learning patterns for the design and deployment of mathematical games

a hard sell
Created	Vaughan Waller, 27 November, 2006	Modified:	27 November, 2006
Summary	How can we surmount the prevalent objections and apply games technology in a workplace learning scenario successfully and what would it "look" like?

Context

Provide details regarding the environment from which this case study is derived. Who was behind the game development / deployment? Who was the target audience? What is the broad domain of knowledge / expertise addressed? Use the table below as appropriate, or enter your own free-text description.

mathematical content	content domain: ; target audience: ; Skill Domain: ;
Learning and Instruction	Mathematical content: T2; Didactical functionalities: T2; Metaphor: T2; Rationale: T2; T2: T2;
Educational Context	production: T3; cultural: T3; teacher support: T3; intervention: T3; T3: T3;
Games	Game as activity: T4; games as genres: T4; game as media: T4; T4: T4; T4: T4;
Interface and interaction	user interface: T5; accessibility: T5; user setting: T5; T5: T5; T5: T5;
Software Design	Requirements: T6; Development Methodology: T6; Customisation: T6; T6: T6; T6: T6;

Aims

What were the intentions of the parties involved? What were the expected outcomes? What are the measures of success?

Details

As part of some recent research into the use of serious games in workplace learning many respondents pointed out that apart from hand-to-eye coordination and rapid decision making, a gamer does not learn anything at all from playing a computer based or online game.

In one particular interview I was talking to the CEO of an e-learning content design company. He said that he could not see any pedagogical or andragogical merit in lopping the heads off zombies and after due consideration I would have to agree. He went on to say that it is wrong to assume that all graduates or teenagers in their first job would automatically be gamers and would therefore all demand games as part of workplace learning. And older workers (perhaps older than the 31 average age mentioned by Prensky) would not necessarily be familiar with a game console so that would be out too. So, as far as he was concerned serious games were out as far as workplace learning is concerned.

My problem therefore since this interviewee is more or less correct in what he says, how would you surmount these objections and apply games technology in a workplace learning scenario successfully and what would it "look" like?

Outcomes

What where the positive and less desirable results of this experience? How do they map to the original aims? What unexpected outcomes (good or bad) have you noted? What are the key factors contributing to the outcomes?

References and links

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Versions

Version 2	(27 November, 2006)
Version 1	(27 November, 2006)

a hard sell