The Helpless and The Masters:
A Subversive Game Experiment
Your hosts today
Eelco Braad
Senior Researcher Adaptive Systems
Hanze University of Applied Sciences, Groningen
Nick Degens Professor of Applied Science in User-Centered Design Hanze University of Applied Sciences, Groningen
The Helpless & The Masters
• How does the design of a game impact learning?
• What do you, as a player, need to be able to learn and enjoy the game? • What are the implications for designing playful learning activities?
Game Rules – Working Together
• The smarterest Neanderthal (team captain, can interact) • Two or three simpletons
(need help to manage simple tasks)
Game Rules – The Game and The Goal
The goal for each team is to correctly finish as many buildings as possible, within the allotted time.
Game Rules - Performing
• One hit means *you’re not stupid* • Two hits means *you’re stupid* • Hitting yourself means *I’m stupid*
Furthermore
The team with the most completed buildings wins a prize.
If you finish, shout loudly as a team, so we can check.
There’s a scoreboard up front with everyone’s score.
Team name is the name of the team captain.
Debriefing
• Some questions
• How did the experience go? What went right/wrong/unexpected? • What did you learn from the experience? What would you do
differently?
• What kind of strategies did you learn to better communicate with each other?
Designing for Learners
• How to design learning experiences that accommodate learner needs?
Gamification
• If gamification is just rewarding progress with meaningless badges or points, it fosters only extrinsic motivation in the short term.
• This is because the goal of the game becomes to win (short-term goal) vs. learn and understand (long-term goal).
• Gamification elements can detract from a learning experience, so be careful of how you implement it (winning is only fun for the winners).
Achievement Goal Orientation
• Achievement goal orientation theory describes how learners are motivated, and how learners regulate their learning behaviour in the pursuit of learning goals.
Achievement Goal Orientation
• Mastery-oriented learners are motivated to learn and actively seek feedback to improve their competence.
• Performance-oriented learners are motivated to demonstrate competence and avoid negative feedback.
Difficulty and Adaptivity
• Different players have different needs in difficulty and challenge – and this changes while playing.
Gamified Learning
• Gamified learning can improve experience and outcomes – it is no longer about if it works but about when and how it works.
• Our work focuses on the alignment of game mechanics with learning goals and learner needs.
Eelco Braad
Senior Researcher Adaptive Systems e.p.braad@pl.hanze.nl | @illco
Nick Degens
Professor of Applied Science in User-Centered Design d.m.degens@pl.hanze.nl | @nickdegens
