Presentation slides from the LEEF 2011 conference (http://www.goleef.com)

1. Compelling User Experiences
for Learning
Julie Dirksen
Usable Learning - LEEF

2. How did we get here?
Flow?
Sure Andy, no
problem…

3. Pop Quiz
How you do you say:
“Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi”
cheat code

4. What’s Flow?
Flow: The Psychology
of Optimal Experience
By
Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

5. High
Anxiety Arousal Flow
Challenge Level
Worry Control
Apathy Boredom Relaxation
Low
Low Skill Level High

6. The Flow Channel
Ability
Challenge
- Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience
by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

7. Why are YOU here?
First Person to say “engagement” gets a prize!

8. Video
Game
Stare

9. What do you want to teach?

10. Three Things
• Structure
• Goals and Feedback
• Immediacy

11. What if riding a bike was like playing a video
game?

12. What if riding a bike was like playing a video
game?

13. What if riding a bike was like playing a video
game?

14. What if riding a bike was like playing a video
game?

15. What if riding a bike was like playing a video
game?

16. What if riding a bike was like playing a video
game?

17. What if riding a bike was like playing a video
game?

18. What if riding a bike was like playing a video
game?

19. What if riding a bike was like playing a video
game?

20. Now, what if riding a bike was like a typical e-
Learning course?

21. Now, what if riding a bike was like a typical e-
Learning course?

22. Now, what if riding a bike was like a typical e-
Learning course?

23. Now, what if riding a bike was like a typical e-
Learning course?

24. Now, what if riding a bike was like a typical e-
Learning course?

25. Now, what if riding a bike was like a typical e-
Learning course?

26. Now, what if riding a bike was like a typical e-
Learning course?

27. What does your learning look like?

28. What’s happening in the brain?

29. What is going on when you are learning
something new?
Well, areas like
your frontal cortex
gets busy. It
starts burning a
lot of fuel, and
hits its limits
pretty quickly.

30. What is going on when you using a regular
pattern you already know?
That leverages
parts of the brain
that can run
without a lot of
conscious
attention.

31. Glucose Metabolic Rate after several weeks of Tetris Practice

32. Most e-Learning is biking straight uphill
Module 1 Module 2 Module 3 Module 4 Module 5 Module 6
Intro New Info More new Even Yet again Summary
Whew
Info more new with the !
Info new info

33. Games, on the other hand…
Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4 Level 5 Level 6
Some Stuff you Stuff Stuff Stuff Boss
new stuff, know you you you Fight
pretty plus a bit know, know know,
easy more maybe a plus a kicked
though little bit more up a
faster notch

34. It’s a lot like flow:
Ability
Challenge
- Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience
by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

35. It also allows you to pay attention to what’s Whew
different. !
In this model, everything is new and
everything is important (so nothing is).

36. It also allows you to pay attention to what’s Whew
different. !
In this model, the new material is
mixed in with existing stuff, so the
new material stands out.

37. We all need a rest sometimes: Whew
!
If you don’t give people a break, they will
take it anyway.
Wait, this is Brain
important dead,
leaking
Tuned out out the
ears
Kind of
Uh huh. distracted
Okay, I
Uh huh...
get it

38. So, let’s look at a game
http://bit.ly/mSEBvT

39. Now you try
http://bit.ly/pzomb

40. What did you notice?

41. Using this for Learning

42. Next, let’s talk about GOALS
Image Attribution: modified version of an image
from Sebastian Deterding, “Don't Play Games
With Me! Promises and Pitfalls of Gameful
Design” June 15, 2011 via Slideshare, Creative

43. Ever been rock climbing?

44. Micro-level goals

45. Medium Goals

46. End Goal!

47. Even if you don’t notice it…

48. Even if you don’t notice it…
The Art of
Game Design
By
Jesse Schell

49. Keep it balanced
Ability
Challenge
- Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience
by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

50. Plants vs Zombies Level Difficulty
http://www.slideshare.net/gwertzman/the-making-of-
popcaps-plants-vs-zombies

51. How are goals handled in the workplace?
Annual Performance
Annual Performance
Review
Review

52. How are goals handled in the workplace?
It will be rainy
and 65
Annual degrees one
Performanc year from
now.
e Review

53. Instead of this…
Image Attribution: modified version of an image
from Sebastian Deterding, “Don't Play Games
With Me! Promises and Pitfalls of Gameful
Design” June 15, 2011 via Slideshare, Creative

54. …we get this

55. What this ISN’T
Chunking Content
Image Attribution: modified version of an image
from Sebastian Deterding, “Don't Play Games
With Me! Promises and Pitfalls of Gameful
Design” June 15, 2011 via Slideshare, Creative

56. What this ISN’T
Chunking Content
These are accomplishments

57. Accomplishments Content
How can I How long is
use this? this chapter?
And this?
And this?
I just got the
I just
database
successfully
integration
wrote “Hello
working for my
World” to
leaderboard
the
application. I
database.
RULE.
Oh good, I
Okay! I know that just finished
somewhere in one of chapter 7.
these chapters or books,
there will be something
that helps me troubleshoot
the asteroids motion. I’m
going to check the online
forum again.

58. Leveling up

59. For example: Todd – A
brand new
manager
• How could you create levels and
accomplishments for new manager
training?

60. Create Levels for Todd
• What would the levels be?
• What would the achievements be for each level?

61. Now you map it
Image Attribution: modified version of an image
from Sebastian Deterding, “Don't Play Games
With Me! Promises and Pitfalls of Gameful
Design” June 15, 2011 via Slideshare, Creative

62. Making Progress Visible

63. Immediacy
I don’t
need to
worry
about that
yet…

64. Why are brains like elephants?
Why is our brain like a child riding an elephant?
Jonathan Haidt – The Happiness Hypothesis

65. Child = conscious mind / executive function (prefrontal
cortex)

66. Elephant = everything else

67. Sometimes the elephant is willing

68. Other times...

69. So, get the elephant’s attention?
”try to make just-in-case
learning feel more like
just-in-time learning”
- The always fabulous
Kathy Sierra

70. What are you using here?
• How many people have had to take the written drivers
test lately?
Right of Way and Yielding
Right-of-way and yielding laws help traffic flow smoothly and safely.
They are based on courtesy and common sense. Violation of these
laws is a leading cause of traffic crashes.
When two vehicles reach an intersection at the same time, and there
is no traffic light or signal, the driver of the vehicle on the left must
yield to the vehicle on the right.
-Minnesota Driver’s Manual
• Think about how that feels.

71. Now, how about
this?

72. If there’s no urgency...
Most of the burden is on
the executive function
(e.g. frontal cortex).

73. Learning without urgency:
Relying solely on the executive function
is like:
Gasp!

74. What happens when there is urgency?
Mid-brain areas (e.g. limbic system
/ amygdala are saying:
“PAY ATTENTION! This could
be important.”

75. Learning with urgency:
Learning that engages the whole brain
requires much less conscious effort:

76. What makes it work?
• Balanced gameplay
– Expectation
– Surprise
– Reward

77. Good surprises are good
• Pleasant surprises cause a dopamine spike
“PAY ATTENTION!
If this is good, then
you want more.

78. Even bad surprises are good
• Unpleasant surprises cause a dopamine drop.
“PAY ATTENTION!
This is bad. Avoid in
future.”

79. No surprises are bad
Hmm. I wonder
what I should
have for dinner...

80. How can you make your topic more immediate?

81. Questions?
Julie Dirksen
Email: julie@usablelearning.com
Blog:
http://usablelearning.wordpress.com
Twitter: usablelearning