How to Add or Edit Game Authors on an Existing Game Shell

System administrators in Knowledge Guru can add and remove game authors from a game shell at any time. Each Knowledge Guru game must have at least one, but up to 10, Game Author(s) associated with it.  

To create a game author: 

  1. Log into your Knowledge Guru account at:  theknowledgeguru.com/login/ 
  2. Select your company from the game list. If you have no games, you will automatically be logged into your system administrator account. 
  3. Select  GAME AUTHORS/CREATE GAME AUTHOR  from the left-hand menu. 
  4. Enter the game author information and click  CREATE GAME AUTHOR. 

Once you have the game author in your system, you can associate them to existing game shells. To add a Game Author to an existing game shell: 

  1. Select GAME SHELLS/EDIT GAME SHELL from the left-hand menu. 
  2. Select EDIT GAME SHELL for the game shell you wish to edit.  
  3. Enter names of additional game authors, up to 10, in the Additional Game Authors box. Names should appear as you type if you have already added the authors to your account.  
  4. Click the X for any additional game authors you want to remove, or use the dropdown to change the Primary Game Author. 
  5. Click SAVE. 

How to Add, Edit, Remove, and View Players in the System Admin Tool

When you are logged in as a system administrator in your Knowledge Guru account, you can add, edit and remove players from all your game shells. The Player Management tool also allows you to view reports on how well your players are doing in each of the games.

Manage Players Tool

Expand the Player Management option within left-hand navigation pane, and select Manage Players.

The Player Management tool allows you to do all of the following:

  • Sort players by First Name, Last Name or Email
  • Search by First Name, Last Name or Email
  • Display 10, 25, 50, 100 players at a time on screen
  • Add multiple players to different games
  • Remove players from different games
  • Remove multiple players from all game shells

How to Sort Players

You can sort players alphabetically by First Name, Last Name or Email. Click one of the three headers to sort players by that header.

How to Display More Players on the Screen

Click the drop-down menu between Show entries to select different numbers of players to be displayed on the screen at once.

How to Search for Players

Click on the Search input box to type in a first name, last name or email. It will dynamically search as you type.

How to Add Multiple Players to Multiple Games

After you select the players you want to add to a game, click the Action drop-down menu and select Add Selected to Games.

Click the drop-down menu that appears. This drop-down menu shows all the game shells in your company account. Click on a game name to select that game. (You can also search for a particular game by typing the game name.)

Click SAVE. After you save, the authoring tool will tell you how many players were added to the games and if there were any failures.

How to Remove Multiple Players from Multiple Games

After you select the players you want to remove from a game, click the Action drop-down menu and select Remove Selected from Games.

Click the drop-down menu that appears. This drop-down menu shows all the game shells you own. Click on a game name to select that game. (You can also search for a particular game by typing the game name.)

Click SAVE. After you save, the authoring tool will tell you how many players were removed from the games and if there were any failures.

How to View an Individual Player

Click on a person’s first or last name to view their individual status.

Here you get a comprehensive profile of the player. You can quickly see which games they are in, how far they have progressed, and when they were last active in the game.

If you want more details on how well they are doing in a game, click View under the Reports header.

To remove a player from a single game, click the Remove button that correlates with the game row.

To add a player to any game shell you have created, open the Select Game drop-down menu and click Add Player.

If you need to remove a player completely from all your game shells, click Remove from All Games. A prompt will appear to confirm this action as you will not be able to recover any of this player’s data after you remove them.

Add Player Tool

Expand the Player Management option within left-hand navigation pane, and select Add Player.

Type in the first name, last name and email address of the player you want to add. Check the boxes next the game shells you wish to add the player to, then click the green Add Player button.

Dashboard Overview

When you log in to Drive as a game author, you land on the main dashboard for your Drive game. This dashboard is your launching point for anywhere else you want to go within the authoring tool. It is also a source of summary information about your game and its players. Let’s look at how this dashboard is organized.

Menus/Navigation

dashboard-1

The “hamburger” icon in the top left corner lets you expand and collapse the sidebar menu located on the left side of your screen. Your Drive game’s name is located next to this menu icon. Once you expand the navigation, you will see options that help you:

  • Develop your game
  • Customize your game
  • Manage players
  • Access reports
  • Implement your game
  • Access Knowledge Base resources

Each of these menu options can also be expanded to reveal sub-menu choices within each main area of the authoring tool.

Summary Statistics

dashboard-2

The top of your dashboard gives you a quick snapshot of your players and how they are doing. As the image shows, four icons are always visible. These icons let you see how many players you have, how many are active, how many have reached mastery, and the average mastery value.

Pre-launch Checklist

dashboard-3

If your game has not yet launched, a Knowledge Guru Drive Creation Checklist to Launch will be displayed. This checklist outlines the six steps you need to execute to get your game created. Clicking any of the six steps provides you with a detailed explanation of each one.

As you complete tasks, the checklist automatically marks the tasks off your list and changes the box from red to green. By clicking within a step, you can see a more detailed explanation of it.

Post-Launch Statistics and Recent Activity Log

dashboard-4

Once you make your Drive game live, your pre-launch checklist gets replaced with additional player statistics. These statistics are dynamic. You can click within them to access full reports. You can also hover over the bars in the graph or the pie pieces in the pie chart to see specific data points.

The bottom left portion of your screen will change to a timeline labeled KG Recent Activity. This activity log can help you see how long it took to create and put your game online as well as the most recent activities of the game’s players.

Your Profile and Logging Out

dashboard-5

The drop-down menu at the far-most upper right corner of your screen contains links to your profile settings as well as a log out option. Your profile shows the date your Knowledge Guru subscription expires and allows you to change your email and password.

Knowledge Base Help and Support

dashboard-6

The Knowledge Guru Knowledge Base is always available to you via Access Resources in your navigation pane. This menu option contains a link to the Drive Knowledge Base as well as to Support.

How to Add, Edit, or Remove Game Shells

As a System Administrator, you have the power to add, edit, or remove game shells. A game shell is a game that does not yet have content in it and hasn’t been made “live.” Every game starts out as an empty shell. Once a Game Author populates the shell and converts it to online status, it becomes a game. As a System Admin, consult with the intended Game Author to determine if the game shell should be for a Quest, Legend, or Drive game.

Follow these steps to add, edit, or remove game shells.

Steps for Creating a Game Shell:

  1. In the System Administrator tool, click GAME SHELLS left-hand menu .
  2. Click CREATE NEW GAME SHELL.
  3. First, select the game type you want to create.
  4. Select the Game Author from the drop-down menu.
  5. Create a game name and URL.
  6. Choose a game type (Drive, Quest or Legend).
  7. Click CREATE GAME SHELL.

Steps for Editing or Removing a Game Shell:

  1. In the System Administrator tool, click GAME SHELLS in the left-hand menu.
  2. Click EDIT GAME SHELLS.
  3. Select a game from the list, then click EDIT GAME SHELL.
  4. In the Edit Game Shell section, change the Game Author, name, or URL.
  5. Click UPDATE GAME.
  6. To remove the game, click EDIT GAME SHELLS in the left-hand menu.
  7. Choose a game from the list, then click the REMOVE GAME button.
  8. Click REMOVE when the popup appears.

Click through the slideshow below to see the steps in action.

How to Log in to Your Knowledge Guru Account as an Author or System Administrator

Quick Steps to Log in to Knowledge Guru

  1. Go to http://www.theknowledgeguru.com/login.
  2. Enter your email address and password and click SIGN IN.

Don’t know your password? Enter your email address and click Forgot Password to receive email instructions for resetting your password.

If you are not yet registered with Knowledge Guru, reach out to your Knowledge Guru Specialist at Bottom-Line Performance and they can help you register.

If you don’t know who your Knowledge Guru Specialist is, please submit a Support ticket.

How to Create a Game Author in a Quest or Drive Game Shell

Every Knowledge Guru game must have at least one, but up to 10, Game Author(s) associated with it. A Game Author is the individual who creates the game content, customizes the game, and implements the game (e.g. makes it go live). The game author can also access and export game reports that detail player progress, player performance, etc.

You must be designated as a system administrator within Knowledge Guru to create a game author.

To create a game author:

  1. Log into your Knowledge Guru account at: theknowledgeguru.com/login
  2. Select your company from the game list. If you have no games, you will automatically be logged into your system administrator account.
  3. Select GAME AUTHORS/CREATE GAME AUTHOR from the left-hand menu.
  4. Enter the game author information and click CREATE GAME AUTHOR.

After you have a game author in your system, you can create a game shell and associate the author(s) with the shell. Here is how:

  1. From the left-hand menu, select GAME SHELLS/CREATE GAME SHELL.
  2. On the screen that appears, choose the game type you want to create.
  3. Fill in the game name, and game URL.
  4. Select a primary author and up to nine secondary authors.
  5. Choose which game type you want in the drop-down menu (QUEST/DRIVE).
  6. Click ‘CREATE GAME SHELL.’

Click through the slide show below to see the steps in action.

Understanding the Roles in Knowledge Guru

Every Knowledge Guru subscription includes four user roles. Take time to understand the roles as it helps you understand what each one can and cannot do.

Account Owner

This role serves as Bottom-Line Performance’s primary point of contact. Information on new product releases is sent to this individual. Renewal information also gets sent to this individual.

Account owners can:

  • Function as a System Administrator.
  • In Enterprise subscriptions only, assign another team member to be a system administrator.
  • Access the Manage Accounts tab within system administration site.
  • Perform any task a System Administrator can do (outlined below).

System Administrator

The System Administrator oversees subscription usage and manages game authors and shells. They can:

  • Manage game authors and game shells by adding, editing, and deleting them.
  • Log in to any game within the system and perform all actions a Game Author can.
  • Remove players from the overall Knowledge Guru system. (Game authors can remove a player from a single game, but not the overall system.)
  • Generate system reports.
  • Monitor overall usage against the subscription limits (number of game shells, players, author licenses).

Game Authors

Game Authors create and edit games assigned to them. With an assigned game, they can:

  • Create, edit, or delete game content.
  • Customize the game shell’s theme and branding.
  • Set up email verification requirement for new players.
  • Add, edit, or delete individual players from the game (not the overall system).
  • Reset player progress – for a single player or for a group of players.
  • Generate game reports and monitor game play.
  • Export a SCORM package and supply it to an LMS administrator for upload to an LMS.
  • Obtain the game URL to provide it to players who need access to the game.
  • Provide a link to a “live scoreboard” if a workshop facilitator wants to use a Knowledge Guru game as part of a live event.

Players

Players can register for – and play – a Knowledge Guru game for which they have the URL and appropriate access credentials.

Quest vs. Drive: When each is appropriate

Knowledge Guru has three game apps that offer different learner and gameplay experiences. Quest uses a question/answer format. Drive uses mini-games that are more robust in the gaming aspect and go beyond simple question/answer. This article explains the main differences between Quest and Drive in terms of instructional design, use cases, and player experience.

Want the short and sweet version? Here’s a summary chart.

Now, let’s break it down. When it comes to instructional design, all the Knowledge Guru apps share four core design elements, but there are a lot of differences as well. The chart below shows these differences.

Attribute Drive – Daily 3 minigame delivery Drive – Custom minigame delivery Quest
Uses some method of spacing/repetition to reinforce and enable remembering. X X X
Ties to scoring performance. X X X
Links content to learning objectives. X X X
Provides immediate feedback. X X X
Heavily emphasizes adaptive, personalized learning with app adjusting learning content based on user’s performance and confidence ratings. X  
Optimized for microlearning with a goal of 5 minutes/session and experiences that require about 2-3 weeks of effort to conclude. X  
Game spacing and order can be customized.   X  
Players work toward a mastery rating. Spaced repetition influenced by player’s performance and confidence. X X
Uses mini-games as means of practice; each mini-game focuses on a single learning objective for laser focus. X X
On any day of play, players will encounter a maximum of 3 learning objectives. X  
Integrates Bloom’s taxonomy into creation of objectives AND into association of specific mini-games with specific levels of Bloom’s taxonomy. X X
Repeats every topic in each World of game. Players get first iteration of content in World A, second iteration in World B, and final in World C.   X
Concludes each world with a “bonus gate” game. This game presents learners with questions they made errors on FIRST.   X
Allows authors to adjust game spacing. X X
Several Q-type choices including ability to incorporate URLs for videos and online resources into questions.   X
Includes option to have “performance challenges,” which are a means of providing Accounts for need to provide skill practice or job-related activities.   X
Every topic in game has learning objectives associated with it. Every learning objective has question sets or game content associated with it. X X X

Each Knowledge Guru app has a unique user experience and game design. The chart below describes their unique attributes.

Attribute Drive – Daily 3 minigame delivery Drive – Custom minigame delivery Quest
Optimized for phone, tablet, or desktop X X X
Game elements: mastery scoring, leaderboards, mini-games w/ mini-challenges, aesthetics, personalization, feedback. X X
Game elements: leaderboards, personalization options (character, Guru selection), feedback, levels, star ratings, power-ups, aesthetics, challenge.   X
Intended to mirror experience of casual mobile game with quick in/out. Most sophisticated look/feel with goal toward “minimalism.” X  
Larger area for questions and for images associated w/questions.   X
Most sophisticated use of learning games, going beyond simple Q&A. X X
Provides most robust player-facing analytics and ID of strengths/weaknesses. X X
Player-facing analytics that show scoring, rank, and performance plus player summary report given after each World of play.   X

The chart below shows the possible use cases for each Knowledge Guru app.

Use Case Drive – Daily 3 minigame delivery Drive – Custom minigame delivery Quest
Pre-work   X
Post-training reinforcement X X X
Targeted to sales reps/sales training reinforcement X X
Can be used to reinforce product positioning, industry knowledge, competitors, objection handling, etc. X   X
Play during a live event   X X
Product and process training   X
Compliance training   X

Here are some questions that might help you decide.
Not sure which app is right?

  1. Are you limited to IE8? If IE8 is an absolute requirement, then Legend is the game type you need to use.
  2. Do you want option of play on a smartphone? If yes, use Quest or Drive.
  3. Are you focused on micro-learning? If yes, Drive or Quest is best.
  4. Do you need learners to only be able to complete questions associated with ONE topic at a time? If controlling access to topics matters, then go with Legend or Drive with Custom minigame delivery.
  5. Would you like the game to include skill components – where players actually practice a skill or do something in addition to answering game questions? If yes, choose Quest.
  6. Do you want game play to continue across several days or weeks to maximize benefits of spaced repetition?If so, choose Quest or Drive Daily 3 minigame delivery.
  7. Does your game need more than 4 topics? If so, choose Quest or Drive.
  8. Are you looking for a one-time, quick-play experience? Choose Legend – you can set up a small game that only has 9 to 12 question sets. People can play in about 15 minutes/ time. Use it to reinforce 1-3 key concepts.
  9. Do you want to incorporate video?If so, choose Quest or Drive.
  10. Is your focus reinforcement and / or adaptive learning? Choose Drive.