Experiencing Mechanics
As learning designers, who dwell in the loophole of building learning games, we approach game design through the lens of mechanics and elements. The core drivers of any working game. Mechanics are the engines of the game: the points we’re trying to balance on cards, the number of turns, the possibilities of failure, the many actions a player (learner) can take. Yet, game design is more about the communication of an experience, and often times the same mechanic we place inside of a game can create two completely different experiences. How is that possible?
What do leaners need to know?
A great learning experience focuses on being effective first and for most, If it’s not effective, then it’s failed at being a learning experience. Being visually rich, interactive, and enjoyable are all important, but they should be used to enrich the learning, not to substitute it. A learning experience should be about helping the learners understand something they couldn’t before. The entire experience should feel purposeful, and put the needs of the learner first. So, what do our learners need?
Online Learning Design
Online learning programs (specially synchronous ones) can be a daunting experience for many learners & learning designers. For most educators are depending heavily on web conferencing tools & its functionality, rather than aiding themselves with many other complementary instructional methods/ tools of design that can turn their existing work into engaging & compelling learning experience.
Is gamification about Fun?
I have always had a problem with a specific word when it comes to gamifying a learning design & educational gamification, the word: “Fun” Yes, a problem! We receive many client requests about altering their learning curricula and training endeavors into gamified structures, yet when we get to ask why? Their answer is to make the learning more fun! So, what really is fun?
Gamification's "Steam Engines"
Gamification as everyone knows is a motivational strategy that allows a specific process to function with further effectiveness and efficiency through the people running this process using game elements in a non-game context. When this process is education-driven, then we are mainly motivating our learners to reach our specific quantifiable learning objectives using game elements and more.
Design Psychology
Designing a learning experience is all about making choices. Each chunk of knowledge, exercise, game, assessment, color, shape, line, font, text, and graphic you use will ultimately influence the message you're trying to get across to your learners.
The Sacred Trinity
In today’s upbeat market, the pressing demand for virtual learning programs was always around, even before the pandemic we are living became an evident reality. Yet, the application of virtual programs was mainly scrutinized and set as a backup option instead of an effective and full-fledged solution that can live up to the prestige of live face to face interactions.
Gagne's Nine Events of Instruction
Robert Gagne created a nine-step process called the events of instruction, which correlate to and address the conditions of learning. Gagne' introduced the 9 Events of Instruction, based on the internal and external cognitive factors that contribute to learning. The internal factors are the learner’s prior knowledge, while the external factors are outside stimuli, such as the form of instruction.
Learning Domains
I have always been a sucker for learning sciences and everything that is related to educational psychology, it is possibly one of the reasons why I fell in love in the field of learning and specifically in the division of instructional design .