INF541 (Game Based Learning) has been an amazing unit to discover how games (both serious and commercial off the shelf – COTS) can be utilised within an educational framework. I went into this unit wanting it to help shape my game that I am currently creating called Ivory Heart. However, Ivory Heart was too big of a game to focus on, so I ended up settling on an easier game to make. This process introduced me to a variety of software applications made for building games. I also learned how to use Kahoot! and ended up making a really neat word association game from it.
Because of this unit, I am no longer afraid of making simple games. There are game engines out there that do not require programming. Developing a game does not have to be a huge time-consuming process. Some types of games can be developed very quickly and efficiently with relatively low or no financial overhang. One does not need to be a master of graphics in order to develop a game. Nor do they need a large workforce. There are game making machines out there that can make your project a lot easier if you only know where to look.
This unit has really opened my eyes to games and how to evaluate them. Previously, I would just play to have fun, but now I am thinking very critically about every scene and every game mechanic, as well as considering what learning objectives both serious and commercial off the shelf games can bring to the player. This unit has enabled me to see the background conditions of a game while playing it.
I very much enjoy the reflections at the end of the assignments. They allow me to carefully consider the things in which I learned throughout the unit and identify the aspects that were most important to me. Although my wishes about developing Ivory Heart were not met in this unit, this unit has provided me the framework required to continue this project on my own. Even though my game was not the focus of this unit, my game was significantly developed theoretically during my time in this unit.
I found the article by Adams (2004) fascinating insofar there being different ways a player can be immersed into their game. Adams suggests three types of player immersion: tactical, strategical, and narrative. Obrien (2011) also outlines four different styles of games: linear, competitive, strategic, and role-playing. How games capture and retain attention is fascinating, especially when it comes to games that take a very long time to complete. Flow is the name of the game and if a game can get you in the zone, then you can overcome its challenges.
I am very interested in techniques that pull the player in and this unit was not short of them. I am very interested in gamification and how we can turn monotonous tasks into games that help develop our overall sensibility. When I was a child my brother used to turn everything we did into a game. This eventually turned me into a life gamer. Everything in this world is a game to me. My studies and work are long-term games that I am frantically trying to beat. It was only through this unit that I had the opportunity to explore deeply into gamification. I gamify my life by setting daily tasks that I aim to achieve. Oftentimes I fail at my daily games. I aim for maximum production for each day. A successful day to me is 12-18 hours spent on study (formal and informal) and assignments.
I had so much fun in this unit. It was very challenging for me. I was overloaded this semester with four units. But I have spent countless hours around the clock studying hard, so I really hope to pass everything. The game at the end could have been much more powerful if I had the upgraded features. Some weeks I felt bombarded by readings but one by one I chipped away at them. I really tried hard this semester and really hope that I pass everything. Thank you so much Carole for all of your hard work.
References
Adams, E. (2004). Postmodernism and the three types of immersion. Retrieved January 12, 2015, from http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/2118/the_designers_notebook_.php
O’Brien, D. (2011). A taxonomy of educational games. In Gaming and simulations: Concepts, methodologies, tools and applications (pp. 1-23). Hershey, PA: . doi:10.4018/978-1-60960-195-9.ch101
