Alex Games: The Power of Game Design
Filed at 12:44 pm on July 23, 2007 in Games • 6 comments
Alex Games posts on his experiences working directly with young people on game design in Wisconsin. He includes examples of how games can inspire and motivate traditionally disengaged students.
Building upon what Katie and Betty have posted (see here and here), in our review of existing game design software, we have found that the terms ‘making,’ ‘programming’ and ‘designing’ a game, are commonly used interchangeably as if they were equivalent. However, in the same way that knowing a bunch of recipes does not make one a cook, viewing the design of a game as equivalent to its construction tends to place too much emphasis on the tools being used to make it, and too little on important aspects of design such as the analysis of a game as a system of mechanics, its testing, its aesthetics and its social nature. As a consequence, these are some of the areas that are emphasized by GameStar Mechanic.
In line with this, at our Wisconsin workshop we decided for the first pass of our research to explore the ways in which young players conceive and understand game design. We wanted to get a glimpse into the possible misconceptions or understandings that novices would have, as well as to whether and how these understandings would change as they engaged in a curriculum designed around GameStar Mechanic.
Analyzing Student Discussion
In the curriculum, we have placed a strong emphasis on activities that require participants to engage in a number of design tasks ranging from fixing “broken” games to developing their own out of scratch based on a series of specific constraints. As Betty mentioned, the use of language and the acquisition of a specialist vocabulary of game design are an important part of becoming “game literate” and an effective game designer.
As a consequence, verbal and written participant discussions have been an important focus of our analysis. For example, by using game labels, tags that tell others what a game is about, some of the workshop activities require that students use writing to explain the mechanics, story and structure of their games to other participants, who will in turn evaluate, criticize and give feedback on the games in the same way.
Motivating Reluctant Writers
Our preliminary findings in this area have been quite encouraging. For example, one of our participants who I will call John (a pseudonym) to preserve privacy came to the workshop from a very poor family with a history of jail time and drug addiction. He also hated school and showed particular aversion for writing, preferring to discuss anything verbally. During the first few sessions, we managed to get him to write a few sentences for the criticism exercises as well as for descriptions of the games he liked the most. His grammar and spelling were so bad that the writing was almost illegible.
John however, is an avid game player and usually follows a cable videogame channel. Ever since he came to the workshop however, he expressed how much it was his wish to make videogames, and even presented an elaborate story (verbally) of what his game would be like. I decided to place more emphasis on activities that would require writing from him but with design in mind. One of these activities was to write a label for each of a number of mini-games he had made with GameStar Mechanic.
As with previous activities I expected John to go directly into a verbal elaboration of his games, and to completely avoid the task if writing was involved. Imagine our surprise when Betty and I came to see what John was doing and found him not only writing a summary of his game, but making a series of attempts at writing elaborate instructions for his games on an online blog!
If there is one thing that experiences like John’s confirm, it is that game design can be a powerful activity when it comes to motivating students. And not only that, but given that school literacy skills are a necessary skill to succeed even in the game design profession, having students take ownership over their designs may also be a powerful way to change their perspective on school practice.
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Comments (6)
1: Dave H. Crusoe from Harvard Univ. '05 & '07 at 11:53 am on Thursday, July 26, 2007
Alex,
I’ll begin by publicly announcing myself as a skeptic. Not one skeptical of “games that teach”, for surely everything one contacts “teaches”. Instead, I’m skeptical that the experience of being motivated by designing a game can easily and readily translate into gains in other curricular areas without practical, long-term connection.
As I’m sure we’re all aware, the skills required of a game designer (see any entry-level position description) require far more than an imagination and some motivation; one must be literate in the application of math, or worse, programming (one could propose that these are not mutual skills, but similar, I suggest).
I myself am a culprit of designing educational vehicles and attributing to them a power to motivate and inspire beyond the limited contact the program has with the learner.
But I wonder, from you: how do you propose to use GameStar to transmute John’s intrinsic motivation such that it helps him overcome his potential fear or self-induced loathing of the math, science or English proficiencies he must demonstrate to obtain access, say, higher education?
[Let’s keep it psychological/motivational for the moment, because the mess with knowledge transfer is indeed another unwieldy unsolved mystery; I’m also aware that your Katie et al. would like to use the game as a way to refocus on standards, etc; but the reality is that the software and program will exist with the educational standards-system for some time to come!]
2: Cheryl at 2:36 pm on Tuesday, July 31, 2007
I learned this concept in another discipline. I took some graphic art and design classes because I was a horrible artist and needed to understand web design elements to create better web based learning. I learned a lot and it was great. Even though I can use Photoshop and Illustrator, etc…. I am still far from a designer. Knowing the tools does not make one a game designer, especially if learning is your outcome.
New subject: I found this article very interesting though.. ASTD Spotlight..
Get in the Game—and Get the Job
Globe and Mail (CAN) (07/14/07) ; Immen, Wallace
A study sponsored by IBM’s Institute for Business Value reveals that Web gamers are more adept at acquiring leadership skills. Eric Lesser of the company’s human capital management sector says that companies tend to value employees who are skilled online gamers. Qualities gamers possess include sharp collaboration skills, a keen interest in learning new skills, and an ability to communicate effectively to unite employees working toward a common goal—all of which benefit firms. The study analyzed 214 professionals in the United States, with 50 percent of the participants noting that online games have enhanced their leadership skills. Sixty-six participants have led online game teams, 61 of whom report that virtual gaming improved their ability to lead project teams in the workplace. As such, Brett Slade of the Slade Consulting Group says citing online gaming as a resume skill for an entry-level position might actually improve the chances of security it, but it should not be the main feature a candidate highlights because some firms could view the activity as introverted. Experts indicate that gaming skills can sharpen workplace leadership skills because they allow users to practice virtual management, develop a “center of gravity” whereby communication and problem-solving is monitored through a central site, and gather information about a team’s informal skills such as their goals and interests. Communication portals, such as blogs and podcasts, can facilitate a team’s communication, while tracking and rewarding a team’s performance will promote a project’s progress.
3: Alex Games from University of Wisconsin - Madison at 8:56 pm on Thursday, August 2, 2007
Hi Dave,
I think your question is both interesting and important. I believe that when John came to our GameStar Mechanic workshop, he was already intrinsically motivated to accomplish certain goals (which might or might not have aligned with the GSM agenda). In this case, John expressed during our pre-workshop interview that he wanted to become a game designer. While I believe that no tool on its own “creates” motivation for anyone (and this certainly holds true for GSM), I do believe that tools have the potential to show their users avenues and requirements towards their goals that they might not have been aware of before. In the case of GSM, it is a game that allows its players to engage in some of the activities that Game Designers engage in. As such, John’s engagement in some of these activities (e.g. writing game instructions or reviewing others’ games), became a way for him to realize that writing was an essential part of the identity he wants to have in the future. In sum, John’s intrinsic motivation was already there, and my role as instructor became to help him see how GameStar aligned with it.
4: Alex Games from University of Wisconsin - Madison at 9:08 pm on Thursday, August 2, 2007
Hi Cheryl,
I think you are bringing an important point. Does knowing how to use a design tool make you a designer? I think the answer depends on what you call “knowing” how to use a tool. I think this word means a very different thing to a novice than what it means to an expert. While a novice might be able to use Photoshop’s features and even remember where all the hidden features are, it does not mean the novice will be able to combine them into a production that satisfies him, let alone the community of designers around him. For this reason, learning the practices and what Jim Gee calls the appreciative system of such a community is as important as learning its tools.
5: Dave H. Crusoe from Harvard Univ. '05 & '07 at 11:38 am on Friday, August 3, 2007
Alex,
Absolutely; and this makes me wonder about the helpfulness of existing motivational inventories (e.g., Ryan & Deci, etc) to indicate potential “catches” for a student’s interest. Two challenges that we face:
1. Currently, it seems that “hooking” a kid is a hit or miss. Educators provide various experiences to a student; the student’s internalization of motivation aids in completing some tasks, whereas the lack thereof diminishes the return of other activities.
2. Motivation inventories (that I’ve seen) measure the result of an experience, rather than inventory the types of activities that might promote the use of motivation to accomplish learning ends.
Given these two challenges, I do wonder if we need to think about measuring the power of educative structures to build upon motivation, to determine which activities are appropriate to excite individual students.
... ever heard of anything similar in the psychological realm?
6: Roberth from USA at 10:42 am on Thursday, April 2, 2009
I can see that you are putting a lot of time and effort into your blog and detailed articles! I am deeply in love with every single piece of information you post here. Will be back often to read more updates!
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