Though games are great for affective and experiential learning, designing them can be an arduous journey. It therefore helps to have a method to the madness!
Step 1: Be Targeted
Your biggest enemy is over-reaching, trying to convey all of life’s lessons in 1 game. Be targeted. Identify just one or two aha moments that will be the catalysts for reflection.
Step 2: Gamify the Learning Experience
Much like writing the first paragraph of an essay, conceptualisation is always characterised by second guessing and mental blocks. Try drawing from past experiences of what fun meant. Don’t be afraid to change, combine or take apart those ideas.
Step 3: Craft out the Peaks
Peak experiences give birth to aha moments. For learners, this could be as exhilarating as succeeding despite all odds or as sobering as facing failure time and time again. Either way, peak moments matter as they can be the difference between a successful game and a dud.
Step 4: Challenge your Worldview
Pick the game apart and trial different aspects. Do the mechanics work? Are the peak moments really what you had in mind? Along with testing your assumptions, you are inadvertently taking stock of your intended learning outcomes and challenging the stories you tell yourself as you put the critical pieces together.
Step 5: Brace for Failure
Even after the prototypes, there’s every chance the game may flop with the actual group of learners. No matter how much of a perfectionist you are, blindspots are inevitable. As learners and fellow facilitators give you feedback, jot them down. When the dust has settled, run the inputs through a fine-tooth comb. Take what makes sense to the vision and chuck what doesn’t.
“Play is the highest form of research.”
-Albert Einstein
#gamedevelopment #learningdesign
