Games%20and%20Learning%20Ph.d%20stipendia[e-mail]%20www.game-research.com

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Games and LearningPh.d stipendiat Simon
Egenfeldt-NielsenIT-University
Copenhagensen_at_it-c.dkwww.game-research.com
1. Oct. 2002, ITU
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Agenda

1. Introduction
2. Learning games now
3. Some game examples
4. Sketching a theory for game learning dynamics

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Introduction
Masters Degree in Psychology, Copenhagen
University in 2000. PhD Student at
IT-University of Copenhagen. Currently in first
phase of exploring in-depth my project.
Consulting/work Framfab A Web agency where
I was responsible for children, internet, gaming
and entertainment. Placed in the department
Centre for User experience. Game Research
Started to bridge the gap between arts, science
and business within gaming. Written two
Danish books on games and learning.
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Introduction
Currently trying to grasp the area of learning in
broadest term I will present a little about the
field learning and digital games, and present a
model I am currently working on. I concentrate
on learning and content not learning as change
in cognitive and processing ability.
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Agenda

1. Introduction
2. Learning games now
3. Some game examples
4. Sketching a theory for game learning dynamics

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Agenda

• Different research initiatives on computer games
  and learning (in order)
• Adventure games Puzzles Riven, Where in Time
  is Carmen Sandiego.
• Business, military society simulations
  Simcity, Doonesbury, Combat Flight Sim
• Health training Foodman, Bronkie
• Virtual worlds Everquest, Active worlds.
• Mathematical Logo, Through the Glasswall,
  E-gem.
• Cognitive skills All games to varying degrees
  (problem solving,spatial, motor coordination,
  verbal).
• Source from meta-search on abstracts in
  database (Eric, Psych info, Medline, Emerald,
  Proquest, IJIL, web-sites)
• Suffer the same problems as game research in
  general. The favorites are Adventure, simulation
  and strategy games, in that order no action
  games.

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Agenda
Deals with learning from different angles, with
different potential and consequences The
matrix of research interest
Learning focus
High
Low
Subject(Math, Language, geographic, history)
Competences(Spatial, perception, analysis,
problem solving)
Low
Game focus
Genre(Adventure, simulation strategy, action)
User group(Pupils, students, disabled,
maladjusted, business)
High
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Agenda

1. Introduction
2. Learning games now
3. Some game examples
4. Sketching a theory for game learning dynamics

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Learning games gone bad
Learning games are actually even more focused on
the unfortunate tendency of game designers - the
desire to control the universe. Often learning
is conceived in a faulty way, through the glasses
of an old behaviorist-learning paradigm. This
game is clearly very subject oriented!

• Problems
• You make a visual universe set in a Pyramid
  without relation to the learning.
• You want to give the player a specific amount of
  learning. This you put first in the game.
• Then you add little classic games with no
  relation to the Pyramids or the content available
  first in the game.

Picture Chefrens Pyramide
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Learning games somewhat better
In the best cases the knowledge is part of the
playing experience like in Bronkie the
Bronchiasaurus, where you must fight asthma.
This game is very much from a genre
perspectives Lieberman set out to create an
education action game.

• Advantages
• You make a visual universe set in a play world
  with knowledge primers.
• You give the player a specific amount of
  learning. Which you integrate into the actions in
  the game
• The game remains cool and the learning is a
  natural part of the game universe.

Picture Bronkie the Bronchiasaurus
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Europa Universalis the facts of the game I?
The game primarily covers the European history
from 1419 to 1820. You can choose different
scenarios within this period or the grand
campaign spanning the whole period. A staggering
amount of different states where you must
manipulate on different levels to become
successful Military, technology, economy,
religion, culture, diplomacy, colonization,
fleet, trade etc. The quality of this material
make it relevant for use in other contexts.
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Europa Universalis the facts of the game II?
The computer game development was drastically
different from the board game.. While the board
game has a deterministic view of history the
philosophy for the computer game was to make
historical changes possible to make a more
enjoyable game.  Malmberg (2002) 
The combination of subject experts with game
development professionals should be a goal.
What sets Europa Universalis aside is that it
did not set out to encompass certain aspects of
history but took it as an important ingredient in
the overall playing experience. What really
makes a difference is the ability to integrate
learning as compelling material thereby also
making possible the transfer of more factual
knowledge.
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Sketch of current typical learning dynamics
Note Could also find other models like network,
but these are the most occurring Some (new)
adventure games to some degree eliminate this
story problem.
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Agenda

1. Introduction
2. Learning games now
3. Some game examples
4. Sketching a theory for game learning dynamics

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Sketch for a new theory of learning dynamics in
digital games
? PlayExploration, intrinsic motivated,
pretending, rules negotiable, engaging,
participatory ? Story Used in a very pragmatic
meaning the content that connect the game over
time and space and at the same time frame the
game universe. ? StructureIs the premises of all
games like rules, goals, an outcome etc. ?
Information Information is meaning a human
assigns to data through using the known
conventions in their representation ?
KnowledgeKnowledge is the result of the subjects
processing of information and fitting it into
existing schemata (learning).
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Sketch for a new theory of learning dynamics in
digital games
Learning as the game progress

• LearningThe combination of information elements
  presented especially in the story material, that
  is processed by the subject, and fitted into
  existing schemata through reflection or
  automation.

Story, setting and objects are made meaningful
through foremost the structure and secondarily
the story, which is activated in play
situations The important point is that the
players focus is on what these things mean in
the current play situation. Therefore the a
priori meaning attached to story, setting and
objects are not, what are presented to the
player!
The process of a specific learning incident
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Sketch for a new theory of learning dynamics in
digital games
This highlights the problem with the current
limited focus on certain game dynamic formulas,
as the meaning constructed is within a limited
universe, which from a learning perspective is
problematic
An overview of restrictions in relation to
different learning types
Learning paradigm 1 Think about it(Reflection) Learning paradigm 2Just do it(Trial-error)(Automation) Play state Game design restrictions
Reflection (Learning dimension) High recognition Low recognition Play halted Low
Automation (Learning dimension) Low recognition High recognition Play flow High
The table points to the dilemma of computer games
in relation to two different types of learning.
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Sketch for a new theory of learning dynamics in
digital games
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Happy hunting
A couple of issues I am currently
pursuing Relation between meaning and
narrative What role does the human search for
meaning play in narratives. Learning and
narratives How do they fit together. How have
narratives been used in other media for learning
purposes (like narration of historical
tv-programs on Discovery). Different learning
types What are the consequences of the different
underlying philosophically assumptions of
learning theories ontology/epistemology. Do any
lend itself better to understanding games than
the others. The transfer problem Do computer
games pose a special problem when transferring
experience/learning/knowledge/information from a
game context to another. Motivation and
intentionality Do the powerful, attention and
hold on the players intentionality pose problems
in relation to learning the search and fitting
of learning into existing boxes.