1. The Pedagogy of Commercial Games
Prepared for the 
IMAGINE Network Symposium
Mar
Katrin Becker
University of Calgary
March 2006
This session examines successful commercial games to connect the designs of these games with known learning and instructional design theories.
K.Becker IMAGINE Network Symposium ‘06
Pedagogy & Games

2. How I got here… Learning how to design and create programs
Teaching how to design and create programs
Teaching how to create games (already designed)
Thinking about how to design games
Thinking about how to design and create educational games.
….. How to teach how to design and create educational games
K.Becker IMAGINE Network Symposium ‘06
Pedagogy & Games

3. “The invention of new methods that are adequate to the new ways
in which problems are posed
requires far more than a simple modification
of previously accepted methods."
Vygotsky
K.Becker IMAGINE Network Symposium ‘06
Pedagogy & Games

4. New Ways to Pose Problems?
Complex
Ill-structured
Interconnected
Different perspectives
Emergent
Affective
Value laden
Digital Games = New Method
K.Becker IMAGINE Network Symposium ‘06
Pedagogy & Games

5. New Ways to View Learning
Constructivism
Constructionism
Envactivism
Activity Theory
Situated Cognition
K.Becker IMAGINE Network Symposium ‘06
Pedagogy & Games

6. Digital Games
More than a simple modification of previously accepted methods…
Now what?
Look at HOW…
Look at exemplars:
“Old Media”
New Media
K.Becker IMAGINE Network Symposium ‘06
Pedagogy & Games

7. Why are these such good teachers?
Amos’n’Andy
The West Wing
K.Becker IMAGINE Network Symposium ‘06
Pedagogy & Games

8. Kolb / Keirsey / Gregorc / Felder
How Do Games Teach?
Learning Theories
To find out how games should teach, first look at how games do teach.
Place in familiar context:
Learning & Instructional Theories
Find contact points.
Gagné
Reigeluth
Kolb / Keirsey / Gregorc / Felder
K.Becker IMAGINE Network Symposium ‘06
Pedagogy & Games

9. How Do Games Teach? Learning Theories Gagné’s Nine Events Levels
Each of these elements can be seen as a tool that facilitates learning.
Levels
Valorization
Attract
Mode
Back
Story
P.O.V. /
Perspective
Point of View
Trailers
2. Informing Learners of the Objective (Expectancy)
3. Stimulating Recall of Prior Learning (Retrieval)
H.U.D.
Heads Up Display
1. Gaining Attention (Reception)
Click to
progress
through
events
Story
Mode
4. Presenting the Stimulus (Selective Perception)
Sandbox
Mode
Gagné’s Nine Events
9. Enhancing Retention and Transfer (Generalization)
N.P.C.
Non-Playable
Characters
Tutorial
Mode
5. Providing Learning Guidance (Semantic Encoding)
8. Assessing Performance (Retrieval)
Fan Sites
& Game
Communities
Boss
Challenges
7. Providing Feedback (Reinforcement)
6. Eliciting Performance (Responding)
Cut-
Scenes
A.I.
Artificial
Intelligence
Variable
L.O.D.
Level of Detail
Transmediality
K.Becker IMAGINE Network Symposium ‘06
Pedagogy & Games

10. Are Games Good Teachers Too?
Learning Theories
Another example..
K.Becker IMAGINE Network Symposium ‘06
Pedagogy & Games

11. Are Games Good Teachers Too?
Learning Theories
Each of these elements can be seen as a tool that facilitates learning.
Levels
Valorization
Attract
Mode
Back
Story
P.O.V. /
Perspective
Point of View
Trailers
2. Learning
Prerequisite
Sequences
1. Elaborative Sequence
H.U.D.
Heads Up Display
Click to
progress
through
strategies
7. Learner
Control
3. Summary
Reigeluth’s Elaboration Theory
Story
Mode
Sandbox
Mode
6. Cognitive Strategies
4. Synthesis
N.P.C.
Non-Playable
Characters
Tutorial
Mode
5. Analogies
Fan Sites
& Game
Communities
Boss
Challenges
Cut-
Scenes
A.I.
Artificial
Intelligence
Variable
L.O.D.
Level of Detail
Transmediality
K.Becker IMAGINE Network Symposium ‘06
Pedagogy & Games

12. How Do Games Teach? Learning Styles Kolb / Keirsey Pedagogy & Games
K.Becker IMAGINE Network Symposium ‘06
Pedagogy & Games

13. Some Learning Styles already conjure up images of various races….
How Do Games Teach?
Learning Styles
Idealists
Kolb’s
“Races”
Kolb’s
“Races”
Keirsey’s
“Races”
Keirsey’s
“Races”
Converger
Some Learning Styles already conjure up images of various races….
Guardians
Assimilator
Accomodator
Photo: Neverwinter Nights
Photo: Neverwinter Nights
Photo: Legend of Zelda
Photo: gamewallpapers.com
Diverger
Artisans
Rationals
Photo: Halo 2
Photo: NOX gamewallpapers.com
Photo: Shenmue
Photo: Metroid Prime nintelligent.net
K.Becker IMAGINE Network Symposium ‘06
Pedagogy & Games

14. How Do Games Teach? Learning Styles Gregorc Pedagogy & Games
K.Becker IMAGINE Network Symposium ‘06
Pedagogy & Games

15. Abstract-Sequential:
How Do Games Teach?
Learning Styles
Concrete-Random:
Syberia
Gregorc’s
System of Learning
Concrete-Sequential:
Super Monkeyball
Syberia
Screenshot: mobygames.com
Abstract-Random:
Katamari Damacy
Abstract-Sequential:
Myst
Screenshot: mobygames.com
Screenshot: mobygames.com
K.Becker IMAGINE Network Symposium ‘06
Pedagogy & Games

16. How Do Games Teach? Learning Styles Felder Pedagogy & Games
K.Becker IMAGINE Network Symposium ‘06
Pedagogy & Games

17. How Do Games Teach? Learning Styles versus Felder’s
Index of Learning Styles
Active (doing)
Reflective (thinking)
Felder’s
Index of Learning Styles
Intuitive (concepts, relationships)
Sensing (facts, processes)
versus
Verbal (hearing, reading, saying)
Visual (seeing, picturing)
versus
Need For Speed
Sequential (step-wise)
Global (leaps, random)
Medal of Honor
versus
Black and White
Screenshot: mobygames.com
Civilization III
Felder’s
Index of Learning Styles
Harvest Moon
Screenshot: mobygames.com
Screenshot: gamespot.com
Felder’s
Index of Learning Styles
Felder’s
Index of Learning Styles
Screenshot: gamespot.com
Psychonauts
Screenshot: gamespot.com
Roller Coaster Tycoon
Electroplankton
K.Becker IMAGINE Network Symposium ‘06
Pedagogy & Games

18. How Do Games Teach? Learning Styles
Most successful games ALREADY allow players to approach from the perspective of various styles.
What other media lets us do that?
K.Becker IMAGINE Network Symposium ‘06
Pedagogy & Games

19. Next Steps
Knowing why a game is good is not the same as knowing how to make a game good, but it is a necessary first step.
OUTCOMES (moving towards…):
Clear evidence that existing designs of commercial games already embody sound pedagogy, as found in established learning theory, even if that connection was neither conscious, nor deliberate on the part of the designers.
An understanding of how digital games can be used as instructional technology informed by learning theory.
A theory/theories of the kinds of learning best served through this technology.
A synthesis of core requirements for instructional design relevant to games.
K.Becker IMAGINE Network Symposium ‘06
Pedagogy & Games

20. Next Steps Instructional Games Design
will require a thorough grounding in
BOTH
Instructional Design
AND
Games Design.
Merrill’s First Principles
(applied to instructional game design – core requirements?):
Engagement – Solving realistic (real-life) problems
Activation – Start Where the player/learner is.
Demonstration – Show them what we want them to learn – don’t just tell them.
Application – New knowledge must be applied to solve problems.
Integration – Motivate to apply what was learned
K.Becker IMAGINE Network Symposium ‘06
Pedagogy & Games
Promo shot