Recently I’ve talked a number of groups about making experiences more playful. Instrumental in those discussions has been a consideration of the elements at our disposal. Here is my combination of the various definitions of game mechanics offered by Wikipedia, SCVNGR & Gamification.org. Achievements – Achievements are a virtual or physical representation of having accomplished something. Action points […]
Archive | User Experience
RSS feed for this sectionGoogle Glass in the Classroom
Here’s an interesting infographic about the educational potential for Google Glass from the good people at informEd. We live in an age when progress is not driven by need but opportunity: it’s always exciting to see what we can do with new technology. Google Glass, like the growing list of technologies delivering real time information […]
Learning stories
If we believe that learning can be a profound, life-changing experience, we cannot merely scratch the surface of a subject but must burrow deeply to its core. No question worth answering is easy. It takes time and effort. Increasingly many learning providers seem scared of expecting this level of commitment. Many people mistakenly believe that […]
Who’s winning with game-based learning?
This week the UK’s National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) released a study examining the latest research about game-based learning. The main findings in the NFER report were: The literature was split on the extent to which video games can impact upon overall academic performance. The studies consistently found that video games can impact positively on […]
Game Mechanics and Learning Theory
To bring together the series on how learning theories overlap with games, I’ve drawn up a table of how game mechanics relate to the ideas about how we learn. By using and combining various definitions of game mechanics (Wikipedia, SCVNGR & Gamification.org), it is possible to map how dynamics correspond to the various learning theories. […]
Where should you post your status update?
The ease of connecting with the world through social media doesn’t always compensate for a lack of discernment. The proliferation of channels means that we are inundated with options but often ignore the choice not to post at all. This graphic from iStudio describes the decision tree beautifully.
What students want
After an eleven year break from formal regular lecturing, I have started a final year module at the University of Bradford. I’m really pleased to be working so closely with students again: I’ve always found it tremendously exciting to be surrounded by people with so much talent and potential. My years out of academia have […]
Even better if
I have the pleasure and privilege of working with all sorts of people. I’m continually learning from them. On my piece of work for the UN, I am collaborating with a long-time friend, Karen Ardley. Karen has successfully run her own business, Karen Ardley Associates, for many years now and is one of the UK’s […]
Failed Sim
I have had the pleasure and privilege of attending and presenting at this year’s Games + Learning + Society conference in Madison, WI. My talk was one in the wonderfully honest, encouraging and educational strand, Hall of Failures. The strand was an opportunity to share experiences of projects that have delivered surprising results or haven’t […]
Tweets this week
Some of the articles that have caught my eye this week. Games The seduction secrets of video game designers from The Observer http://j.mp/jXRfP4 Interesting article from @gamasutra – Unsocial ‘Social’ Games http://j.mp/kaItTZ RT @dripster: “Hollywood shuns intelligent entertainment. The games industry doesn’t. Guess who’s winning?” http://bit.ly/iEcxHk Psychology Value of art? Men who visit galleries, museums & theatre enjoy better health […]