Course:ETEC522/2010ST1/SeriousGameEnvironments/Vector1

Definition of Serious Gaming

Serious games are games designed primarily for purposes other than entertainment. Serious games are used for training purposes, investigation, advertising or problem solving. They are made in an attempt to motivate, test and educate the players they were designed for.

Statistics on Gaming

Video games are no longer just a form of entertainment for the younger generation, and 'gamer' stereotypes no longer apply. The ESA's "2010 Essential Facts About the Computer and Video Game Industry" show that 67 percent of American households play computer and video games. The research also reveals other interesting demographic facts about today's gamers and the games they play, including:

· The average game player is 34 years old and the average game buyer is 40 years old.

· 49% of gamers are in the 18-49 year old age bracket.

· Twenty-six percent of game players are over the age of 50, an increase from 9% in 1999.

· Nursing homes and senior centers are now incorporating video games into their activities.

· Females make up almost half of the game player population (42% and rising).

· 64% of parents believe games are a positive part of their children's lives.

· Forty-two percent of Americans play games on wireless devices such as cell phones or PDAs.

· Women age 18 or older represent a significantly greater portion of the game-playing population (33%) than boys age 17 or younger (20%).

Educational contexts and examples of serious games

Informal

A large number of households own at least one type of gaming system, such as XBOX, Wii, Playstation or Nintendo DS. The games that these systems run have been bringing generations of families together to share in a strategy game, a memory game or to get fit. Online role-playing games often require gamers to develop strategies, think quickly and collaborate with other players. Examples of serious games include:

· Wii Fit - to get fit while having fun at the same time

· Runescape - a massive, multiplayer online role playing game (MMORPG) where the player chooses the adventure

· World of Warcraft - an MMORPG

· Brain Age - a series of activities designed to enhance brain function

K-12

There are many serious games on the market designed to help students with math, language, science, business and skills such as critical thinking, team play and collaboration. Many students enjoy using serious games for learning because of the immediate, non-judgemental feedback as well as the engaging videos and music. Examples include:

· Learning Upgrade - a game like board for struggling students in math, language where they collect points to advance levels

· Go Venture - a business simulation game focussing on entrepreneurship, where students run a Lemonade Stand, Pizza or Burger Shop or Clothing Store

· Data Harvest - a science program complete with probes to help students learn about temperature, light, humidity, carbon dioxide, etc.

· Immune Attack - teaches students in grade 7-12 about cellular biology and molecular science while they try to save a patient suffering from a bacterial infection

· CLICK - Child Life Interactive Computer for Kids - allows hospitalized children to participate in classroom activities, social networking and gaming from their hospital room

Post-Secondary

Programs have been designed to help students make decisions in real-life situations in areas of health care, emergency preparedness, military training, business and science. Students can 'practice' their skills in a virtual world and get feedback from their actions. These games let them experiment and get comfortable in their skill set before they have to perform in the real world. Examples include:

· Duke University Nursing Program on Second Life - see video below for this interesting application

· City One - debuting in September,a program by IBM designed to give users experience in creating a "Smarter Planet" by solving business, environmental and logistics problems

· Anti-terrorism Force Protection - an interactive training program for Joint Forces

Adult

Formal and informal serious games exist in this arena for many purposes. Language games aid illiterate adults in reading, strategy games aid in decision-making and leadership skills,and role playing games exist to help adults in job search and skills enhancement. Adults appreciate the ability to use serious games for learning, particularly when they may not be able to attend a physical classroom due to travel or childcare issues. Adults also enjoy the privacy of learning where they can make mistakes and gain confidence in a private setting.

· Bayer's Didget Diabetes Meter - to help adults and their children better understand their disease

· Exergames such as Wii Fit - to keep older adults healthy and active (nursing homes are starting to incorporate these into daily activities)

· Second language learning - there are many programs that assist adults in learning a foreign language

Corporate

More and more companies are seeing the benefits of serious games in the work environment. Serious games bring value in engaging employees, providing training and offering virtual worlds where they can meet colleagues without having the expense of travel. Companies are finding that their employees are more engaged in their training and can learn more skills quickly through online role playing games over traditional classroom courses or videos.

· Second Life Islands - for advertising and for training purposes

· Breakaway Dental Implant Training Simulation - teaches students patient assessment and diagnosis protocol and allows for practice in 3D virtual world

· Flight Simulator - simulation program for pilots

· Driver Simulation - to teach new drivers how to drive and test their reactions in a safe environment prior to physically getting in the car

Benefits of Serious Games

Research shows that serious games can have a very positive effect on students in the classroom. The National Education Association found that games such as SIM City improve students' problem-solving and analytical skills (NEA, 2009). Games can be very effective in helping stem boredom, decrease employee turnover or student absenteeism, enhance collaboration, encourage leadership and improve decision-making skills. Serious games help develop teamwork and critical thinking, and boost engagement.

Cordova and Lepper (1996) studied computer game effects and found that they encouraged students to explore at will, create their own ideas and invent their own strategies. They also helped to keep learners interested and engaged. Gaming environments encouraged "collaboration among learners, more closely mirroring the real-life environment in which learned content will be used." (Cordova and Lepper, 1996)

Other student benefits include:

· Learning through visualization

· Immediate and non-judgemental feedback

· Individualized instruction

· Encourages students to be more accountable for work they produce

· Appeals to multiple senses/learning styles

· Strong connections to real-world contexts

· Encourages experimentation and exploration

Teachers benefit from using serious gaming technology in the classroom through enriched instruction, more motivated students, rich and relevant content and differentiated instruction.

Corporations are realizing cost savings in travel and benefiting from more effective training with serious games over alternative methods.

Drawbacks

A number of critics are concerned that children will become more aggressive and tend to violent activities due to certain games. Research is being done to counter this claim, and the following study is one that refutes this position. Video games are good for children - EU report

Another article Study: Violent Games Primarily Affect Those With Existing Personality Issues finds that children who are violent often have pre-existing conditions, and their violence cannot be attributed to the games. Other research shows that children with pre-existing conditions who engage in violent games can create “the perfect storm”. Therefore, it is important to engage gamers in games that are appropriately rated for their age. The onus tends to lie on teachers and parents to ensure that this happens.

Some games can be quite addictive to certain personalities. In these situations, it is difficult for the gamer to manage their time effectively when gaming for training purposes.

If the content to be taught is very straightforward and can be covered in a relatively short length of time, then a serious game is not necessarily the most appropriate tool to use.

The cost to create a game can be significant and require very specialized skills. Therefore, if a game does not exist that fits the educational needs of the users, then it might be too costly to make the investment in creating such a game.

Cost and access to technology may be an issue in classrooms. The TCO section will discuss costs in more detail, but access to technology and finding relevant games to match the curriculum are issues that teachers need to deal with.

What’s Coming?

Serious games are becoming more prevalent in the corporate world, education and the home market. Companies such as American Express, IBM, Nokia, Bank of America and Pfizer all incorporate serious games as part of their training programs. Universities and colleges are including serious games in many programs, including nursing, business, engineering and construction. Due to the engaging nature of these games and their ability to build higher order skills, the market for these games will continue to increase significantly.

Serious games have many benefits in the K-12 environment. Some games are tied to the curriculum and allow teachers to choose the components of the game that match the current study topics. They allow for differentiated instruction and encourage students to develop decision-making and analytical skills. Serious games can tie abstract concepts to real world examples. For all of these reasons and more, serious games are a wonderful fit for today’s classrooms.

Vector Report Card

Discussion Question

After experiencing what it is like to interact in a virtual simulation like Second Life, comment on a few of the benefits and drawbacks of using this type of technology to facilitate learning.

Navigation

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References

American Psychological Association (2010). Violent video games may increase aggression in some but not others, says new research. Retrieved June 28, 2010 from http://apa.org/news/press/releases/2010/06/violent-video-games.aspx

Annetta, L.A., Marshall, R.M. & Park, J.C. (2006). Serious games: Incorporating video games in the classroom. Retrieved June 18, 2010 from http://www.educause.edu/EDUCAUSE+Quarterly/EDUCAUSEQuarterlyMagazineVolum/SeriousGamesIncorporatingVideo/157412

Booth, R. (2009). Video games are good for children. Retrieved June 22, 2010 from http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2009/feb/12/computer-games-eu-study

Cordova, D.I., Lepper, M.R. (1996). Intrinsic Motivation and the Process of Learning: Beneficial Effects of Contextualization, Personalization, and Choice. Journal of Educational Psychology, 88(4), 715-30.

Duke University School of Nursing in Second Life. Retrieved June 12, 2010 from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sL3D-59MbnY&feature=player_embedded

Edery, D., Mollick, E. (2009). Changing the game: How video games are transforming the future of business. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson Education, Inc.

Entertainment Software Association. (2010). Retrieved June 21, 2010 from http://www.theesa.com/

IBM. (2010) Serious games for smarter skills: The future of learning. Retrieved from http://www-01.ibm.com/software/solutions/soa/newsletter/oct09/article_seriousgames.html?open&cm_mmc=6196-_-n-_-vrm_newsletter-_-10481_137001&cmibm_em=dm:0:16755426

Learning Upgrade, (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.learningupgrade.com/html/index.htm

Reeves, B. and Read, J. L. (2009). Total Engagement: Using Games and Virtual Worlds to Change the Way People Work and Businesses Compete. Harvard Business School Press, 1st edition.

Study: Violent Games Primarily Affect Those With Existing Personality Issues. Retrieved June 26, 2010 from http://www.seriousgamessource.com/item.php?story=28886