Win Or Lose, It's The Learning That Counts By Joanne Rose

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1 Win Or Lose, It's The Learning That Counts By Joanne Rose When it comes down to it, the truth is that we can t make people learn. But what we can do is create the right conditions where they will want to learn for themselves. And games are a great place to start. Games create a whole new world. In terms of training, this creates a safe place to fail. It s safer to have failed to make the correct turn in your vehicle in a game than in real-life. At The Game Agency, a video game creative agency Los Angeles we will guide you on the how s and why s of effective game-based training. Key Elements to Effective Game Learning For learning to happen, we need to take a look at the key elements needed. When education or training feels dull, it simply means we are not being engaged and motivated. In basic terms, we re not really learning. Learning doesn t have to mean memorizing everything. All it takes is the skills and thought processes needed to respond appropriately under pressure, in a variety of situations in order for knowledge retention to work effectively. We don t need more time in the classroom or office to learn how to think and perform when dealing with real-life challenges. We need effective, interactive experiences that motivate and engage us in the learning process. This is where game-based learning comes in. For many years, videogame designers have been producing and refining motivating learning environments for their players to enjoy. Within an effective game-based learning environment, we work toward a goal, choosing actions and experiencing the consequences of those actions along the way. We make mistakes in a risk-free setting, and through experimentation, we actively learn and practice the right way to do things. Research supports the effectiveness of game-based employee training in virtual environments, such as a meta-analysis of flight simulator training effectiveness, simulators combined with aircraft training consistently produced training improvements compared to aircraft-only training. Game-Based Learning or Traditional Training? Well-designed game-based learning has several advantages over traditional learning methods. Learners can re-enact a particular set of circumstances multiple times, exploring the consequences of different actions. All games are not created equal. Games that we give up on are the ones that let us down in relation

2 to learning. They do a poor job of structuring our learning experience, leaving us bored or frustrated. To be effective, game environments must be structured to support how we learn. 4 Key Principles To Game-Based Learning Motivation: People have to have some motivation in order to learn. Decades of psychology research show us that most of us are goaloriented and tend to perform better when we have goals to achieve. Games tend to have clear and well-defined goals for success. Reaching new levels provide people with the motivation to keep playing. Think of levels as mini-goals toward the overall game goal, which often cannot be accomplished until you ve mastered all levels in a game. To advance to a higher level, you have to recall what you learned in a previous level and apply it. Practice: To develop mastery, people must build skills, practice integrating them, and know when to use what they have learned. Learning is a process that happens in bite-sized chunks with each learner working at a different pace. Problem solving, strategizing and mastering things can all tie into providing relevant practice when the simulation is set up to mimic real-life or real-life challenges. Feedback: Games offer continual and immediate feedback. Good performances get rewarded with scores, alerts, achievements, or advancements to new levels. Poor performance typically results in the opposite and causes the player to immediately try to improve. Traditional training doesn t even come close to a game environment for feedback. Repetition: Games are often repetitive but repetition cements memory and builds mastery at the same time. In games, we often repeat the same sequence of steps over and over, with the level of difficulty escalating as we progress in the game. Feel free to contact us at our video game creative agency

3 There Will Be Games: I Have a Competition In Me By Joanne Rose Video games are playing an important role in school education as teachers find new ways to deliver important lessons such as math, reading and computer programming, in an effective way that holds students interests. Game-based learning as part of education is seen as the way of the future and a tool that allows students to take an active role in learning as they develop the technology skills they need to succeed throughout their academic and professional careers. How Games Can Boost Learning and Competitiveness When students in the traditional classroom feel material is too hard or too easy, they cannot try on different learning styles or use another problem solving method without the risk of failing or receiving a bad grade. Games make it less risky to fail. Players know the game is possible to beat with enough practice, and good games adjust challenges and provide feedback in such a way that different players feel the game is challenging but achievable and that their effort is paying off. Many games also allow players to win or play in multiple ways, allowing the player to take on challenges with a method that suits their strengths or try a new problem solving approach. In a traditional classroom, students may not know if they understood a concept correctly until they fail or pass an assignment, which may affect how they feel about a subject. However, games provide instant feedback. When decisions are made in a game, the game, will either reward the player for their efforts or they will not advance to new levels. As players explore their game world, they also create memorable, rich experiences, which can be used to retrieve and reflect upon knowledge. They are basically learning by doing. Traditional classroom lectures rarely create these meaningful experiences without the use of interactive activities. Games use stories, characters, and other environmental elements that produce a unique experience. If these experiences are emotionally stimulating, it also makes knowledge easier to recall. Games Create Healthy Competition Between Co-Workers Growing research suggests that happier people work harder. A playful workplace helps draw new talent, relieve stress, increase motivation and build relationships with co-workers. The strength of games as motivators lies in their ability to tap into their social natures and creates the desire to share, to compete, and to create - all in the name of fun.

4 Furthermore, it encourages teamwork and collaboration and brings employees closer, all in the name of healthy competition. Game-Based Assessment vs. Traditional Tests Games can provide assessment without tests. Rather than tell a student to stop their learning activity and take a test, teachers can gather data as they are engaged in a learning game that gives them the same or more information about student progress. Games allow teachers to assess skills they otherwise couldn t with a traditional multiple-choice assessment. Assessment of things like creativity, collaboration, and persistence are possible using data from game play. As games provide streams of data, this allows teachers to provide better feedback to the student and gives them a better understanding of how students progress. When the system presents a problem, the student produces a work product in response. Teachers then evaluate this product based on rules and assign a score. They accumulate these scores into an overall score, and then use that information to present the next task. Connecting with Your Child Through Game-Based Training Games can do more than serve as a platform for having fun and building companionship. They can facilitate trust and discussion, and help create a space where children feel free to share their thoughts. Research has proven that under the right circumstances, games can be very beneficial to your child s developmental, educational, social and emotional needs. Developmentally Hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills Problem-solving, strategy and planning, decision-making and logic skills Ability to set and achieve goals and time management skills Emotionally Less stressed video games can be a way to manage mood Their self-esteem can grow as their gaming skills do Connection to other people

5 Socially Strengthen existing friendships and make new ones Learn to play fairly and take turns Feel closer to family and friends Educationally Remembering things and critical thinking Recognizing and understanding visual information Understanding concepts like mathematics, learning new words, navigation, and more. Game elements have a clear potential to improve game-based training via multiple techniques.

Red Flags of Conflict

Red Flags of Conflict CONFLICT MANAGEMENT Introduction Webster s Dictionary defines conflict as a battle, contest of opposing forces, discord, antagonism existing between primitive desires, instincts and moral, religious, or