GBL Picks: Curated Game Based Learning Resources

gblpicks

The Knowledge Guru team is obviously very interested in the future of game based learning, and right now that future is bright. But not everyone is as informed about the industry. We are setting out to change that. We’re on a mission to educate the Instructional Design community and the decision makers in Training and Development about game based learning and its true potential.

As part of that mission we’re bringing you GBL picks, a series of curated resources on game based learning and gamification. We’ll explain why each resource is important and how the information in them can be used to shape opinions on game based learning. So now, without further ado, here are this week’s GBL picks:

Pick #1

With a mobile boom, learning games are a $1.5B market headed toward $2.3B by 2017

We’ll start this GBL Picks off with some good news, Ambient Insight predicts the Serious Games market, which Ambient calls game-based learning, will grow from $1.5 billion in 2012 to $2.3 billion in 2017. The larger simulation-based learning market, which includes corporate training games, is expected to grow even more from $2.3 billion in 2012 to $6.6 billion in 2017. That’s significant for anyone who reads this blog because it’s more proof of the attitude shift that’s happening in the corporate world. No longer are we seeing higher-ups dismiss games as frivolous. Larger and larger companies are beginning to adopt game based learning. This is promising research for anyone on the fence about adopting their own game based learning solutions.

Pick #2

eLearning Guild Research: Got Game?

Next we’ll move on to some detailed research on games conducted by eLearning Guild. It highlights some examples of really effective gamification that is already being implemented. For example, Adobe has launched LevelUp, a free plugin that applies gamification to learning Photoshop. LevelUp lets new users go on a series of missions, such as reducing redeye and removing unwanted elements from their pictures. As the new users successfully complete each mission, they earn points and badges. You can see for yourself just what this looks like in the article. Another great example provided in the article is Hideki Narematsu, the human resources manager for McDonald’s in Japan, who uses games to train new hires and he says it cuts new-hire training time in half.

Pick #3

Dopamine and games – Liking, learning, or wanting to play?

Finally, our last article is an in-depth (very long) piece that analyses some of the chemical reactions in our brain as we play games, and differentiates between liking, learning, and wanting to play. It’s a great read for anyone who likes science, but for most of you the primary focus will be on the section titled “What does this mean for games?”. In it, the author breaks down some conclusions that could be made from these scientific experiments, like “Rewards that are unpredictable (loot drops) are generally more motivating than rewards that are predictable (100 xp per monster).” So it’s definitely worth at least skimming for anyone who’s interested in using games for learning.

GBL Picks: Curated Game Based Learning Resources

gblpicks

The Knowledge Guru team is obviously very interested in the future of game based learning, and right now that future is bright. But not everyone is as informed about the industry. We are setting out to change that. We’re on a mission to educate the Instructional Design community and the decision makers in Training and Development about game based learning and its true potential.

As part of that mission we’re bringing you GBL picks, a series of curated resources on game based learning and gamification. We’ll explain why each resource is important and how the information in them can be used to shape opinions on game based learning. So now, without further ado, here are this week’s GBL picks:

Pick #1

Gamification: A Short History

Our first article is a great overview of the history of gamification. The incorporation of game elements into things other than games is not as new as you might think. In this “anthropology of an idea” you can see how gamification evolved from using fun on the factory floor to full blown training games complete with points and badges. This is a great resource for broadening our understanding of games in non-game environments, by seeing how it had evolved we can start to understand the ‘why’ of gamification and help move it even further into the future.

Pick #2

6 Tips for Implementing Gamification

“Gamification can lead to positive businesses outcomes such as innovation, employee performance management and customer engagement. But it can also fail, or even worse, backfire.” That’s why this next resource is on our GBL Picks. These six tips help you avoid costly errors that could cause your gamification efforts to fall flat. The the two most common mistakes made by people trying to implement games are: “it’s a game, how hard could it be to make?” and the immediate assumption that “it’s fun, of course everyone will want to play.” Yes, games are innovative and fun, but they do require work on the trainer’s part. Building the game is a challenge and requires a certain level of knowledge about game design, and you may need to market the game to employees (or make even make contests) to get them to want to play—it’s kind of hard to make ‘fun’ mandatory, so just try to make it happen naturally.

Pick #3

Jane McGonigal: Truths & Myths in Gaming

For our last pick we have something new—a video. This is a YouTube video from the Big Think channel in which a thought leader on games breaks down her view of certain myths our culture has about gaming (and what the actual truths may be). Games are sometimes blamed for a lot of problems in our society, especially pertaining to youths, but McGonigal thinks they’re actually making people better. This is a great resource for understanding the gaming culture—a necessary step towards integrating games in your environment.

GBL Picks: Curated Game Based Learning Resources

gblpicks

The Knowledge Guru team is obviously very interested in the future of game based learning, and right now that future is bright. But not everyone is as informed about the industry. We are setting out to change that. We’re on a mission to educate the Instructional Design community and the decision makers in Training and Development about game based learning and its true potential.

As part of that mission we’re bringing you GBL picks, a series of curated resources on game based learning and gamification. We’ll explain why each resource is important and how the information in them can be used to shape opinions on game based learning. So now, without further ado, here are this week’s GBL picks:

Pick #1

Gaming in the Classroom

Corporate and government environments are obviously very different from K-12 schooling, but for our first pick we think we should take a trip to the classroom. This article highlights that games are becoming more and more popular with teachers—in fact, they’re starting to become the norm. That’s a really significant change for overall learning culture. It’s validating to see teachers embracing game based learning; as people in corporate and government sectors look for more effective ways to train, suddenly games become a serious option.

Pick #2

Gamification Market to be Worth $5.5 Billion by 2018

We always love good market research. The financial sector is always worth paying attention to, because let’s face it, money talks. That’s what makes this particular article so important. It highlights a very important report conducted by global research company Markets and Markets. The report predicts that the gamification will grow from it’s current $421 million market to a $5.5 billion (with a B) market by 2018. This research is so important because it shows that gamification is more than just a buzzword—it’s here to stay. In fact, a separate market research company called M2Research came up with a similar report predicting the gamification market will be worth 2.8 billion by 2016. More great research to substantiate the business of gamification.

Pick #3

Blitz Brainstorming Gamification Tool Fosters Organizational Creativity and Innovation

In this article, Gamification Corp. (one of the thought leaders in the gamification industry) shows off a new gamified solution to the demand for organization creativity. The tool is called Blitz, and it was created by Dr. Ken Hudson, former marketing director of American Express, as a fast, easy way to bring people out of a production rut. The opening line of this article really says it all: “If creativity is a muscle, then gamification is the bench press.” This is a great resource for showing that games can tackle qualitative skills, not just quantitative ones. “The gamification principles strengthening Blitz stem from the basis that time-constrained thinking sessions provide a game with minimal rule-based stipulations but plenty of play.” The article is definitely worth a read, and you may even decide to go check out Blitz yourself.

GBL Picks: Curated Game Based Learning Resources

gblpicks

The Knowledge Guru team is obviously very interested in the future of game based learning, and right now that future is bright. But not everyone is as informed about the industry. We are setting out to change that. We’re on a mission to educate the Instructional Design community and the decision makers in Training and Development about game based learning and its true potential.

As part of that mission we’re bringing you GBL picks, a series of curated resources on game based learning and gamification. We’ll explain why each resource is important and how the information in them can be used to shape opinions on game based learning. So now, without further ado, here are this week’s GBL picks:

Pick #1

How to Invest in Game Based Learning

I love finding articles about game based learning and gamification in Forbes Magazine because I know they’ll be paying attention to the money angle, and for some people that’s the only angle that will get their attention. In this article, contributor Jordan Shapiro writes about how “the game-based learning space, which is still in the formative stages of technological evolution, is clearly a sector fertile for investing.” It’s a great overview of how game based learning has come a long way and has shed the stigma around it. Plus it references some other great material and provides links to some cool reports and reviews.

Pick #2

The Game Changer: Gaming in Healthcare

I was initially hooked by this article when they started talking about Zombie Run!, an app designed to gamify your running. It’s an awesome way to use games in your every day life to motivate you to get (or stay) in shape. You should really check it out. Overall this is a great article about the benefits of games versus traditional methods, not to mention the subject matter being focused on is pharmacy and healthcare which is booming for the Instructional Design community as a whole right now. However, here’s the quote that landed this article in the GBL picks: “What really sparked my interest in the potential of gaming is that a lot of what we do in pharma is around educating and teaching people; whether that’s teaching doctors about specific products, educating the general public and patients about diseases and healthy ways to live, or teaching people how to take their medication.” It’s a great case for games.

Pick #3

Games: More than Just Reward Systems

For the final GBL Pick in today’s post I’m including a reality check—just read the title of the article. Game based learning and gamification are buzzwords right now, and that can be a bad thing. As some people in training and development rush to be on the cutting edge and incorporate this new thing they read about in a magazine, they end up going about it without any real understanding. You will encounter a scenario where someone slapped points and badges on their ordinary training system and call it game based learning. My favorite line from this article is, “Yes, salsa is integral to many Mexican dishes; no, pouring salsa on penne does not make it a Mexican dish.” Plus there’s a video clip at the end of the article where you can hear a panel of people with impressive resumes talk about emerging technologies in education and learning.