Talk for teachers at Microsoft learning alliance event in London under the team Playful Learning.

1. Game-based learning: Who, why and how…?
PhD, Cand. Psych. Simon Egenfeldt-Nielsen
CEO Serious Games Interactive
13. Januar 2012
Microsoft – PlayfulLearning
sen@seriousgames.dk
+45 40 10 79 69

2. My background
• MA Psychology
• PhD Games & learning
• Between industry & research
Developing games
• Three series for education
• +50 client projects
Research projects
• Commercial video games for learning
• Educational potential of video games: GC: Palestine
• Research project: Serious Games on a Global Market place
•PlayMancer – Serious Games for Rehabilitation

3. Our background
• Research-based company
• Using games for more than entertainment Research
• 18 employees located in Copenhagen
• Won several awards for our productions Flagships
• +50 games for clients
Work-for-hire
• Global Conflicts-Series, Citizenship, +13 years (10)
• Playing History-Series, History, 9-13 years (2)
• Trunky-series, 3-8 years (6)

5. Awards
BETT Finalist (UK)
– Primary educational products 2012.
Børsen Gazelle (DK)
– Among 200 fast-growing DK companies in 2007-2011
BETT Award (UK)
– Secondary educational products 2010.
PC ZONE (UK)
– Independent Game Award 2007.
Nordic Game (Scandinavia)
– Best Nordic Game 2007 & 2008 nominee.
Children’s Technology Review (US)
- Editors Choice Award 2008.
IndieCade (US)
- Best Indie Game Nominee 2008 & 2009.

6. Agenda
• How do teachers use of games?
• How can we use games?
• What should we look for?

7. Participants
185 Teaching with IT
275 respondents 70
60
21 50
All %
40
66% Females DK %
34 30
34% Males 20
World %
Male
9 10 Female
0
Medio 2010 No A little Average Extensive Vast
25 experience experience experience experience experience
Teacher Age 50
Experience with Games
45
40
Above 61 years
35
All %
30
51-60 years
25 DK %
41-50 years 20 World %
15
10 Male
31-40 years
5 Female
below 30 years 0
No A little Average Extensive Vast
0 20 40 60 80 100 experience experience experience experience experience

8. Adaptation in teaching
70
60
50 Female teacher
40 use them most!
30
Yes 60% use computer
64% vs. 51%
20
No
games in teaching
10
(but only on lower
0 grade)
All DK World Male Female
Games used in teaching Ways used to teach with games
Games useful in teaching
about them as a medium About games as a cultural
Games enhancing pupils’ phenomenon
creative/production skills For interdisciplinary
Games primarily developed teaching
for entertainment Pupils’ skills in design &
Games geared towards inter- creative production
disciplinary teaching To teach in specific topics
Games for teaching in
specific topics For training in specific
Games for the training of skills
specific skills

9. Barriers
Top 6 – selected barriers (top1) Top 6 – categories barriers (top1)
1. Problems with computer equipment
2. Problems with installing the software Practical:
7%
3. Computer games are too expensive 6%
Software, hardware &
setting
4. Learning games not on par with other games
6% My own lack of knowledge
5. My own lack of knowledge about games
6. Inappropriate physical surroundings 11%
Learning games not on a
58% par with other games
12% Limited relevance to the
syllabus of my subject
Boring barriers
• Schools still struggle to get a proper infrastructure
• There is a quality challenge according to especially male teachers
• DK teacher perceives more practical barriers: Equipment, installation and setting

10. Learning outcomes
Teachers perception of learning outcomes for different students
Pupils learn MORE from games The weak students
and male students
All
look to gain
Strong students
Pupils learn the SAME from games
Weak students
significantly more
Male students according to
Female students teachers
Pupils learn LESS from games
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90
Male/female Teachers perception of learning outcomes gender
Pupils learn MORE from games
Male teacher sees
Pupils learn the SAME from games Female
greater potential.
Male
Pupils learn LESS from games
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90

11. Why don’t use games
Attitude towards teaching with games
In general teachers are focused on lack of knowledge and having a difficult time connecting games
and learning in a ‘hostile’ environment.
Very few dismiss games out right, but have valid reservations.
Are you considering using games in your teaching? Top 4 – selected barriers (top1)
Maybe
Female 1. My own lack of knowledge
No
Male 2. Limited relevance to syllabus
World 3. Inappropriate physical surroundings
DK 4. Problems with computer equipment
Yes All
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70

12. Agenda
• How do teachers use of games?
• How can we use games?
• What should we look for?

13. Games in education overview
Games in school are many things – challenges, didactics and approach
is VERY different.
 Teaching through computer games: Use computer games to teach a
specific curriculum.
 Teaching with computer games: Use computer games as leverage in
the teaching of existing themes, concepts and methods from the
curriculum in play.
 Teaching by making computer games: Use game authoring tool to
make a computer games about a given subject or with relevant contents
to learn about IT, games, design, story-telling and the game’s topic.

14. Learning process
Reflective
Kolb’s cycle showing different observation
teaching forms w. modes for
achieving best results.
Group work
Concrete Instructor Abstract
experiences concepts
Game
Active
experimentation
Source: Egenfeldt-Nielsen, 2007

15. Teaching and didactic approach
Reflection
with
Facts Applying
through making
Behaviourism Constructivism
B
Different game didactics can do different things
with different students in different context by
different teachers

16. Ex. Teaching through games
Closest type of games to a textbook.
Very broad variation across target groups in relation
to characters, contents, scope and genres.
Games can be aimed, refitted or reconceived for
education.
Didactical approach varies but mostly lean towards
behaviorism and cognitivism.
They can have a continuum from focus on what is
most important: fun or learning.

17. Ex. Teaching through games
A good place is to look at the success criteria for mastering a game, the core of
a game. Not so much the setting.
Succes criteria Interaktivity Knowledge domain
Action Quick reflexes Large Psychomotor
Adventure Puzzle& logic thinking Small Affective
Strategy Overview, prioritistion& Medium Cognitive
analysis

18. Ex. Teaching with games
This approaches is driven by students’ interest
and motivation, so you need differentiation and
freedom.
Another challenge is dealing with very different
types of student game literacy.
Didactical approach varies but mostly lean
towards cognitivism.

19. Ex. Teaching by making games
Quite a challenging and demanding approach
both for teachers and students.
Get an inside perspective on a subject by
dissecting it while using creative expressions.
Didactical approach varies but mostly lean
towards behaviorism and constructivism.
The expression and scope may disappoints
students.

20. Agenda
• How do teachers use of games?
• How can we use games?
• What should we look for?

21. Are these learning games?
Are these good learning games?
Simcity 4 Spore
Civilization 4 Bully

22. A good game (teaching through games)
A good learning game is also a good game.
A good game is also a good learning game.
Substantivs
• Audiovisual
• Story Interesting
• Problem space
• Choices/decisions
Verbs
Engaging
• Consequence
Challenging
• Feedback
• Balance
• Reward

23. Are these good (learning) games?
+ Motivation
- - - Integration
All have elements of learning. - - - Focus
When learning focus
increase, motivation tends to
decrease. + + Motivation
-Integration
- Focus
• Substantives (ship/cannon)
• Verbs (sail/shoot)
• Integration + Motivation
• Motivation + Integration
• Focus - Focus

24. A good learning game…
Computer game Learning game
Substantivs
Quality & abstraction
• Audiovisual • Right substantivs
• Story • Right verbs
• Problem space
• Choices/decisions • Integration
Verbs
• Motivation
• Consequence • Focus
• Feedback
• Balance
• Reward

25. Conclusion
 Plan realistically and consider the practical barriers.
These will probably be your biggest challenge.
 Clearly set out what way you want to use games, and
evaluate the game on those premises.
 Recognize that game is a medium where verbs are
central, and that game and learning have to align well for
it to work.
Thank you for listing – and hope you will
give games a go.

26. Contact info
Company details
Serious Games Interactive
Ravnsborggade 2-4, 2. floor
DK - 2200 Copenhagen N
www.seriousgames.dk
My details:
Simon Egenfeldt-Nielsen
sen@seriousgames.dk | +45 40 10 79 69
www.egenfeldt.eu
© Serious Games Interactive