ICT in Practice - Games Based Learning: Theory and Practice

I recently wrote an article in ICT in Practice magazine - Games Based Learning: Theory and Practice.

I won't spoil the read too much suffice to say that it covers ground that we have blogged about here, but it is well worth a read as it works as a nice summary. The article introduces games based learning, discusses our design and development approach, the underpinning learning theory (situated learning) and goes on to present a case study of the use of our Sustainaville product in schools.

The article has got picked on twitter and other blogs. Ryan Schaaf at the Committed Sardine Blog does a particularly nice rewrite.

A demonstration of Sustainaville can be found at http://www.games-ed.co.uk/sustainaville-demo.html

Please follow @paulladley on Twitter, games-ED on Pinterest and like games-ED’sFacebook and Google+ pages for blog updates and interesting games based learning findings.

Games Based Situated Learning and Sustainaville

Welcome to the first blog post in this series!  I spoke briefly in my previous blog post about how pixelfountain and games-ED use Games Based Situated Learning (GBSL) as the theoretical underpinning of our products.  In this series of blog posts, I will explain further what I mean by this and offer a case study of one of our products in particular: Sustainaville.  This learning simulation is typical of our approach although all of our products are underpinned by the same theory.  The series draws material from the Games Based Situated Learning paper written by the other author of this blog, Paul Ladley.  The full paper can be found on the resources page of our corporate website.

Click for Sustainaville demo.

Index:

• Games Based Situated Learning – A Contradiction?
• games-ED (Games Based Learning)
• Marrying up to Situated Learning Theory

The first part of the series will introduce briefly some of the theories that underpin our products and games based learning at large.  The main focus of this series is Games Based Situated Learning, which we have discussed before, but several years ago and very briefly.  I will also try to uncover whether Situated Learning can actually occur through games and simulations, i.e. is that situated enough?

I will then introduce one of our games-ED products: the learning simulation Sustainaville.  I will explain the simulation and how it is used in a workshop including the plan > do > review stages.

The final and main part of the series will essentially be a judgement of Sustainaville using some theoretical principles outlined in the first part of the series (put forward by Jan Herrington and Ron Oliver, 1995).  This checklist can be used to judge other serious games and learning simulations in a similar way.  We will back up our judgements with both qualitative and quantitative feedback from our workshops.

Games Based Situated Learning - A Contradiction?

Situated learning / cognition considers how knowledge is acquired in the context of authentic activity, defined as the common activity of experts or ‘community of practice’.  Situated cognition considers that "representations are not at the center of the mind, but rather emerge from the interaction of the mental processes with the environment’, Clancey (1991).  This notion overturned previous theories that explained the human mind as a biological computer.   Knowledge is not the sum of what is currently held inside a person’s head, but the real-time formulation of understanding combining what was previously known with new experiences.   Brown, Collins and Duguid (1989) state that ‘A concept will continually evolve with each new occasion of use, because new situations, negotiations, and activities inevitably recast it in a new, more densely textured form. So a concept, like the meaning of a word, is always under construction’

A critical aspect of the situated learning model is the notion of the apprentice observing the ‘community of practice’.   Over time, the inexperienced novice moves from the periphery of community to the centre where they participate as experts.  This process of enculturation occurs by means of involvement in authentic activity (real world / simulated as opposed to analogous activity) and interactions with experts.

The theory has moved away from the rigid apprentice model, and has been reconstituted as a classroom learning theory.  A situated learning experience has four major premises guiding the development of classroom activities (Anderson, Reder, and Simon 1996; Wilson 1993): (1) learning is grounded in the actions of everyday situations; (2) knowledge is acquired situationally and transfers only to similar situations; (3) learning is the result of a social process encompassing ways of thinking, perceiving, problem solving, and interacting in addition to declarative and procedural knowledge; and (4) learning is not separated from the world of action but exists in robust, complex, social environments made up of actors, actions, and situations.

These four premises differentiate situated learning from other experiential forms of acquiring knowledge. In situated learning, students learn content through activities rather than acquiring information in discrete packages organized by instructors. Content is inherent in the doing of the task and not separated from the noise, confusion, and group interactions prevalent in real work environments. Learning is dilemma driven rather than content driven. Situations are presented that challenge the intellectual and psychomotor skills learners will apply at home, in the community, or the workplace (Lankard 1995).

David Stein puts forward that “situated learning uses cooperative and participative teaching methods as the means of acquiring knowledge. Knowledge is created or negotiated through the interactions of the learner with others and the environment. Subject matter emerges from the cues provided by the environment and from the dialogue among the learning community. The structure of the learning is implicit in the experience rather than in the subject matter structured by the instructor.” For Stein, Situated Learning in the classroom integrates content, context, community, and participation.

To sum up, the main tenets of situated learning theory are:

1. Information must be given in a relevant context or setting.
2. Learning must take place within social interaction and collaboration.

On the surface, Computer Based Situated Learning seems a contradiction in terms. Hummel (1993) maintained that ‘instructional designers who apply situated learning theory by implementation in electronic media should realize that they take an important step away from this theory ... courseware becomes the learning environment and not the authentic situation’ (p. 15 Jan Herrington and Ron Oliver, 1995).  But, the consensus has moved in favour of the feasibility of using computer methods to simulate authentic activity (Herrington and Oliver).

In fact, in some situations it is only possible to simulate such as emergency situations.  In terms of authentic activity, simulation maybe as close as it is possible to get to the real thing.  It is not just emergency training where simulation provides the only option.  For example, it is only through simulation that young people are going to experience many scenarios that occur during adulthood. Logistical and cost barriers exist, but time is a key problem. Game can compress time and can simulate events in a different time period.

A well designed simulation that has been modelled on expert knowledge, which offers collaborative learning in the form of blended delivery provides a powerful experience that does not merely engage the learner, a benefit in its own right, but anchors the learning process by contextualising it with ‘real’ scenarios. Games based situated learning moves away from the pure “apprentice model” of learning but it still stays true to the key tenets with little modification, as shown below:

1. Information must be given in authentic simulated context.
2. Learning must take place within social interaction and collaboration.

Herrington and Oliver, who have written extensively on situated learning and multimedia, suggest that to marry up to the theory, programmes need to:

• Provide authentic context.
• Provide authentic activities.
• Embed expert performances and model processes.
• Provide multiple roles and perspectives.
• Support collaborative construction of knowledge.
• Provide coaching and scaffolding.
• Promote reflection to enable abstractions to be formed.
• Promote articulation to enable tacit knowledge to be made explicit.
• Provide for integrated assessment.

These are the criteria by which we will judge our learning simulation Sustainaville (see next blog post: Introducing our Games).

games-ED (Games Based Learning)

This is the second blog post in the series.  Click back to the index if you are lost.

games-ED current products can be described as resource management games. They are played in a classroom environment on a single computer by the whole class. The games narrative is structured around a relevant context such as a community – they are situated. The class is spit into sub-teams that have to collaborate to achieve common goals such as improving the community.  Sustainaville is one such game.

The games have been used in schools, college and universities and are built on tried and tested adult learning products.

Using the Game in a Lesson
The game plays over a number of rounds (simulated years). The rounds are sub-divided into three phases (plan > do > review). The rounds progressively speed up, as the learners get to grips with the task at hand.

The class is divided into sub-teams. In Sustainaville, the teams are: Local Authority; Education, Learning & Skills; Health; Third Sector; Housing; Utilities; Transport and Enterprise Partnership. Each sub-team is presented with a mission outlining their objectives. Ultimately, the sub-teams work as one team with one score.

It is important to note that the game based lesson sits within a games based learning pedagogy. In essence, pre work, taught material, follow on exercises and assessment wrap around the game based lesson. As Francis notes (2006), games need to sit within broader games based pedagogy in order that a game might be effectively used in classroom contexts.

Phases of the Game Rounds (Plan > Do > Review)
Each round of Sustainville has three phases: plan > do > review:

PLAN:

• Investigate the main graphic, which shows a virtual community with problems such as air and water pollution, congestion, poor housing, unemployment, poor health and rising waste.
• Investigate report screen that help learners to make decisions. The reports show cause and effect and will enable the learner to see the impact their decisions.
• Learners consider cross linkages with other sub-teams and understand that they can achieve more if they work together.

DO:

• Having looked at their reports and developed a plan, the sub-teams can invest their budgets by making purchase decisions.
• Negotiate with other teams and choose win-wins to create a sustainable community.
• After all the budget decisions have been made, the sub-teams present their decisions to the whole group explaining what they have bought and why.  
• The purchases are input into the game by the teacher.

REVIEW:

• The round is updated to the next year.
• The learners consider the impact of their decisions (improvements made to the community):
• The main graphic changes: wind turbines, less pollution, recycling facilities and more housing.  
• The sub-team reports change.
• The score shows how the teams have performed as a whole group. The educator gives feedback on their performance, and the learners can reflect on the decisions they have made. 
• The learners now need to plan what they want to achieve in round 2.

See the next post in this series for how Sustainaville Marries Up to the Theory.

Marrying up to Situated Learning Theory

This final part of the series uses Herrington & Oliver’s ideas (described in the first part of this series) as a design checklist for our product Sustainaville.

Authentic Context
The Interface must map to the situation where the authentic activity would normally take place.  In addition, the learning should be complex and sufficiently large in scope to provide realism when problem solving.

In Sustainaville, learners are presented with a dynamic screen that shows the virtual community changing. The game play itself maps to the real world as learners play the role of decision makers (sub-teams in the overall game) in a virtual community.

Feedback from primary school students:

• “It is harder than I thought to run a town.” 
• “When you could see the town from the past years how it changed.”
• “Sometimes there is a disaster that you don’t know.” 

Over the workshops there was also between 67% and 88% improvement in understanding of sustainable development.

Authentic Activities
Along with an authentic context, the programme should enable learners to participate as though they are the experts.  It is through simulated authentic activity that the learner becomes immersed in the process of learning.

In Sustainaville learners are assigned objectives. They have to develop strategy, deal with incidents, make decisions on how to use resources and negotiate with other sub-teams.  These authentic activities and context interplay to produce a rich learning environment.

Feedback from primary school students:

• “It was like you were a proper business man.”
• “I liked making the decisions on what to buy and how much to buy.”
• “I will take away… planning, working together, making the right decisions.”

Over the workshops there was around a 57% improvement in decision-making skills.

Modelling of Processes and Expert performance
At the core of games-ED products sits the algorithm. It is the algorithm that fires out numbers in response to delegates’ decisions. Purchases in the game alter parameters, which in turn alter other parameters. The algorithm and the interface / activities that surrounds it represent the model of the reality. The algorithm is developed with the aid of desk research and interaction with subject matter experts.

Multiple roles and perspectives 
A situated learning environment provides the learner with the opportunity to investigate multiple roles and perspectives.  Roles and perspectives are brought to the fore in Sustainaville by the placing of delegates into sub-teams. Each sub-team has its own report (perspective), but at the same time the whole group is scored collectively (big picture). These sub-teams need to work together to achieve the overall goal (a constructed understanding). It is this pluralism of thought that the learners need to balance to gain a fuller understanding.

Feedback from primary school students when asked ‘what key learning messages will you take away?’:

• “That when your managing somewhere you need to make sure people are happy and that little things can be very important.”
• “That people have harder jobs than I thought.”
• “We need to keep the environment healthy and public transport is better than cars.”

Collaboration
From the perspective of the situated learning theory, the decision to run Sustainaville as a whole class exercise rather than as standalone software makes sense and adds real value to the experience of learning. The sub-teams need to work together as one team and it is those that do so, that go on to post high scores.

Feedback from primary school students:

• “I liked that we worked together to make the community good.”
• “I liked it when we had to work in a group and play a game to improve the area.”
• When asked ‘what key learning messages will you take away?’: “Work together, make group decisions.”

There was between a 41% and 61% improvement in group working after playing the game.

Game collaboration can have wider benefits. “Social interactions and relationships were seen by some of the interviewed teachers as having been positively enhanced by game-based learning activities in the classroom.” Ben Williamson, Futurelab 2009.

Reflection
A situated learning environment should allow learners to reflect upon a much broader base of knowledge to solve problems. The game anchors the discussion, but the delegates are encouraged to share experiences and knowledge. At the end of the session and after each round, the class is asked to think about the experience from different points of view. The learners are encouraged to build abstractions. Follow-on exercises, either completed as homework or in the next class, allow the learners to further consolidate their understanding and reflect on what they have learned.

A pupil from one workshop responded on his questionnaire that he would like “To do this in citizenship lessons.”

Articulation
Dialogue and articulation of knowledge occurs amongst learners (sub-teams), at the class level and can be educator-led. These conversations, not the technological interactions, should account for the majority the lesson.  In a workshop, the educator’s role is to encourage debate. A key question, as the learners’ decisions are keyed into the simulation is, “so what were you thinking when you made those choices?” The group can be encouraged with, “so what do the rest of you think about that?”

The learners often go through a process of transformation and feel able to participate in a way they could not have dreamed of before.  This is in part because of the inclusive nature of the exercise, but also because democratising nature of the game - games have a leveling effect: prior knowledge is only partially useful and game format may allow previously disengaged or under performing students to succeed.

A class teacher observing one workshop commented: “The children were fully engaged for all the session and the ‘buzz’ in the room was one of real active learning”.

Feedback from a primary school student when asked ‘what key learning messages will you take away?’: “How to discuss and think about decisions.”

Coaching and scaffolding
‘Many designers of interactive multimedia believe their programs should be self-contained ... Situated learning sees the teacher’s role in coaching – observing students, offering hints and reminders, providing feedback, scaffolding and fading, modeling, and so on – as integral to the learning situation’ (Herrington and Ron Oliver, 1995).

The role of the educator in Sustainaville is crucial. The teacher acts rather like the conductor in a orchestra, keeping the process flowing and providing scaffolding and stimulus as and when required.  The educator plays the role of the expert, as described in traditional situated learning. To enable the educator to do so, the software supports them. Contextual help is provided, by clicking on screen elements, to enable the educator to discover what makes up the particular element and its current value in the game.

A teacher overseeing one workshop commented: “the children were able to work [the purchase items] out with peer support or asked for clarification from an adult”.

Integrated assessment
Rather than considering the assessment as an add-on to the course, it should be integrated into learning itself.  Integration should not merely be a case of placing multiple choice questions within the learning sequence, instead the learning and assessment is one and the same thing, creating an authentic experience.

The score in Sustainaville is a highly motivating device. The decisions that the delegates make are fed into the algorithm and the score is fired out each round as the team endeavors to make the community a better place.

The in-game reports can be exported for analysis by the educator and to provide the basis for follow-on reflective / extension work. The reports are aligned to the curriculum, so that they can provide part of the evidence base for broader assessment.

A teacher overseeing one workshop commented: “[The children] were genuinely interested to see the impact their purchases had made on the town. They were disappointed to see the results/consequences of their purchases in Year 2 and were keen to rectify them in Year 3!”

Feedback from primary school students:

• “I liked finding out what score you got at the end and looking at the improvements.”
• “It was very fun and you learnt a lot.  It was great being in charge of the town and seeing what the result was.”

I hope you enjoyed this series!  We thought we had better show some practical evidence of the benefits of games based learning after so much theory.

Don't forget to like games-ED on Facebook and Google+ and follow @PaulLadley on Twitter for blog updates and interesting things we find while poking around the internet.  You can also now follow us on Pinterest.

Games Based Learning Supports Multiple Learning Styles

As we have discussed in the past (‘Ten Reasons why GBL works in Education’, ‘Boys will be Boys’, and ‘Kinect Games Based Learning’), we believe that games based learning supports different learning styles.  These are typically understood as visual learners, auditory learners and kinaesthetic learners (learning by doing).  This infographic (pictured below) gives more information about each learning type and some useful learning suggestions based on the characteristics common with each type of learner.

http://www.onlinecollege.org/what-type-learner-are-you

One of the reasons that games based learning works so well is possibly because (amongst other reasons) it makes use of these different learning styles.  In particular kinaesthetic learning can occur through the use of learning simulations.  In these cases, a real world scenario or situation can be played out and the learners can ‘learn by doing’ actions in a safe environment.

Some people question whether learning styles under this model should be used in instructional design.  At pixelfountain and games-ED, the key learning theory that underpins our work is Games Based Situated Learning (GBSL).  This goes further in saying people can learn better by ‘learning by being’ (see ‘Games Based Situated Learning’ and 'Learn by Doing AND Learn by Being’).  This is again extremely related to simulation based learning as people can put themselves into the position of a character in the virtual city, hotel, economy and so on.  For us, supporting VAK is a by-product of our instructional design amongst other benefits and is not the starting point.

What is interesting about the infographic though, is that it suggests that 27.8% of people are predominantly kinaesthetic learners.  This makes up the biggest proportion of learners.  They suggest the next highest proportion learn best through reading / writing, followed by aural and visual.  This could mean big things for games based learning, if accurate.

However, what is important is how the games are used.  If you have a workshop or classroom full of people, they are unlikely to all share the same learning preferences.  Additionally, some people may learn different things in different ways or need a combination of stimuli to really understand something.  It would be foolish to plonk people down in front of a game and expect them all to become experts in that topic.

This is where workshops and full lesson plans are important.  Games based learning is often misunderstood as people fear that the learners will fail to see the point of the game and may just play to win and then forget what they have learned.  This does not have to be the case as tailor-made games (as opposed to commercial games) can avoid this.  However, another way to anchor and reinforce learning and capitalise on peoples learning styles is to offer additional activities (see ‘Six Key Principles of Collaborative Games Based Learning’).  These could be as simple as a brief introduction on the subject and a few questions at the end.  However, they could also involve mini games and exercises before and after the main game.  This also serves the function of ‘waking people up’ and getting them enthused and engaged.  This is the innovative approach that pixelfountain and games-ED take (this page from our website explains perfectly what I mean).

A recent New York Times article talks about ‘Harnessing Gaming for the Classroom’.  It discusses several reasons why games based learning is so exciting and why it works.  It also discusses some general trends of games and technology being used in education.  It is definitely worth a read and explains how people can learn things by physically doing them rather than reading or thinking about something.  They give the examples of improvisation on the piano or catching a baseball.  They suggest that in the future, school children will be able to turn into the thing that they are studying and become immersed in a virtual world related to what they have become.  They give the example of becoming a molecule and this would make molecules more exciting as that molecule is you.  This really is immersive learning at its best.  However, current games and simulations offer a pretty good alternative for now (and for relatively cheap).

Don't forget to like games-ED on Facebook and Google+ and follow @PaulLadley on Twitter for blog updates and interesting things we find while poking around the internet.

Instructional design, e-Learning and games in Adobe Captivate

A lot of the e-Learning and games I have designed have been developed in Adobe Flash. But,  it is worth noting that authoring tools such as Adobe Captivate can offer rapid development opportunities. And with a little bit of scripting sat under the bonnet, the results can be impressive and not simply PowerPoint with questions.

The following examples were generated by myself. They were designed and coded over the course of 8 days and were an exercise in self-training in Captivate and a vehicle to test the limitations of the authoring tool.

Systems Training

System training is Captivate’s stock in trade and it comes as no surprise that developing systems training is an efficient process in Captivate. The example presented here simulates modifying a widget in a browser. The Show e-Learning Topic shows the trainee what they need to do and Test Topic is an interactive step through.

Systems training has obvious applications in adult training, but can also be used in ICT classes in schools.


Photo Stories

This photo story shows how good instructional design can even elevate a simple multiple choice question. Based on three panel photo strips, the design and development makes use of Captivate's scripting and timeline functionality to display appropriate feedback and modify the next part of the story.

Photo stories are narrative based learning and are an excellent way to present dilemmas. In adult training, they can be used to train procedures and in education they provide a powerful way to teach subjects like PHSE.

SITUATED-training (Game)

This example is an attempt to push Captivate to its limits. The SITUATED-training course puts the trainee in a virtual setting where they need to visit various locations, talk to characters and interact with objects. The instructional design embeds a system simulation inside a dynamic story line. At the end of the training, the trainee is presented with a dynamic end report that shows what they did and didn’t do.

SITUATED-training is built around a cause and effect engine and provides a vehicle to deliver problem solving training. The approach is useful to train skills such as project management and auditing. In education, think history, geography and science.

Opportunity
If you want to know more or want help with instructional design and / or development of e-Learning / games in Flash or Captivate then contact me on my (Paul Ladley) Linked-in profile.

Developing Communication Skills via Games Based Learning

"In socially deprived areas more than 50% of children begin school without the ability to speak in long sentences, which experts say can lead to problems in later life. One hundred schools across England are taking part in a day without pens to tackle this speech deficit... Language impairment is found to be an issue for two-thirds of children with serious behavioural problems, 60% of young offenders, and up to 90% of unemployed young men." - BBC

And from another article from the BBC quoting the communications charity ICAN, "Once upon a time a family would spend a lot of time talking and nowadays of course they have DVDs, the internet, the TV and so this formal communication process in terms of talking and listening has got worse due to lack of opportunity."

To be fair to Jean Gross of ICAN, she is not saying new mediums stop conversations but they can become a distraction in family discourse. Of course the alternative might be true; the family might discuss whether they liked a film and what it meant. This leads me on to point I have previously made in this blog. It is not the technology that is the issue; it is the design and the delivery in the classroom that is limiting games based learning outcomes.

And now for something completely different

As I wrote in a previous blog (The Art of Conversation) games based learning can anchor conversations: In our games-ED products the gameplay is structured around rounds, whole class involvement and phases to encourage conversation. The learners talk in their teams, between teams, at a class level and with the educator. The game anchors these conversations  to flow during the course of the plan > do > review phases. These conversations are at the heart of the learning; they are inclusive and are not formalised / one-way. It is through these questions that learning flows.

Moreover, the game provides a situation (creating a sustainable community)  to practice communication skills in terms of listening, presenting arguments and information, negotiating and providing instruction. The games allow different students to communicate and provides a powerful collaborative learning environment.

Neuroscience, Stress and Games Based Learning

This blog is going to be a bit ambitious and is much about getting my thoughts down, as sharing ideas with others. I am currently listening to “Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain” and some of its ideas got me thinking about games based learning; in particular stress and its impact learning acquisition and flow, self-mastery and retention of knowledge.

Renowned psychiatrist  John J. Ratey’s book  delves into neuroscience to explain the transformative effects of exercise on the brain. The book includes chapters on the beneficial effects of exercise on Stress, Anxiety, Depression, Attention Deficit, Addiction, Hormonal Changes, Aging and Learning. I won’t give too much away, but on learning he cites an example of a revolutionary fitness program in Naperville, Illinois, which has put this school district first in the world for science and sixth for mathematic based on internationally recognised testing methods. These results put the school significantly above the US average.

"I need a break, or do I?"

There is a huge amount of interesting material in the book, but one particular point about stress got me thinking about what I have experienced in workshops and about how games based learning could be achieving some of its learning outcomes.

According to Ratey, stress works at a fundamental level in the brain. It is linked to the ‘fight or flight’ response. Stress focuses the brain martialling resources for immediate use. Adrenaline kicks in, increasing heart rate and dilating bronchial tubes to allow more oxygen to get to the muscles.  Two neurotransmitters put the brain on alert: neoroprenephrine arouses attention then dopamine sharpens and focuses it. Cortisol takes over from adrenaline to allow more glucose to be freed up for the brain.

Too much stress can overwhelm us, and inhibit learning and performance, but a little can be beneficial.  For example, mild stress before going on stage ramps up chemicals in the brain, which means the brain becomes more focused and performance improves.

Ratey states that people suffering from Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Didorder (ADHD) can sometimes be seen as stress junkies, but they are probably using stress as a mechanism to achieve focus. He also suggests engendering stress is a primary focus of procrastination. We only can get motivated and focused when the stress has ramped up to the required level.

So what as this specifically got to do with my experiences of  games based learning at games-ED and using learning simulations at pixelfountain. Well, at the start of our workshops, learners are often stressed as they are asked to quickly learn the rules of a game. This usually takes around ten to fifteen minutes, as we design the game rules to be simple so that it doesn't take too long for the learners to get into the learning. But maybe this initial ‘out of their comfort zone’ experience is not a hurdle to quickly jump over; it could actually be an integral part of the learning process. The stress could be putting the learners’ brains in a more attentive and thus receptive frame of mind to take on new information (build synaptic links).

In fact in our adult workshop, it has often been delegates that have struggled the most at the start that have raved the most at the end. I can think of one specific workshop, where a woman in a local council said, “I have only just learned Monopoly, how do you expect me to do this.”  At the end of the workshop, she was praising the games based learning approach and stated that everyone in the council should do it.

We have thought of this turnaround as a journey that these individuals go through, and that this experience means they feel the need to talk about it. I think this is probably still the case, but maybe the initial stress has focused their brain, meaning they have learned a lot more as a result.  This would make sense, as these individual are recommending the process in terms of “this is the best training I have done and everyone should do it”.

Furthermore, the stress of dealing with challenges could be the biological mechanism behind learning flow. The mild stress enables the individual to keep going and discover more. In our games designs we include incidents, so that in later rounds of the simulations, learners have an extra challenge. We do this to increase realism and to spice things up a little. But, maybe we have inadvertently designed games that keep stressing the learners a little in order that they learn a lot. The games based challenges generate learning flow.

The idea of a learning journey is powerful. The initial stress and challenges along the way, enables the individual to achieve a degree of self-mastery. And in doing so, learners feel good about themselves. They have earned that pat on the back. I think that this presents a fantastic way to motivate learners.  So, games could offer up an opportunity to create a “learning arc”, where learning can be seen in terms of beginning, middle and end with crises along the way building to a learning climax.

The stress response goes beyond generating focus and providing an opportunity for self-mastery; it can help with the process of learning and memory. A bit more neuroscience courtesy of Ratey . The stress response elevates cortisol, hypothalamic corticotrophin-releasing factor (CRF) and neoroprenephrine. These agents enable glutamate to be boosted which in turn speeds up the flow of information to the hippocampus and changes the dynamic at the synapses. Cortisol turns on genes inside cells which make proteins that are used to build up the very structure of the brain and solidify the memory.  Put simply, stress improves learning and memory. But, there is a downside.  Too much cortisol can have a negative impact on memory and is probably the reason why when people are severely stressed they do not learn very well. “Everything in moderation” works for the brain as well.

And they all lived happily ever after.

We have gathered a huge amount of feedback from delegates and have conducted long-term evaluation on a number of large regional programmes. Delegates have talked about accelerated learning of complex subjects and that long-term changes have occurred in their organisation. These may have occurred because games based learning and specifically simulations provide high quality learning, but possibly stress has played its part in focussing delegates brains and forging strong memories and learning. This could also be why Games Based Situated Learning is such a powerful learning theory and approach.

As I said at the start of this blog post, these are ideas that are very fresh in my mind. Hopefully, I have got them down in a coherent manner. Over the next weeks and months, I may pick up on the idea of mild stress being an enabler for generating focus, flow, allowing the opportunity for self-mastery and improving the efficiency of learning and memory. Alternatively, I may bin the whole concept. Possibly, because it doesn’t stack up or probably because it makes my brain hurt!

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If you want to know more about John J Ratey ideas on learning then grab a copy of his book, and you can also find information on his blog “Exercise Revolution” or on his website.

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If you have got this far in the blog you may also be interested in the work we do at pixelfountain on Organisational Transactional Analysis.

Proof of the Pudding...

I’ve written a lot about collaborative games based learning from a theoretical perspective, so I thought I would share a bit of practice.

Firstly, let me state I am not a teacher; in fact most of my skills as a trainer have been learned on the job.  Before we started our games based learning (ad)venture games-ED, my fellow directors and I ran a businesses called pixelfountain (actually we still do), where we delivered over 450 workshops using learning simulations. Around 40 of these workshops were delivered in schools, colleges and universities.

Pride in a winning score.

As part of our launch of games-ED, which licences our collaborative games based learning to educational establishments, we have recently delivered a couple of pilot classes. The first was held in Primary School for a group of nine and ten year olds. The second was delivered in an all girls school in London to a year 8 tutor group aged between twelve and thirteen. The ages were particularly important as we wanted to test the games with a younger age group.

Learning outcomes in the two schools:

• 77.5% improvement in subject knowledge.
• 57% improvement in decision-making skills.
• 67% improvement in understanding of cause and effect.
• 51% improvement in group working.

The Class Teacher / Deputy Head at Mellor Primary, who observed the session, provided us with the following comments:

• The children were fully engaged for all the session and the ‘buzz’ in the room was one of real active learning. 
• The money aspect involved really captured the children’s interest and they were genuinely interested to see the impact their purchases had made on the town. They were disappointed to see the results/consequences of their purchases in Year 2 and were keen to rectify them in Year 3!
• The workshop pulled together many elements – working together, impact of managing and dealing with other people who have differing opinions, dealing with consequences of actions, environmental issues, dealing with money, managing a budget plus many more. 

Pupils considering issues.

The Teaching Assistant at Mellor Primary School stated, “I thoroughly enjoyed the session, as did the children. This group of children love anything involving money so it really captured their attention whilst dealing with lots of important and complex issues.”

The Assistant Head at Central Foundation Girls School said, “The students were engaged in the activity and enjoyed seeing the results of their decisions.”

In a sense, the teachers confirmed what we already knew, but as the old adage goes ‘the proof of the pudding is in the eating’. I won’t repeat my previous blog “Six Key Principles of Collaborative Games Based Learning”, but it is worth re-iterating five of the six principles and relating them to the experience in the two pilot classes:

• Create a sense of realism (as opposed to fantasy) – In the words of a pupil, “It was great being in charge of the town and seeing what the result was.”
• Deliver engaging interaction by means of authentic activities (not just playing for the sake of it) – Being able to spend money in the game really captured the pupil’s interest, but it was the link to the outcomes that was key, as one pupil said “[I liked] the way you were free to make a decision by yourself and your team mates and whatever you did it affected the village.”
• Group level game play where the goal is collaborative problem solving – all of the teachers picked up on the fact that the pupils were engaged in the activity and that they enjoyed seeing the results of their decisions.
• Provide an anchor for multiple learning conversations – The “buzz” in the classrooms was not a metaphor that was literally the sound of the children as they all discussed what they were going to do.
• The game needs to work in a learning continuum – the children played Sustainaville, which teaches sustainable development and links to geography, citizenship, PHSE, science, business studies, enterprise and supports mathematics and English. 

Dynamic main graphic of Sustainaville games based learning

The children enjoyed the constructivist learning style, typified by comments such as ““[I liked] the way you were free to make a decision by yourself and your team mates and whatever you did it affected the village.” I write in more detail on the value of Situated Gamed Based Learning in a previous blog.

If you want to read the full case studies of they can be found at Slideshare (see widget on the left-hand side of this blog) or visit the games-ED website:

• Mellor Primary School case study.
• Central Foundation Girls School case study.

I was going to write about a couple of projects where we designed and developed games with young people, but given this post has gotten a tad large, I think I will save that for my next instalment…

Games Based Situated Learning

Let there be light...

After my previous tongue in cheek post on Bill Gates and his funding for games based learning, I thought I would write a more serious summary article of our white paper Games Based Situated Learning, which (by-the-way) can be found on the resource page of our corporate website.

Games based learning, if it is to succeed, needs to be more than a bit of fun that motivates students and needs to be underpinned with learning theory. Measuring outcomes such as fun, engagement, and motivation generates buy-in, to a certain degree, but it provides no guiding principles for designers and educators (teachers/ lecturers). Situated Learning provides such a theoretical underpinning, and while some have argued that game simulation stretches the original basis of Situated Learning, the consensus is in favour of viewing GBL from such a perspective. Games Based Situated Learning (GBSL) moves away from the pure “apprentice model” of learning but it still stays true to the key tenets with little modification, as shown below:

• Information must be given in authentic simulated context.
• Learning must take place within social interaction and collaboration.

In terms of authentic activity, simulation maybe as close as it is possible to get to the real thing.  It is not just emergency training where simulation provides the only option; for example, it is only through simulation that young people are going to experience many scenarios. Logistical and cost barriers exist, but time is a key problem. Games can compress time and can simulate events in a different period.

A well designed simulation that has been modeled on expert knowledge, which offers collaborative learning in the form of blended delivery provides a powerful experience that does not merely engage the learner, a benefit in its own right, but anchors the learning process by contexualising it with ‘real’ scenarios.

Herrington and Oliver, who have written extensively on situated learning and multimedia, suggest that to marry up to the theory, programmes need to:

• Provide authentic context.
• Provide authentic activities.
• Embed expert performances and model processes.
• Provide multiple roles and perspectives.
• Support collaborative construction of knowledge.
• Provide coaching and scaffolding.
• Promote reflection to enable abstractions to be formed.
• Promote articulation to enable tacit knowledge to be made explicit.
• Provide for integrated assessment.

Much of the criticism of games based learning, and there is some, is levelled a commercial games that have been used “as is” or have been slightly modified. Purpose built games should not suffer from flaws such has being more about fun than understanding and not linking to the curriculum, but developers need to think seriously about the logistical issues of educational usage. Games need to modified / designed to work in classroom both in terms of content, in terms of time and technology. Are those fancy 3D graphics and soundtrack necessary? Do they add to the learning? Will they run on school computers? If the game is a standalone game, then it will require a trip to the IT suite. And if does, can we truly say that games are being used in the classroom?

Our games-ED products have been developed from GBSL perspective. The games can be described as resource management games. They are played in classroom environment on a single computer by the whole class. The games narrative is structured around a relevant context such as a community – they are situated. The class is spit into sub-teams that have to collaborate to achieve common goals such as improving the community.

Our experience with games-ED has shown us that if educators are to take a leap of faith, then games based learning developers need to meet them halfway. Developers cannot expect decades of good teaching practice to be thrown away. To this end Games Based Situated Learning supports the evolution of teaching and not require a revolution.

Next time I will outline six key principles of collaborative games based learning.

Further Reading  

• Jan Herrington and Ron Oliver (1995). Critical Characteristics of Situated Learning: Implications for the Instructional Design of Multimedia
• Jan Herrington and Ron Oliver (1997). Multimedia, magic and the way students respond to a situated learning environment.
• Jan Herrington and Ron Oliver (2000). Towards a New Tradition of Online Instruction: Using Situated Learning Theory to Design Web-Based Units

Learn by Doing AND Learn by Being

I hear and I forget.

I see and I remember.

I do and I understand.

- Confucius

Games Based Situated Learning

Clearly doing is an important aspect of learning and one that is often unappreciated. A robust Games Based Situated Learning Model, though, goes beyond doing. It needs to encapsulate the beingness of a situation.

Games Based Situated Learning is a constructivist learning theory. Learners are immersed in a situation that allows them to explore different perspectives. Indeed, in our games based learning programmes, the whole class play one game, with different sub-teams taking on different roles. The sub-teams need to be true to their mission, but they truly succeed when they negotiate and collaborate to deliver shared goals.

Our Games Based Situated Learning model is built on the interaction of Learn by Doing AND Learn by Being. Plus, it recognises that games need to allow for reflection, that learners need input from teachers and that games need to support assessment. 

1. Learn by Doing (Skills):

• Actions, activity, engagement, team working and so on.

2. Learn by Being (Knowledge):

• Environment, values, attitudes, society, diversity, culture and so on.

3. Reflection, Support and Assessment:

• Learners need to able to reflect and make tacit knowledge explicit. They need to be able to build abstractions.
• Educators (experts) need to guide and nudge learners as and when required.
• Assessment should be built into the programme to provide immediate feedback, but also to stimulate further learning. 

It is through the interaction of the three different aspects of the Games Based Situated Learning Model utilised within games-ED products that wide ranging benefits and learning outcomes are generated.

Recognition of Herrington and Oliver
Note: The above model builds on the work of Herrington and Oliver, who have written extensively on situated learning and multimedia. They suggested that to marry up to the theory, programmes need to:

• Provide authentic context.
• Provide authentic activities.
• Embed expert performances and model processes.
• Provide multiple roles and perspectives.
• Support collaborative construction of knowledge.
• Provide coaching and scaffolding.
• Promote reflection to enable abstractions to be formed.
• Promote articulation to enable tacit knowledge to be made explicit.
• Provide for integrated assessment.