RATIONALE
Games have been shown to be powerful complements to classroom-based education, enhancing both learning and motivation to learn. However, game design requires significant specialist knowledge, and can be very time-consuming and costly. Furthermore, transitions between instructional design and game implementation is acknowledged as lacking methodology (Hauge, et al, 2015) This hackathon focusses on how teachers can adapt existing games and effectively implement them in a variety of learning situations. By teaching teachers how to analyse widely available, inexpensive games and match game mechanics to pedagogic actions, this event will enable informed selection of games which are appropriately aligned to pedagogic goals and provide examples of how to then modify these games for particular learning outcomes.
PROPOSED ACTIVITIES
The hackathon will begin with an in depth analysis of game mechanics in a variety of mainstream board/card games using gameplay loop analysis (Guardiola, 2016) and Gamebricks (Djaouti et al, 2008). Worked examples will lead to participants undertaking their own analyses. Then, identified game mechanics will be aligned with learning behaviours using the Serious Game Mechanics card game (Hauge, et al, 2015). These activities will allow participants to practice game analysis, understand which game mechanics are most suited to encouraging particular pedagogical goals, and gain an understanding of intrinsic integration in game-based learning and its importance (Arnab, et al, 2015). In the latter half of the hackathon, participants will select a learning situation from their own practice, define their desired pedagogic behaviours, and propose a modification to an existing game to align it directly with their chosen subject. Finally, the group will work together to discuss how ‘modded’ analogue games can be most effectively integrated into teaching activity, within time and cost limitations.
By documenting the workshop and inviting participants to feed back in the months following the event, this hackathon will create a legacy of material and relationships on techniques and successes when modding existing games for learning purposes.
WHO BENEFITS
This hackathon is suitable for anyone who wants to use game-enhanced learning but does not consider themselves a game designer, or does not have the resources to design a game from scratch. The techniques learned are applicable for all levels of education from primary to post-graduate. The workshop team has significant experience of modding board games and publishing in the field of serious games and game-based learning and this hackathon builds on expertise gained in previous events.
SUMMARY
Modding existing analogue games is a fast and inexpensive way of implementing GBL in the classroom. This hackathon will showcase this technique and develop participants’ critical skills, ensuring that games are selected and modified appropriate for the best possible learning outcomes.
REFERENCES
Hauge J.M.B., Lim T., Louchart S., Stanescu I.A., Ma M., Marsh T. (2015) Game Mechanics Supporting Pervasive Learning and Experience in Games, Serious Games, and Interactive & Social Media. In: Chorianopoulos K., Divitini M., Baalsrud Hauge J., Jaccheri L., Malaka R. (eds) Entertainment Computing - ICEC 2015. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 9353. Springer, Cham
Arnab, S., Lim, T., Carvalho, M. B., Bellotti, F., de Freitas, S., Louchart, S., Suttie, N., Berta, R. and De Gloria, A. (2015), Mapping learning and game mechanics for serious games analysis. Br J Educ Technol, 46: 391–411. doi:10.1111/bjet.12113
Guardiola, E. (2016) The Gameplay Loop: a Player Activity Model for Game Design and Analysis. In: Proceedings of the 13th International Conference on Advances in Computer Entertainment Technology, ACM New York, NY, USA. doi:10.1145/3001773.3001791
Djaouti, D., Alvarez, J., Jessel, J.P., Methel, G., and Molinier, P., (2008) A Gameplay Definition through Videogame Classification. In: International Journal of Computer Games Technology, Volume 2008 (2008), Hindawi Publishing Corporation, doi:10.1155/2008/470350