Designing e-Learning that Scores with the Gamer Generation

By Eric R. Parks, Ph.D., President/CEO, ASK International & COO, TeraLearn.com, Inc.

I sat quietly as I helped my 13-year-old daughter load a new Lord of the Rings software release on our PC. She has been playing games for over three years now and loves new challenges. A few hours after we loaded the software, I poked my head into our home office and noticed that she had already reached level three of the game’s six difficulty levels. I asked her to take a break and help her mom and I pull dinner together. She reluctantly joined us.

Later that night when everyone was asleep, I could not get the game out of my mind. When I was 13, I did not have computer games to play with. We played team games or board games like Clue or Monopoly. Life and its consequences were not so immediate. Distractions were minimal. My favorite toy was a large box that I pretended was a rocket ship and I was an astronaut.

Unable to sleep, I quietly got up went into the office, turned on the PC and launched the game. I did pretty well for the first 10 minutes, but could not survive a particularly vicious attack by a group of Orchs. I made a note to ask my daughter for some pointers and went back to bed. As I fell asleep I pondered how different the experiences of the gamer youth of today are from mine growing up.

The new worker generation has a unique set of experiences that make them special. “Got Game: How the Gamer Generation Is Reshaping Business Forever” (Harvard Business, $27.50) by John Beck and Mitchell Wade is an interesting book that I recommend for trainers discovering how unique the new Gamer Generation is. It examines how this new generation, weaned on full motion animation, torrential sound, and gaming intrigue, thinks and feels. The book points out that:

• While distractions at work, such as interruptions, can be a challenge for baby boomers like me, the post-baby boomer generations often view disruptions as just part of the game.
• This new generation is great at multi-tasking. The same skills they exhibit in game play, such as “rapid task switching,” are great strengths. Working toward deadlines and juggling multiple tasks is natural for these workers.
• Winning matters to the Gamer Generation. When I played Pop Warner Football, my coach would always say that it was not whether you win or lose but how you play the game. But Gamers need to understand how their work helps the company win.
• Gamers like a variety of work and love to be challenged. Boring, repetitive tasks are difficult if not downright painful for these workers

Case Example: Product Knowledge Online Games and Simulations

My organization (ASK International – www.askintl.com) just finished designing 70 online learning product knowledge modules for one of the nation’s largest financial institutions. The target audience was new hire front line workers, 16 to 21 years of age. Yes, the Gamer Generation. After an initial brainstorming session, we came up with a design strategy that incorporated the following:

• Every module would be about 15-20 minutes long
• Each module would incorporate a simulation in which the learner serviced customers and, in the process, learned about the organization’s products and sales methodologies
• Each module would include an end-of-module assessment in the form of a game that provided detailed feedback with review links.

In Beta testing, over 80% of this audience rated the training as excellent. The target audience loved this design. So why was it such a hit?

The chart below examines how e-Learning with heavy role-play/simulation/gaming responds to Gamer Generation characteristics. It demonstrates why games work so well with this audience.

Design Recommendations

From my experience, here are some recommendations for incorporating games and simulations into your online learning designs:

1. When designing for an audience that includes Gamers and non-gamers, go with games. I have found that games work well with all audiences, albeit best with Gamers.
2. Use familiar design metaphors such as racing, Jeopardy, bowling, baseball, Clue, Tic-Tac-Toe, etc. This will save your learners time in understanding how to play the game.
3. Incorporate highly graphical illustrations and sound effects. Remember, Gamers are used to photorealistic graphical images; they will be disappointed with two-dimensional, flat drawings.
4. Build games that keep score and invoke competition. For example, if you design a racing game, have the learner compete against the computer. This technique motivates the learner to win the game and to demonstrate their knowledge and quick responses.
5. Build in randomness and surprises. Distractions are a part of work life and Gamers are adroit at handling distractions and incorporating these into work. For example, in one simulation game module we built, emails that provided best practices and suggestions are delivered to the learner at key points. The emails could have been viewed as a distraction, but we found they served as an important reinforcement and worked great for the audience.
6. Build in time clocks that adapt the pace of the game to the success of the learner. One example is a flashcard game that speeds up as the learner gets more right answers and slows down if they get more wrong.

It is essential to match our instructional designs to the needs of our learners. Learners of the Gamer generation have a learning and work style that is ideal for instructional gaming. Games leverage Gamers’ strengths in multitasking, their competitiveness, and their penchant for self-skill development. For examples, please see the ASK e-Learning Arcade Demo at http://www.askintl.com/homepage.asp.

About Eric R. Parks, Ph.D.:

Dr. Eric Parks founded ASK International in 1983 as a premier distance learning design and development firm. His design philosophies have been featured in trade journals such as Training Magazine, Technical Training, Online Learning, Creative Training Techniques, Training Directors Forum, LineZine and The Training Manager's Quick Tip Source Guide, 2002 Jossey-Bass Inc. Publishers. Dr. Parks supports fundraising opportunities at ASTD chapters and not for profit organizations. Please contact Nicole Sigstad at 916-536-1279 or nicole.sigstad@askintl.com for additional information.