Serious Games: Learning for the Igeneration - Research Paper Example

Serious Gaming Author: Institution: Introduction The assumption has always been that gaming has been created for the young to entertain them. However, research shows that an average gamer is aged 35 yrs. Furthermore, the most people who game are heads of households who spend three times as much time gaming than working out, community volunteering or taking part in any sports activity (Phaedra & Raleigh). As (Tim, 2009) defines it, serious gaming has aspects that focus on rules, goals to be achieved, challenges to be conquered and interactivity that can go a long way in building individuals. It beats logic that education has embraced eLearning providing students with the same content as they would in a classroom. Not to say that this is wrong, but by failing to focus on using this opportunity to enhance the ability of the student, then little advancement is made in how they think and tackle issues. The monotony of using course work to educate employees seems to be getting old and boring. Besides, the current workforce has the majority of their employees aged 35 years and below, and this generation is equipped with use of Google. That means that whatever course work the organization may offer, they can as well easily run through the summaries from Google. A survey carried out in the United States showed that 50 percent of the organizations had adopted the use of games as a method of training their employees among this organization is Brandon Hall Group’s. There have been notable advantages of using computer games. The players hand eye coordination is said to improve, this is because games involve targets and swift movement like temple run. Others like the IQ tests increase brain activity and helps the players thinking process. Football manager is a game that involves the player in managing a team to play over seasons. The player learns how to strategies and has to think through how to best succeed in the sport. Such skills can be transferred to the life of an individual (Taiwo, 2014). This paper will focus on the various ways in which these games are used as training tools and what the employees, as well as students, are able to pick up from them. Design bases for games There are key principles behind games that guide the designers. 1. Motivation Key principles of education are to create an internal driving force. Part of what gaming does is to create an intrinsically induced drive. The importance of having people tap motivation from within is that they can do things without being pushed around. The likes of Malone and Lepper have been known to have come up with the taxonomy used in taping into this motivation for computer games. Some of the features that are identified to motivate an individual to include the ability to control, take up challenges, creation of fantasy and curiosity as well as the ability to master. All these are found in computer games. The other inter-personal components include competition, co-operation and ability to recognize who the enemy is (Lynda & Pedagogical, 2012). Unlike conventional learning methods, use of games has had the ability to capture the emotions of the player such that one can endure and thus achieve the objectives of the game. This can be seen as a driving force. 2. Cognitive training This comes from the cognitive apprenticeship that has borrowed from the theory of situated cognition. The idea behind it is that for one to learn effectively, they need to embrace authentic activities as well as the contexts. By using games to put a player in a context that would occur in the real world, the player gets an opportunity to learn how to solve the problem. The beauty of it is that, in gaming, you can fail and retry until you've achieved what you needed to achieve. The game also gives the individual feedback in the form of scores or even replaying their errors. Thus, the player can learn lot. In organizations where such training would have cost them lot to train their employees, knowledge is gained easily and cheaply through gaming (Ranj). 3. Constructivism The idea behind this is that the player has to participate the learning process actively. Therefore, the player is expected to apply the knowledge they have to understand the concept of the game. The beauty of this is that the players are at easy and do not fear taking up the challenge. They apply their understanding, and when they fail, they go for it again. The games created have a problem based learning idea behind them. By the end of the level, the player will have gained knowledge and an enriched experience (Lynda & Pedagogical, 2012). Lev Vygotsky talks of social constructivism as a measure to which one considers the social context they are in. By introducing social constructivism, the learner is not supposed to work alone but to be part of a network. The Zone of Proximal Development, the learner can get the support they need to achieve the task in hand (Vygotsky, 1978). 4. Self-determination theory In some areas, one is needed to have the ability to work on their own in achieving tasks. The theory suggests that people can take up tasks and fully commit to them without the help of others. As long as the freedom is there, the individual just needs to feel competent enough and in control of the situation to successfully execute the task. The gaming experience has been known to offer this to the player. The idea is that this confidence need to be translated in their work environment (Lynda & Pedagogical, 2012). Benefits of Gaming 1. An effective tool for knowledge management. A research carried out among students showed that serious gaming was an effective tool for increasing knowledge acquisition and helped in managing their competence. The students had a greater interest in the class they took and had a positive attitude toward the challenges presented (Caroline, Sandra & David, 2014). With the rate of globalization, there is a need for diversification in the way things are done. It is no longer about working hard; it is about working smart. Thus, students and employees need to be equipped with the knowledge that will allow the business environment be more connected and well collaborated (Phaedra & Raleigh). Helps in leadership building Most times, programs on leadership training are offered where people gather and are taken through coursework that contains this information. However, one cannot fully lead with the knowledge only unless given an opportunity to lead. Serious gaming offers an individual an opportunity to lead. One can practice whatever theoretical information on leadership they have, they can learn new skills that they observe in the games and measure their capabilities in the leadership role. It is important that a leader can identify goals, issue directives for actions to be taken and plan how an action is to be taken (Helen, 2014). 2. Problem solving A research carried out by a group of student revealed that those who had been presented with a serious game where able to translate their problem-solving technique in real life. Their scores in solving a problem in reality after experiencing a challenge in the game were better than that of their control group (Jaime & Ruby, 2011). Gaming helps players think of dynamic ways of solving a problem. The alternatives to getting out of a situation are offered to ensure that one can achieve their goal in the game. It is important to note that a player is often faced with a challenge that requires him to offer a solution almost immediately. With this, the player is always prepared and ready to respond immediately to a situation presented even in real life. Areas in which gaming can be used for training The main reason corporates are turning to gaming as a method of training their staff is because, gaming has proven to be cost effective, and results are achieved. The games have been developed to provide a contextual environment where the employees can identify if they can deliver. 1. Medical field In the medical profession, the practitioners are required to undergo training throughout their practice year. Thus for them, education does not end in their school coursework. The introduction of serious gaming is of an essence in this field. As gaming provides a learning opportunity and at the same time entertains, the combination of these two components make it an effective tool for their demanding field. Patients can also be taught useful health habits using serious games. By allowing doctors to engage in gaming, their hand eye coordination is improved, this will be most important for surgeons as their accuracy will also be improved. (Francesco & Lucio, 2014). Gaming has been used as a tool for psychotherapy, this is because some games involve motions that can help the patients in improving their body movements. 2. Finance A game called economia has been created for employees for the European Central Bank working in the finance department. It allows the learner to obtain knowledge in internal rates exchange, inflation, and production growth. Other games have been designed to help identify ways of optimizing defaulted collections. Thus, for the player to win, the bank must make a profit while the customer ends up satisfied with the service provided. Another game identified as the True office has been key in replacing one of the most boring pieces of training, the compliance training. It gives opportunities to explore anti-money laundering and also allows managers to assess the performance of their employees (Lynda & Pedagogical, 2012). In the finance sector, accuracy is key or else serious losses. Therefore there’s need to improve brain activity and performance. Engaging in regular brain teasers and puzzles are a good way to help improve their performance. 3. Business Deloitte has been one of the leading companies in embracing gaming as a method of training their employees. The employees can experiment with a model that represents the firm in a near future. Their decisions are supposed to impact the company just as it would be in reality and in this way, they can learn how to manage the firm effectively. They also have a leadership Academic that is currently being used by over 50,000 people. Those who sign up develop their communication skills, sharpen their leadership skills and can identify and develop talents in their company (BankersLab). Management and strategic planning are important in business. Taking up challenges similar to football management can help the players acquire such skills. 4. Military There has always been a need for improving the performance of the soldiers. With the development of nuclear weapons, aircrafts, the internet, and space communication. There are always new threats that crop up. Therefore, the use of serious games can help prepare soldiers for war in case one occurs. The important thing is to ensure that technologies blend. Such examples include the American Army, which is known for providing educational and training insights to those seeking such information and at the same time provide entertainment (Sule). Hand and eye coordination are important in aiming and shooting targets. Gaming allows military members handle machines that difficult to control and thus can practice how to operate them before going to the field. Development of serious games. There are factors to consider when coming up with a serious game for an organization. These factors include: 1. The game should as much as possible capture the reality in its 3D animation. That would mean that the designers have to consider the environment of the place, be it an office situation or a field and translate it into the game as a carbon print. 2. Set up the expectation of the task. What is the player set to achieve? This has to do with the job and how the game relates to it. 3. Instructions should be brief, and the players should almost immediately be presented with a challenge. 4. It is important that the player is challenged. This would mean that it is important that there be targets to be achieved. 5. There would need to drop hints that can help a stuck player. It would be advisable to give the player a chance to feel like a collogue is lending a helping hand to them 6. Reference material would be good. The players should be able to refer to materials readily available in the office. 7. People like been appreciated and told when they are making positive progress. Therefore, it is important to give periodic feedback to let the player know they are making positive progress. 8. At the end of the game, it is important that a report is provided to the player. Hints of what can be done to improve performance in future (Tim, 2009). Example using a military game. A while back, during the major wars, the military would deploy most soldiers in one area to fight in the war. But recent time's things have changed. Now, small units are often called on duty to attend to issues in the urban setting that may include responding to terror, to carry out humanitarian activities, and so on. Therefore, when designing a game, these environments should be captured and allow for communication as they would in the field. The game should capture and relate the various activities to one another, 1. Movement, there is often plenty of movement in their field. Therefore, this should be well captured 2. Perception is also important. As the objects move about, they will tend to interact with one another; therefore, they should be able to perceive whatever they come across as a threat or as an aiding tool. 3. The exchange will also need to be captured. This may involve the exchange of information among the moving objects or of important items. In normal battlefields, one soldier may run out of certain commodities, like water or fuel. Thereby, the exchange is an important aspect of training the soldier on such occurrences. 4. Engagement. This would involve confronting a target. Therefore, this gives a soldier an opportunity to perceive distance and the actual shooting. There should also be choices of weapons that will allow the soldier to select the weapon he needs and fire. 5. Reasoning. The system software is used, should provide reasoning that can relate to actual real life situations. There will be no learning if everything is just imaginary. Thus, the artificial intelligence should be programmed to match the thoughts of a person. Military concepts. The military concept involves the use of tactics, deployment of the tactic to carry out tactical operations in a strategic manner to acquire results. Military tactics are units that have the assets needed to attack and destroy the enemy. There is a commander identified as a tank commander that uses the available resources to control a situation. The resources needed are those that help detect the enemy, observe them and listen in to the conversations they are having. This information helps them carry out an attack, respond to security measures in place and even plan defense strategies. Different countries will use different deceit tactics. One of them is identified as the crescent tactic. The tactic group splits into 3, one to the left, the other to the right and the last in the middle. The ones in the middle begin the attack. The other two surround the enemy and help in the attack. The military will always have the defense and offense strategy. Such strategies may include attrition warfare that involves attacking the enemy with the aim of depleting its personnel. The bait and bleed employ the divide and conquer strategy. For defense, use of the defense in depth seeks to buy time for the soldiers. The retreat strategy seeks to withdraw the military from the battlefield and the boxing maneuver seeks to force an attack from all sides (Sule). The games. 1. It is important for any military game to capture the issues highlighted above. The games should facilitate: 2. The training of the players to respond to specific cases. 3. A combination of cases that would lead to interdependence and relationship between each one. 4. Combination of different tactics for successful mission 5. Utilization of camouflage should be utilized. The uniforms should as well be correctly matched. Conclusion Serious gaming is becoming an integral part of eLearning. If approached with the seriousness needed in the design, then results are sure to impress. Training can be made cheaper and more effective by the use of serious gaming. The important thing that an organization should ensure is that the game designer takes into account critical aspects of the organization. The gaming industry will continue to be a billion dollar industry. Instead of using it as an entertainment tool, it is important that we use it for the greater good that is equip students and employees with skills and values that matter. Reference Phaedra & Raleigh, (Internet), cited October 2015, available from: http://m.ibm.com/http/www-01.ibm.com/software/solutions/soa/newsletter/oct09/article_seriousgames.html Carol C. (Internet), cited October 2015, available from: http://www.gameonlearning.com/library/implementing-serious-learning-games-familiar-territorytraining-execs.cfm Ranj.serious games (Internet), cited October 2015, available from: www.ranj.com/training%20games Helen R., 2014, (Internet), cited October 2015, available from: www.totemlearning.com/totemspoll/2014/2/6/how-can-serious-games-help-leadership-development BankersLab, (Internet), cited October 2015, available from: www.bankerslab.com/a-smart-guide-to-serious-gaming-part-3/ Taiwo K., 2014, (Internet), cited October 2015, available from: taiwokareem.hubpages.com/hub/Impact-of-computer-games-on-the-society Jaime S. & Ruby O., 2011, problem solving and collaboration using mobile serious games, computers & education, vol. 57; 1943-1952. Tim N., 2009, serious games: learning for the igeneration, Development and Learning in Organizations, vol. 23 no. 4, pp. 12-15. Caroline B., Sandra B. & David V.2014, Serious games: leverage for knowledge management, The TQM Journal, Vol. 26 No. 3, 2014, pp. 235-252 Jamie S. & Ruby O., 2011, Problem solving and collaboration using mobile serious games, Computers & Education vol.57; 1943–1952 Sule Y., Serious Game Design for Military Training, Gjøvik University College Lynda D. & Pedagogical L., 2012, the Use of Serious Games in the Corporate Sector, Trinity Technology and Enterprise Campus, vol. 28. Lynda Donovan Read More