Gamification and games-based learning is a viable, effective strategy for learning and yet there is resistance when it comes to executive buy-in. We hear, “Gamification is too expensive!” “It’s too flashy!” “We don’t want our employees playing games on the job!” Turning the tide of perception takes a combination of highlighting programs in which gamification has been incredibly effective, understanding the science behind why gamification works so well for learners, and targeting those specific projects for which gamification is a perfect fit.

From reaching the target demographic, to creating experts, to maximizing downtime and making training more cost effective, you’ll see how gamification was used to address the business drivers, meet the learning objectives, and engage the audience beyond expectations through 10 real-world examples. In this session, you will learn 10 reasons why your learners will be and your company should be asking for gamification as a learning strategy. Finally, you will learn how to overcome resistance to gamification and gain ideas for how to successfully achieve buy-in from company leadership.

In this session, you will learn:

• To identify reasons for resistance to gamification within your organization
• To describe why gamification is an effective strategy for the modern adult learner
• To describe best practices for pitching and developing gamification programs for learning
• To list the types of projects that can be enriched with gamification

Audience:
Novice to advanced designers, developers, project managers, and managers.

Technology discussed in this session:
N/A

The power of games for learning is well documented, yet the thought of undertaking the design and development building of a game seems overwhelming due to the perceived cost and hours to learn how to do it. The time and the energy just seem too large of a barrier.

In this session, you will learn how to get started with designing and building your first mobile game and understand game design principles. You’ll learn about the tools and environment, and you will use GameSalad to create dynamic, drag-and-drop game-based content that you can test and play within your own browser or on a mobile device.

In this session, you will learn:

• How to design and build your first game
• How to understand the app and environment and how to create a game using drag-and-drop programming techniques
• What is required to create an app for a mobile environment
• How to build a game and leave with the core knowledge to get started and demonstrate to your team and organization

Audience:
Novice and intermediate designers, developers, project managers, and managers.

Technology discussed in this session:
GameSalad, Photoshop, PowerPoint, HTML5.

Participant technology requirements:
Mac or Windows laptop. Download free GameSalad.com app to participate.

If you’re in the world of eLearning, it goes without saying that you’ve probably heard the term gamification thrown around quite a bit. But what does it mean for your eLearning projects? Is it as simple as leaderboards and badges? Fundamentally, gamification is about applying game elements and gaming techniques to otherwise static content, with the intention of making that content a little more fun, engaging, and impactful. These days, designing game elements and applying gaming techniques to eLearning content doesn’t have to require a lengthy design and development timeline, nor the use of complex programming tools.

In this interactive session you will learn how to apply simple game elements and gaming techniques to your eLearning using Storyline 2. We’ll walk through the use of some of Storyline’s most powerful features, including variables, triggers, states, animation, and sliders to add some simple, game-like interactions to your eLearning.

In this session, you will learn:

• The difference between games and gamification
• How to identify the right content for a game
• Best practices for planning your game interactions before you build
• How to use variables, triggers, states, animation, and sliders in Storyline 2

Audience:
Intermediate and advanced designers and developers.

Technology discussed in this session:
Articulate Storyline 2.

Why do people spend hours learning how to master new levels in their favorite games? The answer to this question, and the ability to harness some of that excitement and magic for workplace learning, is why there is growing interest in games for learning.

In this session you will learn how and why you might design a game to teach workplace topics. The session takes you on a journey through several levels, in which you will learn the surprising facts about who plays games, the principles of design for games with purpose, the types of games that work best for different purposes, and tips for success.

In this session, you will learn:

• Who plays games today
• The principles behind games with purpose
• Why games with purpose can make such powerful learning tools
• What sort of games other organizations are commissioning

Audience:
Novice designers, developers, managers, and directors.

Technology discussed in this session:
Games will be demoed and discussed on PCs, smartphones, and tablets. Also discussed is the potential of various other virtual reality games powered by devices such as the Oculus Rift.

Often the idea of using instructional games is met with stiff resistance by project stakeholders and the organization’s leadership: “We don’t want our employees playing games! We are a serious organization with serious work to do!” So how do you design instructionally effective games for the workplace and gain buy-in from stakeholders and leadership in your organization?

In this session, you will be introduced to methods for designing effective games and getting them taken seriously by shifting the focus of game design from the game interface (the look and feel of a game) to the game’s mechanics. You will get a close look at the complex world of game mechanics, explore how to leverage these mechanics in instructional game design, and give real-world examples of how to use this approach to create effective instructional games that are taken seriously within serious organizations.

In this session, you will learn:

• About the wide range of mechanics found in games
• How to leverage game mechanics to design instructional games
• About real-world examples of games used effectively, even in reluctant organizations
• How to play and analyze games for transfer of essential mechanics to your instructional games

Audience:
Novice to advanced designers, developers, and managers.

Technology discussed in this session:
N/A

Many applications of gaming in learning simply encourage competitive or game behaviors—they lack a focus on true learning or underlying game dynamics. The game dynamics are what power the experience and include aspects of generosity, collaboration, sharing, trading, perspective, and power.

In this session, you will explore ten different game dynamics and see how they can relate to social learning approaches, mobile learning approaches, and/or traditional training. Learn how to use gaming approaches to build coherence and trust in communities, as well as using micro-reward and input approaches to affect engagement over time. The aim of this session is to encourage you to think of more holistic and inclusive approaches that truly enhance competence, not just rewarding the gamers. This session is suited to people interested in how to design engaging and effective learning, regardless of the channel. It’s about the underlying dynamics of learning in the social age.

In this session, you will learn:

• How games truly work
• To recognize the risk of leaving people behind
• The ten underlying dynamics of games in learning
• How the ten dynamics can be applied
• The roles of kindness, fairness, and trust in game application

Audience:
Intermediate designers, developers, and managers.

Technology discussed in this session:
Various game sites.

Yes, the interest in learning games has exploded, along with the interest in gamification. Many practitioners want to create digital game play experiences as opposed to “Click NEXT to continue” eLearning. But when you get started in digital, how do you do it? How “game-y” does something need to be to produce solid learner engagement while maintaining the integrity of the learning experience? What best practices should you follow, and what pitfalls should you avoid? How is the design process the same? How is it different?

This session outlines the tools and techniques to use when designing learning games, revealing several simple learning games—and mistakes made in creating some of them. You will be able to identify what to do and the common pitfalls to avoid when designing a digital game. You will walk through up to five different learning games, learning the factors that influenced the fun and effectiveness of these games. Finally, you will be provided a learning game design template to use in getting started in digital game design.

In this session, you will learn:

• To identify what’s fun—and what’s not fun—in a digital games and how much fun is required for a game to be effective
• The nine game elements (cooperation, competition, rewards, resources, chance, strategy, aesthetics, story, theme) and factors to consider when incorporating into your games
• The three best practices in digital learning game design and three major pitfalls to avoid—and why
• The why, what, and how of play-testing a game
• The prototyping and game authoring tools available to those who want to dive into design and development

Audience:
Intermediate designers, directors, and managers.

Technology discussed in this session:
Construct2, Flash, JavaScript.