The instructional design of gamification: Plan before you play, PART 1

What a journey over the last 7 weeks!

All I wanted to do was to learn more about instructional design in gamification.

Sounds simple, right?

Not so much. . . .

I have a fully online course I am trying to gamify (and gamify well), but as I concentrate on redesigning the course, I  realize how much more I need to know than merely the course content.  THAT I have down pat. I have tasks and learning objectives and final products which currently live in 3D Game Lab where students earn badges and awards for completing the various tasks.

To be effective community college administrators, my students need to learn about all facets of the community college  - faculty issues, student development, instruction, fundraising, housing, sports,  governance, workforce development..... I have readings on all of these topics, and, of course, students could read, complete a few activities to interact with the material and with one another, but  what will that really lead them to learn?   Will they really leave this class with a better understanding of the various units within the college and how they function, the interdependence as well as the independence of each unit?

Students in this program work a 40-50 hour week, so I try to be mindful as I craft assignments and course-related tasks. I am also aware that students enter the program with differing amounts of knowledge and experience in the community college, so they need options to meet their needs.

I see several pathways for this course:

Path A: (the dream) To create a simulation in which students basically build a CC from the ground up, choosing the type of governance,  identifying the various degrees and curricula (credit and non-credit) to be offered, hiring faculty and staff, setting up schedules, enrolling students, working with a foundation, setting up a budget, and so forth.  I teach decision-making that is research-based and data-driven, so students will review the research as they craft their own CC.  At the end of the course, students will share their colleges and compare notes. This could actually be expanded for use in several of their courses. ...ah....my dream creation. . . .

Path B: To create an interactive application/website/platform where students would "tour" the community college I have created, meeting avatars along the way to give them an overview of each unit/topic and guiding students to readings and then to various activities to allow them to interact with the content and apply their learning to their CC sites.

Path C: To create a series of tasks associated with each unit, where students complete from a menu of tasks, according to "credit earned" from previous experience. (current course organization).

So, possibilities exist, and I want to provide a stellar learning experience.  I realize this may take time, and I may have to design in phases.

That is fine - but the compulsive part of me wants to do it well - now.

The researcher in me says, "Go to the peer-reviewed research to find your answer."

So... I did....and this task has taken  - and is taking - quite a bit of time. . . .

Journey through the research

I quickly found that using some form of gamification instructional design as a search term was not working. Broadening the search to use gamification design did yield more results. Gamification design sometimes referred to web design or the appearance, the attractiveness of the game on the web (Hsu, Chang, & Lee, 2013). Other times it encompassed the MDA (mechanics, dynamics, and aesthetics) framework of understanding games and how gamification works (Elverdam & Aarseth, 2007; Kim, 2015; Robson, Plangger, Kietzmann, McCarthy, & Pitt, 2015).

Ah, something useful!

MDA Framework of gaming design

This MDA framework or model breaks down  games into three components from the users' perspective: rules, system, and fun.  From the designer's perspective, this turns into  mechanics. dynamics, and aesthetics (Kim, 2015; Robson, Plangger, Kietzmann, McCarthy, & Pitt, 2015).

Wow!  Users and designers...what a great idea!

Mechanics involve the  distinct set of rules that dictate the outcome of interactions within the system. Points, badges, leader boards, statuses, levels, quests, countdowns, tasks/quest/missions, and other particular rules and rewards all fall under the category of game mechanics (Kim, 2015).

Three different types of mechanics are extremely important in games and in gamified experiences: set up mechanics, rule mechanics, and progression mechanics (Robson, et al., 2015). 

Set up mechanics include what shapes the environment of the experience.  This includes the setting and objects, and how those objects are distributed to the players. This also includes who the player is playing against - are they known or unknown? internal or external? It is in this component where designers determine the spatial dimensions of the virtual world along with regulating when the experience will happen (i.e., real-time or turn-based and finite end or infinite play).  Player structure is also part of game mechanics: how many can play? Is it single or multi-player? Single or multiple teams? Strangers, friends, or allies? (Elverdam & Aarseth, 2007).

Rule mechanics shape the goal of the gamified experience (Elverdam & Aarseth, 2007), describing permissible actions as well as constraints that limit those actions to create pressure for the players (Kelly, 2012). If players make the same decisions each time they play, will the results be the same, or is there some element of chance? Do interactions with other players impact the outcome? Rule mechanics can also be topological or time-based. Topological includes spaces where players land - are they rewarded for landing and checking in? Time-based mechanics address whether players have to react within a specific time period and how resources build up or deplete. Objectives-based rule mechanics refers to the effects of specific circumstances, such as completing one level to unlock the next (Robson, et al., 2015).

Progression mechanics dictate the reinforcements present in the experience (behaviors with rewarding outcomes are likely to be repeated in the future). This can be done with badges, achievement awards, levels, resources, and such.  The achievements - or rewards - must be valuable to the player or the player may  lose interest.....and stop playing. Having a balance of rewards is most desirable - after all, if everyone earns the top prize, then how much is the top prize really worth?

Mechanics form the structure for the game experience. On their own, however, mechanics are not enough to change behaviors or boost one's performance. Game dynamics and emotions or aesthetics animate the game experience and facilitate behavior change. It is this interdependence between mechanics, dynamics, and aesthetics that signals the designer what changes need to be made to the mechanics to result in behavior changes.

Dynamics refer to the principles that create and support aesthetic experience. Unlike the game mechanics set by the designer, game dynamics describe in-game behaviors and strategic actions and interactions that emerge during play (Camerer, 2003). Examples of game dynamics include behavioral momentum, feedback, progress, time pressure, and certain abilities that game avatars can develop (Kim, 2015). Dynamics are difficult to predict and can lead to some unexpected behaviors and outcomes which can be either positive or negative. The challenges for designers, then, is to anticipate the types of dynamics that can emerge and develop the mechanics of the gaming experience accordingly.

(Robson, Plangger, Kietzmann, McCarthy, & Pitt, 2015)

Aesthetics encompass the various emotional goals of the game: sensation (game as sense-pleasure), fantasy (game as make-believe), narrative (game as drama), challenge (game as obstacle course), fellowship (game as social framework), discovery (game as uncharted territory), expression (game as self-discovery), and submission (game as pastime) (Kim, 2015). Aesthetics, then, are the result of how players follow the mechanics then generate the dynamics.  Playing games should be fun and appealing. Assuming that players will stop playing if they do not enjoy themselves, then creating player enjoyment should be the main goal (Robson, et al., 2015).


The MDA framework allows us to consider the game from two perspectives at the same time - we can see the game from the viewpoint of the user as well as from that of the designer...making this a very useful design...particularly if a designer also plays games.

The next step on this journey...

Hmmm...   The MDA model certainly provides opportunities for planning and a great checklist of items to consider....but I need something else to help me in this journey to gamify well.

Reading about MDA generated several questions to be answered:

• How do I motivate players and keep them motivated to play?

• How do I meet the goal of player enjoyment?

• In my dream game, the journey is the learning, not the final score or the badge. So how do I create a game experience that allows players to learn about the community college, to interact with community college "employees" and "students" and then complete the experience? 

 Let's see where this journey takes me next: The Game Object Model II (Amory, 2007).

 References

Amory, A. (2007). Game object model version II: A theoretical framework for educational game development. Educational Technology Research and Development, 55, 51-57.

Camerer, C. (2003). Behavioral game theory: Experiments in strategic interaction. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.

Elverdam, C., & Aarseth, E. (2007). Game classification and game design construction through critical analysis. Games and Culture, 2(1), 3-22.

Hsu, S. H., Chang, J. W., & Lee,  C.C. (2013). Designing attractive gamification features for collaborative storytelling websites. CyberPsychology, Behavior & Social Networking, 16(6), 428-435.

Kelly, T. (2012). Real gamification mechanics require simplicity, and, yes, game designers can do it. Available at http://techcrunch.com/2012/12/08/real-vs-fake-gamification-mechanics/

Kim, B. (2015, February/March). Game mechanics, dynamics, and aesthetics. Library Technology Reports, 51(2), 17-19.

Robson, K., Plangger, K., Kietzmann, J. H., McCarthy, I., & Pitt, L. (2015, July). Is it all a game? Understanding the principles of gamification. Business Horizons, 58(4), 411-420.