Computerspil - en ny platform for organisationsudvikling og læring

1. Computerspil - en ny platform for organisationsudvikling og læring PhD Simon Egenfeldt-Nielsen CEO Serious Games Interactive 30. August 2007, Diag “…develop games which contain advanced content, operate according to sound pedagogical principles, enable classroom customisation, and create real excitement within the core game market” - Henry Jenkins

2. Our company Talks goal Present current leading educational game to inspire and think about new ways of developing the organisation.

3. Our company Mission We create the world's most enriching and engaging game experiences for thinking people in the Western world based on cutting-edge game research and game technology.

4. Our company Media coverage [Play CNN trailer]

5. Our company Background • Unique cross-disciplinary team with strong roots in research. • Founded early in 2006 • Business areas • Education • NGOs • Government • Corporate • .... References Global Conflicts: Palestine (complete) Bolivia Brænder (complete) Mayas Eventyr (complete) Time machine (in production) Global Conflicts: Latin America (concept) + two disclosed clients.

6. Our company Team CEO Commercial director Producer Game Director Lead Programmer Programmer Lead 3D animator 3D artist Character artist Tester

7. Our company Team Board CEO ($) Producer (Time) Game director (Quality) Commercial director (Sales, distrib. & Marketing) Programming (All programming) Graphics/animation (All graphics) Content (Story, script, dialogue)

8. Our company Work process 6 - 18 months Concept Prototype Pre-production Production Testing Go • Research • Concept • Gameplay • Scope • Genre • Setting • Budget • IPR • Learning goals • Basic code • Environment • Playable Lvl • Proof concept • All assets • Playable Lvl • Environment • Proof concept • Lock features • Make all lvls • Testing • Packaging

9. The world of educational games

10. Educational Games Serious Games hype In principal, any game Games with an agenda Educating, enlightening.. Not only entertaining • Edutainment • Advertainment • Business games • Military games • Political games • Satirical games • Virtual worlds • News games

11. Educational Games History of learning games... Educational media and computer-assisted-instruction shape edutainment. Simulations lives in its own niche. The Oregon Trail (1973) Where in the world is Carmen San Diego (1985) Hidden Agenda (1987) Mathblaster (1985) Crystal Rain Forrest (1992) Innovative titles lies some time back.

12. Educational Games Current educational games • Making History: The Calm & The Storm (WW2) • Global Conflicts: Palestine (Middle east conflict) • Bolivia Brænder (oprør & gældsslaver) • Food Force (World hunger & crisis) There is a real need for titles with potential. Making History Food Force Bolivia Brænder Global Conflicts: Palestine Trailer Latin

13. Educational Games This is not about edutainment Little intrinsic motivation: Extrinsic motivation through rewards, rather than intrinsic motivation. No integrated learning experience: Lacks integration of the learning experience with playing experience - learning subordinated play experience. Drill-and-practice learning principles: Rely on drill-and-practice rather than understanding – training above learning. No teacher presence: No demands on teachers or parents. Simple gameplay: Built on a simple gameplay from classic titles. Small budgets: Produced on limited budgets with limited technology.

14. Educational Games Edutainment has problems Most of what goes under the name "edutainment" reminds me of George Bernard Shaw's response to a famous beauty who speculated on the marvelous child they could have together: "With your brains and my looks ..." He retorted, "But what if the child had my looks and your brains?" (Papert, 1998: 88)

15. Educational Games Same topic different kind of game French revolution Quiz show: The player must get all the answers right and compete with other students. Treasure hunt: The player must explore different web-sites and sources in competition with students to answer the most questions. Virtual explorer: The player explores a virtual universe with different sources, people and methods for solving different missions by understanding what going on. Edutainment Next-gen (Serious Games)

16. Case study: Global Conflicts: Palestine

17. ”I learned more history from this game in one day than I have learned from the teaching the last 6 months” Oliver Hansen, Student, 16 years

18. What is the product Primary target group Global Conflicts: Palestine target students of 13-19 years Subjects: • Primary: Citizensship & History • Secondary: Media, religion, ethics, geography & communication Danish 8th graders using the game early 2006.

19. f Welcome to the reality Material from Global Conflicts: Palestine online learning resource.

20. Welcome to Global Conflicts: Palestine In-game shots from the game Global Conflicts: Palestine

21. Checkpoint! Feel and understand the tense atmosphere and problems of the conflict of Palestine

22. What is Global Conflicts: Palestine Gameplay You Goal Means Winning Freelance journalist Get the best article Find informants Gain their trust Get their story Dig out best quotes Put together article Highest journalist level Trailer

23. What is the product Teaching form Teacher talks Play Game Group discussions Plenum • Read textbook • Set-up process • Overview of topic • Explore perspectives • Experience issues • Missions sheets • Discuss experiences • Write article • Worksheets • Debriefing • Evaluation

24. Empirical study Educational layers Israeli-Palestinian conflict (Content): Experience everyday life in the conflict through real personal accounts on the conflic’ts core issues. Human rights, terrorism & media’s role (Themes): In the game there will be regular references to human rights, terrorism, and the media. Source criticism & writing article (Skills/Methods): Students have to be aware of the right angle, the agenda of sources, and article writing. Perspective-taking, critical thinking & bias awareness (Competences): A variety of perspectives on the same events and issues, which force students to shift between perspectives while thinking critically of bias.

25. Empirical study Students want more... • 90% students find it to be an interesting course • 88% students find it to be an interesting educational material • 59 % students find they learned more • 90% students wants to try a similar course again Sample: 51 Danish High school low-middle class students after a one-week course (similar results for 8th graders).

26. Developing Educational Games

27. Educational Games 101 Game development • Different genres (action, simulation, strategy, adventure, RPG). • On different platforms (Consoles, Pc, web, mobiles) • With different complexity level: • Single player -> multiplayer • 2D graphics -> 3D graphics • Small universe -> large univers • 15 minutes -> 50 hours playtime • Everybody might play games, although many still don’t and games are played very differently. Latest US survey find average gamer is 33 years...

28. Wrapsheet: Global Conflicts: Palestine • Platform: Mac/PC, single player, CD-Rom • Technology: 3D game engine Unity • Playtime: 8 hours • Budget: 5 mio. DKK • Game: It is about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict with a strong integration between learning & playing. You play a journalist that solves different assignments by talking to people and locating the right sources while building trust. • Target group: Older students + mature people • Advantages • Strong, visual, immersive universe • Feels & plays very close to a real game • Unique gameplay • Disadvantages • More expensive with 3D • Long development time • Harder to test & change gameplay

29. Wrapsheet: Bolivia Brænder • Platform: Mac/PC, single player, CD-Rom • Technology: 3D game engine Unity • Playtime: 1 hour • Budget: 1,2 mio. DKK • Game: It is about the challenges facing Bolivia. Gameplay a bit simpler than GC: P. It relies on technology from GC: P. The game is split into two missions. • Target group: Older students + mature people • Advantages • Strong, visual, immersive universe • Feels & plays very close to a real game • Welllproven gameplay • Disadvantages • More expensive with 3D • Medium development time • Limited changes to gameplay • Only works for some domains of knowledge Trailer

30. Our work: Mayas Eventyr • Platform: Single player, webbased • Technology: Isometric Flash game engine • Playtime: 45 minutes • Budget: 0,65 mio. DKK • Game: Is about the Maya indians in Guatemala and the challenges they have especially around language barriers. • Target group: 5-8 years old private users • Advantages • Easy & simple graphics • Easy to access & navigate • Lower budgets for more interaction • More chance for innovative gameplay • Disadvantages • Often not perceived as a real game • Immersion & realism suffers • Often more approriate for younger age groups

31. Design philosophy Educational Games • Innovative gameplay • Feels & plays like a game • Integrated game and learning experience • Meaningful & relevant learning experiences • Games part of larger learning context

32. What are we talking about ”Educational games are fundamentally different than the prevalent instructional paradigm. They are based on challenge, reward, learning through doing and guided discovery, in contrast to ”tell and test” methods of traditional instruction.” -Report of the Federation of American Scientiest, ”Educational Games 2006”

33. Case study corporate learning game

34. Corporate learning games What does this mean for you...? • Educational computer game can enhance the organisation’s learning • Engaging and immersive e-learning • More motivated learners • Stronger learning experiences • More meaningful learning experiences • Consequences from your actions • Feedback from your action

35. Case: Major Danish company • 3500 employees • 1000 new employees a year • Financial sector • Problem: Introduction expensive, cannot cover all the stuff, lacks the softer elements & very steep learning curve. • Enhance introduction of employees • Build on initial motivation & sparetime

36. Case: Major Danish company Game: Virtual treasure hunt w. roleplaying comedy elements Value-based approach: Feel welcome, understand culture & basic understanding of organisation Budget & time: 60 min. gameplay; budget < 1 mio. DKK & development < 6 months. Basic presentation in virtual world Players have to solve tasks by talking to people, and making the right choices. Measured on the companies values.

37. Other support for effiency Most research say you learn from games - at least the same as other teaching methods. Below overview of studies that support learning from games • More motivated & engaged • Activity perceived as more challenging • Rention is often better

38. Closing Thanks for listening. Questions. Contact: sen@seriousgames.dk Company www.seriousgames.dk