107 Learning Games: Aligning Game Elements and Learning Objectives
10:45 AM - 11:45 AM Wednesday, October 24
Jamaica AB
When designing learning games, there is a tendency to overcomplicate gameplay and overshadow the learning objectives. Designers often focus on complex rules of play, convoluted UX, and using too many game mechanic elements. One L&D team was tasked to create two engaging games for new-hire orientation. Where do they start, what are the learning objectives, and how can game mechanics align with learning objectives?
This session will explore the creative process used in creating two types of gamified activities for a new-hire orientation. It will cover several game mechanic elements, such as points, leaderboards, narratives, discovery, challenge, and progression. Throughout the session, you will learn the process behind identifying the learning objectives and aligning the game mechanics to complement each objective. In the end, you’ll see how all of these elements combine to create a simple, engaging, and functional game used in onboarding sessions. The end product combines both digital and analog game components.
In this session, you will learn:
- Basic game mechanic elements
- About aligning game mechanics to learning objectives
- About resources used to create the final playable product
- About combining AR into analog game play
Audience:
Designers, developers, managers, and senior leaders (directors, VP, CLO, executive, etc.).
Technology discussed in this session:
HP Reveal (AR) and 3-D printing.
Keith Sensing
Training Specialist
American Homes 4 Rent
Keith Sensing is a training specialist at American Homes 4 Rent. He has been involved in multimedia design and the education industry for over 20 years. Keith has developed eLearning and multimedia and lectured for organizations including SAE Institute, the International Academy of Film and Television, the Audio Engineering Society, and Learning A-Z.
Reggie Jose
Training Specialist
American Homes 4 Rent
Reggie Jose, a training specialist with American Homes 4 Rent, is an instructional and learning developer with a decade of training experience. He has worked alongside such companies as 5-hour Energy and MGM Resorts and also runs a small 3-D printing company with his wife. Reggie's work has run the gamut from eLearning and curriculum design to video game design and development, from 3-D modeling and printing to playwriting and stage performance. Reggie holds a BS in psychology and theatre from Fairmont State University and a Recording Engineer Certification from Recording Workshop.
208 The Modern L&D Toolkit: Where Does Gamification Fit In?
1:15 PM - 2:15 PM Wednesday, October 24
St. Croix B
If you’ve ever wondered why video games skyrocket in adoption, it’s because they’re created with a complex behavioral science foundation and psychology behind the scenes. For L&D professionals, these same principles can become practice through gamification, allowing you to take your initiatives to the next level. But before blindly jumping on the new, shiny-toy bandwagon, it’s important to understand what a successful gamification strategy entails and how to ultimately drive behavior change.
Before getting carried away with the gamification hype, it’s crucial for L&D professionals to understand that there’s more to it than just badges and leaderboards. This session will dive into the innovative ways businesses are using game-based mechanics, aesthetics, and game thinking to impact employees from day one: onboarding. You’ll explore the steps you can take to incorporate gamification into onboarding to create engaged and motivated employees, leading to increased productivity and retention.
In this session, you will learn:
- What the core drivers of motivation are, and how they relate to gamification
- How to thoughtfully implement gamification into onboarding and L&D programs
- What to avoid when implementing gamification strategies
- How gamification can increase engagement and impact productivity
Audience:
Designers, managers, and senior leaders (directors, VP, CLO, executive, etc.).
Shelley Osborne
Head of Learning Experience
Modal
Shelley Osborne is passionate about creating corporate learning cultures that enable continuous skills development and nurture a growth mindset to drive employee engagement and company performance. She has over 15 years of experience across the education, consulting, and corporate sectors. Shelley is currently the head of learning experience at Modal. Recently, Shelley was the vice president of learning at Udemy, where she led the company's learning strategy and continuous upskilling of employees globally. In her work, she often leverages innovative technologies and fresh approaches like virtual reality and gamification to drive lasting engagement.
SELR105 Using Games to Make Your Training More Effective
2:15 PM - 3:00 PM Wednesday, October 24
Expo Hall: eLearning Rockstars Stage
Employee training expenses in North America exceed $70 billion each year. Unfortunately, much of that learning is passive, dull, and uninteresting—in other words, not effective. An alternative to this type of training is to provide active, interesting, and engaging instruction—in other words, effective instruction. This session will showcase how game-based training motivates learners, improves retention, and drives better business results.
This session will explore six performance objectives and align a unique game mechanic with each one. You will create and play a meaningful, motivational, and memorable game and compete for real-world prizes. This session will provide you with a new toolkit for game-based training and some exercises that you can bring back to your corporate classroom.
In this session, you will learn:
- How to identify the right game mechanic for your training objectives
- How to build fun and effective custom training games in minutes
- How to analyze detailed data analytics to assess learning gaps and behaviors
- How different game types and mechanics can help increase knowledge retention
Audience:
Novice to advanced designers, developers, managers, and senior leaders (directors, VP, CLO, executive, etc.).
Technology discussed in this session:
This session will leverage The Training Arcade to create a game on a PC, and any attendee will be able to play the game on their phone, tablet, or PC with WiFi.
Karl Kapp
Professor
Commonwealth University
Karl Kapp, EdD, is a professor of instructional technology at Commonwealth University in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania who teaches instructional game design, gamification, and online learning design. He keeps busy internationally consulting, training, coaching, and counseling established companies, academic institutions, and startups. He co-founded L&D Mentoring Academy, which helps midcareer learning professionals move to the next level. Karl has authored many books and created several LinkedIn Learning courses. In 2019, he received the ATD Distinguished Contribution to Talent Development Award. His YouTube series, "The Unauthorized, Unofficial History of Learning Game," is his current passion project.
Stephen Baer
Chief Solutions Officer
ELB Learning
Stephen Baer is Chief Solutions Officer of ELB Learning, Forbes.com thought leader, and EdTech speaker with over 20 years of experience creating immersive training solutions. He focuses on leveraging eLearning, game-based learning, interactive video, and virtual reality to re-skill learners, change behaviors, and foster continuous learning. Previously, Stephen was Co-Founder of The Game Agency and Director of Marketing at Atari Inc. He holds a B.A. from Oberlin College and an M.B.A. from Columbia University and serves on the Board of Advisors for the Life Sciences Trainers & Educators Network.
307 Increasing Sales Through eLearning Simulations, Card Games, and Board Games
3:00 PM - 4:00 PM Wednesday, October 24
St. Thomas A
You are struggling to find ways to increase sales within your organization through learning design. Every minute a salesperson is away from selling costs the company money. You need fast, effective, and impactful models of how to develop sales training that works.
In this session, you will learn about three methods to create effective sales training and positive selling outcomes. One is the example of converting a live classroom role-play into an online simulation, which increased sales by 12 percent at a medical device company. Second is an example of how a customized card game helped sales representatives embrace role-plays and discover how to apply the company sales model to realistic situations. Third, you will learn how a board game helped pharmaceutical sales representatives learn how to conduct a “whole office call” using consultative selling techniques.
In this session, you will learn:
- The steps needed to convert a live, in-person role-play to an online simulation
- How you can use board games to teach complex systems
- About the positive impact that sales simulations and games can have on a sales force
- Design principles that make sales-based learning interventions effective
Audience:
Designers and senior leaders (directors, VP, CLO, executive, etc.).
Karl Kapp
Professor
Commonwealth University
Karl Kapp, EdD, is a professor of instructional technology at Commonwealth University in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania who teaches instructional game design, gamification, and online learning design. He keeps busy internationally consulting, training, coaching, and counseling established companies, academic institutions, and startups. He co-founded L&D Mentoring Academy, which helps midcareer learning professionals move to the next level. Karl has authored many books and created several LinkedIn Learning courses. In 2019, he received the ATD Distinguished Contribution to Talent Development Award. His YouTube series, "The Unauthorized, Unofficial History of Learning Game," is his current passion project.
407 Gamification vs. Game-Based Learning
10:45 AM - 11:45 AM Thursday, October 25
Montego A
Gamification is the integration of game mechanics, or game dynamics, into a learning experience, while game-based training can be defined as a game designed for the purpose of solving a problem. However, these words are being used in parallel by the industry, and it can be quite confusing. This session will explain the key differences and definitions that can assist practitioners in ensuring they use the wording appropriately.
This session will focus on the clarification of gamification and game-based training. Using examples from the industry, this session will help to explain each of the learning experiences and discuss the best practices in their development. This will also include a breakdown of how to implement either of these aspects into your learning experiences.
In this session, you will learn:
- The differences between gamification and game-based learning
- How to determine if someone is learning from games
- When games are appropriate to use
- Why games are the future of learning
- Key aspects of gamification
- What makes up serious games
- How to implement gamification and serious games in the workplace
Audience:
Designers, developers, managers, and senior leaders (directors, VP, CLO, executive, etc.).
Technology discussed in this session:
Unity, VR, AR, and badging and rewards systems.
Andrew Hughes
President
Designing Digitally, Inc.
Andrew Hughes is the president of Designing Digitally, Inc. and has over a decade in the strategical planning and development of enterprise custom gamified learning solutions for government and Fortune 500 clients. Andrew is also a professor at the University of Cincinnati and prior to this was a contractor for the US Department of Education, Ohio Board of Regents, and General Electric. Andrew oversees a team of 30 employees and is focused on ensuring the clients’ challenges are met with engaging, educational, and entertaining learning experiences.
SELR203 The Hero’s Journey: Exploring Elements in Learning Games
12:15 PM - 1:00 PM Thursday, October 25
Expo Hall: eLearning Rockstars Stage
This session will explore often-overlooked game elements that focus on the story—the narrative—which can take surprisingly little time to craft, but can make all the difference. You’ll explore a proven model with examples that demonstrate these elements in detail. Core concepts from the hero’s journey apply to all incredible stories—from Rocky Balboa to Indiana Jones, these elements are the reason people care to dedicate their attention.
This session defines key elements of effective storytelling popularized by Joseph Campbell in his 1949 work “The Hero with a Thousand Faces.” Campbell was influenced by Carl Jung’s view of myth and the compelling nature of stories that draw people into alternate realities where they ultimately learn about themselves through protagonists and antagonists. Attendees will be encouraged to “up their game” when it comes to learning games. Take the narrative deeper, and leave behind uninspiring games that so often dominate the landscape of learning. With just a bit more thought and creativity, online learning games can become so much more.
In this session, you will learn:
- How to apply a proven model for effective game elements that follows best practices for storytelling and narrative
- How to challenge conventional thinking about what makes a great game
- How to design basic elements in your games to elevate the immersion and engagement factors
- How to evaluate game elements within the context of the Hero’s Journey model
Audience:
Novice to advanced designers and developers.
Technology discussed in this session:
Storyboarding, scripting, and eLearning authoring tools: Articulate Storyline and Unity.
Richard Vass
VP Customer Success
eLearning Brothers
Richard Vass is a dynamic, experienced consultant and professional facilitator with over 25 years in the field of human performance and development. As co-founder and director of customer experience at eLearning Brothers Custom, Richard has forged a number of deep relationships with leaders in the field of professional learning services and has provided significant contributions to an impressive list of clients. Prior to eLearning Brothers, Richard co-founded impact Solutions, a professional learning services company service focusing on comprehensive learning solutions for domestic and international clients with a focus on the MENA region. Â
507 Developer Secrets: Avoiding Common Mistakes in Creating Serious Games
1:15 PM - 2:15 PM Thursday, October 25
Antigua B
Organizations are increasingly using serious games in their learning, development, and assessment activities. But designing and developing custom serious games requires a different set of skills than traditional eLearning creation. What skills do you and your team need to create successful serious games, and what people will you need to partner with in order to have a smooth development process?
Drawing upon experience making serious games for learning, development, and assessment, this session will cover common mistakes organizations have made (or allowed their developers to make) in the procurement, design, development, and employment of serious games. You’ll then discuss the strategies for overcoming these issues so you can lead successful serious game initiatives.
In this session, you will learn:
- Effective strategies for selecting a serious game design and development partner
- About mistakes commonly made by organizations in scoping their serious game efforts
- About the typical cycle of iteration of a serious game design
- About the stakeholders within and external to the organization that should be consulted in a serious game employment plan
Audience:
Designers, developers, managers, and senior leaders (directors, VP, CLO, executive, etc.).
Technology discussed in this session:
Diverse examples of serious game design.
Jennifer McNamara
VP Serious Games
BreakAway Games
Jennifer McNamara is a vice president of serious games at BreakAway Games. She has spoken at Serious Play; the Annual Conference of the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology; the Interservice/Industry Training, Simulation, and Education Conference (I/ITSEC); Game Developers’ Conference; Games for Change Festival; ATD TechKnowledge; and ATP Innovations in Testing. Jenn directs the nonprofit Serious Games Showcase and Challenge. She received the Audience Choice and Game Changer awards in the Association of Test Publishers’ Innovation Lab (2017) and awards for the most innovative new product demonstrations (2016 and 2017). Jenn holds an MEd from Penn State and a BS from Drexel.
607 Preparing Your L&D Team to Run Gamification Programs
3:00 PM - 4:00 PM Thursday, October 25
Antigua B
There’s a lot of buzz around gamification, and plenty of confusion about what it really means to gamify a corporate training or eLearning program. One thing is clear: It’s much more than just adding badges to your training. It’s about finding the right motivators for your audience and promoting the desired actions or skill sets without getting bogged down in meaningless measurements and mechanics.
Use gamification mechanics and motivators to generate needed change and enable your organization to meet your business objectives. Through hands-on application combined with anecdotal and empirical data, you will experience the good, the bad, and the ugly of gamification strategy design so that you can prepare your L&D team to run their own gamification programs.
In this session, you will learn:
- How to turn dull and dry content into an engaging course
- How to design with progressive levels of motivational elements
- How to deliver any type of content in a way that learners will easily and readily accept
- Four techniques to add gamification to your training programs immediately
Audience:
Designers, managers, and senior leaders (directors, VP, CLO, executive, etc.).
Monica Cornetti
President
Sententia
Unlike other gamification practitioners, speakers, and consultants, Monica Cornetti has focused intensively on the latest immersive engagement techniques and the latest research in the adult education, corporate training, and talent development fields. A gamification speaker and designer, Monica was recognized as #1 in the Most Influential Women in Gamification who have created a legitimate impact in the gamification industry. At the intersection of learning and play, she is leading a team of trusted, cutting-edge curriculum designers and developers to improve the performance of individuals and organizations across the globe.
807 Case Study: How Mini Learning Games Drove Retention at FCA
10:00 AM - 11:00 AM Friday, October 26
Montego B
Just like FCA dealership sales consultants, many employees have to recall hundreds of facts at a moment’s notice. FCA typically improves performance using traditional blended learning approaches. With the advent of mobile gaming, they realized that they needed to explore new ways of helping learners retain information. And the end result needed to be easy to access, quick, and facilitate frequent and extended engagement.
FCA’s solution: BrainBoost, a platform that serves up a suite of mini learning games. The games are mobile and designed to last three to five minutes, so consultants can play in between sales or after hours. Keeping it short and having an “anywhere, anytime” approach encourages frequent and ongoing engagement. The games primarily use repetition and gaming elements to allow consultants to quickly and accurately recall information. And FCA created a gaming management system that universally handles login, peer-to-peer challenges, and a leaderboard to bring learners back.
In this session, you will learn:
- About FCA Performance Institute’s strategy for mobile learning games
- How to create a game management system to support a suite of mini games
- Core steps and tools to design and produce a learning game
- How to use repetition, a variety of gaming elements, and other techniques to increase retention
- Approaches that FCA used to keep learners coming back
Audience:
Designers, developers, managers, and senior leaders (directors, VP, CLO, executive, etc.).
Paul Gustafson
Manager of Interactive Strategy, Design, and Production
FCA US
Paul Gustafson is a manager of interactive strategy, design, and production at FCA Performance Institute. He is a pioneer in the field of digital learning and has directed the design and creation of over 2,300 high-end user-centric interactive learning initiatives. For over 32 years, he has been creating leading-edge and highly effective learning systems, courseware, and tools for multiple audiences, content, and channels. Working with his team, he integrates thoughtful innovation, instructional techniques, engaging interactivity, and smart features into everything he does. Paul has his own collection of critical design elements and is always looking at emerging methods and platforms to impact learning.