The Value of Games in Learning

Recently a colleague asked me a few questions about the value of games for training. Here are distillations of the conversation:

Question: What do you think are the benefits of the gaming approach to learning?
Answer: Games designed to facilitate learning enable players to engage in tasks and experience situations that may be too difficult, too expensive, or to dangerous to attempt in "real life." For instance, using a game activity, we can build an immersive simulation around troubleshooting Sun storage appliances. In real life, we may not have easy access to those storage appliances. By simulating a data center environment, we can "place the learner in the contextual situation." To increase motivation, we can make the activity game-like by constructing play. With play, you can heighten the learner's emotion, which is key to increasing motivation. By adding a scoring or timing element, along with rules and goals, you increase the chance of the learner becoming intrinsically motivated in the learning environment (which means the learner is motivated by a deep interest in the activity, and cannot easily be distracted, as opposed to extrinsic motivation which means the learner is playing only because an external reward is offered).

Question: Can the gaming approach to learning enhance the skillsets of employees? If yes, how?
Answer: Games are very good at combining drama, story, and characters to create a compelling experience which increases retention. With appropriate design, a learning game can be the vehicle for transferring new knowledge and/or skills that can then be immediately applied in the workplace.

Question: How is the gaming approach to learning able to meet the specific and direct needs of our company and business nature?
Answer: In some respects, it all comes down to defined business outcomes. When you take a deep look at the types of learning interventions we are currently designing, ask yourself this: "Are the interventions tied succinctly to a business need, and are we effectively measuring the results?" Peel back another layer, and ask, "Are the types of training programs offering relevance, credibility, and causality to their intended target audiences?" Games may not work in every situation. You will need to consider the audience, the subject matter, the desired goals and objectives of the intervention, as well as the budget, schedule, and the competency of the design team. If you strip away the technology, games are essentially highly experiential learning applications which can foster deep levels of cognitive activity. For example, higher-thinking skills such as conflict resolution or negotiation. Games can be simulated environments with vivid and realistic representations of real-life in which players solve problems. Solving the problems is how the player derives satisfaction from the experience. Satisfied players = happy players which equals increased motivation and retention.

Question: With technology and the business landscape changing so quickly- why and how will gaming approach to learning become more pertinent than ever before?
Answer:  Technology doesn't really change learning. Learners change learning. Today's learners expect flexibility in how they consume their learning, so our designs need to be sensitive to the audience's needs. Sometimes a simple job aid is enough.

Question: What kinds of people do you think are suitable for the gaming approach to learning and could benefit most from it?
Answer: Play is an inherent human trait. I have not met anyone that doesn't like to play. Note that there are two types of play: structured and unstructured. We are concerned with structured play in the training world. Males and females do tend to approach games from different perspectives. Females are less likely to want to engage in combat in a game, whereas males may tend to become easily bored with less action-oriented games. In general, some people prefer puzzles, some struggle with puzzles. I think everyone likes certain types of game-like activities... it's just all about a good audience analysis to determine the best type of game to create.

Question: Have you got any advice for people who are still thinking whether they should join the gaming approach to learning or not?
Answer: In my opinion, people want to have fun and be happy in general. Why does it have to be not fun to take a training program? The designer's job is to balance the fun and learning, so that measurable objectives can be met.

Question: Have you got any tips for participants who are taking training courses with gaming approach?
Answer: I think those who want to design learning games, must understand the mechanics of play. Those who do not play games, probably would not be successful game designers. My first tip would be to find a way to translate a favorite game from childhood into a learning game. That's how I got started.

 In short, games:

• have realistic and relevant environments that allow users to explore boundaries and options.
• have clearly defined rules: “If you release your finger from the keyboard, you will fall”, “If you step on a landmine it will blow up”, or “if you run out of cash you will go broke”.
• have clear objectives – “obtain all four clues before your character leaves the room”, “double turnover in 3 years”.
• are truly interactive; every thing that the player does, or does not do, affects the environment.
• have clear outcomes; “You only retrieved three clues... you lost”, “You have run out of cash and are now broke”.
• provide meaningful and relevant feedback that show the consequences of decisions and actions.
  
• are adaptive; they automatically track the player’s progress and performance to maintain a careful balance between boredom (because it is too easy) and frustration (because it is too hard). Static content (eLearning) cannot be easily designed to achieve this and is, therefore, customised to a very specific audience.
• requires more cognition from the player than regular eLearning courses where the learner simply reads text and regurgitates facts. Gamers analyse huge quantities of information to problem solve, think creatively, explore and investigate, and deduce through trial and error, tasks that often occur in the workplace.