What Games Are Good At

1. What Games Are Good At The 7-11 Talk Jesse Schell Serious Play 2013

2. Some Thoughts On Education (1692) John Locke “I have always had a fancy that learning might be made a play and recreation to children…”

3. What is a game?

4. A game is something you play.

5. But what is play?

6. Play is manipulation

7. Play is manipulation that indulges curiosity.

8. But what makes a game a game?

9. But what makes a game a game? Games have goals.

10. But what makes a game a game? Games have goals. Every game is a problem to be solved.

11. A game is a problem solving activity

12. A game is a problem solving activity approached playfully.

13. Our Dictionary • play (pla), v. Manipulation that indulges curiosity. • game (gam), n. A problem solving activity approached playfully.

14. 7/11

15. Games Are Bad At… 1) Being Cheap

16. Games Are Bad At… 1) Being Cheap 2) Tricking Students Into Learning

17. Games Are Bad At… 1) Being Cheap 2) Tricking Students Into Learning 3) Limitless Exploration

18. Games Are Bad At… 1) Being Cheap 2) Tricking Students Into Learning 3) Limitless Exploration 4) Adhering to Time Limits

19. Games Are Bad At… 1) Being Cheap 2) Tricking Students Into Learning 3) Limitless Exploration 4) Adhering to Time Limits 5) Understanding Mistakes

20. Games Are Bad At… 1) Being Cheap 2) Tricking Students Into Learning 3) Limitless Exploration 4) Adhering to Time Limits 5) Understanding Mistakes 6) Long Shelf Lives

21. Games Are Bad At… 1) Being Cheap 2) Tricking Students Into Learning 3) Limitless Exploration 4) Adhering to Time Limits 5) Understanding Mistakes 6) Long Shelf Lives 7) Staying Interesting Forever

22. 7/11

23. Games Are Good At… 1) Giving the Brain What it Wants a) Visible Progress b) Abstract -> Concrete c) Full Engagement

24. http://www.the-scientist.com/?articles.view/articleNo/34550/title/Playing-for-Words/

25. Games Are Good At… 1) Giving the Brain What it Wants a) Visible Progress b) Abstract -> Concrete c) Full Engagement d) Fantasy Motivations

26. Betty’s Brain – Vanderbilt University “These kids know these characters aren’t alive, but they get engaged with the narrative, and play pretend, and it brings out a lot of good behaviors.”

27. Games Are Good At… 1) Giving the Brain What it Wants 2) Illustrating Complex Systems

28. Games Are Good At… 1) Giving the Brain What it Wants 2) Illustrating Complex Systems 3) Keeping You in Flow

29. Games Are Good At… 1) Giving the Brain What it Wants 2) Illustrating Complex Systems 3) Keeping You in Flow 4) Showing New POV

30. Games Are Good At… 1) Giving the Brain What it Wants 2) Illustrating Complex Systems 3) Keeping You in Flow 4) Showing New POV 5) Being Authentic

31. Games Are Good At… 1) Giving the Brain What it Wants 2) Illustrating Complex Systems 3) Keeping You in Flow 4) Showing New POV 5) Being Authentic 6) Raising Questions

32. Games Are Good At… 1) Giving the Brain What it Wants 2) Illustrating Complex Systems 3) Keeping You in Flow 4) Showing New POV 5) Being Authentic 6) Raising Questions 7) Creating Shared Experiences

33. Games Are Good At… 2) Illustrating Complex Systems 3) Keeping You in Flow 4) Showing New POV 5) Being Authentic 6) Raising Questions 7) Creating Shared Experiences 8) Allowing Independent Exploration

34. Games Are Good At… 3) Keeping You in Flow 4) Showing New POV 5) Being Authentic 6) Raising Questions 7) Creating Shared Experience 8) Allowing Independent Exploration 9) Practice for Dangerous Situations

35. Games Are Good At… 4) Showing New POV 5) Being Authentic 6) Raising Questions 7) Creating Shared Experiences 8) Allowing Independent Exploration 9) Practice for Dangerous Situations 10) Creation of Teachable Moments

36. Games Are Good At… 5) Being Authentic 6) Raising Questions 7) Creating Shared Experiences 8) Allowing Independent Exploration 9) Practice for Dangerous Situations 10) Creation of Teachable Moments 11) Giving Students Ownership

37. I can learn anything myself. School is a tool, but who I become is up to me, and no one else.

38. Thanks! Slides: slideshare.net/jesseschell Twitter: @jesseschell Email: jesse@schellgames.com

39.   1) Being Cheap 2) Tricking Students Into Learning 3) Limitless Exploration 4) Adhering to Time Limits 5) Understanding Mistakes 6) Long Shelf Lives 7) Staying Interesting Forever 1. Giving the Brain What it Wants 2. Illustrating Complex Systems 3. Keeping You in Flow 4. Showing New POV 5. Being Authentic 6. Raising Questions 7. Creating Shared Experiences 8. Allowing Independent Exploration 9. Practice for Dangerous Situations 10. Creation of Teachable Moments 11. Giving Students Ownership