1. First International Workshop on
Story-Telling and Educational Games
STEG’08 Online Gaming as Tool
for Career Development
Darko Dugosija,
Vadi Efe,
Stephan
Hackenbracht,
Tobias Vaegs,
Darko Dugosija, Vadi Efe, Stephan Hackenbracht,
Anna Glukhova
Tobias Vaegs and Anna Glukhova
Maastricht, Netherlands, September 16, 2008
Informatik 5, RWTH Aachen University, Germany
Lehrstuhl Informatik 5 “Man only plays when in the full meaning of the word he is a man,
(Informationssysteme)
Prof. Dr. M. Jarke and he is only completely a man when he plays.” (Schiller)
I5-KCGHR-0908-1

2. Outline
STEG’08 Introduction
Darko Dugosija,
Vadi Efe,
Survey facts
Stephan
Hackenbracht,
Tobias Vaegs,
Anna Glukhova
Results
Conclusions and outlook
Lehrstuhl Informatik 5
(Informationssysteme)
Prof. Dr. M. Jarke
I5-KCGHR-0908-2

3. Introduction
Observation: Today’s Internet usage becomes more
STEG’08
extensive and further reaching each day.
Darko Dugosija,
Question: How do real and virtual life influence each
Vadi Efe,
Stephan
Hackenbracht,
other?
Tobias Vaegs,
Choice of Topic: Video gaming – because it is the
Anna Glukhova
first truly digitalized hobby.
Problem: Little existing scientific background
Lehrstuhl Informatik 5
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Prof. Dr. M. Jarke
I5-KCGHR-0908-3

4. Survey facts
performed on a self-built on-line platform
STEG’08
considered aspects:
Darko Dugosija,
– gaming – career (job/school)
Vadi Efe,
Stephan skills, personal relations, money, personal assessment
Hackenbracht,
Tobias Vaegs,
Anna Glukhova – gaming – friendships/relationships
situation of hobbies, positive/negative influence on
friendships/relationships, interchange offline/online contacts,
personal assessment
– gaming – group interaction
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team play, motivations, gender, technical competence, personal
(Informationssysteme)
Prof. Dr. M. Jarke assessment
I5-KCGHR-0908-4

5. Survey facts
1088 participants
STEG’08
on average everyone filled in two of three parts of our
Darko Dugosija,
survey => ~725 responses for each part
Vadi Efe,
Stephan
Hackenbracht,
Tobias Vaegs,
Anna Glukhova
more than expected free statements given (>300)
survey promoted on forums, social networks, e-Mail,
mailing lists, Usenet, personal websites, blogs,
personal networks
Lehrstuhl Informatik 5
(Informationssysteme)
Prof. Dr. M. Jarke
I5-KCGHR-0908-5

6. Results: Outline
Demographics
STEG’08
Motivations
Darko Dugosija,
Vadi Efe,
Stephan
Learning by playing
Hackenbracht,
Tobias Vaegs,
Career effect
Anna Glukhova
Conflict handling
Lehrstuhl Informatik 5
(Informationssysteme)
Selected quotes
Prof. Dr. M. Jarke
I5-KCGHR-0908-6

7. Results: Demographics
Our demographics match those of the online gaming population and our survey
participants are well educated.
STEG’08
Fig.1: Distribution of the
age of the participants
Darko Dugosija,
Vadi Efe,
Stephan
Hackenbracht,
Tobias Vaegs,
Anna Glukhova
Fig.2: Education of the participants
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Prof. Dr. M. Jarke
I5-KCGHR-0908-7

8. Results: Motivations
Fun and relaxation are by far most
important, while learning is usually
not a motivation.
STEG’08
Aspects of team work are usually
similar in real and virtual life.
Darko Dugosija,
ratio
Vadi Efe,
both only real only virtual (both vs. RL+VL)
Stephan
Hackenbracht, Comradeship 36.4 % 18.7 % 9.8 % 1.3 : 1
Tobias Vaegs,
Joint effort 42.3 % 13.8 % 9.8 % 1.8 : 1
Anna Glukhova
Not letting others down 36.2 % 16.1 % 8.6 % 1.5 : 1
Shared victory 40.2 % 9.3 % 16.1 % 1.6 : 1
Fig.3: Motivations by gender
Overcoming conflicts 22.7 % 17.1 % 11.4 % 0.8 : 1
Rely on each other 39.0 % 17.8 % 8.6 % 1.5 : 1
Identification 11.7 % 9.3 % 7.9 % 0.7 : 1
Defined responsibilities 19.4 % 16.1 % 15.0 % 0.6 : 1
(Other) (6.8 %) (4.4 %) (3.0 %)
Lehrstuhl Informatik 5 Tab.1: difference between team play aspects in real and virtual life
(Informationssysteme)
Prof. Dr. M. Jarke
I5-KCGHR-0908-8

9. Results: Learning by playing
Players acquire several Fig.4: Ratio of skills acquired
by gaming compared to related activities
transferable skills while gaming,
and a few more by related
STEG’08
activities.
Darko Dugosija,
Vadi Efe,
Stephan
Hackenbracht,
Tobias Vaegs,
Anna Glukhova
Spearman's rho Positive
Influence
Number of Correlation
0.397
Acquired Coefficient
Skills
Sig. (2-tailed) 0.000
N 593
Tab.2: Correlation between positive
Fig.5: Number of acquired skills while gaming
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influence and number of acquired skills
Prof. Dr. M. Jarke
I5-KCGHR-0908-9

10. Results: Learning by playing
Fig.6: Distribution of acquired skills
Gaming related skills are
rated high as expected, but
STEG’08 also foreign language skills
due to international gaming
communities. Those skills
could often not be acquired
Darko Dugosija,
Vadi Efe,
easier in different ways
Stephan than gaming.
Hackenbracht,
Tobias Vaegs,
Anna Glukhova
Fig.7: Possibility of acquiring
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(Informationssysteme) skills by other means than gaming
Prof. Dr. M. Jarke
I5-KCGHR-0908-10

11. Results: Career effect
Value df Asymp. Sig. (2-sided)
STEG’08
Pearson Chi-Square 23.186 4 0.000
Likelihood Ratio 24.347 4 0.000
N of Valid Cases 440
Tab.3: χ²-test of Fig. 6
Darko Dugosija,
Vadi Efe,
Stephan
Hackenbracht,
Tobias Vaegs,
Players usually do not
Anna Glukhova experience negative influences
of gaming if playing only
reasonable (i.e. ≤20h/week)
amounts of time.
Fig.8: Hours played during times of negative influence
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Prof. Dr. M. Jarke
I5-KCGHR-0908-11

12. Results: Career effect
Fig.9: Comparison of genres
played during times of positive
and negative influence
STEG’08
Darko Dugosija,
Vadi Efe,
Stephan
Hackenbracht,
Tobias Vaegs,
Anna Glukhova
There is a noticeable difference
among the genres regarding
positive/negative influence on the
career, which should be considered in
TEL game design.
Lehrstuhl Informatik 5 Fig.10: Overall influence on career/school
(Informationssysteme)
Prof. Dr. M. Jarke
I5-KCGHR-0908-12

13. Results: Conflict handling
Tab.4: Reasons to engage in a ratio
STEG’08 conflict in real and virtual life both only real only virtual (both vs. RL+VL)
Challenge 28.7% 7.9% 31.1% 0.7:1
Seeing others lose 4.2% 3.0% 15.7% 0.2:1
Justice 19.2% 37.6% 6.3% 0.4:1
Victory 19.6% 4.2% 32.7% 0.5:1
Darko Dugosija,
Vadi Efe, Blow of steam 6.8% 7.2% 15.7% 0.3:1
Stephan
Hackenbracht,
Dislike of someone 10.7% 17.3% 8.4% 0.4:1
Tobias Vaegs, (Other) (5.8%) (7.2%) (4.7%)
Anna Glukhova
Conflicts are more easily
engaged in virtual life, as there
are less severe consequences
to be expected.
Fig.11: Overall influence of gaming on social skills
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Prof. Dr. M. Jarke
I5-KCGHR-0908-13

14. Results: Selected Quotes
“Married for 24 years, husband and sons (21 and 17) game
together with me frequently.”
STEG’08 “Games like Final Fantasy VII/VIII allowed me to use
advanced strategies from a young age, again, helping me in
a way school never could. I would say in my first five
years of gaming, I learned at least twice as much as I did
Darko Dugosija, when I attended school.”
Vadi Efe,
Stephan “Video games had much effect on my creative and I might
Hackenbracht,
Tobias Vaegs, say artistical side. It is because of them that I am now
Anna Glukhova on Graphical design university, and studying and learning
programs like Maya and 3ds max.”
“I'm a terrible sport player, so I enjoy most teamwork in
games. Teamwork, especially in large group, is much more
accessible and easier in virtual world than in real life.
Large team raid rocks when everyone is trying their best.”
“I enjoy social gaming but know that it's not reality. I
Lehrstuhl Informatik 5 can switch off myself when I switch off the computer.”
(Informationssysteme)
Prof. Dr. M. Jarke
I5-KCGHR-0908-14

15. Conclusions and Outlook
STEG’08 useful considerations for designing TEL games
– proven: possibility of learning through gaming
Darko Dugosija, – focus learning on transferable skills
Vadi Efe,
Stephan
Hackenbracht, – hide the learning aspect behind fun and relaxation
Tobias Vaegs,
Anna Glukhova
– games well suited for learning conflict management
concept of virtual life truly justified
survey data suitable for more analysis
Lehrstuhl Informatik 5
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Prof. Dr. M. Jarke
I5-KCGHR-0908-15

16. STEG’08
Thank you
Darko Dugosija,
Vadi Efe,
Stephan
for your attention!
Hackenbracht,
Tobias Vaegs,
Anna Glukhova
Questions?
Lehrstuhl Informatik 5
(Informationssysteme)
Prof. Dr. M. Jarke
I5-KCGHR-0908-16