exploring the possibilities of games and learning Space to Play exploring the possibilities of games and learning Into + background My names Rosie Jones and I’m a librarian ….. Having worked in this community for awhile I thought I needed to get that one out there – if you talk to Nic later I’m sure she’ll tell you her favourite library joke too….. I’ve worked in academic libraries since 2001 and I have a particular interest in games and learning, information literacy and learning space development. I got involved in games in 2008/9 when somehow I got involved with a JISC project Nic was working on. I think this happened because Nic used to run the PG cert in academic practice – she ran back in the day when academics really didn’t want to do it – they saw it as a chore and I think we became firm friends because I was the overenthusiastic, excited individual who felt really honoured to be there and couldn’t wait to get started. Before I start today this is my massive top tip – the enthusiasm and willingness to have a go I reckon is a librarian trait – so if you are ever looking for someone to get involved in a project – ask a librarian. – most of us are just like Michael Moore described …. Rosie Jones Director of Library Services The Open University

@M25Play #2017M25

Before we do …. how do we begin to recognize how each person makes sense of this unique world in which they live? Time 15-20 minutes Description This fun icebreaker can be an energizing way to engage participants.  It’s a “personality assessment,” but it’s just for fun; there is no scientific value to the results. Materials Paper for each participant Pens, pencils and colored markers for each participant Printout of the “Pig Analysis” sheet (at the end of this lesson) Preparation None Procedure Use the following script (or modify to suit your needs): “Let’s start out our time together by getting to know each other.” “We’ll do it in a funny way.” “On the sheet of paper that each of you has, I would like you to each draw a pig.” “Make it as detailed as you like.”  (Allow 5 minutes for drawing the pig.) “Now that you’ve drawn your pig, I’m going to help you do some analysis to see what your drawing tells us about you.”  (Read each of the descriptions on the “Pig Analysis” sheet.  Keep it light and fun.) “Take a few minutes, and share your Pig Analysis with your table.” “Tell them if you think it is accurate or not.” “So, what do you think?  Does your Pig Analysis match your personality?” “Okay, this was not a scientific instrument, so any truth it contained was probably accidental….or was it?”  (You might want to have participants put their names on their pictures and post them around the room.) Pig Analysis If the pig is drawn:   Toward the top of the paper – You have a tendancy to be positive and optimistic. Toward the middle – You have a tendency to be a realist. Toward the bottom – You have a tendency to be pessimistic and may be prone to behaving negatively. Facing left – You have a tendency to believe in tradition and be friendly; you may also be prone to remembering dates well. Facing Right – You have a tendency to be innovative and active, but may be prone to forgetting dates easily and may not have a strong sense of family. Facing front – You have a tendency to be direct, and may enjoy playing the role of devil’s advocate; you also are prone to neither fearing nor avoiding confrontational discussions. With many details – You have a tendency to be analytical, but may also be prone to being cautious to the point that you struggle with trust. With few details – You have a tendency to be emotional and to focus on the larger picture rather than focusing on details. You also have a tendency to be a great risk taker and may sometimes be prone to reckless and impulsive decisions. With less than 4 legs showing – May indicate that you are living through a major period of change and as a result you may be prone to struggling with insecurities. With 4 legs showing – You have a tendency to be secure and to stick to your ideals; however, others may describe you as stubborn. With large ears – Indicates how good of a listener you are (the bigger, the better). With a long tail – Indicates how intelligent you are (the longer, the better) https://teachingthem.com/2011/02/18/draw-the-pig-personality-test-icebreaker/ https://cdn1.walsworthyearbooks.com/wyb/2015/06/30-Days-of-Icebreakers.pdf

The Analysis Facing front – Indicates you can be direct, enjoy playing devil’s advocate, and neither fear nor avoid confrontational discussions Facing left – Indicates you believe in tradition and are friendly, and may remember dates well Facing Right – You tend to be innovative and active, but may forget dates and may not have a strong sense of family

Learning to play So despite my acknowledging my enthusiastic tendencies I am not the same librarian who started my games and learning journey in 2008. Whilst I’d already worked out I wanted to be involved in everything and I wanted to do things differently my confidence and inhibitions often stopped me …… I had an uncertainty of my own voice (and I know that’s not unusual as a new professional). But what was also a real challenge for me was I didn’t really know very much about games and I was very good at being ‘playful’ in the work environment. Stereotypically when I first started out in the profession librarians liked rules and procedures – at the time (actually who am I kidding even now) we love knowing where things go – categorising things (the running joke in the games and learning group is that I want to put things in order/file them) So when you like things in such order letting your mind be free and creative to experiment with games and play is quite a hard thing to adjust to.

So I think this when I truly learnt to say Yes to everything at work – even things I didn’t want to do – in fact especially things outside of my comfort zone.

And that’s how I got involved in my first really important project And that’s how I got involved in my first really important project. So there I was as still a relatively young and new professional – about to start work with some really prestigious academics on a cutting edge innovative project that was backed by a really important funding body ……. And at my first meeting of the group we spent about 2 hours trying to come up with an acronym for the project – or rather the funniest acronym we could create ….. Or the rudest ….. And the serious librarian bit of me found this really uncomfortable but actually this is just what I needed to start to help me have the freedom to play at work …. (more about this later). Activity ARGOSI new acronym …. @M25Play #2017M25

So just to outline a the key projects/influences for my involvement with games and learning Firstly ARGOSI Running from September 2008 to March 2009, the JISC-funded ARGOSI project used an Alternate Reality Game (ARG) to support the student induction process, with a particular focus on library and information skills The main narrative for Viola Quest is centred around the mystery of Viola Procter, a first year student at MMU who has a puzzle to solve. Originally she sets up a blog to do this but Percy Root, a librarian based in Manchester , discovers the blog and sets up a website to help Viola in her quest and also to set some puzzles of his own. Percy’s puzzles are the customisable sub plot of this main narrative, which offer a mechanism for delivering the library learning outcomes. The quest starts when Viola discovers a strange letter whilst nosing around her Gran’s attic. The letter talks about a great secret, which was hidden in a map and divided into six pieces and given to each member of a secret society at the time of major UK industrialisation. With the letter she also finds a map piece (see figure 3), which is used as the entry point to the game. ARGOSI: http://argosi.playthinklearn.net/

Games and Learning Special Interest Group (GLSIG) Share experience and research evidence Forum for discussion and collaboration Supportive community Opportunity for experimentation and play http://gamesandlearningsig.ning.com/ Then came my involvement with the Games and Learning Special Interest Group – which brought together like minded individuals…..

Pre-arrival Registration Robot Battle Exhibitors Dinner Chest And my most recent playful interactions have been conference games at ALT C and at LILAC which helped improve behaviours and encourage interaction and networking

Prove yourselves worthy, puny delegates. Complete my 4 challenges @GLNOIG if you want to defeat me! Mwhahahahahahahahahahahahahah…….. Evil anti-play @glnoig NoInterest At ALT-C and LILAC an evil presence made an appearance …. … I think he’s making one today …. Challenge 1 - weaken evil anti-play with a better meaning for GLNOIG Challenge 2 – tell me the answers to bouncing ball questions on twitter Challenge 3 - paper hats Challenge 4 – go to tap count https://www.facebook.com/tapcount/ and beat my B-

Playful learning is under threat! Help to defeat the evil anti-play (@glnoig) by supporting your Playful team. Solve @glnoig’s 4 twitter challenges first and tweet your answer with your team name according to your superhero power sticker #SmilePow / #NaturePow to be in with a chance of winning fabulous prizes! Evil anti-play plans to take over the world through stopping playful activity You can help to defeat him by answering his 4 challenges – you will have got a sticker with your super hero power at the start of the session this is your team. Over the course of this session you will see challenges through twitter Keep alert for stickers – there may, for example, be some under your seat right now…

PLAY IT FORWARD

LILAC TOP TRUMPS

9 12 4 hours 1 hour (4 really) Suggest we do a verses each other … throw it out to the audience to do and then gather up the winners for prizes….. Can you animate and also come up with some nicknames ….. Oh and fill in the blank that I don’t know the answer to … How many twitter followers Loyalty – no. of times been to LILAC Commitment – how long it took you to get there Influence – no. of twitter followers 1.35 finish at the latest 2,164 1,935

Breaking down silos @M25Play #2017M25 Breaking down silos – bingo or the bouncy ball @M25Play #2017M25

Wreck this journal

The Analysis Toward the top of the paper – Indicates you are positive and optimistic Toward the middle – Indicates you are a realist Toward the bottom – You tend to be pessimistic and possibly behave negatively

We do not cease to play because we grow old We do not cease to play because we grow old. We grow old because we cease to play! - George Bernard Shaw Freedom But whilst I then began to realise I genuinely felt the freedom to experiment and play with games What’s struck me as the biggest issue for me for using games with learning – is everybody else’s freedom to do this. And this is freedom in relation to many things: Attitude and environment being the 2 biggest issues By attitude I mean both participants and those who can let us do these things ….. (so management)

Games instead of a presentation Games instead of a presentation? Would my line manager think it was worth allowing me to attend? I can guarantee not Too frivolous for an academic degree programme games are not my forte! the gaming theme was silly and uninteresting I still get responses to this when I talk about a games approach [add in more quotes] Click How do we persuade colleagues, departmental heads and senior management that they are a worth addition to the menu? I don't like being forced into playing games

How do we persuade colleagues, departmental heads and senior management that they are a worthy addition to the menu? I valued gaining an insight into games as a way of teaching and learning. I have previously felt very resistant towards this but for the first time I was able to see how it could be done and that it had value. I still get responses to this when I talk about a games approach [add in more quotes] Click How do we persuade colleagues, departmental heads and senior management that they are a worth addition to the menu?

Winning hearts and minds What’s in a name? Use familiar techniques Avoid ‘rules’ Involve as many staff as possible Be explicit about the links to learning/work Find a problem that needs fixing Environments that encourage I’ve spent a lot of time trying to win hearts and minds and I still am trying to do that so here are some of the ways I think can help…. Staff attitudes – 2 things – 1. Find a problem that needs fixing, particularly one that they find irritating, difficult or outside of their areas of interest. 2. involve as many staff as possible in the design, testing and delivery of the game in ways they understand – e.g. giving out prizes, writing narrative Student attitudes – making the game clearly relevant to their contexts of study is crucial, they are here to study a subject, not a set of skills. Use familiar games techniques where possible, so that a larger proportion of students will relate to them from previous experience Games or Play …. I’m now preferring the term playful learning or playful interactions – and I need to stop insisting on the term ‘games’

What’s in a name? Being flexible! 20/5/2011 What’s in a name? Being flexible!

Being Flexible! Use familiar techniques Avoid ‘rules’ 20/5/2011 Being Flexible! Use familiar techniques Avoid ‘rules’ Games, play, activity ….. Inclusive Rules – avoid having to jump through hoops to make this a ‘game’ – who cares whether technically it’s a game ….! But make sure that there are still clear guidelines – so people know what to do Include everyone even if they don’t want to do it all – that doesn’t matter Stop hiding the links to learning

Problems to solve Breaking down silos Creativity Wellbeing ->Embracing change Well I don’t profess to have the answer but I think there are a number of arguments we can make and there are some tips I want to share Games provide access to another world one that is typically safe from the consequences of the real world. In games the player can experiment, explore and try out new things without risk of negative outcomes outside of the games. Players can try things out that they wouldn’t dream of trying in the real world. Mistakes are part of progress from novice to expert The lusory attitude is the psychological attitude required of a player entering into the play of a game. To adopt a lusory attitude is to accept the arbitrary rules of a game in order to facilitate the resulting experience of play Intrinsic motivation refers to behavior that is driven by internal rewards. In other words, the motivation to engage in a behavior arises from within the individual because it is intrinsically rewarding. Suits, Bernard (1978). The Grasshopper: Games, Life and Utopia.

Quick creativity Creativity - Blue skies - Speedy ideas – example of activity creation for MLE

My Learning Essentials The University of Manchester Library My Learning Essentials e-Learning game design challenge GLSIG July 2014

What is My Learning Essentials? Online resources Literature searching Referencing & citations Evaluating sources EndNote Avoiding plagiarism Academic writing Presentation skills Study strategies Critical thinking Proofreading Note taking Face-to-face workshops Successful searching - Academic writing – Avoiding information overload - EndNote Drop-ins Sessions throughout the week Timetabled Q&A sessions Introductory sessions Subject specific introduction to our skills programme

Topics Challenge 1: The jigsaw Challenge 2: The treasure hunt Challenge 3: The free-for-all

Challenge 1: The jigsaw School of Dentistry The individual elements of the My Learning Essentials programme are of a very high quality. Students self-select the elements of the programme that are most appropriate to their needs. Students should see the individual elements they use as making up a coherent whole. School of Dentistry Embedded incrementally across the whole UG programme Surveyed students to evaluate impact; results will inform future development of the programme. The challenge: Can gaming help us to bring the pieces of our jigsaw together? Difficulty rating: 5

Challenge 2: The treasure hunt My Learning Essentials offers lots of development opportunities. Our students often don’t know where to start, and may not always be able to the identify areas in which they need support. We have long talked about creating a skills audit facility to help guide students along their personal development journeys. School of Dentistry Embedded incrementally across the whole UG programme Surveyed students to evaluate impact; results will inform future development of the programme. The challenge: Can gaming help students plan their personal development? Difficulty rating: 3

Challenge 3: The free-for-all We have online resources in a variety of areas, with a number of new ones in the very early planning stages. We are always keen to try out new ideas and experiment with different ways of engaging our learners. Our audience includes everyone from pre-entry WP students, through to postgraduate and CPD students. School of Dentistry Embedded incrementally across the whole UG programme Surveyed students to evaluate impact; results will inform future development of the programme. The challenge: How can we use gaming to enhance our existing or future resources? Difficulty rating: 2

Rosie’s crazy points system The more difficult the challenge the more plasticine you get! The participant with the tallest standing structure made from plasticine at the end wins a prize!* * In the event of a tiebreak – the structure that shows the most visible yellow/orange (rated most difficult) wins! Everytime you contribute/work on a challenge you will be able to pick up a lump of plasticine At challenge 3 you’ll see yellow/orangey plasticine

The Analysis With large ears – Indicates listening skills; the bigger the ears, the better the listener With a long tail – Indicates intelligence; the longer the tail, the smarter you are

The possibility of play in your everyday…..

Freedom to fail - Encouraging risks Wellbeing

Who recognises this …. Or this …

Balance, nutrition, mini-leagues etc ….

New Culture Freedom to fail - Encouraging risks They go off and do their own things … T&L fringe, T&D day …

Adaptive Organisation & Culture Working Session Rosie Jones Culture is important – something we all have to be involved in and something that will benefit us across the piece. Culture is important in particular to our area ‘translation’ – our staff are going through huge change and we are eager to show the rest of the University we are effective this means we have to all work together ….

The Analysis With fewer than 4 legs showing – You may be living through a major period of change, leading you to struggle with insecurities With 4 legs showing – You tend to be secure and to stick to your ideals, which others see as being stubborn.

Can a space help? What makes us different

Creative learning is intrinsic in the AGLC Creative learning is intrinsic in the AGLC. It permeates the building, it is on its walls in the student artwork, it is in the different kinds of study space and furniture. The environment that has been created goes further even then that, working there encourages us to experiment with different approaches to learning delivery Visible

The Analysis With many details – You are analytical, but may be overcautious and have trust issues With few details – Emotional; tend to focus on the larger picture rather than details; may be a greater risk taker and may make reckless and impulsive decisions

How might you use ‘play’ at work? What does success look like? How will we know we’ve got there? What will be different? How might you use ‘play’ at work?

Thanks! Rosie Jones @RosieJHJones Mention escape room as part of leaving do http://conference.playthinklearn.net/blog/