Serious Games and play

Question 1

What are the six characteristics of play according to Huizinga (1950)?

Answer 1

• Voluntary - play to order is no longer play
• Pretend - play is not ordinary or real life
• Immersive - takes up the players full attention
• Magic circle - it is played out within certain limits of time and place
• Rules - it creates order, is order
• Social - people in similar type of play identify themselves as a group

Question 2

What factors should be considered when making a serious game according to Prensky?

Answer 2

• The audience
• The subject matter
• The business and political context
• Th technology available
• The resources and experience that can be brought to bear
• How you plan to distribute

Question 3

What elements does Malone (1981) suggest are essential for designing enjoyable education experiences?

Answer 3

Challenge Curiosity Fantasy

Question 4

What are 3 strategies for creating games for diverse group?

Answer 4

• • seek outa lowest common denominator
• • create more than one game
• • provide a non-game alternative

Question 5

What evolutionary purpose is there for play?

Answer 5

Play can simulate hunting and other activities that aid survival Play can help socialisation which has survival benefits Play and games can establish hierarchies

Question 6

What is philosopher Suits definition of a game?

Answer 6

“Playing a game is the voluntary attempt to overcome unnecessary obstacles”

Question 7

What is prenskys quadrants for merging technology with learning?

Answer 7

Question 8

What does Prensky (2001) state are the three primary reasons why game based learning works?

Answer 8

1. The first is the added engagement that comes from putting the learninginto a game context.
2. The second is the interactive learning process employed. This can,and should, take many different forms depending on the learninggoals
3. The third is the way the two are put together in the whole package.There are many ways to do this, and the best solution is highly contextual.

Question 9

What is ahlers and Garris (2002) view on why games work in learning?

Answer 9

They conclude that

1. opportunities for success (from the game’s goals, rules, and control of one’s destiny) lead to a sense of purpose
2. that curiosity appeal (from surprise, complexity, mystery, and humor) leads to fascination.
3. that simulated danger (from conflict, sound, graphics, and pace) leads to stimulation
4. that social reinforcement, (both real, from online conversations, and game chat rooms, and simulated, from scoreboards and game interactions) leads to a sense of competence.

Question 10

How do cognitive styles of the younger generation differ acording to prensky (2002)?

Answer 10

1. twitch-speed vs conventional speed
2. parallel processing vs linear processing
3. graphics first vs text first
4. random access vs step-by-step
5. connected vs stand-alone
6. active vs passive
7. play vs work
8. payoff vs patience
9. fantasy vs reality
10. technology-as-friend vs technology-as-foe

Question 11

What does Gee say a good game typically involves?

Answer 11

A good video game adapts to the level of
the player, rewards different players differently (but rewards them all), and often stays at the edge of the player’s regime of competence.”

Question 12

What do Michael and Chen (2006) define a serious game as?

Answer 12

“A serious game is a game in which education is the primary goal”

Question 13

What are the eudtainment paradigms proposed by Ritterveld & Webber (2006)

Answer 13

1. Motivational paradigm.
   Encourage take-up by attractive decoration; interesting, enjoyable add-ons.
2. Reinforcement paradigm.
   Encourage persistence by rewarding successful completions with gratifications
   of some sort.
3. Merged (or GBL) paradigm.
   Unify separate focuses of paradigms (1) and (2) into single experience.

Question 14

What does Denis and Jouvelot (2005) say the difference between edutainment and educational games is?

Answer 14

“The main characteristics that differntiates edutainment and video games is interactivity, because the former being grounded on didactical and linear progressions, no place is left to wandering and alternatives”

Question 15

What does McGongial define as the four characteristics of video games?

Answer 15

• goal – (obvious)
• rules – constraints and means to achieve the goal
• feedback system – tells players how well they’re doing (scoreboard, levels, fanfares)
• voluntary participation – willingly accept rules and abide by them; freedom to enter / leave the game (so no coercion)

Question 16

According to Lazzaro (2004) what are they four keys to fun?

Answer 16

• Easy fun
• Hard fun
• Altered states
• People factor

Question 17

What is said to be the relationship between play and games? (Presnky)

Answer 17

Question 18

What does prensky (2001) define as the 6 key structural elements of games?

Answer 18

1. Rules
2. Goals and Objectives
3. Outcomes and Feedback
4. Conflict/Competition/Challenge
5. Interaction
6. Representation or Story

Question 19

What is flow?

Answer 19

Csikszentmihalyi

In a flow state, challenges presented and your ability to solve them are perfectly matched.

Can accomplish tasks you originally thought were beyond you along with feeling a great sense of pleasure.

Question 20

What assumptions does Michael and Chen (2006) recommend to avoid?

Answer 20

• The latest hardware probably isnt available
• Bigger isnt necessarily better
• Think through assumptions
• Shortcuts for fun may not apply

Question 21

What does McGonigal see as the trouble with serious games?

Answer 21

The voluntary aspect of play and fun doesnot align with serious games

Personal opinion: A better way might be to have players be forced to play for a small amount of time and let the rest be voluntary. Players might then create this voluntary aspect themselves

Question 22

Sweetser (2005) say the flow experience consists of 8 elements. What are they?

Answer 22

(1) a task that can be completed;
(2) the ability to concentrate on the task;
(3) that concentration is possible because the task has clear goals;
(4) that concentration is possible because the task provides immediate feedback;
(5) the ability to exercise a sense of control over actions;
(6) a deep but effortless involvement that removes awareness of the frustrations of
everyday life;
(7) concern for self disappears, but sense of self emerges stronger afterwards; and
(8) the sense of the duration of time is altered.

Question 23

Who are the key authors for serious games and play?

Answer 23

Huizinga(1950)

Malone (1981)

Prensky (2001)

Ahlers and Garris (2002)

Michael and Chen (2006)

Denis and Jouvelot (2005) Edutainment

McGongigal

Lazzaro (2004) Keys to fun

Question 24

Challenge Curiosity Fantasy

Answer 24

What elements does Malone (1981) suggest are essential for designing enjoyable education experiences?

Question 25

They conclude that

1. opportunities for success (from the game’s goals, rules, and control of one’s destiny) lead to a sense of purpose
2. that curiosity appeal (from surprise, complexity, mystery, and humor) leads to fascination.
3. that simulated danger (from conflict, sound, graphics, and pace) leads to stimulation
4. that social reinforcement, (both real, from online conversations, and game chat rooms, and simulated, from scoreboards and game interactions) leads to a sense of competence.

Answer 25

What is ahlers and Garris (2002) view on why games work in learning?

Question 26

1. Motivational paradigm.
   Encourage take-up by attractive decoration; interesting, enjoyable add-ons.
2. Reinforcement paradigm.
   Encourage persistence by rewarding successful completions with gratifications
   of some sort.
3. Merged (or GBL) paradigm.
   Unify separate focuses of paradigms (1) and (2) into single experience.

Answer 26

What are the eudtainment paradigms proposed by Ritterveld & Webber (2006)

Question 27

“The main characteristics that differntiates edutainment and video games is interactivity, because the former being grounded on didactical and linear progressions, no place is left to wandering and alternatives”

Answer 27

What does Denis and Jouvelot (2005) say the difference between edutainment and educational games is?