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Gamifying design education

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Abstract and Figures

Designers are increasingly in demand in a range of context because of their ability to deal with complexity and develop innovative solutions. Educational practice, however, is not yet on par with the multidisciplinary and multi-modal learning style of today's students. Gamification offers the promise of an innovative approach to engage students and produce better learning outcomes. The challenges facing gamification designers are parallel to those of experience designers, chiefly in ensuring the solution is contextually and personal relevant to the user. Learning design thinking, however, is a complex social activity influenced by myriad contextual factors. Cultural historical activity theory, when coupled with design-based research, offers a theoretical foundation that allows for gamification to be used for expansive education. The authors present The Four Orders of Gamification and a Gamification Design System that enables design educators to develop expansive curricula for tomorrow's designers.
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Gamifying)design)education)
Oberprieler,!Kerstinab*;!Leonard,!Simonb!and!Fitzgerald,!Robertb!!
a!ThinkPlace,!Australia!!
b!INSPIRE!Centre!for!Innovation!in!Education!and!Training,!University!of!Canberra,!Australia!
*!Corresponding!author!e-mail:!Kerstin.oberprieler@thinkplace.com.au!
doi:!79)
Designers!are!increasingly!in!demand!in!a!range!of!context!because!of!their!
ability!to!deal!with!complexity!and!develop!innovative!solutions.!Educational!
practice,!however,!is!not!yet!on!par!with!the!multi-disciplinary!and!multi-
modal!learning!style!of!today’s!students.!Gamification!offers!the!promise!of!
an!innovative!approach!to!engage!students!and!produce!better!learning!
outcomes.!The!challenges!facing!gamification!designers!are!parallel!to!those!
of!experience!designers,!chiefly!in!ensuring!the!solution!is!contextually!and!
personal!relevant!to!the!user.!Learning!design!thinking,!however,!is!a!
complex!social!activity!influenced!by!myriad!contextual!factors.!Cultural!
historical!activity!theory,!when!coupled!with!design-based!research,!offers!a!
theoretical!foundation!that!allows!for!gamification!to!be!used!for!expansive!
education.!The!authors!present!The!Four!Orders!of!Gamification!and!a!
Gamification!Design!System!that!enables!design!educators!to!develop!
expansive!curricula!for!tomorrow’s!designers.!!!
keywords:!gamification;!cultural!historical!activity!theory;!design!education!
Introduction))
Design!practice!and!design!thinking!have!emerged!in!recent!decades!as!a!means!for!
institutions,!workplaces!and!individuals!to!engage!with!and!work!within!an!increasingly!
complex,!trans-disciplinary!and!technology-enabled!world.!The!design!approach,!however,!
has!been!relatively!slow!to!penetrate!curriculum!and!pedagogical!(educational)!practice,!
even!for!the!education!of!current!and!future!designers.!Efforts!and!approaches!such!as!
problem-based!learning!are!aimed!to!introduce!design!practice!and!thinking!into!the!
educational!experience.!However,!these!tend!to!be!peripheral!rather!than!central,!and!
!
there!is!a!serious!gap!in!our!knowledge!about!what!makes!for!successful!problem-based!
learning!environments!(Jonassen,!2011).!
Gamification’,!like!‘serious!games’!and!‘game-based!learning’,!is!a!more!recent!design-like!
arrival!on!the!educational!landscape!with!great!promise!to!support!the!development!of!
soft!skills,!transversal!competencies!and!collaborative!production!(Engeström,!2001;!
Herrington!&!Reeves,!2011).!However,!the!approach!has!attracted!significant!criticism!due!
to!many!examples!of!the!over-application!of!very!simple!game!mechanics!and!a!reliance!
on!extrinsic!motivation.!In!this!paper!we!will!argue!that!this!limitation!of!gamification!
occurs!primarily!due!to!a!lack!of!theoretical!understanding!of!what!gamified!learning!
environments!can!and!should!achieve.!Subsequently!this!means!there!is!a!lack!of!
theoretically!informed!design!tools!for!gamified!learning!environments.!!
With!reference!to!a!case!study!from!the!literature,!and!to!our!own!work!in!designing!
gamified!learning!environments!as!part!of!an!educational!design-research!project,!the!
paper!will!contribute!to!closing!this!theoretical!gap.!In!particular,!the!paper!will!provide!a!
reflexive!discussion!on!how!cultural!historical!activity!theory!(CHAT)!can!be!used!to!inform!
the!design!of!gamified!learning!environments.!Before!doing!so,!the!paper!will!set!out!
some!basic!concepts!for!our!discussion.!!
The)expanding)use)of)design)thinking)
The!field!of!design!thinking!has!come!far!in!recent!decades.!From!John!Dewey’s!(1929)!
foundational!concepts!of!delineating!between!science,!art!and!practice,!to!Herbert!
Simon’s!(1996)!notion!of!sciences!of!design’!and!crafting!preferred!environments,!the!
design!process!has!grown!from!a!largely!product-!and!industrial!focus!to!one!which!
incorporates!all!manner!of!problems.!As!stated!by!Richard!Buchanan!in!his!influential!
!"#$%&'()*+,%-.'"/'0%."1/'23"/$"/1!(Buchanan,!1992):!!
0%.4"5%'%66*)5.'5*'&".#*7%)'53%'6*8/&95"*/.'*6'&%."1/'53"/$"/1'"/'53%'6"/%'
9)5.:'53%'/958)9,'.#"%/#%.:'*)'-*.5')%#%/5,;:'53%'.*#"9,'.#"%/#%.:'&%."1/'
%,8&%.')%&8#5"*/'9/&')%-9"/.'9'.8)4)"."/1,;'6,%<"+,%'9#5"7"5;='>*'."/1,%'
&%6"/"5"*/'*6'&%."1/:'*)'+)9/#3%.'*6'4)*6%.."*/9,"?%&'4)9#5"#%'.8#3'9.'
"/&8.5)"9,'*)'1)943"#'&%."1/:'9&%@895%,;'#*7%).'53%'&"7%)."5;'*6'"&%9.'9/&'
-%53*&.'1953%)%&'5*1%53%)'8/&%)'53%',9+%,='AAB8#39/9/:'CDDEFGF'
Design!thinking!is!becoming!an!increasingly!adopted!approach!beyond!the!traditional!
design!fields!and!is,!increasingly,!a!standard!for!businesses,!not-for-profits!and!
governments!worldwide!(Sobel!and!Groeger,!2013).!This!is!due!in!part!to!the!increasing!
relevance!of!wicked!problems!environmental,!social!and!economic!problems!(Buchanan,!
1992;!Dunne!and!Martin,!2006)!that!are!placing!increasing!pressure!on!organisations!to!be!
skilled!in!innovation!(Dunne!and!Martin,!2006).!The!shifts!required!include!mind-sets!and!
styles!of!work!that!are!collaborative,!iterative!and!abductive!(Dunne!and!Martin,!2006).!
These!ways!of!working!have!been!widely!referred!to!as!‘twenty!first!century’!or!
transverse’!skills!(Beckerman!&!Barry,!2007;!Guildford,!1967)!and!are!increasingly!seen!in!
the!curricula!of!educational!institutions!such!as!Stanford!University’s!D-School!(Melles,!
Howard!&!Thompson-Whiteside,!2012).!!
>%H'$/*H,%&1%'9/&'%<49/."7%'H9;.'*6'$/*H"/1'
Historically!knowledge!has!been!seen!as!being!disseminated!by!means!of!transferring!
possession!of!pre-existing!codified!factual!knowledge!to!students!(Burns!&!Paton,!2005).!
This!concrete!and!unidirectional!view!of!knowledge,!however,!is!not!sufficient!for!the!
twenty-first!century!student!or!worker.!New!domains!of!knowledge!are!being!created!at!
an!ever-increasing!rate!and!factual!codified!knowledge!needs!to!be!coupled!with!tacit!
performance!knowledge!(Burns!&!Paton,!2005).!This!is!particularly!so!in!design!fields!and!
is!well!summarised!by!Engeström!(2010)!when!he!argues:!
"/&"7"&89,.'9/&'*)19/".95"*/.'9)%'#*/5"/89,,;',%9)/"/1'$/*H,%&1%'9/&'.$",,.'
5395'9)%'/*5'.59+,%'9/&'&%6"/%&:')953%)'5395'9)%'%7*,7"/1'9/&'#39/1"/1='I/'
69#5:'53%'$/*H,%&1%:'.$",,'9/&'9#5"7"5;'".'+%"/1',%9)/%&'9.'"5'".'+%"/1'#)%95%&='
Workplace!learning!in!the!design!fields,!therefore,!need!to!evolve!to!remain!germane!and!
to!produce!skilled!lifelong!learners!and!workers!for!tomorrow’s!economy.!This!begs!the!
need!for!theoretical!foundations!and!practical!guidance!for!design!educators!to!engage!
design!students!and!develop!relevant!tools!and!mechanisms!for!the!complex!nature!of!
modern!knowledge!generation,!transfer!and!application.!In!order!to!engage!design!
students!and!provide!them!with!the!skills,!knowledge!and!experiences!they!need!
educational!practice!needs!to!be!engaging,!relevant,!to!foster!collaboration!and!to!embed!
design!practices!as!part!of!the!learning!experience.!Gamification!is!an!emerging!
educational!approach!that!has!the!potential!to!deliver!such!a!learning!experience(Buckley!
&!Doyle,!2015;!Gibson,!Ostashewski,!Flintoff,!Grant,!&!Knight,!2015).!!!
!
J9-"6"#95"*/'9.'9/'"//*795"7%'%&8#95"*/9,'4)9#5"#%'6*)'%<49/."7%',%9)/"/1'
To!begin!our!discussion!of!gamification,!we!offer!a!new!definition!on!which!this!paper!will!
expand:!
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%/191%'8.%).'9/&'.*,7%')%9,'H*),&'4)*+,%-.L''
In!its!most!basic!form,!gamification!is!the!use!of!points,!badges!and!leaderboards!to!
reward!performance.!It!uses!social!status!and!team!spirit!to!incentivise!and!reward!
desired!behaviours.!Other!common!mechanics!and!dynamics!include!gaining!experience!
points,!levelling!up,!questing,!competition!with!other!individuals!and!teams,!chance,!and!
receiving!virtual!and!real!rewards.!!
Gamification!is!distinct!from!games!and!game-based!learning!in!subtle!yet!important!
ways.!The!first!distinction!to!make!is!that!between!play’!and!games;!play!(paidia)!being!
free-form!behaviours!based!on!improvisation!and!expressions,!and!games!(ludus)!being!
rule-based!play!with!determined!objectives!(Kalinauskas,!2014).!Games,!both!serious!and!
for!entertainment,!are!a!form!of!activity!that!often!use!physical!objects!and!interaction!
with!other!players!(Deterding,!Dixon,!Khaled,!&!Nacke,!2011).!!Game-based!learning!is!the!
use!of!games!to!promote!learning!and!is!used!for!knowledge-!and!skill-acquisition.!In!our!
use,!the!key!distinction!of!gamification!is!the!use!of!game!mechanics!to!reward!real-world!
behaviours!–!this!need!not!involve!an!actual!game!(Deterding!et!al.,!2011).!
There!are!copious!examples!of!basic!gamification!application!to!increase!brand!loyalty,!
including!large!companies!such!as!Nike,!Samsung,!and!McDonalds!(Kuo,!2015;!Rambo,!
2011).!Gamification!is!also!!being!applied!in!other!spheres!and!is!also!being!used!in!
!
healthcare,!environmental!sustainability,!public!services!and!formal!education!settings!
(Hamari,!2013;!(Morford,!Witts,!Killingsworth,!&!Alavosius,!2014).!
Closing)the)engagement)gap))
While!still!a!nascent!field,!gamification!has!received!much!attention!in!education!due!to!its!
promise!to!close!the!‘engagement!gap’!(Towers!Perrin,!2008).!Towers!Perrin!(2008)!define!
engagement!as!the!extent!to!which!individuals!put!discretionary!effort!into!their!work!and!
contribute!energy,!creativity!and!passion,!in!addition!to!understanding!and!performing!
their!roles!and!responsibilities.!Student!engagement!in!educational!contexts!is!similarly!
linked!with!academic!performance!such!as!higher!achievement,!higher!educational!
attainment!and!decreased!dropout!rates!(Griffiths,!Sharkey,!&!Furlong,!2009).!Many!
studies!have!found!an!alarming!lack!of!engagement!in!schools!and!workplaces!(Herrington!
&!Reeves,!2011;!Towers!Perrin,!2008).!Inspired!by!the!success!of!the!video!game!industry!
in!engaging!individuals!to!perform!virtual!tasks!repetitively,!gamification!has!seen!
marketers,!organisational!psychologists!and!education!designers!borrow!elements!of!
gameplay!and!the!player!experience!and!apply!them!to!real!world!contexts.!It!is!estimated!
that!more!than!fifty!per!cent!of!organisations!will!have!at!least!one!gamified!process!and!
that!the!gamification!market!will!reach!$5.5!billion!by!2018!(MarketsandMarkets,!2013).!!
Several!psychological!theories!underpin!the!success!of!games!and!gamification!in!
education.!The!most!notable!is!behavioural!psychology’s!Self-Determination!Theory!(SDT)!
(Conway,!2014).!SDT!describes!three!core!needs!and!incentives,!namely!autonomy,!
competence,!and!relatedness.!Autonomy!is!the!player’s!level!of!choice!and!free!will;!
competence!is!the!skills!required!and!gained;!and!relatedness!it!the!feeling!of!
connectedness!to!others.!These!needs!are!more!likely!to!be!met!when!the!goals!created!in!
a!game!are!intrinsic,!or!sought!for!their!own!sake,!rather!than!extrinsic,!or!sought!as!a!
means!to!an!end!(Songer!&!Miyata,!2014).!Another!is!!Csikszentmihalyi’s!concept!of!
autotelic!flow!(Hektner!&!Csikszentmihalyi,!1996),!a!psychological!state!in!which!
individuals!are!completely!immersed!in!the!activity!to!the!point!where!they!can!lose!track!
of!time!and!physical!needs!such!as!food!and!even!sleep.!This!state!is!achieved!when!a!
player’s!competence!and!the!challenge!of!the!activity!are!aligned.!!The!principles!of!
autonomy,!competence,!relatedness!and!flow!are!well!utilised!in!games,!where!players!
are!guided!or!on-boarded!into!the!game!when!they!begin,!and!gradually!gain!competence!
as!they!aim!for!levels!within!the!game.!Each!level!becomes!increasingly!more!difficult,!and!
provides!a!new!challenge!for!the!player!as!they!become!more!skilled!and!competent!at!
the!game.!It!is!through!these!principles!and!mechanics!that!games!and!gamification!can!
engage!and!motivate!learners.!
!
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The!following!example!of!a!gamified!science!curriculum!(Kingsley!and!Grabner-Hagen,!
2015)!demonstrates!the!power!of!replacing!the!current!educational!practices!with!a!
gamified!one.!The!case!study!by!Kingsley!and!Grabner-Hagen!(2015)!is!a!4-week!
technology-based!science!unit!that!was!replaced!with!a!gamified!one!in!a!Midwestern!
metropolitan!school,!grades!5!and!6.!Instead!of!the!common!lecture!style!and!activities!
followed!by!an!exam!or!assignment!to!test!learning,!the!curriculum!content!was!designed!
as!a!quest-based!game.!!
Using!a!platform!called!3D!GameLab,!the!teacher!designed!the!content!as!a!series!of!
quests!for!students!to!complete,!who!were!rewarded!with!XP!(experience!points),!badges!
and!awards!for!completion.!The!content!was!provided!in!multi-media!format!and!included!
teacher-created!and!external!public!information,!such!as!Bill!Nye’s!‘Phases!of!Matter’!
hosted!on!YouTube.!Students!were!able!to!select!quests!based!on!their!interest!and!
ability,!instead!of!the!traditional!linear!and!fixed!progression!through!content.!Quests!
increased!in!difficulty!as!students!‘levelled!up’!based!on!their!XP.!Students!earned!badges!
for!progression!through!the!quest!levels,!which!were!named!to!reinforce!science!
vocabulary!and!concepts.!For!example,!the!first!level!of!quests!was!centred!around!solid!
matter!and!students!progressed!through!the!states!of!matter!as!they!levelled!up!through!
the!curriculum,!ending!in!sublimation.!
The!result!of!the!gamified!curriculum!was!an!increase!in!engagement!and!learning,!and!a!
greater!satisfaction!with!the!educational!experience!as!compared!with!traditional!non-
gamified!design.!Students!reported!that!the!quality!of!their!work!increased!as!a!result!of!
the!gamification!(87.2%)!and!that!the!content!was!easier!to!learn!(82.9%).!Students!also!
reported!increased!motivation!as!a!result!of!the!self-regulation!of!content,!with!one!
student!stating:!
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+;'53%'5%9#3%)N.'.#3%&8,%=L''
It!can!be!seen!that!this!gamification!design!utilises!the!principles!of!Self-Determination!
Theory!and!autotelic!flow!to!achieve!engagement.!Through!the!gamified!curriculum,!
students!approached!their!learning!as!if!it!were!a!game,!making!the!educational!
experience!both!challenging!and!fun.!Allowing!students!to!self-regulate!and!tailor!their!
pace!and!content!resulted!in!increased!motivation!and!better!learning!outcomes.!The!
process!of!transforming!the!curriculum!into!a!gamified!one!is!a!design!process!itself.!The!
curriculum!is!now!a!user-centred!one,!that!empowers!students!and!engages!them!in!a!
manner!congruent!with!their!desires!and!expectations.!!
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The!chief!question!then!becomes!how!gamification!can!be!used!to!create!engaging!
curricula!for!design!students.!Several!challenges!in!developing!gamified!learning!need!to!
be!addressed.!The!first!of!these!is!that,!despite!its!increasing!popularity!and!application,!
gamification!does!not!have!a!shared!and!evidence-based!framework!or!process.!Much!like!
the!field!of!design!ten!to!twenty!years!ago,!gamification!is!undergoing!academic!and!
practical!debate!regarding!its!definition,!application,!and!process!for!creating!desired!
futures.!!
Secondly,!an!important!consideration!and!criticism!is!the!over-application!of!simple!
mechanics,!such!as!points!and!badges,!which!focus!on!extrinsic!motivation!(Conway,!
2014).!An!over-reliance!on!these!simple!extrinsic!motivators!can!have!a!crowding-out!
effect!of!intrinsic!motivators,!leaving!players!without!internal!motivation!to!pursue!the!
target!behaviour!and!activity!!(Hamari,!2015).!The!danger!this!creates!is!that!the!player!
focuses!on!the!achievement!and!consumption!of!signs,!such!as!more!points!or!a!new!level,!
instead!of!the!transformation!of!learning.!This!results!in!the!cessation!of!the!behaviour!if!
the!extrinsic!motivator!is!removed.!!
As!well!as!ensuring!a!mix!of!intrinsic!and!extrinsic!motivators,!gamification!designers!also!
need!to!ensure!the!design!provides!motivation!for!a!range!of!user!or!player!types.!
!
Different!players!achieve!this!state!of!flow!under!different!conditions!and!for!different!
intrinsic!motivations.!This!is!the!notion!of!player!types,!or!classifications!of!how!players!
tend!to!interact!with!their!real!or!virtual!world.!The!most!well-known!classification!is!the!
Bartle!Test,!which!classifies!players!into!four!main!types!based!on!their!motivation!and!
predilections!(Kim,!2015).!While!there!is!some!debate!about!the!generalisation!of!Bartle’s!
four!player!types!to!different!games!and!gamification!(Dixon,!2011),!the!concept!of!
understanding!and!designing!for!different!player!types!is!critical!to!all!game!and!
gamification!design.!
Design!educators!can!be!tempted!to!simply!overlay!existing!behaviours!with!points!and!
badges!in!attempt!to!use!the!power!of!gamification!to!create!engaging!learning!
experience.!However,!the!challenge!in!gamified!curricula!is!to!ensure!the!experience!is!
relevant!and!tailored!to!the!specific!learning!context!and!for!all!actors!in!the!system.!The!
core!challenge!therefore!becomes!how!to!design!a!gamified!learning!experience!that!is!
contextually-relevant,!caters!for!various!learning!styles,!and!produces!meaningful!learning!
outcomes!for!design!students.!
!
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Just!like!other!educational!design,!gamification!design!needs!to!follow!a!process!rooted!in!
design-based!research!to!ensure!the!design!is!contextually!relevant!and!achieves!the!
desired!outcomes.!Learning!design!thinking!skills!is!complex!and!as!such!requires!an!
expansive!view!of!learning.!Cultural-historical!activity!theory!and!cognitive!ecology!offer!
such!a!perspective.!
Learning!environments!consists!of!myriad!of!internal!and!external!resources!and!
interactions!that!can!be!likened!to!a!biological!ecosystem!(Hutchins,!2010).!Researchers!in!
the!nascent!field!of!cognitive!ecology!have!demonstrated!that!human!cognitive!processing!
and!learning!are!embodied!and!enacted;!developing!through!goal-orientated!action!and!
interactions!between!the!human!organism!and!its!environment!(Hutchins,!2010;!
Rueschemeyer!&!Bekkering,!2009).!It!follows,!they!argue,!that!individual!learning!happens!
as!part!of!the!environment,!not!in!isolation!from!it.!Learning!is!influenced!and!determined!
by!the!structure!of!the!cognitive!ecosystem!surrounding!the!individual!and!learning!occurs!
as!a!dynamic!formation!of!particular!practices!within!the!ecosystem!(Hutchins,!2010).!This!
interaction!between!the!learner!and!his!or!her!context!results!in!the!simultaneous!
learning!and!creation!of!new!forms!of!activity,!known!as!expansive!learning!(Engeström,!
1995).!Expansive!learning!argues!against!this!limited!view!of!learning!to!be!about!the!
acquisition!of!skills!and!knowledge!that!have!already!been!mastered!and!codified!
(Engeström!&!Sannino,!2010!).!
Similarly,!cultural-historical!activity!theory!(CHAT)!emphasises!the!criticality!of!the!
environment!in!human!learning!and!consciousness!(Gustavsson,!2009).!Pioneered!by!
Vygotsky!in!1920’s,!CHAT!is!becoming!an!increasingly!accepted!theory!in!educational!
design!because!of!its!acknowledgement!and!embracing!of!the!complexities!of!human!
learning(Roth!&!Lee,!2007!).!CHAT!emphasises!that!learning!is!culturally!mediated!through!
artefacts,!tools,!and!language.!It!states!that!consciousness!and!learning!are!mediated!
through!the!use!of!artefacts!and!are!oriented!towards!goals!or!objects,!as!well!as!being!
strongly!situated!in!the!local!cultural,!social!and!historical!context.!Cognition!is!therefore!
embedded!in!and!inextricable!from!activity!and!local!practice.!Key!elements!of!an!activity!
system!include!the!object,!an!entity!or!a!goal!which!is!continually!evolving;!the!activity,!a!
form!of!doing!that!is!directed!to!an!object,!is!goal-orientated!and!targeted!to!a!need;!
mediating!artefacts!such!as!tools,!signs!and!language;!subjects,!the!human!actors!or!
participants!in!the!system;!community!which!consists!of!subjects!that!share!an!interest!
and!involvement!with!the!same!object;!division!of!labour,!the!roles!within!the!community,!
including!division!of!power!and!resources;!and!rules,!which!regulate!the!subject’s!actions!
and!interactions!within!the!system.!!
An!activity!or!learning!system!can!be!mapped!on!the!CHAT!triangle!model,!which!provides!
a!framework!and!method!with!which!to!understand!the!unique!factors!and!interaction!of!
the!particular!context!in!question,!particularly!when!combined!with!a!design-based!
research!approach!(Anderson!&!Shattuck,!2012;!Yamagata-Lynch,!2007).!The!CHAT!
approach!embraces!and!organises!the!particular!components!of!the!learning!context,!and!
in!this!way,!can!map!the!richness!and!multi-factored!nature!of!activity!systems.!This!
richness!of!understanding!is!the!key!differentiator!and!value!of!using!CHAT!in!the!
understanding,!evaluation!and!design!of!learning!systems.!
!
!
R"18)%'C'S8,58)9,QT".5*)"#9,'M#5"7"5;'23%*);'5)"9/1,%''
Developing)CHAT-based)gamified)design)education))
CHAT!understands!learning!to!be!expansive,!complex!and!social,!thereby!providing!design!
educators!with!a!non-linear!understanding!of!learning.!This!expansive!view!of!learning!
allows!design!educators!to!reframe!the!learning!experience!as!a!series!of!interactions!and!
dynamics,!and!incorporate!these!into!the!gamified!design!curriculum.!This!activity!system!
approach!to!gamified!design!curricula!requires!a!deliberate!design!decision!about!the!
extent!to!which!gamification!should!be!used.!!
Mediating
artefacts
Community Division of la bourRul es
Subject Object Sense
meaning Outcome
Produ ction
Consu mp tion
!
U%6,%#5"*/.'6)*-'9/'*/1*"/1'.58&;'
The!following!conceptual!models!and!frameworks!presented!here!are!part!of!an!ongoing!
design-research!project!that!is!investigating!gamification’s!application!to!collaborative!
learning!environments!to!foster!high-order!behaviours!such!as!knowledge!sharing,!
collaboration!and!building!team!culture.!As!this!paper!is!a!largely!theoretical!contribution,!
the!details!of!the!study!will!be!presented!only!briefly!here.!
The!study!takes!a!mixed-methods!and!design-based!research!approach!with!the!
methodology!detailed!elsewhere!(Oberprieler!&!Leonard,!2015).!Building!on!Yamagata-
Lynch’s!(2007)!work,!this!study!incorporates!design-based!research!with!CHAT!analysis!as!
both!a!theoretical!basis!and!a!practical!research!tool.!The!immersive!and!iterative!
approach!of!this!methodology!has!the!unique!strength!of!enabling!locally-relevant!and!
timely!changes!to!the!design!that!can!more!quickly!lead!to!improved!environments.!In!
addition,!the!design!principles!and!lessons!learnt!throughout!the!process!can!be!
generalised!and!add!to!existing!theory.!
The!study!is!being!conducted!in!strategic!design!consultancy,!ThinkPlace!Australia,!and!
uses!a!gamified!experience!to!incentive!and!reward!particular!behaviours!in!employees.!
These!range!from!daily!irritants,!such!as!tidying!the!office!and!submitting!timesheets,!to!
higher!order!and!important!business!activities!such!as!writing!proposals!for!project!and!
sharing!knowledge.!These!activities!are!framed!as!daily!and!weekly!quests!to!complete,!
and!employees!are!rewarded!with!points!that!count!towards!their!team,!and!can!be!
exchanged!for!goods.!Other!mechanics!include!badges!for!achieving!milestones,!weekly!
team!rankings,!team!breakfasts!for!office-wide!achievements.!!!
The!findings!to!date!have!shown!a!distinct!change!in!behaviours!since!the!gamification!
introduction.!When!the!gamification!is!in!play,!timesheets!and!cleanliness!increase!
significantly.!One!of!the!most!significant!changes!in!behaviour!and!culture!is!the!active!use!
of!the!company’s!knowledge!sharing!platform,!Bloomfire.!This!platform!is!important!for!
building!and!sharing!knowledge!and!intellectual!property.!Prior!to!the!gamification,!
employees!were!slow!to!take!up!the!use!of!this!new!platform,!and!finding!IP!and!examples!
of!work!was!difficult!and!relied!heavily!on!verbal!corporate!knowledge.!Sharing!and!
engaging!with!new!content!was!gamified,!and!the!platform!is!now!part!of!the!daily!activity!
of!employees,!used!in!the!company’s!offices!in!several!countries,!and!it!is!a!key!resource!
for!new!employees!as!part!of!the!induction!process.!The!number!of!weekly!uploads!and!
the!percentage!of!overall!engagement!(includes!reading,!commenting,!downloading)!is!
significantly!improved!from!less!than!20%!to!58%.!From!a!social!and!behavioural!
perspective,!this!practice!has!now!become!part!of!the!discourse!between!employees,!who!
now!use!the!name!of!the!platform!is!used!as!a!verb.!For!example,!if!an!employee!speaks!
about!a!useful!product!or!article,!another!employee!will!often!ask!‘Have!you!“bloomfired”!
it?’.!
While!this!study!is!ongoing,!it!demonstrates!the!potential!of!gamification!to!change!
behaviours!and!social!interactions.!This!is!for!administrative!tasks,!but!more!importantly,!
for!behaviours!such!as!creating,!sharing!and!engaging!with!new!knowledge.!The!emerging!
evidence!of!this!study!is!that!gamification!can!lead!to!expansive!learning!experiences!that!
meaningfully!change!behaviour.!!
V;.5%-"#'19-"6"#95"*/'
Developing!a!gamified!design!curriculum!can!be!viewed!as!a!design!activity,!because!it!
uses!design!thinking!principles!and!methods!to!create!improved!social!and!learning!
environments.!Like!design!thinking,!gamification!can!be!applied!to!a!range!of!contexts!and!
to!varying!levels!of!complexity.!Based!on!Richard!Buchanan’s!four!orders!of!design!
(Buchanan,!1992),!the!authors!present!the!Four!Orders!of!Gamification.!This!model!
provides!gamification!designers!with!a!framework!with!which!to!understand!the!type!and!
extent!of!the!gamification!they!are!intending!to!design.!!
!
Ascension!from!first!to!fourth!order!is!based!on!the!complexity!of!the!learning!behaviour!
being!gamified,!the!duration!of!gameplay,!and!the!integration!between!the!gamified!and!
real!world.!This!increasing!complexity!between!orders!also!requires!increased!
sophistication!in!the!gamification!design!and!mechanics.!Design!educators!can!use!this!
framework!to!construct!the!mechanics!and!dynamics!of!their!curriculum!based!on!the!
order!at!which!they!wish!to!gamify!learning.!!
The!criteria!for!each!order!is!based!on!the!following!categories.!!
W+X%#5"7%:!The!behaviour!the!gamification!design!is!aiming!to!influence!and!
change,!including!the!complexity,!sociality!and!duration!over!time.!!
U8,%.:!The!boundaries!and!challenges!for!the!behaviours,!ranging!from!simplicity!
and!immediacy!to!complexity!of!interaction!and!sustained!effort!required.!
U%H9)&:!The!nature!of!the!feedback!to!players,!including!scores,!levelling,!
currency!and!prizes.!
I/5%1)95"*/:!The!amount!of!integration!of!the!gamified!system!with!its!contexts,!
such!as!other!people,!other!systems,!and!real!world!consequences.!
!
First)order:)Playful)design)
W+X%#5"7%:!Application!of!game-like!mechanics!to!attract!attention,!engage!and!
have!fun!for!a!brief!amount!of!time.!)
U8,%.:!None!or!very!few.!!
U%H9)&:!Immediate!and!limited!to!engagement!for!a!short!period!of!time.!
I/5%1)95"*/:!There!is!limited!integration!or!effect.!!
Examples!include!visually!designed!objects,!such!as!augmented!reality!posters!and!visual!
design!that!uses!game!mechanics!to!engage!the!viewer.!The!reward!is!instant!and!limited!
to!being!engaged!sufficiently!to!attend!to!the!content!for!a!few!minutes.!Examples!include!
The!World’s!Deepest!Bin!and!Piano!Stairs.!
!
Second)order:)Basic)gamification)
W+X%#5"7%:!!Use!of!gamification!mechanics!to!incentivise!and!reward!simple!real-
world!behaviours.!The!behaviours!targeted!are!relatively!simple!or!uni-
dimensional,!and!can!largely!be!done!individually,!with!social!interactions!such!
as!sharing!and!commenting.!
U8,%.:!Focused!on!frequency!of!simple!behaviours,!such!as!completing!simple!
tasks.!
U%H9)&:!Simple,!predominantly!in!the!form!of!points,!badges!and!leaderboards,!
and!some!form!of!virtual!or!real!reward.!!
!
I/5%1)95"*/:!Some!level!of!integration!exists,!for!example,!ability!to!purchase!
items!outside!of!the!gamified!system,!and!connecting!on!other!platforms,!such!
as!social!media!sharing.!!
Examples!include)Nike+,!Chore!Wars!and!Zombies,!Run!encourage!real!life!activities!and!
behaviour!through!points,!badges,!leaderboards.!
)
Third)order:)Interactive)gamification)
W+X%#5"7%:!!Change!or!generate!complex!behaviours!through!gamification,!
including!social!interactions!and!multi-faceted!tasks.!
U8,%.:!Include!collaboration!with!others!and!tasks!that!require!cognitive!and!
emotional!effort,!such!as!knowledge!creation.!!
U%H9)&:!Virtual!and!real!rewards,!as!well!as!significant!real-life!benefits,!such!as!
habits,!learning!and!building!relationships.!
I/5%1)95"*/:!Integrated!with!other!systems!in!the!environment!that!impact!the!
user’s!real!world!experience!outside!of!the!gamified!world.!!
Examples!of!ongoing!gamified!experiences!that!address!complex!behaviour!is!limited.!
SuperBetter!is!one!example,!which!creates!healthy!habits!by!helping!individuals!to!self-
reflect!and!identity!key!behaviours!they!want!to!engage!in!on!a!regular!basis.!!!!
)
Fourth)order:)Systemic)gamification)
W+X%#5"7%:!!Change!and!create!complex!behaviour!patterns!that!involve!multiple!
interactions!with!others!and!the!environment!in!which!the!gamification!is!
situated.!
U8,%.:!Emphasize!challenging!behaviors!and!working!with!others!to!complete!
difficult!tasks!that!take!weeks,!months!and!years!to!complete.!
U%H9)&:!Extend!to!real-world!rewards!with!significant!impact!on!the!individual.!!
I/5%1)95"*/:!Substantially!or!fully!integrated!with!the!environment.!
Examples!here!are!also!rare.!The!Kingsley!and!Grabner-Hagen!(2015)!gamified!curriculum!
presented!earlier,!exemplifies!fourth!order!gamification!because!it!replaced!the!traditional!
school!curriculum!with!a!gamified!world.!Instead!of!grades,!exams!and!teacher-directed!
lessons,!students!completed!learning!quests,!collaborated!and!learned!from!others,!and!
levelled!up!based!on!reaching!self-driven!competency!attainment.!As!the!field!of!
gamification!progresses!and!matures,!systemic!gamification!will!become!more!
commonplace!for!education,!career!pathways!in!workplaces!and!more.!!
!
Fourth!order!gamification!requires!an!understanding!and!embracing!of!learning!
environments!as!activity-!and!artefact-mediated!ecosystems.!It!requires!gamification!
designers!to!understand!the!complex!behaviour!patterns!and!interactions!of!the!students!
in!this!ecosystem.!The!mechanics!should!be!focused!on!higher!order!behaviours!and!how!
these!change!over!time,!i.e.!months!and!years.!The!mechanics!and!rewards!should!be!
integrated!substantially!or!fully!with!the!environment,!with!rewards!extending!to!the!real-
world!and!significantly!impacting!on!the!individual’s!learning!and!growth.!It!is!in!fourth!
order!gamification!design!that!meaningful!and!transformative!learning!experiences!can!
occur.!!
CHAT!provides!the!means!which!with!to!understand!and!visualise!fourth!order!or!systemic!
gamification.!A!fully!integrated!gamification!design!is!one!in!which!all!interactions!in!the!
system!are!gamified.!Gamification!therefore!changes!the!activity!system!by!changing!the!
interaction!between!the!elements!in!that!system.!For!example,!in!a!non-gamified!learning!
system!the!exchange!between!the!student!(subject)!and!her!peers!(community)!can!occur!
naturally!through!conversation!and!individual!motivation!to!interact!and!collaborate.!In!a!
gamified!learning!system!that!encourages!and!rewards!collaboration,!the!exchange!can!
occur!more!frequently,!with!more!deliberation,!and!with!more!individuals!as!they!are!all!
rewarded,!say!through!points!or!progression!towards!a!collective!goal!or!‘mission’.!!
Using!the!CHAT!triangle!throughout!the!gamification!design!process!allows!design!
educators!to!map!the!learning!experience!and!interactions;!initially!to!understand!the!
uniqueness!of!the!context,!then!to!design!the!gamified!system!to!target!the!interactions,!
and!finally,!to!measure!the!changes!in!learning!behaviours!and!outcomes!through!changes!
in!the!interactions.!Figure!2!shows!the!blue!activity!system!overlaid!with!the!orange!
gamified!interactions,!and!how!a!fully!integrated!gamification!design!interacts!with!and!
changes!all!dynamics!within!the!system!to!achieve!both!a!learning!and!a!game!outcome.!
!
!
R"18)%'E'R*8)53'*)&%)'19-"6"#95"*/'9.'8/&%).5**&'53)*813'S8,58)9,QT".5*)"#9,'M#5"7"5;'23%*);''
!
Mediating
artefacts
Platforms, real w orld
tools and objects,
mechanics
Community
Other players
and teams
Division of la bour
Game roles
Rul es
Game
mechanics
Subject
Player Object
Win state
Sense
meaning Outcome
Produ ction
Consu mp tion
Outcome
!
()"/#"4,%.'9/&'19-"6"#95"*/'-%#39/"#.'6*)'%<49/."7%',%9)/"/1'
Systemic!gamification!design!requires!a!deliberate!and!careful!selection!of!gamification!
mechanics!to!produce!a!meaningful!and!expansive!learning!experience!for!design!
students.!The!mechanics!and!dynamics!selected!need!to!promote!goal-orientated!activity!
for!individuals!in!the!learning!system,!and!work!together!to!provide!a!holistic!learning!
experience!that!achieves!learning!objectives.!The!game!components!that!require!
consideration!include!content!and!skills,!mechanics,!visual!aesthetic!design,!narrative!
design,!incentive!system,!and!musical!score,!if!required (Plass,!Home!and!Kinzer,!2015).!
Principles!and!mechanics!to!achieve!expansive!learning!in!systemic!gamification!can!be!
defined!into!four!categories.!
Situatedness
The!foremost!requirement!for!systemic!gamification!is!that!the!curriculum!be!relevant!for!
the!uniqueness!of!the!learning!environment!or!activity!system!as!defined!by!CHAT!
(Engeström,!2010).!This!socio-cultural!placement!of!the!gamified!learning!increases!
relevance!and!meaning!for!the!students!(Plass,!2015).!In!their!meta-analysis!on!effective!
game-based!learning,!Crocco!et!al!(2016)!found!deep!learning!occurred!when!learning!
outcomes!and!game!objectives!and!mechanics!were!aligned.!The!CHAT!and!design-based!
research!methodology!(Barab!&!Squire,!2009;!Yamagata-Lynch,!2007)!provides!educators!
with!the!approach!and!tools!to!understand!the!learning!context!and!design!a!gamified!
curriculum!that!aligns!with!it.!This!includes!selecting!content,!narrative,!incentive!and!
visual!design!that!aligns!the!learner’s!values,!desires!and!motivations.!!
Adaptivity)
Plass!et!al!(2015)!state!that!adaptivity!is!the:!
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3%)'.4%#"6"#'."5895"*/='23".'#9/'+%')%,95%&'5*'53%',%9)/%).N'#8))%/5',%7%,'*6'
$/*H,%&1%:'5*'#*1/"5"7%'9+","5"%.:'5*'53%',%9)/%).N'%-*5"*/.:'*)'5*'9')9/1%'*6'
*53%)'79)"9+,%.=L'Y'491%'EZ[!
This!principle!is!critical!to!ensure!a!learner-driven!experience!and!is!supported!by!the!self-
determination!theory!need!for!autonomy!(Conway,!2014).!Allowing!design!students!to!
choose!their!own!content,!difficulty!level,!customise!an!avatar!and!select!rewards!are!
beneficial!mechanics!to!engage!and!allow!organic!interaction!in!the!learning!system.!!
Socio-cultural)interactions)
The!social!interaction!between!learners!during!the!learning!process!has!been!found!to!
increase!retention!of!knowledge!(Plass,!Homer!&!Kinzer,!2015).!Encouraging!discussion,!
collaboration,!seeking!and!giving!help!in!the!gamified!learning!context!enhances!learner’s!
affective,!cognitive,!behavioural!and!sociocultural!engagement!(Plass,!Homer!&!Kinzer,!
2015).!Mechanics!include!social!sharing,!team!quests,!and!gifting!between!design!
students.!!
Meaning)
Successful!systemic!gamification!requires!a!strong!narrative!and!for!the!content!to!be!
reinforced!through!the!mechanics!and!dynamics.!The!content!needs!to!be!integrated!with!
the!narrative!and!the!learning!outcome!(Crocco,!Offenholley!&!Hernandez,!2016).!
Mechanics!include!a!narrative!and!visual!design!that!reinforce!the!content!being!learned,!
including!badges!and!rewards!that!relate!to!the!learning!and!level!of!the!player.!!
The)gamification)design)process))
Design!educators!need!to!employ!these!principles!and!mechanics!when!designing!fourth!
order!systemic!gamified!curricula.!A!process!and!methodology!is!needed!to!embrace!the!
complexities!of!the!learning!context!and!use!them!in!gamification!design!for!expansive!
learning!outcomes.!!Gamification!is!in!essence!the!design!of!an!experience,!using!game!
mechanics!and!other!game!elements!to!elicit!particular!behaviours.!It!therefore!employs!
principles!and!tools!used!by!experience!designers.!These!include!a!user-focus,!design!
based!research!and!user!ethnography,!immersion!in!the!context,!prototyping!and!working!
iteratively.!
The!Gamification!Design!System!presented!by!the!authors!here!takes!inspiration!from!the!
five!phases!in!the!ThinkPlace!Design!System!and!is!adapted!for!the!specifics!needed!for!
gamification!design!(ThinkPlace,!2016).!It!is!an!early!prototype!of!a!gamification!
methodology!being!developed!as!part!of!the!aforementioned!study.!!
!
!
R"18)%'\'J9-"6"#95"*/'0%."1/'V;.5%-''
The!Gamification!Design!System!takes!a!five-phased!approach!to!the!gamification!
challenge.!The!process!is!characterised!by!a!transition!from!divergent!to!convergent!
thinking,!beginning!with!exploration!of!alternatives!and!asking!questions,!and!converting!
to!critical!thinking!and!choosing!between!alternatives!to!arrive!at!the!final!design!
(Guilford,!1967).!!
Phase)1)Intent!is!about!defining!the!desired!future!state!for!the!behavioural!and!
cultural!change,!and!how!this!aligns!with!the!learning!and!educational!
objectives.!
Phase)2)Explore!clarifies!the!target!learning!behaviours!and!activities!being!
gamified!through!design-based!research!and!capturing!the!current!cultural-
historical!activity!system.!
!
Phase)3)Make-Test-Learn!takes!Lean!Start!Up!Methodology!(Ries,!2011)!
approach!to!creating!a!concept!for!the!gamified!solution,!including!choosing!the!
best!gamification!mechanics,!dynamics!and!components!to!reward!the!target!
learning!behaviours.!This!involves!mapping!the!gamification!CHAT!triangle,!and!
iterating!the!design!as!using!immersive!and!iterative!design-based!research!
methods,!as!well!as!usability!and!play-testing.!
Phase)4)Launch!includes!preparing!the!students!for!the!introduction!of!
gamification,!and!building!engagement!and!excitement.!!
Phase)5)Evolve)is!about!monitoring!and!evaluating!the!gamification!solution!for!
effectiveness!and!experience.!Depending!on!the!scope!and!duration!of!the!
gamification,!it!can!also!include!introducing!new!features.!!
!
M'.591%&'4)*#%..'6*)'53%'19-"6"#95"*/'*6'%<49/."7%'&%."1/'%&8#95"*/'
The!gamification!design!process!is!staged!and!question-driven,!and!supported!by!various!
design-based!and!CHAT-based!research!methods!and!techniques!not!presented!here.!The!
following!process!is!an!early!version!of!a!larger!piece!of!work!currently!being!undertaken.!!
The!Intent!phase!encompasses!key!questions!about!the!objective!and!learning!outcomes!
of!the!curriculum.!
What!are!the!learning!outcomes!for!the!design!students?!What!knowledge,!skills!
and!experience!are!required?!
What!learning!barriers!and!challenges!exist!in!the!current!design!curriculum!that!
we!want!to!address?!
What!are!the!success!criteria!for!the!gamified!curriculum?!!
!
Phase!2!Explore!uses!design-based!research!to!understand!the!students!and!the!
uniqueness!of!their!particular!learning!context.!The!context!is!visualised!using!the!CHAT!
triangle!to!make!visible!the!unique!interactions!and!design!variables!of!this!environment.!!
Who!are!our!users,!including!demographics,!player!type,!engagement!
preferences?!
Which!learning!or!design!behaviours!is!the!gamification!targeting!and!why?!
What!order!of!gamification!are!we!aiming?!For!example,!a!simple!gamified!design!
of!content!or!an!integrated!and!transformed!gamification!curriculum?!
What!challenges!or!constraints!are!we!designing!within!in!this!particular!learning!
context?!Which!cultural!or!multi-cultural!aspects!do!we!need!to!consider?!
!
Phase!3!Make-Test-Learn!is!an!iterative!phase!of!hypothesis-driven!prototyping!and!
testing.!The!gamification!mechanics!and!dynamics!are!prototyped!at!increasing!levels!of!
fidelity.!!
Which!CHAT!interactions!is!our!gamified!design!targeting,!and!how?!
Which!mechanics,!dynamics!and!components!will!be!used!to!achieve!the!desired!
student!behaviours?!
What!narrative,!visual!and!incentive!design!will!resonate!most!with!these!design!
students?!
Which!are!core,!important!and!peripheral?!(musts,!coulds,!shoulds)!
How!will!players!be!onboarded!and!learning!scaffolded?!
What!are!the!feedback!channels!and!what!will!be!measured!to!understand!
effectiveness?!
Which!behaviours!are!being!more/less!enacted?!Are!there!any!parts!being!
‘gamed’?!
If!fourth!order!gamification,!how!well!are!the!principles!of!situatedness,!
adaptivity,!socio-cultural!interactions!and!meaning!being!applied?!
Phase!4!Launch!occurs!once!the!gamification!design!has!been!converged!on,!and!focuses!
on!preparing!design!students!for!the!change!in!their!learning!experience.!!
How!will!the!in-real-life!(IRL)!benefits!be!communicated!to!design!students?!
What!support!is!required!by!the!teacher!in!delivering!the!gamified!curriculum?!
Who!else!needs!to!be!engaged!and!involved!during!the!gamified!experience?!
!
The!final!phase!Evolve!is!about!monitoring!and!evaluating!the!effectiveness!of!the!
gamification!intervention!in!achieving!the!design!learning!outcomes.!
How!has!the!gamified!curriculum!changed!the!learning!experience!in!
comparison!to!the!traditional!curriculum?!
Using!the!CHAT!triangle!method,!which!behaviours!and!interactions!changed!
and!how?!
If!continuing!the!gamified!curriculum!over!a!long!period!of!time,!which!new!
behaviours!and!activities!should!be!added!and!when?!
Conclusion))
Gamification!offers!an!innovative!approach!to!creating!expansive!learning!experiences!for!
the!next!generation!of!designers.!Design!educators!using!gamification!face!several!
challenges!when!developing!a!gamified!curriculum,!chiefly,!how!to!create!meaningful!
experiences!that!go!beyond!basic!game!mechanics!and!results!in!deep!learning.!Taking!an!
expansive!and!cultural-historical!activity!system!view!of!learning!provides!design!
educators!with!a!framework!with!which!to!understand!and!create!for!engaging!learning!
experiences.!This!systemic!gamification!requires!a!deliberate!design!approach,!which!is!
presented!at!a!high!level!here.!The!gamification!design!process!introduced!in!this!paper!
requires!further!development!and!refinement,!including!the!integration!of!theoretical!
frameworks!and!practical!tools.!These!frameworks!and!tools!also!require!application!to!
various!contexts!in!order!to!provide!evidence!and!evaluate!its!effectiveness.!While!
gamification!for!education!is!still!nascent,!it!holds!promise!for!design!educators!to!provide!
an!expansive!and!contextually-relevant!learning!experience!for!tomorrow’s!designers.!!!
!
!
!
!)
!
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!
!
About!the!Authors:!
!
Kerstin)Oberprieler!is!a!user-centred!designer!for!ThinkPlace,!
lead!gamification!designer!for!PentaQuest,!and!studying!her!
Masters!by!research!at!the!University!of!Canberra,!Australia.!
Her!focus!is!on!applying!gamification!to!complex!and!social!
environments!to!create!meaningful!change.!!
Associate)Professor)Simon)Leonard’s!work!is!on!learning!
sciences!and!education!policy,!focusing!on!scalable!and!
sustainable!implementation!of!innovation.!Roles!include!
‘Educator!in!Residence’!at!Questacon,!Head!of!Teacher!
Education!at!the!University!of!Canberra,!and!Associate!Head!
of!the!INSPIRE!Centre!for!Innovation!in!Education!and!
Training.!!
Professor)Robert)Fitzgerald!leads!the!INSPIRE!Centre!for!
Innovation!in!Education!and!Training!at!the!University!of!
Canberra.!!Robert’s!current!work!brings!together!design!
thinking,!educational!design!research!and!technology!
enhanced!active!learning!to!addressing!problems!of!practice!
in!diverse!settings.!
!
!
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Medicine.!
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of!gamification!In:!Computers!in!Human!Behaviour.!
Hektner,!J.!M.,!&!Csikszentmihalyi,!M.!(1996).!A!longitudinal!exploration!of!flow!and!
intrinsic!motivations!in!adolescents.!In.!
Hutchins,!E.!(2010).!Cognitive!Ecology.!In!(Vol.!2,!pp.!705-715):!Topics!in!Cognitive!Science.!
Jonassen,!D.!(2011).!Supporting!Problem!Solving!in!PBL.!I/5%)&".#"4,"/9);'`*8)/9,'*6'
()*+,%-Q+9.%&'a%9)/"/1:'G(2),!95-112.!!
Kalinauskas,!M.!(2014).!Gamification!in!Fostering!Creativity.!V*#"9,'2%#3/*,*1"%.:'b(1),!62-
75.!doi:10.13165/ST-14-4-1-05!
Kim,!B.!(2015).!Designing!Gamification!in!the!Right!Way.!In.!
Morford,!Z.!H.,!Witts,!B.!N.,!Killingsworth,!K.!J.,!&!Alavosius,!M.!P.!(2014).!Gamification:!
The!Intersection!between!Behavior!Analysis!and!Game!Design!
Technologies!B%397"*8)'M/9,;.5:'\c.!doi:10.1007/s40614-014-0006-1!
Oberprieler,!K.!A.,!&!Leonard,!S.!(2015).!4=4C'd-9)1"/_'[=[4<'[=[4<'[=[4<'[=[4<e'6*/5_'
CE=[4<'f2"-%.'>%H'U*-9/fe'-"/Q3%"135_'CG=[4<g'
4=4E'd-9)1"/_'[=[4<'[=[4<'[=[4<'[=[4<e'6*/5_'Cb=[4<'f2"-%.'>%H'U*-9/fg'
.49/=.C'd6*/5_'CE=[4<'f2"-%.'>%H'U*-9/fg'
'
'
'
M'-*&%,'6*)'8."/1'9#5"7"5;'53%*);'"/'%&8#95"*/'&%."1/_'9'19-"6"#95"*/'%<9-4,%.!Paper!
presented!at!the!Australian!Association!for!Research!in!Education,!Perth,!Australia.!!
Roth,!W.-M.,!&!Lee,!Y.-J.!(2007!).!“Vygotsky’s!Neglected!Legacy”:!Cultural-Historical!
Activity!Theory!In!(Vol.!77,!pp.!186-232):!Review!of!Educational!Research.!
Rueschemeyer,!S.-A.!L.,!Oliver!van!Elk,!Michiel,!&!Bekkering,!H.!(2009).!Embodied!
cognition:!The!interplay!between!automatic!resonance!and!selection-for-action!
mechanisms.!In!(Vol.!39,!pp.!1180-1187):!European!Journal!of!Social!Psychology.!
Songer,!R.!W.,!&!Miyata,!K.!(2014).!A!Playful!Affordances!Model!for!Gameful!Learning.!In.!
!
... games to support learning as well as gathering knowledge and skills [5], [7]. Despite its distinct interpretation, the application of gamification is intended to change human behavior [4], [5], [9] and, in particular, to develop games for serious purpose [9]. ...
... games to support learning as well as gathering knowledge and skills [5], [7]. Despite its distinct interpretation, the application of gamification is intended to change human behavior [4], [5], [9] and, in particular, to develop games for serious purpose [9]. Considering recent developments on design educational landscape, gamification offers an innovative approach to produce improved learning outcomes and student collaboration and enable design educators to expand design curriculum and create innovative teaching methods [5], [6]. ...
... Despite its distinct interpretation, the application of gamification is intended to change human behavior [4], [5], [9] and, in particular, to develop games for serious purpose [9]. Considering recent developments on design educational landscape, gamification offers an innovative approach to produce improved learning outcomes and student collaboration and enable design educators to expand design curriculum and create innovative teaching methods [5], [6]. Oberprieler et al. [5] enumerated the four orders of gamification, which are playful design, basic gamification, interactive gamification, and systematic gamification. ...
Chapter
Gamification is the use of game elements, mechanics, and experience design to engage user behaviors and solve real-world problems. Applications of serious games and gamification in sustainable design education have been novel. To raise environmental consciousness and knowledge of industrial design students, the gamification design system was integrated into sustainable design pedagogy. The aim is to evaluate the learning effectiveness of this intervention. The study was conducted in a sustainable design course for three consecutive years at the Department of Industrial Design, Chulalongkorn University, Thailand. Nine Eco-Game projects were designed and playtested. Participant observations and evaluations by checklists and web-based questionnaires were then performed during in-classroom activities among sophomores and juniors. Results revealed that the integration can enhance learning outcomes in environmental information and design aspects depending on the complexity of game rules, adequacy of prototype testing period, and concentration for physical actions and game tasks. In this way, students can learn through playing and designing games. However, this phase is solely at the early stage of intervention in this field. Further research is needed to fully integrate systematic gamification into the learning environment and encourage pro-environmental behavior change.
... games to support learning as well as gathering knowledge and skills [5], [7]. Despite its distinct interpretation, the application of gamification is intended to change human behavior [4], [5], [9] and, in particular, to develop games for serious purpose [9]. ...
... games to support learning as well as gathering knowledge and skills [5], [7]. Despite its distinct interpretation, the application of gamification is intended to change human behavior [4], [5], [9] and, in particular, to develop games for serious purpose [9]. Considering recent developments on design educational landscape, gamification offers an innovative approach to produce improved learning outcomes and student collaboration and enable design educators to expand design curriculum and create innovative teaching methods [5], [6]. ...
... Despite its distinct interpretation, the application of gamification is intended to change human behavior [4], [5], [9] and, in particular, to develop games for serious purpose [9]. Considering recent developments on design educational landscape, gamification offers an innovative approach to produce improved learning outcomes and student collaboration and enable design educators to expand design curriculum and create innovative teaching methods [5], [6]. Oberprieler et al. [5] enumerated the four orders of gamification, which are playful design, basic gamification, interactive gamification, and systematic gamification. ...
Conference Paper
Full-text available
Gamification is the use of game elements, mechanics, and experience design to engage user behaviors and solve real-world problems. Applications of serious games and gamification in sustainable design education have been novel. To raise environmental consciousness and knowledge of industrial design students, the gamification design system was integrated into sustainable design pedagogy. The aim is to evaluate the learning effectiveness of this intervention. The study was conducted in a sustainable design course for three consecutive years at the Department of Industrial Design, Chulalongkorn University, Thailand. Nine Eco-Game projects were designed and playtested. Participant observations and evaluations by checklists and web-based questionnaires were then performed during in-classroom activities among sophomores and juniors. Results revealed that the integration can enhance learning outcomes in environmental information and design aspects depending on the complexity of game rules, adequacy of prototype testing period, and concentration for physical actions and game tasks. In this way, students can learn through playing and designing games. However, this phase is solely at the early stage of intervention in this field. Further research is needed to fully integrate systematic gamification into the learning environment and encourage pro-environmental behavior change.
Article
Full-text available
Background. Much literature has theorized on the potential educational benefits offered by game-based learning (GBL). However, recent meta-data analyses of studies conducted on the efficacy of GBL offer mixed results. Furthermore, many of the studies available rely more on close reading, inference, small sample sizes, and qualitative responses than on quantitative, data-driven analyses. Aim. This article describes a proof-of-concept study designed to assess the effects of GBL on enjoyment, engagement, and learning in higher education using a large sample size and quantitative measures. Method. The study uses a large data set (n = 440) involving English, Math and Science undergraduate courses. For the first semester, faculty participants were trained in how to implement game-based pedagogy and created analog game-based lessons. In the following semester, each professor taught one section of a course using games and another section of the same course without games. Students in the game-based and control groups were given attitude surveys about the subject at the beginning of the semester, a post-lesson survey after the game or regular lesson, and a post-lesson quiz with separate questions to assess surface learning and deep learning. Results. Enjoyment correlated with improvements in deep learning in both the game and non-game classes. Games increased reported enjoyment levels, especially in subjects where students reported the greatest anxiety about learning, and this increase in enjoyment correlated positively with improvements in deep learning and higher-order thinking. These results may have particular impact on non-traditional students. Conclusion. While further investigation is necessary to assess the specific affordances and long-term effects of GBL in higher education, this study offers preliminary support for the claim that GBL can improve deep learning in this setting, by increasing enjoyment.
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