are values
An example:
2 + (- 4) = X

50. • + is a means of adjusting the values• is a piece+
An example:
2 + (- 4) = X
• 2 and (- 4) are values
adjusting

51. • + is a means of adjusting the values
• is a pieceX
• is a piece
An example:
2 + (- 4) = X
=
• X = the results of the adjustment
• 2 and (- 4) are values
results

52. • values
• adjusting
• results• X = the results of the adjustment
• + is a means of adjusting the values
An example:
2 + (- 4) = X
• 2 and (- 4) are values
results
adjusting
values

53. What pieces must be present
to form the concept?

54. An example:
• values
• adjusting
• results
2 + (- 4) = X

55. 3) Consider the interactions of
the pieces as they relate to
the concept

56. Back to our example…
• values
• adjusting
• results
2 + (- 4) = X

57. Back to our example…
• values
• adjusting
• results
2 + (- 4) = X

58. • values
• adjusting
• results
How do these pieces relate
to each other and the topic?

59. Values can be adjusted to achieve
different results.
• values
• adjusting
• results
values
adjusting
results
How do these pieces relate
to each other and the topic?

60. Values can be adjusted to achieve
different results.

61. Values can be adjusted to achieve
different results.
This is the essence of the topic

62. 4) The interactions of the
component pieces become
the core gameplay via an
action the player performs
continuously

63. 4) The interactions of the
component pieces become
the core gameplay via an
action the player performs
continuously
=core gameplay
continuous
action

64. =core gameplay continuous action=
What the player will learn

65. continuous action
=core gameplay
=
What the player will learn
=
The interactions of the pieces

66. continuous action
=core gameplay
=
What the player will learn
The interactions of the pieces
=

67. =core gameplay
The interactions of the pieces
Back to our example…
2 + (- 4) = X
Values can be adjusted to achieve different results.

68. The interactions of the pieces
Core Gameplay
Values can be adjusted to achieve different results.
Back to our example…
2 + (- 4) = X
Players manipulate values by combining
numbers to achieve different results.

69. 5) Decide what you want the
User Experience (UX) will be.

70. 6) Build the rest of the game
around the core gameplay,
within the desired experience.

71. 7) Refine the game through
iterative playtesting.

72. Always perform a core check:
Is the educational content still the
core play of the game?

73. Steven Weitz & Mary Rasley
sweitz@gmail.com & mrasley@lccc.edu
NSF-ATEGrants1003154&1304216- Anyopinions,findings,andconclusionsor
recommendationsexpressedinthismaterialarethoseoftheauthor(s)anddonotnecessarily
reflecttheviewsoftheNationalScienceFoundation