Thesis Research Journal by Jon Chung

Interactive Design/Game Studio I Thesis Research Journal By: Jon Chung

Table of Contents Thesis Research Checkpoint 1 ......................................................................................5 "Gamification Wiki | Gamification and Game Mechanics Guide." Gamification Wiki | Gamification and Game Mechanics Guide. N.p., n.d. Web. 8 Jan. 2012. <http://gamification.org/>. .................................................................................................................................. 5 "Penny Arcade -‐ Extra Credits – Gamifying Education." Penny Arcade -‐ The Way Forward. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Jan. 2012. <http://www.penny-‐arcade.com/patv/episode/gamifying-‐ education>. ................................................................................................................................................................... 5 "Gartner Says By 2015, More Than 50 Percent of Organizations That Manage Innovation Processes Will Gamify Those Processes." Technology Research | Gartner Inc.. N.p., n.d. Web. 8 Jan. 2012. <http://www.gartner.com/it/page.jsp?id=1629214>.................................................... 5 "The Gamification of Healthcare | Blog | design mind." design mind | business. technology. design.. N.p., n.d. Web. 9 Jan. 2012. <http://designmind.frogdesign.com/blog/the-‐ gamification-‐of-‐healthcare.html>....................................................................................................................... 6 "15 Brand Examples of Gamification « iMediaConnection Blog." iMediaConnection Blog. N.p., n.d. Web. 9 Jan. 2012. <http://blogs.imediaconnection.com/blog/2011/08/03/15-‐brand-‐ examples-‐of-‐gamification/>.................................................................................................................................. 6 "2011: Gamification Goes Mainstream Infographic | BigDoor." Gamification | Gamify Your Company Website with Our Gamification API. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Jan. 2012. <http://www.bigdoor.com/2011-‐gamification-‐goes-‐mainstream-‐infographic/>....................... 7 "#E2sday: Adding Play Into the Enterprise | The Future of Work." The Future of Work. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Jan. 2012. <http://blog.socialcast.com/e2sday-‐adding-‐play-‐to-‐the-‐ enterprise/>................................................................................................................................................................. 8 "Jane McGonigal: Gaming can make a better world | Video on TED.com." TED: Ideas worth spreading. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Jan. 2012. <http://www.ted.com/talks/jane_mcgonigal_gaming_can_make_a_better_world.html>......... 9 McGonigal, Jane. Reality is broken: why games make us better and how they can change the world. New York: Penguin Press, 2011. Print. .............................................................................................. 9 "Notpron by David Münnich -‐ The Hardest Riddle Available on the Internet." DeathBall. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Jan. 2012. <http://notpron.org/notpron/>. ....................................................................... 9 "Gameful | Gameful Landing Page." Gameful | Gameful Landing Page. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Jan. 2012. <http://gameful.org/>. .............................................................................................................................. 9 "John Hunter on the World Peace Game | Video on TED.com." TED: Ideas worth spreading. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Jan. 2012. <http://www.ted.com/talks/john_hunter_on_the_world_peace_game.html>. ........................... 10

Thesis Research Checkpoint 2 ....................................................................................11 "Seek 'n Spell: GPS Word Game for iPhone." Seek 'n Spell: GPS Word Game for iPhone. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Jan. 2012........................................................................................................................................... 11 "The Pentagon Wants You To Play Video Games That Will Improve Their Weapons." Kotaku, the Gamer’s Guide. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Jan. 2012. <http://kotaku.com/5877913/the-‐ pentagon-‐wants-‐you-‐to-‐play-‐video-‐games-‐that-‐will-‐improve-‐their-‐weapons>........................ 11 "iCivics | Free Lesson Plans and Games for Learning Civics." iCivics | Free Lesson Plans and Games for Learning Civics. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Jan. 2012. <http://www.icivics.org/>............... 11 Quigley, Shaun. "Gamification and Behavioral Change." Upload & Share PowerPoint presentations and documents. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Jan. 2012. <http://www.slideshare.net/quigleyshaun/gamification-‐and-‐behavioral-‐change>............... 12

"Why is the 5th Edition of Dungeons & Dragons a big deal?." io9. We come from the future.. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Jan. 2012. <http://io9.com/5874922/why-‐is-‐the-‐5th-‐edition-‐of-‐ dungeons-‐-‐dragons-‐a-‐big-‐deal>....................................................................................................................... 13 "Urgent Evoke -‐ A crash course in changing the world.." Urgent Evoke -‐ A crash course in changing the world.. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Jan. 2012. <http://www.urgentevoke.com/>. ........... 13 "Home :: World Without Oil." Home :: World Without Oil. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Jan. 2012. <http://www.worldwithoutoil.org/>............................................................................................................ 14 "Jane the Concussion Slayer by Jane McGonigal, Ep 66 -‐ YouTube ." YouTube -‐ Broadcast Yourself. . N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Jan. 2012. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZztLac0Q1EI&list=LLNRz8saXXwR9kh4S_jpXD6A&in dex=7&feature=plpp_video>. ............................................................................................................................ 14 "World Peace Game Foundation » The Game." World Peace Game Foundation . N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Jan. 2012. <http://www.worldpeacethemovie.com/about/game/>. ........................... 15

Thesis Research Checkpoint 3 ....................................................................................17 "Computer simulations can be as effective as direct observation at teaching students."Science Daily: News & Articles in Science, Health, Environment & Technology. N.p., n.d. Web. 8 Feb. 2012. <http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100211151653.htm>. ............................... 17 "About | Institute of Play." Institute of Play. N.p., n.d. Web. 8 Feb. 2012. <http://www.instituteofplay.org/about/.................................................................................................... 17 Location. "How Video Games Are Changing Education -‐ Online Colleges." Top Online Colleges: Compare Accredited Online Colleges. N.p., n.d. Web. 8 Feb. 2012. <http://www.onlinecolleges.net/2011/08/25/how-‐video-‐games-‐are-‐changing-‐ education/>............................................................................................................................................................... 18 Bourgault, Kristen. " » Gamification in Education: Epic Win, or Epic Fail?." digitalpedagog.org. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Feb. 2012. <http://www.digitalpedagog.org/?p=1416>............................................................................................. 19 Mozilla Launches Open Badges Project | The Mozilla Blog." The Mozilla Blog | News, notes and ramblings from the Mozilla project. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Feb. 2012. <http://blog.mozilla.com/blog/2011/09/15/openbadges/>. .......................................................... 19 Sheldon, Lee. "Syllabus « Gaming the Classroom." Gaming the Classroom. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Feb. 2012. <http://gamingtheclassroom.wordpress.com/syllabus/>. .......................................... 20 "9GAG -‐ Are you ready for a revolution in education?." 9GAG -‐ Just for Fun!. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Feb. 2012. <http://9gag.com/gag/2421622?ref=fb-‐share>......................................................... 21

Thesis Research Checkpoint 4 ....................................................................................22 "They Made a Video Game About Slavery, And It's Actually Good." Kotaku, the Gamer’s Guide. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Feb. 2012. <http://kotaku.com/5885194/they-‐made-‐a-‐video-‐ game-‐about-‐slavery-‐and-‐its-‐actually-‐good>. ............................................................................................. 22 Quigley, Shaun. "Gamification: How to Level Up Consumer Engagement."Upload & Share PowerPoint presentations and documents. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Feb. 2012. <http://www.slideshare.net/quigleyshaun/gamification-‐webinar-‐pdf>. .................................... 22 "The Gamification of Education (infographic) | Adding the Fun." Adding the Fun | Teaching you the secrets about Gamification. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Feb. 2012. <http://addingthefun.com/2012/02/the-‐gamification-‐of-‐education-‐infographic/>. ............ 23 "This Game Sucks: How to Improve the Gamification of Education (EDUCAUSE Review) | EDUCAUSE." What is EDUCAUSE? | EDUCAUSE. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Feb. 2012. <http://www.educause.edu/EDUCAUSE+Review/EDUCAUSEReviewMagazineVolume46/T hisGameSucksHowtoImprovetheGa/222665>.......................................................................................... 24

" The Dangers of Gamifying Education | SocialEarth." SocialEarth. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Feb. 2012. <http://www.socialearth.org/the-‐dangers-‐of-‐gamifying-‐education>............................... 24 "Gaming for Your Grades: The Gamification of Education at Penn State — Teaching and Learning with Technology." Teaching and Learning with Technology. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Feb. 2012. <http://tlt.its.psu.edu/about/news/2011/gaming-‐for-‐your-‐grades-‐the-‐gamification-‐ of-‐education-‐at-‐penn-‐state>. ............................................................................................................................. 25

Thesis Research Checkpoint 5 ....................................................................................27 "Daniel Donahoo: Gamification in Education: Should We Play?." Breaking News and Opinion on The Huffington Post. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Mar. 2012. <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/daniel-‐donahoo/gamification-‐in-‐ education_b_927842.html>. ............................................................................................................................... 27 Ferlazzo, Larry. "Kathy Sierra On Gamification In Education." Edublogs. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Mar. 2012. <larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/2012/02/26/kathy-‐sierra-‐on-‐gamification-‐in-‐ education/>............................................................................................................................................................... 27 "Democracy 2 ." Positech Games -‐ Developers of Gratuitous Space Battles & Democracy. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Mar. 2012. <http://positech.co.uk/democracy2/>....................................................... 28 "Grock It." Grock It. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Mar. 2012. <https://grockit.com/>. ................................. 29 "Creative Kitchen, The Game by Ted Cheecharoen — Kickstarter." Kickstarter. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Mar. 2012. <http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/creativekitchen/creative-‐ kitchen-‐the-‐game>. ................................................................................................................................................ 29

Thesis Research Checkpoint 1

"Gamification Wiki | Gamification and Game Mechanics Guide." Gamification Wiki | Gamification and Game Mechanics Guide. N.p., n.d. Web. 8 Jan. 2012. <http://gamification.org/>.

Summary: Great introduction to the concept of gamification which is defined as the “applying game design thinking to non-‐game applications to make them more fun and engaging.” While I find the concept interesting, for the purpose of developing a thesis, I will need to concentrate on a specific area. I am currently leaning towards applying gamification to education however the site also lists many other fields in which the concept has been successfully applied to. _________________________________________________________________________________________________

"Penny Arcade -‐ Extra Credits – Gamifying Education." Penny Arcade -‐ The Way Forward. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Jan. 2012. <http://www.penny-‐ arcade.com/patv/episode/gamifying-‐education>. Summary: This is the initial video I watched that got me interested in applying gamification to an education system. Gives a great overview on gamification and how ARGS can possibly be adapted for use in education.

"Gartner Says By 2015, More Than 50 Percent of Organizations That Manage Innovation Processes Will Gamify Those Processes." Technology Research | Gartner Inc.. N.p., n.d. Web. 8 Jan. 2012. <http://www.gartner.com/it/page.jsp?id=1629214>.

Summary: They key point of this article is that by 2015, more than 50 percent of organizations that manage innovation processes will gamify those processes. By 2014, a gamified service for consumer goods marketing and customer retention will become as important as Facebook, eBay or Amazon, and more than 70 percent of Global 2000 organizations will have at least one gamified application. The article defines gamification as “the broad trend of employing game mechanics to non-‐game environments such as innovation, marketing, training, employee performance, health and social change." The article also states ”the goals of gamification are to achieve higher levels of engagement, change behaviors and stimulate innovation.”

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

"The Gamification of Healthcare | Blog | design mind." design mind | business. technology. design.. N.p., n.d. Web. 9 Jan. 2012. <http://designmind.frogdesign.com/blog/the-‐gamification-‐of-‐ healthcare.html>.

Summary: This article provides a great example of how gamification has been applied to motivating people to run in the form of Nike Plus. The article also talks about how the concept of gamification can be applied to traditionally unpleasant and even painful medical procedures: “Motivating people affected by a disease, especially if it is a chronic one, can be extremely hard. That's why the healthcare world has started to borrow some of the mechanics that have made many games so successful. This has helped to increase motivation and turn behaviors that would be extremely hard to trigger, such as undergoing chemotherapy, losing weight or exercising more, into less painful, if not pleasurable experiences.” _________________________________________________________________________________________________

"15 Brand Examples of Gamification « iMediaConnection Blog." iMediaConnection Blog. N.p., n.d. Web. 9 Jan. 2012. <http://blogs.imediaconnection.com/blog/2011/08/03/15-‐brand-‐examples-‐of-‐ gamification/>.

Summary: This article gives a nice broad summary of how application has been successfully applied to certain mundane and boring every tasks. The most interesting application listed here to be is probably four square. I have yet to get a chance to try it out personally but the concept behind it seems genuinely interesting. The general point of the article is that “many brands are capitalizing on the trend of integrating game mechanics into their non-‐gaming product offerings to drive engagement.” The other interesting bit about this article is how it considers Xbox Live as a successful application of gamification: “Microsoft struck a chord with traditional gamers when they first rolled out achievement points. Users can earn a certain amount of gamerscore by completing specific tasks or actions in game. This simple addition had a profound impact on the space as nothing to date had motivated behavior to play titles beyond ones taste for specific genres while also creating an aggregate & visible record of your gaming prowess. Brands took note of the trend and the loyalty that users developed in their pursuit of gamerscore & bragging rights.”

"2011: Gamification Goes Mainstream Infographic | BigDoor." Gamification | Gamify Your Company Website with Our Gamification API. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Jan. 2012. <http://www.bigdoor.com/2011-‐gamification-‐goes-‐mainstream-‐ infographic/>.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

"#E2sday: Adding Play Into the Enterprise | The Future of Work." The Future of Work. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Jan. 2012. <http://blog.socialcast.com/e2sday-‐adding-‐ play-‐to-‐the-‐enterprise/>.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

"Jane McGonigal: Gaming can make a better world | Video on TED.com." TED: Ideas worth spreading. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Jan. 2012. <http://www.ted.com/talks/jane_mcgonigal_gaming_can_make_a_better_wor ld.html>.

Summary: This TED talk further expands on Jane McGonigal’s view on how gamification should be used to solve real world problems. Gives an excellent overview on gamification and sets a lofty goal for game designers to solve critical real world problems. This ted talk was excellent and also provided me with some ARGS (World Without Oil and EVOKE) that I need to check out. _________________________________________________________________________________________________

McGonigal, Jane. Reality is broken: why games make us better and how they can change the world. New York: Penguin Press, 2011. Print.

Summary: Game designer Jane McGonigal talks about how gamers and game designers can “harness the power of computer games to solve real-‐world problems and boost global happiness.” One of the most critical points of her book is that game designers have discovered core truths about what makes us happy and have utilized these discoveries to astonishing effect in virtual environments. Her point is that designers should find ways to apply these methods to real world problems and to in essence fix things that are fundamentally wrong or inefficient in the real world. _________________________________________________________________________________________________

"Notpron by David Münnich -‐ The Hardest Riddle Available on the Internet." DeathBall. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Jan. 2012. <http://notpron.org/notpron/>.

Summary: Great example of an ARG that encouraged the use of creativity and intuition to solve puzzles. It tests players’ patience and their willingness to learn. It reminds me a lot of old school point and click adventure games. _________________________________________________________________________________________________

"Gameful | Gameful Landing Page." Gameful | Gameful Landing Page. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Jan. 2012. <http://gameful.org/>. Summary: Great general resource for developers who are interested in gamification projects. Once development of my app starts, I will definitely use this as a resource for both conceptual and technical issues I run into.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

"John Hunter on the World Peace Game | Video on TED.com." TED: Ideas worth spreading. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Jan. 2012. <http://www.ted.com/talks/john_hunter_on_the_world_peace_game.html>.

Summary: This TED talk provides a great summary of a successful implemented classroom game that encourages students to solve real world problems. The speaker “puts all the problems of the world on a 4'x5' plywood board -‐-‐ and lets his 4th-‐graders solve them. At TED2011, he explains how his World Peace Game engages school kids, and why the complex lessons it teaches -‐-‐ spontaneous, and always surprising -‐-‐ go further than classroom lectures can.” _________________________________________________________________________________________________

Thesis Research Checkpoint 2

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

"Seek 'n Spell: GPS Word Game for iPhone." Seek 'n Spell: GPS Word Game for iPhone. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Jan. 2012. Summary: This game shows an interesting use of GPS technology and ARG mechanics to create a game that encourages people to play a video game outdoors. “The object is to gather virtual letters and create words. Seek ’n Spell is played in parks and open outdoor spaces.” What I really like about the game is how successfully it is at implementing an interdisciplinary gamification of both spelling and physical education. _________________________________________________________________________________________________

"The Pentagon Wants You To Play Video Games That Will Improve Their Weapons." Kotaku, the Gamer’s Guide. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Jan. 2012. <http://kotaku.com/5877913/the-‐pentagon-‐wants-‐you-‐to-‐play-‐video-‐games-‐ that-‐will-‐improve-‐their-‐weapons>.

Summary: This article is interesting because it shows that gamification is expanding to major defense industries. “The United States simply does not have enough experts in formal verification of software to provide … manual analysis on the scale required to support formal verification of software in modern weapons and other systems relevant to the Department of Defense. The purpose of CSFV is to replace the requirement of expert knowledge in formal verification with human insight in the form of solutions to games.” _________________________________________________________________________________________________

"iCivics | Free Lesson Plans and Games for Learning Civics." iCivics | Free Lesson Plans and Games for Learning Civics. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Jan. 2012. <http://www.icivics.org/>. Summary: This website contains a good amount of games for learning civics and social studies. What I found interesting about the games were how black and white their opinions were on politics and policy making were. While the games themselves were sound mechanically, the message the games send could probably use a little work.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

Quigley, Shaun. "Gamification and Behavioral Change." Upload & Share PowerPoint presentations and documents. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Jan. 2012. <http://www.slideshare.net/quigleyshaun/gamification-‐and-‐behavioral-‐ change>.

Summary: This is a great listing of how certain game mechanics relate to fulfilling respective human desires. I also like the relationship they showed between persuasive technology, game dynamics and gaming trends.

The presentation of my thesis results and research will be shown using tables similar to the ones shown in this presentation. I really like the idea of setting up a table to show what traits successful games that have gamified education possess share. This is something I will definitely include in my thesis paper. _________________________________________________________________________________________________

"Why is the 5th Edition of Dungeons & Dragons a big deal?." io9. We come from the future.. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Jan. 2012. <http://io9.com/5874922/why-‐is-‐the-‐ 5th-‐edition-‐of-‐dungeons-‐-‐dragons-‐a-‐big-‐deal>. Summary: The idea of modular design is something I am considering implementing in my project. I need to take into consideration the fact that available technology of schools or other academic institutions might be limited by budget or logistical constraints. I have been thinking of about making my game with a modular approach. The core module will be the reward, achievement and character attribute systems. This information will be stored and modified through a web interface. The game can be expanded through the addition of modules; these modules can be “quest modules” for specific subjects, “subject modules” for specific subjects and “system modules” for additional games systems like guilds. The game can also be designed with a both a non-‐digital and digital component similar to the way Dungeons and Dragons has been modernized to take advantage of web based technologies. _________________________________________________________________________________________________

"Urgent Evoke -‐ A crash course in changing the world.." Urgent Evoke -‐ A crash course in changing the world.. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Jan. 2012. <http://www.urgentevoke.com/>.

Summary: The goal of the ARG evoke was to have “folks in sub-‐Saharan Africa and in the developing world to partner together and test and develop their social entrepreneurship skills. Over 10 weeks, the gamers worked on 10 missions addressing issues like poverty, hunger, sustainable energy, water security, conflict, disaster relief, health care, education, and human rights. The stories were told in a graphic novel, that demanded local insight, sustainability, vision, and resourcefulness. WBI succeeded in attracting just under 20,000 young participants from over 130 countries. The collaboration among Evoke gamers in only 10 weeks led to more than 50 social enterprises being launched. “One example is this great project called Libraries Across Africa. The idea is basically a McDonalds of libraries that has money-‐making ventures (food, phone service) surrounding the library to make it self-‐supporting.”

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

"Home :: World Without Oil." Home :: World Without Oil. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Jan. 2012. <http://www.worldwithoutoil.org/>.

Summary: This was an ARG that was created in 2007, there were 17,000 players in its initial test run. The game allows players “to challenge themselves to survive in a world without oil. “ A follow up by the designers after the games conclusion showed that most players are still actively continuing many of the oil-‐free skills they learned or invented in the game. What I really liked about this ARG was how its simple premise leads to positive real world implications. “The best way to prepare for the future is to play with it first.” _________________________________________________________________________________________________

"Jane the Concussion Slayer by Jane McGonigal, Ep 66 -‐ YouTube ." YouTube -‐ Broadcast Yourself. . N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Jan. 2012. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZztLac0Q1EI&list=LLNRz8saXXwR9kh4S_j pXD6A&index=7&feature=plpp_video>.

Summary: This is a game that is designed to help people deal with concussion recovery. Great application of role playing game mechanics. _________________________________________________________________________________________________

"World Peace Game Foundation » The Game." World Peace Game Foundation . N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Jan. 2012. <http://www.worldpeacethemovie.com/about/game/>.

Summary: “The World Peace Game is a hands-‐on political simulation that gives players the opportunity to explore the connectedness of the global community

through the lens of the economic, social, and environmental crises and the imminent threat of war. The goal of the game is to extricate each country from dangerous circumstances and achieve global prosperity with the least amount of military intervention. As “nation teams,” students will gain greater understanding of the critical impact of information and how it is used. As their teams venture further into this interactive social setting laced with highly charged philosophical issues, the skills needed to identify ambiguity and bias in the information they receive will be enhanced and more specifically they will rapidly perceive that reactive behavior not only provokes antagonism, it can leave them alone and isolated in the face of powerful enemies. Beliefs and values will evolve or completely unravel as they begin to experience the positive impact and windows of opportunity that emerge through effective collaboration and refined communication.” What I really liked about this game was its free form approach to problem solving. Its reenactment of global issues on a micro level also provided a lot of insight into how world problems might be solved if world leaders were more optimistic and idealistic. _________________________________________________________________________________________________

Thesis Research Checkpoint 3

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

"Computer simulations can be as effective as direct observation at teaching students."Science Daily: News & Articles in Science, Health, Environment & Technology. N.p., n.d. Web. 8 Feb. 2012. <http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100211151653.htm>.

Summary: This article talks about how “Students can learn some science concepts just as well from computers simulations as they do from direct observation.” “A study found that people who used computer simulations to learn about moon phases understood the concepts just as well -‐-‐ and in some cases better -‐-‐ than did those who learned from collecting data from viewing the moon.” What I found interesting about this article is how simulations often offer more customizable options when it comes to observing phenomena then direct observation does. Users can slow down, fast forward of view things form a different angle when using a computer simulation, this allows for more detailed observation. _________________________________________________________________________________________________

"About | Institute of Play." Institute of Play. N.p., n.d. Web. 8 Feb. 2012. <http://www.instituteofplay.org/about/ Summary: “Based out of New York City, the Institute’s mission is to promote game design, games and gaming as a model tool to enhance personal and social development, in particular learning in secondary school students.” They are most well known for building quest to learn, a New York public school built around game design principles. While they approached the gamification of education from a gorund up approach, I think a better approach might be one that starts with easily implementable solutions in public schools that has room to eventually shift and evolve as gamification gets increasingly implemented on a deeper level in education systems. _________________________________________________________________________________________________

Location. "How Video Games Are Changing Education -‐ Online Colleges." Top Online Colleges: Compare Accredited Online Colleges. N.p., n.d. Web. 8 Feb. 2012. <http://www.onlinecolleges.net/2011/08/25/how-‐video-‐games-‐are-‐ changing-‐education/>.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

Bourgault, Kristen. " » Gamification in Education: Epic Win, or Epic Fail?." digitalpedagog.org. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Feb. 2012. <http://www.digitalpedagog.org/?p=1416>.

Summary: “Game designer and consultant Margaret Robertson doesn’t think so. In a recent blog post speaking out against the term ‘gamification’, Robertson wrote, “What we’re currently terming gamification is in fact the process of taking that thing that is least essential to games and representing it as the core of the experience. Points and badges have no closer a relationship to games than they do to websites and fitness apps and loyalty cards. They’re great tools for communicating progress and acknowledging effort, but neither points nor badges in any way constitute a game.” “Gamification is the wrong word for the right idea. The word for what’s happening at the moment is pointsification. There are things that should be pointsified. There are things that should be gamified. There are things that should be both. There are many, many things that should be neither.” Margaret Robertson You may be tempted to jump on board and trade your grades in for badges and call it a game. But this simple act doesn’t dramatically change the learner’s experience. Take some time to really understand what makes a good game great. Create a compelling narrative to pull your students through the course. Set up mentoring and collaboration opportunities such as those you encounter in games to enable learners to share what they know. And frequently chime in with feedback. Use those badges to chart progress, but meaningful instructor feedback is what will truly propel the learner forward.” I really liked reading this article, one of the things my game will do differently then existing attempts to gamify education is provide users with a strong narrative structure that goes beyond merely rewarding players with arbitrary points for completing tasks. The trick to doing this is to create compelling experiences that teach useful lessons to users. _________________________________________________________________________________________________

Mozilla Launches Open Badges Project | The Mozilla Blog." The Mozilla Blog | News, notes and ramblings from the Mozilla project. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Feb. 2012. <http://blog.mozilla.com/blog/2011/09/15/openbadges/>.

Summary: “Learning today happens everywhere, not just in the classroom. But it's often difficult to get recognition for skills and achievements that happen outside of school. Mozilla's Open Badges project is working to solve that problem, making it

easy for anyone to issue, earn and display badges across the web -‐-‐ through a shared infrastructure that's free and open to all. The result: helping learners everywhere display 21st century skills, unlock career and educational opportunities, and level up in their life and work.” “The web and other new learning spaces provide exciting ways to gain skills and experience -‐-‐ from online courses, learning networks and mentorship to peer learning, volunteering and after-‐school programs. Badges provide a way for learners to get recognition for these skills, and display them to potential employers, schools, colleagues and their community.” This is an interesting attempt at gamifying learning. What I like about this system is its unique reward system. Badges and achievements will serve a purpose similar to what high gamer scores or records show in games, they represent what skills users posses in a way that is easily recognizable by potential employees or schools. _________________________________________________________________________________________________

Sheldon, Lee. "Syllabus « Gaming the Classroom." Gaming the Classroom. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Feb. 2012. <http://gamingtheclassroom.wordpress.com/syllabus/>. Summary: “This class is designed as a multiplayer game. Class time will be divided between fighting monsters (Quizzes, Exams etc.), completing quests (Presentations of Games, Research etc.) and crafting (Personal Game Premises, Game Analysis Papers, Video Game Concept Document etc.). At the beginning of the semester everyone in the class will choose and name their avatars. The first task is to craft the premise of a multiplayer game you would like to design. Guilds to craft these games will be chosen, balanced as closely as possible by l33t skillz and interests. Guilds will choose their names. There will be six guilds of six-‐seven members each depending upon final class size.” This is Lee Sheldon’s syllabus for hi multiplayer game design class; he was one of the first prominent game designers to attempt to gamify education. I think he approached work really well because the group of students he was just working with were familiar with game mechanics and terminology, however some work would be needed to modify his system for use with an audience that is less familiar with game related terminology. _________________________________________________________________________________________________

"9GAG -‐ Are you ready for a revolution in education?." 9GAG -‐ Just for Fun!. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Feb. 2012. <http://9gag.com/gag/2421622?ref=fb-‐share>.

Thesis Research Checkpoint 4

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

"They Made a Video Game About Slavery, And It's Actually Good." Kotaku, the Gamer’s Guide. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Feb. 2012. <http://kotaku.com/5885194/they-‐made-‐a-‐video-‐game-‐about-‐slavery-‐and-‐its-‐ actually-‐good>.

Summary: “Video games take us places; this is known. They allow us to try on identities other than our own, and to see what it's like to live life as another person. They can also teach us things. Math and science teachers have spent a good amount of time figuring out how to leverage games to better instruct their students, but role-‐playing and adventure games have always seemed particularly well-‐suited to teaching history.” This article was a good summary about what some of the better known practical applications of game mechanics in an academic setting. I found the game to be a pretty good attempt at gamifying education. _________________________________________________________________________________________________

Quigley, Shaun. "Gamification: How to Level Up Consumer Engagement."Upload & Share PowerPoint presentations and documents. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Feb. 2012. <http://www.slideshare.net/quigleyshaun/gamification-‐webinar-‐pdf>. Summary: This presentation gave a great summary of the major impact that gamification is having on multiple industries. The presentation focuses on consumer engagement, however I feel that the theories that they present can be applied towards academic use too. The 6 suggested steps are to: 1. Decide on a topic 2. Pick an audience 3. Define player motivations 4. Define your victory conditions 5. Set the rules for the game 6. Make it social. This presentation is a huge update to the one I have listed from a previous checkpoint that is also created by Shaun Quigley. I also found it funny that he

included a short “how to” section for making games through his proposed gamificaiton framework. _________________________________________________________________________________________________

"The Gamification of Education (infographic) | Adding the Fun." Adding the Fun | Teaching you the secrets about Gamification. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Feb. 2012. <http://addingthefun.com/2012/02/the-‐gamification-‐of-‐education-‐ infographic/>.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

"This Game Sucks: How to Improve the Gamification of Education (EDUCAUSE Review) | EDUCAUSE." What is EDUCAUSE? | EDUCAUSE. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Feb. 2012. <http://www.educause.edu/EDUCAUSE+Review/EDUCAUSEReviewMagazineV olume46/ThisGameSucksHowtoImprovetheGa/222665>. Summary: “Education has been a system of status and points since the dawn of the Industrial Age. Scores on assignments serve as points. Graduation is a level achieved. A diploma is a badge of confidence from an accredited institution. However, critics of gamification claim that those who are trying to spice up their businesses with badges and levels don't actually understand how a game works. Rather than adding levels of engagement that make something fun, some of these applications simply add tracking systems, which these critics refer to as "pointsification."1 Just adding badges won't automatically make people want to earn them. Allowing one user to accumulate more points than other users won't necessarily motivate any of the users. I would argue that education has made the same mistake. Perhaps education could be improved by ditching the points and adding the game; technology can help.” “What can we do to fix this problem? I see two choices: (1) take away the pointsification; or (2) improve the game. Grades and degrees aren't going anywhere, so the first option won't work. We're left with the challenge of taking a rather poor game and making it a better one. “ This article discusses the limits of how radical the gamification of education can be due to the necessity of grading and degree systems. What the author suggests however is small steps that can be taken gradually. _________________________________________________________________________________________________

" The Dangers of Gamifying Education | SocialEarth." SocialEarth. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Feb. 2012. <http://www.socialearth.org/the-‐dangers-‐of-‐gamifying-‐ education>.

Summary: “Despite these potential benefits, the gamification trend worries me for a couple of reasons. First, students may start to expect that many or all lessons will come in game form. This expectation that schooling should be turned into a series of games is troubling because of the qualities of video games. Games are entertaining. They are fast. If you get stuck playing a game, you can almost always go back and retry a level or reset the game. Education can be fun, but it is rarely rapid. When a student cannot figure out a complicated math problem or struggles to find the right word in an essay, she cannot press the reset button. In school, students often have to think hard and try a number of different strategies before they find one that works. This process is time-‐consuming and it requires focus, but it is also how people master skills. Games move so quickly and can be paused so easily that it is doubtful

any student would sit and struggle with a complicated problem for very long. The ability to concentrate for a long period of time is one of the most important traits of the educated person, but it is a skill that is not valued in the gaming world. Finally, and perhaps most worryingly, the gamification trend may devalue subjects that cannot be turned into games. Students may avoid subjects that do not lend themselves to gamification like philosophy, English, and civics. How many students would want to debate solutions to global poverty or write an essay reflecting on Shakespeare or Fitzgerald when they could play a game in another class? Educational games will always struggle to help students develop creativity, the ability to form and present original opinions, and the capacity to understand another person’s point of view–skills that are important to every child’s development as a student and as a human being. Although innovation in education is always welcome, students are more likely to learn and develop successful habits through books, not video games.” While this article is interesting, I think that the issues that the author raises can be solved with good design. The first issue can be solved with good pacing and narrative structure; players can be conditioned to enjoy solving complicated problems that take a long time to solve if the reward system is good enough. The 2nd can simply be addressed by creative game design. _________________________________________________________________________________________________

"Gaming for Your Grades: The Gamification of Education at Penn State — Teaching and Learning with Technology." Teaching and Learning with Technology. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Feb. 2012. <http://tlt.its.psu.edu/about/news/2011/gaming-‐for-‐your-‐grades-‐the-‐ gamification-‐of-‐education-‐at-‐penn-‐state>.

Summary: This article provides a great broad implementation of gamification of education at Penn State. “The point of gamification or “gamifying” course materials is not necessarily to make an activity or subject more “fun,” but to make it more interesting and appealing to students. The goal of gamification is to change students’ behaviors in relation to education and engage them with the course material. Designing instruction and daily lectures using game-‐like elements is a way to accomplish this. The very process of designing a course syllabi with the incorporation of gamification forces an instructor or professor into critically analyzing their learning objectives and creating a game, points system, or competitive element that brings added value, interest, and connection to their students. This commitment on the part of the instructor presents the course material and text in a contemporary way and relates

to the pupils they are teaching while re-‐evaluating the very structure of the course itself. Gamifying a course has several expected impacts it hopes to obtain besides increasing student engagement and learning. The implementation of a game-‐like scenario into a classroom can increase the amount of time a student is willing to spend on an assignment, encourage a willingness to discuss ideas in class, and provoke a long-‐term retention beyond a mere improvement in exam grades. One of the research interests of the EGC is to explore these benefits. The betterment of gaming in education also serves the students’ interests, not only the courses. Each individual learns in a different way and not everyone can truly acquire knowledge through the memorization of a textbook. Gamification reaches out to students who kinetically learn from experience or “doing” while providing unique opportunities for engagement in classes of 300 or more. The virtual advantages and lack of consequences to games are also a major asset. Games actualize experiences which otherwise would be impossible. An exploration of the human body or the re-‐enactment of World Wars is no longer hypothetical, but can be depicted on a computer screen. Games also allow students to make mistakes in multiple situations and see the projected outcomes of their mistakes without the fear of risks associated with reality, allowing for a deeper understanding of the concepts of course materials and the number of strategies one can employ in order to achieve a goal or need.” _________________________________________________________________________________________________

Thesis Research Checkpoint 5

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

"Daniel Donahoo: Gamification in Education: Should We Play?." Breaking News and Opinion on The Huffington Post. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Mar. 2012. <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/daniel-‐donahoo/gamification-‐in-‐ education_b_927842.html>.

Summary: “Gamification has come under some fire from gamers recently, specifically since this post from Ian Bogost (since republished in The Atlantic). It could be the beginning of a backlash against the use of video games and game culture in a wide variety of spaces. Bogost is ruthless in his attack on the corporate world's foray into gaming, but what of serious games and the broader concepts around gamification and game-‐based learning in education? Where does this leave the push by schools and educators who have been exploring the use of games and game-‐based learning as a way of engaging students, teaching twenty-‐first century skills and finding ways to make the technologically-‐saturated lives of our children relevant in the classroom?” “Gamification does not necessarily involve the use of high technology. In fact, I've seen some very effective gamification that has been implemented using trading cards. A great example is the Teachers College at Columbia University, where they designed gamification for K-‐12 and higher education. Because many K-‐12 students don't have access to a computer, they implemented the whole gamification strategy based on "action cards." Gamification is certainly easier with the help of technology since it can help track a wider range of actions and interactions with a much higher fidelity than humans. However, the fundamental game mechanics and dynamics do not change -‐-‐ they are all based on behavioral psychology, not technology.” This article is great because it gets down to what proper gamification is all about. The focus should always be on behavioral psychology not on technology. Technology should be used as a tool to immerse and enhance the game play experience. It should never be the sole focus. _________________________________________________________________________________________________

Ferlazzo, Larry. "Kathy Sierra On Gamification In Education." Edublogs. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Mar. 2012. <larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/2012/02/26/kathy-‐sierra-‐ on-‐gamification-‐in-‐education/>. Summary: “I like to categorize areas that can/might be gamification into at least three categories:

1. Probably “safe” to gamify 2. Possibly OK to gamify (depending on what form of gamification) 3. Probably dangerous to gamify (because of the side-‐effects) This all assumes gamification as opposed actual (including “serious”) games, where most gamification is based entirely around externally-‐regulated extrinsic rewards.” The splitting up of areas that can be gamified are interesting, however I think the author is making a mistake in splitting up games and gamification, there is actuallya great deal of overlap in between the 2. I personally believe that what defines gamification is no the question of how but is instead a question of why when it comes to good design. _________________________________________________________________________________________________

"Democracy 2 ." Positech Games -‐ Developers of Gratuitous Space Battles & Democracy. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Mar. 2012. <http://positech.co.uk/democracy2/>.

Summary: “Democracy 2 is the ultimate political strategy / simulation game. The game simulates the motivations, loyalties and desires of everyone in the country. As president or prime minister, it's your job to balance the need for income from taxes against the demands of the voters. Do you want your country to be an eco-‐friendly green paradise? or a capitalist utopia? Will you pander to the patriots, the liberals or the religious pressure groups? Can you keep crime under control without destroying the civil liberties of your citizens? And can you keep good diplomatic relations with other nation states?” Great example of a game while educational in nature is still a game designed primarily for entertainment. _________________________________________________________________________________________________

"Grock It." Grock It. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Mar. 2012. <https://grockit.com/>. Summary: “Grockit is the world's fastest growing online test prep service for students seeking to get their best potential score on the GMAT, SAT, ACT, GRE, and other tests required for college admissions. Grockit is an adaptive, personalized learning program distinguished by its unique social learning features that are proven to help people learn quickly and answer more questions correctly.” Grock It is a great example of a successful implementation of gamification of test preparation. _________________________________________________________________________________________________

"Creative Kitchen, The Game by Ted Cheecharoen — Kickstarter." Kickstarter. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Mar. 2012. <http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/creativekitchen/creative-‐kitchen-‐the-‐ game>.

Summary: “The game is played by dealing each “chef contestant” a set of ingredient cards. Based off the mystery box ingredient concept popular in shows such as Food Network’s Chopped and Iron Chef, players can discard and pick up new ingredients in their quest to make the best recipe out of their hand. Contestants then have to name and illustrate their dish on provided recipe cards and sell it to their panel of judges (their fellow contestants!). Creative Kitchen is a great way to gather recipes from friends and share a few laughs over “interesting” recipes. Cheers to Creative Kitchen’s next master chef!” Great non digital implementation of gamification of recipe making skills. _________________________________________________________________________________________________