Game-based learning can be a powerful tool. But how do you know when it’s the right strategy? And if it is, how do you go from idea to execution? This course helped librarians make informed decisions about using games in learning and guided them through the entire design, development, testing, and implementation process.
The Challenge
Librarians face difficulties engaging students, especially when teaching concepts, presenting information, or training skills that students believe they already know or don’t see immediate value in.
To engage students in an exciting and effective way, librarians were interested in using games. However, they lacked a clear framework to determine if game-based learning was the right solution and, if so, how to design and implement it.
The Solution
We created a self-paced course to guide librarians through the process of designing and prototyping games for the classroom. Using Cathy Moore’s action mapping approach, we ensured the course was both practical and aligned with real-world librarian challenges
Key Actions in the Game Design Process
Decide whether to use a game
Consider the following questions:
- Does the instructor support using games?
- Are students willing to engage?
- Can the learning be “messy”?
- Can students finish playing in one session?
- Can you design a game that learners can win only by meeting learning outcomes?
Create a game
When designing a game, give careful thought to selecting the elements—goals, choices, rules, and design features—that support the learning outcomes.
- Identify the goal: the “win” and “lose” conditions.
- Identify player choices. Strike a balance between too many and too few
- Write clear, detailed rules, including examples.
- Select design features: genre, competition/cooperation, risk, aggressiveness, player interaction
Facilitate (playtest) a game
Test your game early and often:
- Test as soon as you can after you have written the rules.
- Use the target audience, with the instructor present
- Provide all assets, even if they are in ugly prototype form.
- Resist the urge to “help.” Instead, take notes on what problems arise.
- Don’t be afraid to abandon ideas about your game if they don’t work!
Customize a game
Adjust on the fly. If the game is too hard:
- See if players can play in pairs.
- Look for ways to increase economies, e.g. extra cards.
- Modify or eliminate penalties for failure.
If it is too easy:
- Inverse the changes above.
- Have learners play multiple times.
- Add a time element.
The Process
We worked closely with our SME to extract key insights and translate them into practical, decision-driven scenarios. By alternating theory with hands-on examples, we created an interactive course that evolved through multiple iterations, refining the balance between theory and application.
The Outcome
Initial feedback was positive. Here’s what reviewers said:
- “The consequences seemed realistic, making the scenario applicable to real life.”
- “I liked the examples of games that could be used to teach concepts.”
- “The course was very interactive and easy to navigate.”
- “The information was well-paced, with manageable chunks of content.”
Key Takeaways
Action mapping provided a valuable framework that ensured every step in the process was purposeful and aligned with learner needs.
An iterative approach, continuously refined through feedback and testing, allowed for a balanced mix of theory and hands-on examples, ensuring the course met the evolving needs of librarians while maintaining practical relevance in real-world settings.
Just as with online courses, customizing a learning game on the fly is essential to meet specific learning objectives and student needs. The course emphasized the importance of adapting the game during both the testing and implementation phases, ensuring it remained effective and engaging for students.