Graduated from WSSG
It’s hard to believe that four months have passed without a trace. Looking back on my journey in the Advanced Design Games for Learning directed by Dr. Oprean, there are so many take-aways I would like to take with me as I continue to learn and study.
When I was a little boy, I needed to complete my assignments to get more time to play more games, however, in the Advanced Design Games for Learning course, I needed to play more games to complete my assignments…
What was the most important thing you learned this semester about game/simulation design?
On January 25, 2024, When I started my learning in the course of Advanced Design Games for Learning I wrote down my learning goals:
In this semester, I have three different leveled expectations for my learning in this course
The things I must master:
- All the assignments will be finished in time.
- All the projects will be finished as required.
- All the assigned content will be reviewed.
The things I want master:
- Equip more advanced game-based learning skills.
- Link the learning content to my publishable manuscripts.
The things I may master:
- Learn how to establish a high-standard game-based online course like Advanced Designing Games for Learning.
Now, looking back at the past, 4 months after the initial goal setting, how well did those goals go? First of all, I managed to cross the bottom line I set for myself. I completed most of my assignments on time (some were turned in later) and reviewed the required learning content regularly. I will continue to learn as I go along for the rest of my learning journey. I have now added more new advanced game-based learning skills to my teaching toolbox, such as learner personas, playtesting, teamwork, project management, and more. Another lucky thing, with the help of Dr. Oprean and Nicholas, I successfully submitted a manuscript on learning interest and game design to the Association for Educational Communication & Technology (AECT). So, what is the most important thing I have learned this semester about game/simulation design?
The answer is my deeper understanding of the relationship between learning and games. Games and learning, I now believe, are not in conflict; they can be mutually reinforcing when properly designed and organized. I always have a quote in my mind, “People do not learn from technology; they learn from thinking. When technologies can enhance students’ thinking, they should be used. Otherwise, they are probably no better than no technology.” This sentence was from David H. Jonassen, when he commented on the relationships between learning and technology during an interview(Simsek, 2012). When we use serious games to facilitate people’s learning, it falls under the category of technology. Therefore, designing more games that help players learn more smoothly, happily, meaningfully, and deeply is my current goal.
The course Advanced Design Games for Learning was a great example for me. During the learning process of this course, I often forgot whether I was learning or playing. I also often lost sight of the difference between games, serious games, simulation games, and simulations. When I dive in and indulge in a state of “flow”, the sheer joy of it can be equally successful and fulfilling. I thought, how could I make learning another kind of entertainment for learners? This is my new goal and the most important thing I have learned in this course.
What are some possible ways for me to achieve my new goal – to design more games that help players learn more smoothly, happily, meaningfully, and deeply?
Games can be used as a catalyst
Games could be used as a catalyst to stimulate and maintain the learners’ learning state and expand the attention span. When I am playing games to learn as a learner, the thing I look forward to the most is seeking more new ways or perspectives to observe what I am learning. For example, if I want to learn about the spatial relationship between the Earth and the Sun and other celestial bodies, I can choose to learn by reading books, or I can choose to learn by watching documentaries, or I can choose to play games. Space science games can give me the opportunity to maneuver a spaceship through the solar system and explore. This experience can give me a sense of freedom while playing the game. And the sense of freedom that the game brings can, ideally, make me avoid the unfamiliar vocabulary in books and the difficult voice intonations in documentaries – allowing me to avoid the difficulties or anxiety that exists in the traditional way of learning, and allowing me to regain my vigor. Next, based on the confidence I gained from playing space science games, I may be more interested in reading books and watching documentaries which have potential challenges for me to learn more about the universe.
Another trinity: a learner, a user and a player.
Who are your audiences? This is a very important question for those who prepare things for their audiences. Once, I attended a workshop at the Teaching for Learning Center. The workshop facilitator, Dr. Bethany Stone reminded me again that all the good instructors need to understand their audiences. While designing a serious game, the reminder is very meaningful. My understanding is beyond it.
When I worked as a science teacher, my primary audience was the learners in my classrooms and labs (students); when I worked as a private school administrator, my primary audience was the users (parents) at an information session to introduce our new school; when I worked as a serious game designer, my audience was virtually unchanged – students and parents – but my understanding of them shifted by this course. They are simultaneously learners, users, and players. Creating learner personas is an effective way for me to quickly understand my audience.
Loop and iteration
With a better understanding of the audience, building a game will be an iterative loop that involves a lot of “chicken or egg” dynamics. At this stage, don’t be afraid to start anywhere. Each new development will move the game forward in an interactive way. During this process, playtest reviews help me keep polishing the game to meet the audience’s expectations.
“The Rule of the Loop: The more times you test and improve your design, the better your game will be.” – Jesse Schell (The Art of Game Design: A Book of Lenses)
What are you most proud of from this semester?
One of the things I am most proud of this semester is the team project we completed as the ShowMeGeo studio. I am so proud of the ambition, imagination, and creativity of all the members of the team during our six-week game development marathon.
Where do good game ideas come from? Kultima concluded some points from the interviews that, “Good ideas were seen as inspiring for others to immediately build on top of them. It was seen as beneficial when a description gave enough information for others to imagine the idea, but enough space for them to develop it further. The bouncing of ideas would expose that quality of an idea.” (Kultima, n.d.)
The team design process was not as fluent and smooth as I imagined. Each step of the development contained some challenges and chances at the same time. But the real value of learning was harvested during this complicated process.
There was one example of the collaboration value during the team-work process. During a weekend brainstorming session inspired by one team member, Maureen, I developed a game idea while cycling on the MKT trail in Columbia, MO. This idea was influenced by geographic facts displayed on the trail, leading to the creation of our game “CoMo Valley,” which incorporates different spaces and historical periods. Apparently, I could not have this serendipity without team members’ help.
When we were in the “Design Loop”, We often debated which component should be introduced first: game mechanics, instructional objectives, assessment plans, or storyboard design? There is no definitive answer, as the ideal approach may vary from one game studio to another.
I confirmed this assumption during a guest lecture with Greg Marlow, who has extensive experience in both the game industry and academic settings focused on game design. The design process is inherently iterative—meaning the more times you test and refine your design, the better your game will become (Schell, 2019) . This also aligns with Dr. Oprean’s initial introduction to the course, where we embraced the concept of being in a continuous loop of development and improvement.
One key realization I had during our game development process is the importance of continually revisiting the problem description. I found myself rereading it numerous times to ensure that our design stayed aligned with the initial goals and objectives. This constant reference helped keep our project on the right track, ensuring that every element of the game design directly addressed the core issues we set out to solve. It served as a crucial checkpoint that guided our development decisions and helped maintain a clear focus throughout the iterative design process.
Research play persona,Given my background in geography and firsthand observations of secondary school students who pursue it as a major or research direction, I am well-equipped to assist my colleague Maureen in developing the learner persona, with a particular focus on those younger than college age. I am eager to contribute to the descriptions of our learner personas, particularly for high school and middle school students, leveraging real-world examples and experiences to ensure our game design effectively resonates with and educates this demographic.
Teamwork is the dream work,here is the pitch slide of our game, Echoes of Lalibela Pitch Slideshow – Google Slides
What if anything will be most helpful for you moving forward (either with games for learning or moving away from it)?
While proceeding with my further learning and research, there are some helpful tips:
- When you encounter “difficult” problems, try to transform them into “complex” problems.
Based on my observations, most of the puzzles that I find unsolvable can be transformed into complex problems that contain many sub-problems. As each problem is eventually solved, the original problem disappears. If someone asked me to create a game for people to learn geography without detailed instructions on how to create learner characters, how to integrate the instructional objectives with the game mechanics, and how to conduct playtests, I would likely be lost. Charismatic teaching is the work of turning difficult problems into complex ones, and then step by step making them solvable.
- Systematic design
Systematic thinking is another powerful tool for me. This systematic thinking will be very useful for my future design work. I would like to design learning games while considering goals, content, feedback, manipulation, and assessment.
- Keep moving forward and iterating
If you have some concerns or questions, a better solution might be to jump to the next step and do something else that you might be able to do, rather than stopping there and just focusing on the problem. Sometimes the key to unlocking a locked door is not near the door, but far away from it. You may find the solution far away from the problem that is holding you back.