How to design for meaningful learning finding the

balance between learning and game components

Magnus Johansson, Harko Verhagen, Anna kerfeldt,

Staffan Selander
Department of Computer and Systems
Sciences/Pedagogics
Stockholm University

Why use games for learning?

Using logic:
All games are fun
Fun motivates activities one otherwise would
not like
Learning is not liked by certain groups
Thus

Games can overcome this dislike

Covering the bitter pill with a sugar coating

How to design for meaningful learning

ECGBL 2014

Remaining questions
Are all games fun?
Can fun overcome all obstacles?
Can fun hinder the learning?

Can all games be used?

What about learning outcomes?

How to design for meaningful learning

ECGBL 2014

Approach/What games can be of use?

COTS versus specially developed
COTS = fun
Specially developed = fun?

Packaging existing learning material?

Game =/= book
(Re)using exiting game by integrating learning
material
Content change probably changes gameplay
How to design for meaningful learning

ECGBL 2014

What types of learning?

Gamification
Scores, scoreboard, badges, etc.
Based on stimulus-response/behaviorism

Gamification 2.0
What is the essence of gaming or even play?
Rethinking gamification book
How touse this?
Compare nudging versus stick and carrot
mechanisms
How to design for meaningful learning

ECGBL 2014

Nudging

How to design for meaningful learning

ECGBL 2014

Principles of nudging
Understand the human brain and its fallacies
Not all choices are rational
We need to understand shortcuts, perception,
habits etc.
We need to understand how to use these
(nudging) and how to change these (the real
challenge)

Thus, for GBL

We need to understand learning and gaming
How to design for meaningful learning

ECGBL 2014

The essence of game design

Meaningful play
It should make sense
Compare literary theory

Checking the implementation

Design guidelines
User evaluation
User comments

How to design for meaningful learning

ECGBL 2014

Perspectives on learning

Learning outcomes as a starting point

Learning to prepare for working life or meaningful interaction with the

world

Learning by doing

Learning as (guided) reflection

Learning as multimodal sign-making and meaning-making

Designs in learning

emphasis on students learning processes

Designs for learning

focus on the conditions for learning and the teachers design of

learning activities as well as the design of learning resources, such as
games.

How to design for meaningful learning

ECGBL 2014

How to design for meaningful learning

ECGBL 2014

Games in the LDS

As potential resources
Part of the set of actional, visual and linguistic
resources

As resources in use
Postitioning wrt others and the subject
using modal expressions

Assessment
Debriefing versus scoreboards

How to design for meaningful learning

ECGBL 2014

Proposed definitions

Meaningful learning in a game emerges from the relationship between

learning activity, the students and teachers positioning, interest
and social interaction, the overall setting and finally how assessment
and feedback are presented to the student; further it is the process
by which a student takes action within the designed system and
where the system responds to the action with clear feedback in a way
that communicates to the student the outcome of such action.

Meaningful learning occurs when the relationships between learning

activities and feedback in a game are both discernible and integrated
into the larger context of the learning goals of such game.

How to design for meaningful learning

ECGBL 2014

Concequences for GBL - conclusions

The central learning activity should be reflected in the actions that are
possible in the game, actions that should be both integrated and
discernible.

A serious game cannot be introduced in the curriculum without

necessary preparations around the learning activity (scaffolding)

Designing learning games must build on a holistic approach where the

entire learning activity, the setup and the execution of such activity is

taken into account; both the learning and meaningfulness of a game

must be coordinated in such a way that there is a seamless
integration of these two values.
How to design for meaningful learning

ECGBL 2014

Word cloud ECGBL 2014

How to design for meaningful learning

ECGBL 2014

Word cloud thoughts

How about assesment?
Teacher role very small?
Learning outcomes?

How to design for meaningful learning

ECGBL 2014