This document explores the concept of game-based learning and its seven key circumstances, focusing on the evaluation and application of learning games in educational contexts. It emphasizes the complexities of learning types, the demographics of learners, and the mechanics of how learning occurs through various gameplay experiences. The author invites feedback on the proposed framework to better categorize and leverage game-based learning strategies.

1. The Seven Circumstances of Game-Based Learning (A Worked Example and an Invitation) Dylan Arena Stanford University

2. Outline Where the idea came from

3. How it might be applied to game-based learning

4. Why it might be useful

5. The Origin

6. Games and Learning: Not Monoliths Many learning games are bad

7. Many learning games are good

8. Some types of learning are privileged

9. Some types of learning are favored

10. We could better evaluate/discuss with a common language and finer distinctions

11. Hermagoras the Rhetorician (et al.) Rhetoric Thesis (abstract claim)

12. Hypotheses (supporting particulars) Loci (places to find information) Quis (who?)

13. Quid (what?)

14. Quando (when?)

15. Ubi (where?)

16. Cur (why?)

17. quem ad modum (in what way?)

18. quibus adminiculis (by what means?)

19. Dylan the Researcher (et al.) Game-Based Learning Thesis (abstract claim about a learning game)

20. Hypotheses (supporting particulars) Loci (places to find information) Quis (who is the learner?)

21. Quid (what is being learned?)

22. Quando (when does the learning occur?)

23. Ubi (where does the learning occur?)

24. Cur (why is the learner playing?)

25. quem ad modum (how does the learning occur?)

26. quibus adminiculis (with what does the learning occur?)

27. The Circumstances

28. Who is the learner? Basic demographics Age

29. Gender

30. Culture(s) Prior achievement Prior exposure(s)

31. Prior success(es)/failure(s)

32. What is being learned?* Curricular content Math (fractions)

33. Science (fluid dynamics)

34. Civics (branches of government) Nature of that content Low-level procedural skills (fluency)

35. Style of thinking (scientific-inquiry disposition)

36. Particular values (liberal democratic citizenry) * The question of what is being learned also depends strongly upon the theory or theories of learning underpinning the game’s educational use. For example, as Kirriemuir and McFarlane (2004) point out, behaviorist, cognitive, and socio-cultural paradigms might have drastically different definitions for what constitutes learning in a given context.

37. When does the learning occur? Before gameplay Game reinforces previously introduced concepts During gameplay Game provides the meat of a curricular unit After gameplay Game provides a first taste of a new concept

38. Where does the learning occur? In the game itself In-game events In the surrounding affinity space Forum threads In an accompanying formal curriculum Lecture

39. Facilitated discussion

40. Why is the learner playing? Intrinsic/extrinsic motivation Because it's fun

41. Because I'll get extra credit Compulsory/voluntary gameplay Because I have to

42. Because I choose to Curricular/extracurricular context Because my teacher assigned/suggested

43. Because I wandered across the site online

44. How does the learning occur? Mechanism Repetition (surgical technique)

45. Drill-and-practice (arithmetic)

46. Direct instruction (cell structure)

47. Free or guided exploration (science inquiry) Integration between content and mechanics (or lack thereof)

48. With what does the learning occur? Commercial, off-the-shelf (COTS) game Civilization IV Modded game Revolution (MIT mod of NWN) Purpose-built game Quest Atlantis

49. A Few Examples

50. Periodic Table Game (Sheppard Software) Who is the learner?

51. Middle- or high-school student studying basic chemistry (English-speaking, with Internet access)

52. What is being learned?

53. Recall of the mappings between element names and symbols

54. When does the learning occur?

55. Initial exposure to element-symbol mappings pre-gameplay, but fluency gains happen during gameplay

56. Where does the learning occur?

57. Initial exposure in formal curriculum, but most learning happens in-game

58. Why is the learner playing?

59. Most likely to improve school grades (possibly compulsory, but probably not)

60. How does the learning occur?

61. Trial and error, repetition; no intrinsic integration

62. With what does the learning occur?

63. Purpose-built game

64. Zombie Division (Habgood et al.) Who is the learner?

65. Upper-elementary students with basic proficiency in multiplication/division (English-speaking)

66. What is being learned?

67. Procedural skill of identifying factors of a number

68. When does the learning occur?

69. Initial exposure to factoring concepts pre-gameplay, but fluency gains happen during gameplay

70. Where does the learning occur?

71. Initial exposure in formal curriculum, but most learning happens in-game

72. Why is the learner playing?

73. Because “it's fun” (mostly optional play in computer lab)

74. How does the learning occur?

75. Intrinsically integrated trial and error

76. With what does the learning occur?

77. Purpose-built game

78. America's Army (U.S. D.O.D.) Who is the learner?

79. Teens to young adults (English-speaking, ideally eligible for U.S. military service)

80. What is being learned?

81. Skills, knowledge, and values involved in performing duties of U.S. Army Soldier

82. When does the learning occur?

83. Primarily during gameplay

84. Where does the learning occur?

85. Vast majority of learning happens in-game, but also in affinity spaces (e.g., forums)

86. Why is the learner playing?

87. Because it's fun (optional play in out-of-school contexts)

88. How does the learning occur?

89. Intrinsically integrated guided exploration

90. With what does the learning occur?

91. Purpose-built game

92. Recap Game-based learning is a high-dimensional space with many areas of success

93. GBL designers should specify where their offerings exist in that space

94. Seven Circumstances—or something similar—could be a good way to do so

95. I'd love for folks to critique and extend this idea to help make it generally useful