This week our topic of study was gaming and simulations. As an instructional designer, I’ve always been fascinated by the intersection of learning and play. Over the years, I’ve had the privilege of designing games for course activities, where the challenge isn’t just to teach a concept but to make the process so engaging that learners forget they’re learning. But how do you know if your game is truly engaging? For me, I found a fairly reliable metric: the fun factor.
The first time I designed a game for a course, it was a simple role-playing simulation to teach coding to kids. The idea was straightforward: learners would step into the shoes of wizards or mages and navigate a realm to defeat a dragon. Depending on their choice of character, they had specific algorithms, or spells, they could cast. The goal of the game was to teach the kids how to read the code samples that represented their spells. While my primary focus was on learning objectives, I couldn’t ignore a gnawing question: would the kids actually enjoy this?
To my delight, I found the answer when I tested it on some friends that were coders and role-playing gamers. They spent more time in the game than I had anticipated, often trying to “win” even after they had completed their reviews. That’s when I realized the “fun factor” had a direct correlation to how much time and effort participants were willing to invest.
The kids greatly enjoyed the activity and asked if we could play it again the next week. They also got great at reading the code, even catching an error my reviewers had missed. In subsequent projects, I began to embrace the “fun factor” as a subtle but powerful measure of success.
In another project, I created a Bingo-style game on a complicated topic. My reviewers were some faculty, other instructional designers, and educational technologists. I asked the faculty to review that the content was accurate. I asked the IDs to review the game flow and general design. I asked the techs to review the corner cases, or what happens when the player does weird unexpected or wrong things. Of all the reviewers, the IDs needed to "play" the game the least. Yet, one of my IDs refused to stop reviewing until she got 'Bingo.'
I noticed that reviewers would replay my games, not because they had to, but to see how different choices impacted the outcome. This replayability became a clear indicator that the game was not only fun but also thought-provoking.
Learning games have to strike a delicate balance: they must meet educational goals while being engaging enough to sustain interest. A game with no “fun factor” may achieve the former but will likely fail at the latter. When reviewers continue to play beyond their evaluation duties, it’s a sign that the game has transcended its instructional purpose—it has become something learners want to do.
This enthusiasm also translates to learners. A well-designed game encourages curiosity, exploration, and even healthy competition. It fosters a learning environment where students engage deeply with the material, sometimes without realizing how much they’re learning.
I've learned some things through my experiences with reviewers of gaming designed for education. First, feedback from a varied group often highlights whether the game appeals across different skill levels and interests. I have had some games work well for those with gaming experience, but fall flat with others. Another thing I've learned is that time spent playing and replaying can be a more honest indicator of success than verbal feedback alone. Verbal feedback on a simple tic tac toe game was minimal. Yet, reviewers played a high number of games beyond what was required for their reviews.
I've also learned to pay close attention to why reviewers stop playing. Boredom, confusion, or frustration are common reasons and they mean the game needs work. Addressing these issues can boost both learning outcomes and enjoyment.
The “fun factor” may not be a traditional metric in instructional design, but it has become one of my most reliable gauges of success. When reviewers go above and beyond their task by playing, exploring, and competing for the sheer joy of it, I know the game has hit its mark.
As I continue designing games for education, I look forward to those moments when reviewers lose themselves in play. It’s in those extra, unprompted minutes that the magic of learning truly happens.
Comments