Games In Education

There's a lot of talk right now about games in education and how "serious games" can help learning. How does InQuizitor fit in?

Well, our approach has been quite different from most ...

Although this is a generalisation, most of the games that have been produced for education rely heavily on recreating the 3D graphics of computer games, or the immersive, avatar-based environments of the on-line role playing games.

It's an easy mistake to make if you look at computer games from the outside. However we had the advantage of a development team that not only included expertise in accelerated learning, memory and study methodologies ... but also members who have actually produced world-class, market leading computer games.

What they did was to strip away the cosmetic layers of computer games and concentrate on the underlying structure and things like pacing, ceremonies and interaction. These are the factors that really engage the player and are responsible for that "just one more try" reaction that makes the hours disappear.

Just One More Time ...

One of the interesting aspects of game-playing is that those hours are often spent playing the same game over and over again, each time trying to make a little more progress and get a better score than the time before.

This involves learning in as much as each iteration requires the player to apply everything they know about the game so far, including the new information they gained on the last attempt. That might be about how a car handles, where a health pack is located, or what kind of goods to offer a megagalactic trade federation ... but in each case the new information has to be stored away and applied to the next round of gameplay.

What's fascinating is how this behaviour transfers to InQuizitor. Although the content is far-removed from the typical computer game scenario, because InQuizitor uses the key engaging structures mentioned above ... it works in exactly the same way.

Learners are highly motivated to repeat the same quiz over and over again. Each time, they rehearse, embed and reinforce things they already know - and are typically exposed to some information that is new or forgotten. Very quickly they realise that the key to better scores in future, the way to get to the top of the High Score Table, is to apply that new information to the next attempt.

However, because questions are randomised to some extent every time a quiz is repeated, they don't know exactly when they will face the same question and realise they have to store the information away in memory in such a way that they can retrieve it upon demand at a later time.

Stealth Learning

For many learners, the thought of study is a real turn-off. It's not surprising that the idea of poring over textbooks and past papers isn't very exciting when there are so many more engaging activities competing for their time and attention.

InQuizitor uses games as part of a "stealth" strategy to engaging learners in the study process. First, it lures them with the opportunity to play games when they "should be studying". Linking the amount of "play time" to performance in the quizzes means InQuizitor subtly draws the learner into a sequence of repeating quizzes to get better scores, which in turn means more playing time. Initially, learners memorise information purely as a means to an end, but of course that information is typically the key facts and concepts that form the very foundation of the subject they are studying.

What is especially interesting is that as their scores begin to increase and their knowledge of the topic improves during this "stealth" phase, learners will often begin to place less emphasis on the games, and become more involved in the process of trying to beat their own quiz scores and competing with others on academic terms; the content and the study process become the driving force behind repeated play rather than the games.

Competition

Another interesting aspect of computer game-playing is the way in which it stimulates competition - between individuals and in the form of self advancement.

Even individuals who are not generally perceived as competitive, or even self-assured or assertive, respond positively to competition in a games context. Some take satisfaction in competing privately against themselves and repeatedly beating their best score, others will openly relish competition against their peers, and there are even cohorts who don't seem too excited by the "computer game" element but are still massively motivated by the rewards of being seen on the High Score Table based on their academic performance.

Serious Games in Action

Perhaps the most significant thing to say about InQuizitor in this context is that - unlike much of the discussion and debate - it isn't a theory or a future possibility. InQuizitor is available now and is already out in schools, engaging learners, making a positive contribution to revision and study, helping teachers raise standards and address a whole range of teaching and learning challenges.

Next Steps

Find out more about InQuizitor itself, and its practical applications.