1. 1 Virtual museum exercise was not appreciated

2. SCOM 5056 Design Theory in Science Communication week 4: fun and games

3. Motivation, games and science communication What we can learn from games and how we might even use games to communicate science?

4. 4 Outline Motivation Why games? Motivation in games - flow Concepts from game design

5. 5 Motivation Potential –Talent, skill, natural ability, preparation Performance Effort Motivation

6. 6 Kinds of motivation – based on Keller Potential Motives (personal values, meaning) Expectancy of success EffortPerformanceConsequences Learning design Contingency design Motivational design Artefact – creator control Personal – user control

7. 7 Potential Motives (personal goals, meaning) Expectancy of success EffortPerformanceConsequences Learning design Contingency design Motivational design Example – contingency design What consequences for performance? -Extrinsic reward (money, candy) -Intrinsic reward (content based) Timing and pace of feedback? -Immediate? -Frequent?

8. 8 Potential Motives (personal goals, meaning) Expectancy of success EffortPerformanceConsequences Learning design Contingency design Motivational design 1. Motivational design?2. Learning design? 3. This is an instructional design model; what about free choice contexts?

9. 9 Motivation in free choice context Curiosity Attracting  motivating participation Maintaining motivation to participate

10. 10 Motivation in free choice context Berlyne Diversive exploration Epistemic curiosity -> specific exploration Day arousal efficiency unmotivated curious anxious

11. 11 Attracting Participation Potential Motives (personal goals, meaning) Expectancy of success EffortPerformanceConsequences Learning design Contingency design Motivational design Attraction design Epistemic -> Specific Curiosity Diversive

12. 12 Why games? 1 Successful games are free choice activities that can attract and hold participants’ attention.

13. 13 Free choice participation How much time do participants spend on sports video games hobbies How much time do participants spend on museum/science centre exhibits science in school watching TV

14. 14 Why games? 2 Rules, play, culture ; Games can create the contexts that influence learning.

15. 15 Rules, play, culture Tic Tac Toe Texas Hold’em Armadillo Run Sims Second Life

16. 16 Eight Key Factors that influence Learning 1 Personal context 1.Motivation and expectations 2.Prior knowledge, interests, and beliefs 3.Choice and control Sociocultural context 4.Within-group sociocultural mediation 5.Facilitated mediation by others Physical context 6.Advance organizers 7.Design 8.Reinforcing events and experiences outside the museum 1: Learning from Museums, Falk and Dierking, 2000, p.148

17. 17 Why games? 3 Games are about learning. “Fun from games arises out of mastery. It arises out of comprehension. It is the act of solving puzzles that makes games fun. In other words, with games, learning is the drug.” (Koster, 2005, p.40) Do you agree?

18. 18 Why games? 4 Games have deep structure. “…these eight factors (Why games? #2) help us know more about how visitors learn; they tell us relatively little about what visitors learn.” Falk and Dierking, 2000, p.149

19. 19 Deep structure ‘real’ system in a state action new state shallow representation representation of state(s) no actions deep representation representation of state representation of action representation of new state Think of Armadillo Run

20. 20 What people learn Interactions with games Based on deep structure –Players’ actions demonstrate what they know –Changes in actions show what they have learned

21. 21 Motivation in games Long term fun Long term motivation (must be intrinsic) Long term effort Long term performance (learning)

22. 22 Intrinsic motivation: related to activity Intrinsic Curiosty – puzzle Reward - achievement Extrinsic Curiosity – flashing lights Reward - candy time effect Potential Motives (personal goals, meaning) Expectancy of success EffortPerformance Consequences Learning design Contingency design Motivational design Attraction design Epistemic -> Specific Curiosity Diversive intrinsic extrinsic

23. 23 Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi’s Flow 1.Task with clear goals 2.Task that is achievable 3.Conditions to concentrate on task 4.Sense of control over action 5.Activity with immediate feedback 6.Deep but effortless involvement 7.Reduced self-awareness 8.Altered sense of time Think of Armadillo Run

24. 24 Flow equilibrium challenge skill anxiety frustration boredom apathy flow

25. 25 Flow activities challenge skill anxiety frustration boredom apathy flow

26. 26 An ideal game experience challenge skill anxiety frustration boredom apathy flow

27. 27 Some game design concepts Game Rules determine possible actions Game Physics determines response to actions In a video game, the computer manages play: enforces rules (referee) generates responses to actions (scorekeeper) (compare to sport or board game)

28. 28 1. Meaningful play descriptive analysis: –factual definition of what happens in game –player action relates to system response evaluative analysis: –judging effectiveness of action-response to create emotional experience –discernable – responses are apparent to player (Suchman) –integrated – response has influence on further play and outcome

29. 29 Salen and Zimmerman, p.34 “Meaningful play occurs when the relationships between actions and outcomes in a game are both discernable and integrated into the larger context of the game. Creating meaningful play is the goal of successful game design.” Let’s play

30. 30 2. The Magic Circle games exist within a magic circle with an explicit boundary –players agree to be in the magic circle – the lusory attitude – so play can occur –within the circle, rules create special meanings (for symbols, tokens, actions) that guide play –as a rule system, a game is closed –as a play system, a game is open / closed –as a culture system, a game is open

31. 31 The Magic Circle

32. 32 3. Some other gaming terms Casual games – easy to begin playing Serous games – games with learning goals Core mechanic – the main activity that the user is engaged in most of the time

33. 33 Defining Games no standard definition features proposed by various writers: –rules that limit players –conflict –goal orientation –activity –involves decision-making –absorbing but not serious –not associated with material gain –artificial / safe –outside ordinary life –creates social groups –voluntary –uncertainty –make-believe / representational –inefficient –system of parts, resources, tokens –art form

34. 34 The problem with games… Physical inactivity

35. 35 The problem with games… Violence, no redeeming value

36. 36 Spore evolution Will Wright 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

37. 37 Make love and war

38. 38 Games and science Science 1.natural world 2.experiments 3.theory 4.how science works Games 1.game physics 2.rules 3.skilled play 4.game culture

39. 39 Sample sites to analyze http://www.scienceworld.ca/teachers_outreach/play_online/bw_gam es.htmhttp://www.scienceworld.ca/teachers_outreach/play_online/bw_gam es.htm health games http://www.poissonrouge.com/puzzler/index.htm kid’s puzzleshttp://www.poissonrouge.com/puzzler/index.htm http://www.canadainspace.ca/activities.php?sectionName=activities CSA astronaut schoolhttp://www.canadainspace.ca/activities.php?sectionName=activities http://www.virtualmuseum.ca/Exhibitions/Cosmos/english/wormhole s/wormholes.html a space gamehttp://www.virtualmuseum.ca/Exhibitions/Cosmos/english/wormhole s/wormholes.html http://www.engagingscience.org/games/onlinegames/games.html http://www.strangematterexhibit.com/index.html http://www.virtualmuseum.ca/Exhibitions/Spirits/English/Dig/digdown.html an archeological activityhttp://www.virtualmuseum.ca/Exhibitions/Spirits/English/Dig/digdown.html