Game Based Learning – Competition

I don’t know about you, but I want to see who really does an awesome job at creating game based courses for learning.  In just the past few weeks, I’ve heard from many folks on my social media channels talking about how game based learning is poor, at least from what they have seen.

I can’t completely disagree with them, although I have seen some really cool stuff. The problem though, is that the cool stuff I see has been created for a specific customer and isn’t widely distributed.

Sure there is Gamelearn, but to use their game based courses you have to buy their platform where the games stay. No thank you.  If I am buying a game based learning course, I want it in my system, no yours.

Then there are the folks who push out these game based courses for the masses, you may have seen a few at various trade shows, and none of which at least to me, look inviting. Sure there are people that buy them, but there are also people who still play paper football.

Some games I have seen are “learning journeys”.  The best learning journey I saw was in the app store and along the way, you played slots.  As for the learning journey courses,  I just can’t see them as being fun.   Maybe if you are eight, but as an adult?

On the other side of the house, I’ve seen courses that are arcade style and fun to play, but the learning information is at the end of the game.  Literally.

It like playing Pac-Man and upon you losing all your lives, the game brings up your score and tells you some learning statement or two.  Then you can press the button and play again.

So I am going to challenge the game based learning course shops.  And those who create game based learning in authoring tools. Plus those who create game based learning for mass distribution (and not just this or that client).

Along the way, the readers of the blog will be able to access those courses, and leave comments (once the competitors have sent forthwith their content).   An LMS vendor has agreed to open their doors, whereas the competitor’s courses can be seen. 

Who Can Enter – i.e the competition

Anyone, who creates a game based learning course.  If you have built one that you think rocks and you did it for work, submit it.  If you created a GBL for a client. Submit it. 

Created a series of courses to sell to the online masses, pick your best and submit it.  Are you an authoring tool vendor – who wants to build their own game based online course and submit it? Absolutely. What is not a better way to show what is possible with your own tool, than by building an awesome game based learning course.

If you are a 3rd party provider who has some game based learning courses, pick the best and submit.

Target Audience

Adults.  Sorry, higher education and education is not accepted for this competition.

Types of games

Choose.  This isn’t you have to create a Pirate game and nothing else. But if you create one and its cool… kidding.. whatever best works for game based learning that you perceive, then that works for the competition.  If you have a bunch already to go, pick one.

Course Standards

SCORM, SCORM 1.2 or SCORM 2004, please.  No, AICC.

If your course is HTML or HTML5 only, contact me.  : ) 

Mobile Ready

The course has to be available to be seen on a mobile device, at least a tablet.  The course(s) will not be judged on smartphones. 

Submitting

Please send directly to me  (or [email protected]), already in its wrapper.  If the file is big, let me know and I will have you load it in my Dropbox, unless you have Dropbox and then give me access.  Or Google Drive or One Drive, etc.

Competition Kickoff

Game based learning submissions are from September 6th thru October 15th.  Judging from readers who complete a brief survey and are randomly selected will be from October 22nd thru November 15th. 

The initial judging, which includes myself and one other member of my think tank who is an expert in content development, course structure among other items.   

What we are looking for

Interactive, engaging game based learning courses. Course design is important here. Personally I think ADDIE is outdated, but if you live by it – go for it. 

If you have mini modules of games wrapped in one huge game, i.e. folks can pick a mini modules and play a game with learning in it, then that will work too.  Micro-learning games are acceptable.

More Details

• Does the game include learning within it, or is it when the whole game done?
• Is it interactive?  Does it engage the learner?  Will it impart the learner with knowledge which allows them not just to comprehend, but synthesize?
• Is the course linear in nature or can the learner bounce around to different sections or areas in the course (i.e. A to C to K to whatever)?  (And this is if applicable)
• What can the learner do in the game based course?  Is it simply a click and stare or is there something more?
• Does the course push towards retention and again synthesis or not?
• What devices can the game work on?  i.e. does it look better on a desktop/laptop or on a tablet?  Will it work with iOS only, Android only or both? 
• What other components are in the game.  For example, I’ve seen games that at the end of them, show the top scores.

Reader Judging

Voting and ability to leave comments.  If you leave a comment, just don’t say “this is great” or “this is the worst thing I have ever seen.”  Please provide some details.  But please, please, do not write a novel in there.    And let’s keep it PG13 here.  Any trolling or profanity or harassing behavior won’t be tolerated.

If you are selected to see the competition, you will be provided with the following

1. A one pager with a series of statements for you to complete when viewing the game based learning course – basic stuff here, we are not looking for ID and e-learning developer analysis here; we will take care of that.
2. A user name and password,  you will need to login.  We will be tracking, but only for the purpose of providing some analytics which will be posted in a blog dedicated to the competition.  Your name will not be listed in the post.
3. IMPORTANT – Those submitting a game based learning course, is not eligible to be a reader judge. This includes anyone (FT/PT) who works at your company (if applicable). 

Prizes for the Competitors

1. Gold, Silver and Bronze Awards, Gold is #1, Silver is #2, Bronze is #3
2. Gold: $300 to your favorite Charity;  Silver: $200 for your favorite charity, Bronze: $100 to your favorite Charity
3. Bragging Rights
4. Press Release
5. Ability to use this for marketing purposes in any manner you see fit.

Remember Key Items

 If you have one that rocks, but you built it for Joe’s Garage, ask them if you can use it for this competition or create another one. 

All course submissions will be returned unless otherwise indicated.

Please do not ask for me to sign an NDA.  The reason being is that this course will be available to those who qualify via a survey and are able to check it out in a vendor’s LMS.

For those who do submit a course, you will need to sign a document, allowing the E-Learning 24/7 blog to post your course into the LMS for viewing and to use your name in any form of marketing and advertising as it relates to the competition.

If you are one of the top three, you will need to agree to be listed in any marketing materials, including but not withstanding press releases identifying you as one of the top three.

Want to be kept in the loop regarding updates?

Updates along the way for those who wish to know and other info will appear in my Linkedin Group and soon to be released – my newsletter.

Let the games based learning competition begin.

E-Learning 24/7

Please note, there will be no blog next week, due to travel.  Next blog will be on September 13th.