If You Build It, They (May) Come: Reflections on Educational Games. Ruben R. Puentedura, Ph.D.

Transcription

1 If You Build It, They (May) Come: Reflections on Educational Games Ruben R. Puentedura, Ph.D.

2 The Games and The Players

3 The Games

4 The Players 1000 Total Players Total Project Number of Players: ~ September October November December Players by Game % Players by Game % % % % 0 September October November December 0% September October November December Wolfquest Democracy Forbidden City Zon Wolfquest Democracy Forbidden City Zon

5 The Survey

6 Respondents by Gender Total Number of Respondents: 609 Respondents Who Did Not Play Games: 147 (~33% of Players) Male Female

7 Respondents by Grade

8 How Often Did They Play? Once Occasionally Frequently WolfQuest Democracy Forbidden City JA Titan Zon

9 How Many Games Did They Play? Number Games Played

10 Did They Enjoy The Games? WolfQuest 10% 8% 23% 21% 20% 38% Democracy 20% 8% 28% 24% Forbidden City 23% 21% 6% 17% 33% JA Titan 22% 23% 9% 17% 28% Zon 24% 20% 1% 17% 38% Strongly Agree Agree Neither Agree Nor Disagree Disagree Strongly Disagree

11 Enjoyment By Gender WolfQuest Democracy Percentage Percentage Strongly Disagree Disagree Neither Agree Strongly Agree 0 Strongly Disagree Disagree Neither Agree Strongly Agree Forbidden City JA Titan Percentage Percentage Strongly Disagree Disagree Neither Agree Strongly Agree 0 Strongly Disagree Disagree Neither Agree Strongly Agree Zon Percentage Male Female 10 0 Strongly Disagree Disagree Neither Agree Strongly Agree

12 Hardcore and Casual Players Hardcore Players: Buy and play many games Enjoy longer play sessions Enjoy challenge, progression, and game mastery Tolerate complex controls because they have played many games and absorbed the skills involved See game playing as a lifestyle preference; talking about games is a social component of their lives Casual Players: Buy fewer games, buy popular games, or play Hardcore friendrecommended games Enjoy shorter play sessions Prefer having fun, or immersion in an atmospheric experience Generally require simpler controls (exception: C1 players) See games as another timepassing entertainment; might talk about games with Hardcore friends

13 What Type Of Gamer Are They? Male Female 16% 5% 41% 43% 52% 43% No Idea Casual Hardcore

14 The DGD1 Model (Bateman 2004) Conqueror C1 Manager C2 H2 H1 H3 H4 C4 Participant Hardcore Casual C3 Wanderer

15 The Four Play Styles Conqueror: Associated with challenge and the emotional payoff of triumph over adversity; tend to finish games they start. Highly patient with frustration: if they stick with it, they can win. Skills: proficiency with logistical optimization and strategic thinking. Manager: Associated with mastery and systems; may not finish many games that they start playing. Good at dealing with multiple factors in parallel. Skills: tactical competence backed with strategic thinking. Wanderer: Associated with experience and identity; challenge is not especially desired, but may be tolerated. Attracted by the feeling that something new is just around the corner, an involving story, or a beautiful world. Skills: tactical competence and abstract thinking. Participant: Associated with emotions and involvement; seem happiest when playing with people, but also enjoy play which is rooted in emotion. Drawn to games with an emotional effect, that allow the player to affect virtual or real people. Skills: logistical optimization.

16 What Play Styles Do They Favor? Conqueror Manager Wanderer Participant

17 Manager Wanderer Conqueror Wanderer Conqueror Manager Participant Participant Participant Participant Wanderer Manager Conqueror Manager Wanderer Conqueror Manager Wanderer

18 Player Type By Gender 100 Male Female Conqueror Manager Wanderer Participant

19 Next Steps

20 For All five games included on laptop. Self-contained podcast series: Game And Learn: An Introduction to Educational Gaming On itunes U at: Webinars for teachers planning to use games in classroom: General games in education support; Content-specific support for five games on image; Content-specific support for new, vetted games: Lure of the Labyrinth Sleep Is Death

21 Game And Learn: An Introduction to Educational Gaming

22 The Core Definitions

23 The Taxonomy

24 Learning and Education

25 Using Games

26 Games and Narrative

27 The Players

28 Assessment and Design

29 Game Creation

30 With Thanks To Jeff Mao, Learning Technology Policy Director, State of Maine Merrilea J. Mayo, Ph.D. The Maine Learning Technology Initiative (MLTI) The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation

31 Resources Bateman, C. and R. Boon. 21st Century Game Design. Charles River Media. (2006) Bateman, C. Designing for Different Play Styles: Demographic Game Design. (2004) Available online at: ChrisBateman-Designing%20for%20Different%20Play%20Styles.v1.3.pdf Puentedura, R.R. Game And Learn: An Introduction to Educational Gaming. (2009) On itunes U at: More information at:

32 Hippasus This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 License.