1. Dissecting a Game
Game Mechanics in a Multiplayer Game

2. 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

3. •
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

4. 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

5. Immersive Learning Faculty Challenge
Grant
Considerations:
•
•
•
Applicants had to estimate Cost of
Implementation
Sustainability: Required a team of faculty
Accessibility: Required ADA/ 508
compliance/ consideration

6. 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

7. Why did CCCS do this?
•
Improve student performance and persistence
•
Improve student and faculty engagement
•
Improve critical thinking skills
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Reduce student attrition
•
Focus on assessment and faculty sharing

8. Immersive Learning
Faculty Challenge Grant
What did we do?

9. World of Warcraft in Business

10. World of Warcraft in Business
•
Intro to Business
•
Intro to Macroeconomics
•
Virtual Goods

11. World of Warcraft in Business
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Focus is on Entrepreneurship for BUS115
•
Application of class concepts
•
Do not focus on Game play
•
Lots of student reflection

12. 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

13. Why high-level World of
Warcraft players make
better employees than
Harvard MBAs
John Seely Brown (JSB)
http://smartblogs.com/leadership/2012/09/2
5/big-think-925/

14. The Gamer Disposition
• John Seely Brown (JSB) and Douglas
Thomas
• Gamers are:
o
o
o
o
o
Bottom Line Oriented
Understand Power of Diversity
Thrive on Change
See Learning as Fun
Marinate on the “Edge”

15. GBL meet Brain Rules
• John J. Medina

16. 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

17. 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

18. Game Design Techniques
And their application to Learning

19. 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/

20. Reward Schedules
The 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/

22. Real Time Assessment

23. Affinity Groups/ Space
"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.

24. Behavioral Momentum
The tendency of players to keep doing what they
have been doing.
Source: http://www.gamification.org/

25. Blissful Productivity
The idea that playing in a game makes you happier
working hard, than you would be relaxing.
Source: http://www.gamification.org/

27. Achievement
Virtual or physical representation of having
accomplished something
Source: http://www.gamification.org/

29. 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/

31. Initial Results
• Student Engagement
• Desire for Online Synchronous Instruction
• Desire for Community / Cohort to explore
• Student Persistence

32. CCCS Hackathon Project
Round 2 Funding
2013-2014