1. It’s Hard
and that’s why (and how)
we succeed (which is a lot of fun)
Dre w Dav id so n

2. a little bit about me

3. Games & Learning
Anyone who tries to make a distinction between
education and entertainment doesn’t know the
first thing about either.

4. Games & Learning
Anyone who tries to make a distinction between
education and entertainment doesn’t know the
first thing about either.

5. Games & Learning
Anyone who tries to make a distinction between
education and entertainment doesn’t know the
first thing about either.

6. Games & Learning
Anyone who tries to make a distinction between
education and entertainment doesn’t know the
first thing about either.

7. Learning & Games
Games Teach us how to Play
Rhythmic, Repeating Structures
Master Gameplay Mechanics
Give us Agency
Impact beyond Game

8. Games make Learning Fun!
Covert Learning
So Much Fun
Don’t Even Realize You’re Learning
Gamification - Rewards & Achievements

9. Really?

10. It’s Hard
Games are HARD

11. Really Hard
Games are HARD
Learning is HARD

12. Challenge is Good
Games aren’t just Fun
Difficult Challenges
Fun has a Half-Life
Pleasantly Frustrating

13. Flow & Failure
Rewarding Challenges
Difficulty & Mastery
Develop Learning Literacy

14. Learning Literacy
How to Learn
Challenge Yourself
Create on Your Own
Life-Long Skill

15. Learning Literacy
How to Learn
Challenge Yourself
Create on Your Own
Life-Long Skill

16. Pleasantly Frustrating
The Challenge
of Games & Learning

17. Pleasantly Frustrating
Not too Simple

18. Pleasantly Frustrating
Not too Simple
Not too Hard

19. Both Learning & Games
Learning: Beginning Intermediate Advanced

20. Both Learning & Games
Games: Noob Casual Hardcore

21. Both Learning & Games
Difficulty: Easy Medium Hard
Learning: Beginning Intermediate Advanced
Games: Noob Casual Hardcore

22. Challenge is Fun
Meet them at their Mastery
Engage through Challenges
Give them Agency
Failure, Doubt, Curiosity

23. Failure
Learn from our Mistakes, Develop Grit
Fail Faster, Experiment, Explore
Rapid Prototyping
Iterate toward Solutions
Try Again. Fail Again. Fail Better.

24. Doubt
Question Answers
Challenge Assumptions
Work to Understand
Open to Changing Your Mind
To be Uncertain is to be Uncomfortable,
but to be Certain is to be Ridiculous.

25. Curiosity
Ask Questions & Engage
Lifelong Learning & How Stuff Works
Problem Solving & Cheating?
Story Telling & Model Making
Curiosity was Framed, Ignorance killed the Cat.

26. World’s Best Playground
With an Electric Fence
Learning needs Challenges
Success needs Failures
Creativity needs Constraints
Extraordinary needs Boundaries

27. Less Talk, More Rock

28. Less Talk, More Rock

29. Less Talk, More Rock

30. Transformational Games
Games for Impact
Beyond Transference
Knowledge through Gameplay
Applicable Outside of Game
Changes in Daily Lives

31. Transformational Game Design
Goals
Challenges
Rewards

32. Transformational Game Design
Goals Motivations
Challenges Assessments
Rewards Transformations

33. Hard Truth
Not Everyone is a Game Designer
Particularly Us (Academic Fallacy)
T-Shaped Expertise
Interdisciplinary Collaboration

34. Be Careful
Creepy Treehouse
Whiff of Educational
Kids can Tell & Stay Away
Bad Learning Games = Suckn

35. For Instance

36. For Instance

37. Difficulty by Design
They Know Fun, Ask More & Let Them Try
Provide Context
Shape Challenges
Show Connections
Mastery to Literacy

38. Good Learning, Good Games
Explicit Goals
Involved Engagement
Scaffolded Difficulty
Failure, Doubt, Curiosity
Accomplishment, Mastery, Literacy

39. Not about Fun
Can’t Gamify Learning
Motivate through Difficulty
Reward through Mastery
Learning Literacy
Exceed Expectations

40. Hard Fun
Pleasantly Frustrating, Engagingly Compelling
Difficulty & Mastery
Agency & Literacy
Transformational
Playing & Learning & Creating
A Child’s Work is Play

41. Thanks!
Questions?
drdrew@cmu.edu

42. Thanks!
Questions?
drdrew@cmu.edu
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