Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game

Dissecting a Game

Game Mechanics in a Multiplayer Game

Topics

• Overview of ILAG

• What is WoW in Biz?

• Purpose of Game Design and Game Based Learning

• The Gamer Disposition

• Game Design Techniques and their application to learning

• Initial Results

• 13 Community Colleges

• Over 162,000 Students Annually

• In AY '12, Awarded 6,550 Associate Degrees and 7,685 Certificates

• 42% of degrees were in Health Sciences

Immersive Learning Faculty Challenge Grant

CCCS Presidential Initiative

Specifics:

• $3 Million total one time funding disbursed over three years

• Funds could be used for professional development, developing curriculum, purchasing licenses, events, overload pay, and release time.

Considerations:

• Applicants had to estimate Cost of Implementation

• Sustainability: Required a team of faculty

• Accessibility: Required ADA/ 508 compliance/ consideration

Immersive Learning Faculty Challenge Grant

Considerations:

• IP: All materials required to be Creative Commons 3.3 licensed

• Impact: Estimate faculty and students affected

• Collaboration: Required collaboration between colleges and/or disciplines

Immersive Learning Faculty Challenge Grant

Why did CCCS do this?

• Improve student performance and persistence

• Improve student and faculty engagement

• Improve critical thinking skills

• Reduce student attrition

• Focus on assessment and faculty sharing

Immersive Learning Faculty Challenge Grant

What did we do?

World of Warcraft in Business

World of Warcraft in Business

• Intro to Business

• Intro to Macroeconomics

• Virtual Goods

World of Warcraft in Business

• Focus is on Entrepreneurship for BUS115

• Application of class concepts

• Do not focus on Game play

• Lots of student reflection

Purpose of GBL

• Adapt the best parts of games and education to develop a highly immersive, engaging learning experience to increase student engagement, performance and persistence

• Most utilize technology; however you can also do non-digital GBL

John Seely Brown (JSB)

http://smartblogs.com/leadership/2012/09/25/big-think-925/

Why high-level World of Warcraft players make better employees than

Harvard MBAs

The Gamer Disposition

• John Seely Brown (JSB) and Douglas Thomas

• Gamers are: o Bottom Line Orientedo Understand Power of Diversityo Thrive on Changeo See Learning as Funo Marinate on the “Edge”

GBL meet Brain Rules

• John J. Medina

Rule #2: The human brain evolved, too.

• The brain is a survival organ. It is designed to solve problems related to surviving in an unstable outdoor environment and to do so in nearly constant motion (to keep you alive long enough to pass your genes on). We were not the strongest on the planet but we developed the strongest brains, the key to our survival.

• The strongest brains survive, not the strongest bodies. Our ability to solve problems, learn from mistakes, and create alliances with other people helps us survive. We took over the world by learning to cooperate and forming teams with our neighbors.

• Our ability to understand each other is our chief survival tool. Relationships helped us survive in the jungle and are critical to surviving at work and school today.

• If someone does not feel safe with a teacher or boss, he or she may not perform as well. If a student feels misunderstood because the teacher cannot connect with the way the student learns, the student may become isolated.

• There is no greater anti-brain environment than the classroom and cubicle.

Source: http://www.brainrules.net/the-rules

Rule #2: The human brain evolved, too.

• The brain is a survival organ. It is designed to solve problems related to surviving in an unstable outdoor environment and to do so in nearly constant motion (to keep you alive long enough to pass your genes on). We were not the strongest on the planet but we developed the strongest brains, the key to our survival.

• The strongest brains survive, not the strongest bodies. Our ability to solve problems, learn from mistakes, and create alliances with other people helps us survive. We took over the world by learning to cooperate and forming teams with our neighbors.

• Our ability to understand each other is our chief survival tool. Relationships helped us survive in the jungle and are critical to surviving at work and school today.

• If someone does not feel safe with a teacher or boss, he or she may not perform as well. If a student feels misunderstood because the teacher cannot connect with the way the student learns, the student may become isolated.

• There is no greater anti-brain environment than the classroom and cubicle.

Source: http://www.brainrules.net/the-rules

And their application to Learning

Game Design Techniques

Cascading Information Theory

The theory that information should be released in the minimum possible snippets to gain the appropriate level of understanding at each point during a game narrative

Source: http://www.gamification.org/

Reward SchedulesThe timeframe and delivery mechanisms through which rewards (points, prizes, level ups) are delivered. Three main parts exist in a reward schedule; contingency, response and reinforcer.

Source: http://www.gamification.org/

Real Time Assessment

"An affinity space is a place or set of places where people affiliate with others based primarily on shared activities, interests, and goals, not shared race, class culture, ethnicity, or gender" (p. 67)

Source: Gee,J. (2004) Situated language and learning. New York: Routledge.

Affinity Groups/ Space

Behavioral Momentum

The tendency of players to keep doing what they have been doing.

Source: http://www.gamification.org/

Blissful Productivity

The idea that playing in a game makes you happier working hard, than you would be relaxing.

Source: http://www.gamification.org/

Achievement

Virtual or physical representation of having accomplished something

Source: http://www.gamification.org/

Epic Meaning

Players will be highly motivated if they believe they are working to achieve something great, something awe-inspiring, something bigger than themselves

Source: http://www.gamification.org/

Initial Results

• Student Engagement

• Desire for Online Synchronous Instruction

• Desire for Community / Cohort to explore

• Student Persistence

CCCS Hackathon Project

Round 2 Funding

2013-2014