1. Educational games GC: Palestine a step in the right direction? PhD Simon Egenfeldt-Nielsen CEO Serious Games Interactive 1st June 2007, Darmstadt, Germany “…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. Overview learning games Overview GC:Palestine Demo GC: Palestine Agenda

3. Questions Educational Games How many play computer games? How many use educational computer games? How many would like to use them? In UK, Canada & US - 70% want to, only 30% do it. WHY? Low quality in existing titles & few to choose from.

4. History of learning games... Educational 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.

5. 1970s1980s1990s2000s Instructional technology Math games Adventure games Edutainment Health-related games Cognitive skills Constructionism Research in different areas focusing on educational use of computer games Media education Socio-cultural approach

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

7. 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. Educational Games

8. Problems using games The educational setting Time, space, expectations, technical The preparation phase Material, installing, learning game, combining teaching modes. Learning the game Tutorials, freedom vs. regulation, competence gaps, homework Tools for reflecting on the game Saved games, discuss around game, maps, extra material. The teachers role Know games, prepare for game, just-in-time lectures, teaching approach Educational Games

9. Teaching with games Recognizing games as learning Games position, understanding of knowledge, balancing play vs. learning Transfer problem Different context, background information, teacher approach Cross-curriculum Citizensship, History, Geography, English, Communcation, Media & ICT. Educational Games

10. 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) Educational Games

11. Edutainment is going down hill Educational Games

12. 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) Educational Games

13. I will talk about something else... ”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” Educational Games

14. ”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

15. Primary target group Subjects: What is the product Danish 8th graders using the game early 2006. Global Conflicts: Palestine target students of 13-19 years  Primary: Citizensship & History  Secondary: Media, religion, ethics, geography & communication (Small TV2 movie)

16. Seconday target group What is the product Serious gamers taking on the challenge. Global Conflicts: Palestine target mature people with an interest and engagement in current issues Watch documentaries & debate programs Consider themselves knowledgable Often females above 30 years Have an above average education Have an above average income Use IT but not necessarily gamers

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

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

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

20. Build trust by understanding and exploring different perspectives to get people’s personal story

21. Breath-taking engagement with people, you, the journalist, makes your mark on the media coverage

22. Students explore and learn from detailed and scary environment - they see the inside of the conflict

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

24. Blended learning experience  Experiential: The games provides a virtual tour to the conflict with concrete experiences that provide a strong starting point for learning about the topic.  Learning styles: Dynamic feedback, interaction that makes a difference, multimodal encoding, mistakes are safe to make & you are presented with challneges. What is Global Conflicts: Palestine

25. ddd simple tests In-depth online learning companion w. integrated webshop for digital distribution Background for students: Timeline, documents, encyclopedia & links: Specific themes: Work questions, small tests, links, video & pictures Meet and discuss with other students: Forum & newsletter

26. Teaching form Teacher talks Play Game Plenum Group discussions  Read textbook  Overview of theme  Explore perspectives  Experience issues  Discuss experiences  Write article  Debriefing  Evaluation What is the product

27. 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. Empirical study

28. Different rooms for learning styles Group work Reflective observation Active experimentation GC: Palestine Lecture Abstract concepts Concrete experiences Kolb’s cycle covered with different teaching forms in the course. The teacher is crucial to facilitate a full learning experience. Empirical study

29. Qualitative feedback “Global Conflicts: Palestine is a fun and different way to receive learning” (Female student, 18 years) “You had a greater desire to learn about the topic from Global Conflicts: Palestine” (Male student, 16 years) ”You learn a lot about how Israelis and Palestinians respectively look at the conflict, because you talk to different persons... I think it is good that the stories derive from reality, providing the stories with a realistic tone.” (Female student, 18 years) Empirical study

30. Students want more... Empirical study  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

31. Other support for effiency  More motivated & engaged  Activity perceived as more challenging  Rention is often better Most research say you learn from games - at least the same as other teaching methods. Below overview of studies that support learning from games YesMaybeNo 2012

32. Media coverage

33. Closing  Next generation of game-based learning is in the making.  Research suggest that game-based learning is effective  Team needed to build next-gen game-based learning more complex  Nordic learning approach gaining ground  Largest barrier is existing channels to market Contact: sen@seriousgames.dk Web:www.seriousgames.dk