Closing out the School Year

I guess you could say the first year of the Academy of Games has come to an end, or at least the trial run. I have to say I'm very pleased with the results.

Let's take a look at how far Katie and Connor have leveled up their characters.

The Character Sheets
Katie, if you remember selected a wizard character sheet. She successfully leveled up her character to a forth tier wizard, known as a "Journeyman".

Connor, selected the military character sheet. He was promoted to the forth rank of "Sergeant".

The Difference
But, character sheets aside, let's take a look at what we really accomplished. Katie, finished the year with all A's in a schedule that was virtually all AP classes. And it was her first year in middle school to boot. Pretty impressive after hearing several times from teachers during orientation that "making the jump from elementary school to middle school is a big jump and even the ones that are used to making all A's end up with a few B's or even C's." (Yeah, what a great pep talk to give to the kids during orientation.)

Connor, showed a huge turn around from the beginning of the year (pre-academy) to the end of the year. His first report card read as follows:

• Language Arts: 76
• Reading: 71
• Math: 89
• Science: 84
• Social Studies: 87
• PE: 91
• Art: 95
• Music: 95

That's not too bad a report card. But on top of all this he had behavior problems. There were lots of negative notes regarding behavior in his folder at the beginning of the year, to the point that a parent/teacher conference was called. That is the point at which we started the academy.

After we started the academy program things began to change almost instantly. To be clear, I'm not saying he didn't have ANY other problems, but they were much fewer in frequency. He was always very excited to total his points (grades) and see if he had leveled up his character again. Each time he leveled up (4 in total), he was rewarded with an approximately $20 prize.

His behavior turned around, as did his participation in classwork, and his grades.

Connor's final report card looked like this:

• Language Arts: 81
• Reading: 82
• Math: 89
• Science: 91
• Social Studies: 90
• PE: 91
• Art: 95
• Music: 94

Not only that, but he turned things around early and fast enough that he ended up making the A/B Honor Roll for cumulative grades throughout the year!

We couldn't be more proud of him.

But his improvement also speaks for what a difference becoming engaged with the schoolwork helped him stay focused and gave him a goal to shoot for. It took schoolwork and put it into terms he could immediately relate to, leveling up. It took grades (which he wasn't looking forward to getting) and turned them into experience points, something he wanted to gather as much as possible in any way he could.

Things we learned

1. It was virtually impossible to level the playing field in terms of experience points if the curriculum is different between two players. Katie had one less class than Connor did, but she ended up having many more grades than Connor. He kept wanting to race her and compete with her but it was obvious early on that it wasn't going to be a fair match (even if Connor made 100's on all his grades).

So it would be great for people in the same classes, but it was a little discouraging for Connor to see all Katie's experience points. We tried our best to level things out with 'behavior points' but it still didn't quite make up the difference.

2. We need a better way to track the experience points. Although the numbers seemed to work out ok for leveling up it became very cumbersome to manually track all the grade experience, the bonus experience, and the previously recorded experience through the schools website. An online system probably needs to be created to make this easier.

3. It seemed to work. We have results, even if the process wasn't perfect. We saw Connor visibly get excited about doing homework, and bragging when he got a lot of bonus behavior experience points. And we saw a strong improvement in his grades. The funny thing is, it really didn't take a lot to get him engaged and get him to improve. He just immediately understood the rules and 'the game'.

Moving Forward

This summer we may see if we can put together some sort of experience point scoring system, a "Quest or Mission Results" system. Next year we plan on building on this year's results. Probably giving out more "extra missions/quests" than we did and promoting other learning activities.

I can't wait.

Speaking At Dickenson Elementary

I'll be headed to Dickenson Elementary School for the third year to speak to their graduating 5th graders about games, school, and why the Pythagorean Theorem is important. But this time around I'm happy to say I'll have company. Katie will be joining me as we discuss all things games and give a short history of the past year working on our mobile game "Aniballs".

We're both very exicted. I'll post a date when it's scheduled.

Level UP!

As of today, Katie and Connor have both received their first promotion. Katie, following the wizard theme, is now an "Apprentice Wizard". Connor, who took the military route, has been promoted to Private 1st Class.

We actually updated the character sheets on Friday and found out that Katie had been promoted. Connor wasn't too happy about that. He felt that he wasn't doing as well, which completely had nothing to do with it. The fact is she simply had more grade than him, and his teachers had not yet entered all the grades into the online grading system.

Speaking of grades, we are having a little trouble keeping track of all the different scores in the system. Ultimately, it would be an online recording system and keeping track would be a piece of cake, as you would enter everything online. But, with our current basic system, things are getting a little blurrier and harder to remember where points went where.

I'm also very happy to say that Connor's teacher has begun keeping track of his behavior and ability to do his work on time on a day-to-day basis. This seems to be having an effect on his attitude and behavior in class as he's getting fewer negative notes from the teacher.

Each checkmark he gets on his sheet is worth one experience point. Each day he can earn approximately 5 or 6 poitns. The other great thing, since each of the checkmarks don't have an individual class or subject tied to them, I'm letting Connor select where he wants those points applied on his character sheet. That makes them very flexible, and to him...very valuable.

As a reward for Katie's progress to Apprentice Wizard we bought her a very magical necklace and pendant this weekend at Medieval Times. It really doesn't get much more magical than that.

And for Connor, since he officially got promoted tonight, we're looking into tracking down a set of 'real' military insignia badges to sew onto his backpack as he levels up in ranks.

They both seem very happy with their rewards, and we are very happy with their progress.

Paper Design

It's an odd thing redesigning something as simple and common as writing paper, but that was the idea when Connor's teacher and school councilor mentioned that special paper with extra guides might help him learn to write better.

Connor, basically hates writing. He actually hates most things that require him to hold a pencil or crayon. I'm not sure why or where the tendency came from, but it's the truth.

Depending on his mood, his handwriting can range from pretty elementary, to downright illegible. His baseline wanders, as does his x-height and when he's really tired, he seems to have no understanding of word spacing at all. One word flows directly into another, which flows directly into another. It's almost as if you have to translate his writing in order to read it.

The teach had a couple of samples of this special writing paper and it basically had a solid yellow bar where his lower character shapes were supposed to go and the normal guidelines as well.

I thought to myself, "Connor's not going to want to use some special kind of paper." He's never big on change and this definitely would be a change. But, what if he used special paper because it was 'cool' and 'unique' and didn't look like a throwback to his first grade days? I asked the teacher if it would be ok if I designed some paper for him, even if it had references to games he plays on it.

Her response was simple, if it gets him to write better so she can read his writing she was all for it, whatever it was.

So that day I gave writing paper some serious thought.  The theme was easy enough, Halo is one of his favorite games...we'll make it Halo paper. Then the functionality of it all came to mind. How do we get him to stay within the guidelines? The answer was easy enough, you can't write on black paper with a black pencil, so we'll just make all the negative space around the guidelines black...or just very, very dark.

Next was the guides themselves. We started with the normal top and baseline guides with the dotted x-height guide in the middle but, with the black negative space we had to add a guide for the descenders. Then I added vertical guides to help keep his letter sizes consistent, and maybe more importantly, to help with his spacing between words.

Ultimately, I was ok with him starting off with heavily themed Halo paper but I wanted to have that slowly phased out as he got better with his handwriting. So I designed  a four step phased approach where each step one of the guides or guide types was removed. By the time he leveled up to the end of the program he would be writing on normal paper. I just have no idea how long that's going to take.

Once I completed the designs we gave it a test run. I wasn't sure how well he would be able to write on the paper itself. I showed Connor the level 1 paper, which he though was very cool as it was heavily themed with Halo UNSC images. Then we gave him a sentence to write. "I like games." We wanted to try something simply because he typically tries to write the shortest sentence possible.

To our surprise he wrote "I like to play video games.". He wrote it quickly (for Connor), and it was very clear and legible. None if his words blended together. There were a couple of individual letters that took up more that the one allotted spot, but at least he was consistent about it.

We considered this initial test a huge success. Now we just needed to see how it would work at school.

So the next day I showed the teacher the paper. I had printed out 10 or 12 copies so he had enough for a few days. And she seemed to like the idea. Then we just had to see if it was effective.

At the end of the day, Danielle picked Connor up from school and he said the teacher said it was way, way, way, way, way, way (I think I got that write) than his normal writing.

Now we'll just have to see if it sticks, and if it improves his handwriting in the future.

But for now, it's another small victory.

Connor's District Benchmark Test

Just a quick update, a 'news flash' if you will. We just got Connor's District Benchmark Test in math from his backpack. He scored a 90, missing only one problem!

Definitely a move in the positive direction.

Week 1 Summary

Well we've reached the end of our first week. Both Katie and Connor earned a little bit of bonus xp this week proving they're both interested in leveling up even if it means doing a little extra work to get there.

Connor reached level 2 in Language Arts for a Level Point Total of 9.

While Katie reached level 2 in ELA (Language Arts), Math, and Art for a Level Point Total of 10. Katie has fewer classes but it appears they produce significantly more grades. To offset this, I've come to the conclusion that I'll have to give Connor more "Secret Missions" if he wants to keep up with her from an xp level.

Both kids are very excited each night when we review any new grade postings.

At this point, the system has been kept at the house, but I'm interested in talking with Connor's teacher specifically, about awarding xp for good behavior. I'm just not sure how much she will keep up with it.

The Power of a little XP

Today Connor came home from school with a little homework and one sheet that the teacher said he didn't finish up in class. He also brought home another worksheet that was incomplete and originally the teacher was saying that he had to get that done as well. That is, until she realized almost no body in the class had completed that sheet yet and so she said she would just have them do it in class tomorrow.

I took this as an opportunity to test a little theory. It was clear Connor has his regular homework to do, and he had to finish up the one worksheet, but I told him that if he finished up the OTHER worksheet, the one the teacher said they would do in class tomorrow, I would give him 10 experience points for taking on this extra mission.

He jumped at the chance. It went pretty well, but Connor being Connor he was still a little stubborn and argumentative about how he should go about doing the sheet. It took a while but he did finish it and I gave him 6 xp instead of 10 xp because he messed around so much while he was doing it.

But the point is, he did the extra work. Voluntarily.

First Impressions

I have to admit I'm a little behind on this one. I introduced the character sheets and rules of the game to Katie and Connor last Thursday night. I still think it's definitely worth mentioning their initial reactions.

I explained that each of them was going to get to create a character sheet. I asked which theme they preferred. Katie liked the "Wizard" theme while Connor was excited about the "Modern Military" theme (he especially liked the dog tag on the design). 

Then I went over their character attributes and we plugged in their classes to those slots. I told them that all their attributes start off at level 1 and how they were going to earn experience points with each grade they get in their classes, and with additional extra credit "special missions/quests" that I would give them here at home. 

They were truly excited and ready to get started, even though it was close to bedtime. Katie rushed off and returned only a few minutes later with a folder she selected to keep her character sheet in. Connor on the other hand instantly went to work trying to make up his own extra credit. 

"So what if I do my multiplication tables? Will that get me experience points?", he asked.

"Yes.", I replied, "But it's only extra credit so it would be worth 10 points, not 100."

It took him about two seconds to come up with a reply. "So if I do my 5's I get 10 points? What if I do ALL of them, do I get 100 then?"

Unable to argue with that logic, or the fact that he was making up schoolwork for himself I replied, "Sure. If you do your 1-10 multiplication tables I'll give you 100 experience points."

And off he went on his own spontaneous quest. I knew at that moment that all extra credit would have to be assigned by me in some way, otherwise he would simply pull up any bad "real grade" he got in school by doing lots of multiplication tables at home.

It hadn't been 5 minutes after Connor left before Katie walked in.

"I figured out your code.", she says. 

Since I didn't remember creating any "code" I said, "You figured out my what?"

"Your code. On the character sheet."

And she handed me the character sheet. At the top of the page I had placed some decorative design elements, mainly a line typed in J.R.R. Tolkien's elvish script from "Lord of the Rings". In a little over 5 minutes, for reasons I don't pretend to understand, she had decoded and translated the line back into English.

While I don't think that particular skill will help her in any of her classes it proved that she was definitely excited by the project, and I gave her 10 points in her Language Arts attribute for the effort.

First impressions are one thing, the true question is will it improve their schoolwork and their INTEREST in schoolwork over time?

Next week we'll kick things off officially and see how it goes. 

The Character Sheet

The first piece that I'll be introducing at the Academy is the "Player Character Sheet". This will possibly be the most important new element for the student as it will keep track of their individual achievements, progress and virtual inventory throughout the school year.

But first, lets clarify some terminology moving forward. Since we are treating the students as if they were playing a game throughout the year, let's follow that through when referring to them and the school year. Students, moving forward will be referred to as "players" while the school year will be referenced as the "game". Each game will encapsulate one school year.

By the end of this year I may have everyone speaking with a whole new vocabulary.

Now, back to the character sheets. Character sheets are not a new concept, originally they were used as the representation of players in Dungeons & Dragons in 1974. They kept track of each character's attributes, stats, inventory, and any other special notes needed to define that character in the game.

Each character sheet would list attributes such as, strength, intelligence, wisdom, and dexterity. These attributes were usually measured on a scale of 1-18. One indicated a very low ability, while 18 meant the character was as good as he could get in that specific ability.

This numbers based ability system has since been used in hundreds if not thousands of other games. It is in fact still used today in computer games such as World of Warcraft and virtually any other massively multiplayer online game (MMO) on the market. It's a system that the majority of kids who play games are very familiar with.

To make our "game" as appealing as possible to all our "players" we've given them the option of choosing from three possible playing themes, medieval wizard school, modern military, or futuristic space ranger.

At the Academy, we'll be using the character sheet to track progress through the life of the game. We'll be replacing the standard attributes of strength, intelligence, dexterity and constitution with each of the player's classes for that game.

So, for our two players, Connor selected the "modern military" theme. His attributes are reading, language arts, math, science, and social studies. He also has three "special abilities", art, music, and P.E.

Katie on the other hand selected the "wizard" theme. Her attributes are social studies, ELA (language arts), math, and science. She also has three "special abilities" which are art, dance, and choir.

The fact that Connor has one more class than Katie isn't a concern. They are in different grades, Connor in the 3rd and Katie in the 6th.

Unlike Dungeons & Dragons or World of Warcraft, we are not going to assign random values to each of the player attributes. All of our players will begin at level 1 in each of their attributes.

Being level 1 in everything you do is pretty terrible. So, how do they get better?

That brings up our next term clarification moving forward. In school, the values you get for each test or paper or activity are usually called "grades". At the Academy grades have a negative connotation which we'll get into in a later post. But for now all we need to know is that "grades" will be known as "experience points" from now on.

Players improve or "level up" their attributes by earning "experience points" (xp). The more xp they earn the faster they will advance and the more rewards they will be able to claim.

The great thing about this new system is that it can ride directly on the back of existing school systems. Which brings up yet another term. Homework, quizzes and tests are no fun. Pretty much all kids HATE them, and they hate even the mention of them. Therefore, there will be no homework, quizzes or tests at the Academy of Games. They're gone, thank you, buh-bye.

Now, give a kid a quest, a mission, or better yet, a SECRET mission and you've got his attention, and it helps him or her stay in the mindset of the game. Each of these quests, or missions are a chance for them to earn more xp, which is a chance to further level up their character and earn rewards!

Go into a class and in the middle of the lesson announce that you are giving a pop quiz and you'll get a bunch of groans and moans. Nobody likes pop quizzes. Now, go into the same class and announce in the middle of the class to be on guard that they have just encountered a 'wandering monster' or 'side quest' and I propose that you'll receive a much different reaction. When was the last time you ever had anyone cheer a pop quiz?

Kids, or probably anybody I know for that matter, can't make a connection between getting good grades and advancement. While they are "learning things" throughout each year, existing school systems fail to show true "advancement" that learning brings.

In the Academy, it's a very simple path to follow, grades earn experience, experience gains you levels, and levels gain you ranks. It's a very clear path of advancement.

But we haven't mentioned 'ranks' yet. On each character sheet is their Attribute list, their "total level points" and two tables. The "level table" shows how many experience points are needed before a player can raise their attribute rating by one point or "level up" an attribute. While the "rank table" shows how many levels must be earned before getting promoted to the next rank. The ranks are themed along with the character sheet. So, while Katie begins as a "novice" and is trying to work her way to "Grand Master", Connor, with the modern military theme, begins as a 'private' and is trying to earn his way to the rank of 'Command Sergeant Major'.

We'll break down exactly how this leveling up process is handled in a later post, for now it's just worth emphasizing that there is a very clear path for each player. Each player will see almost immediately how getting good grades, or bad grades effects his ability to level up.

On the character sheet you'll also find a listing of "special items", which I have still to work out the details of but it's worth mentioning that it has a place on the sheet.

And that's pretty much the makeup of our character sheets. It's something that players will use for the whole game. Ultimately, I'd love for the player sheets to be found online, but for our first run we'll be handling them the old fashion way...with pencil and paper.

Welcome to the Academy!

"Stop playing games and do your homework!" 

"Are you just going to sit there all day in front of that computer?"

"That game's going to rot your brain."

These are statements heard almost daily across the country. Games and education, for many, seem to be at opposite ends of the motivational spectrum. While some people may spend dozens upon dozens of hours a week in the virtual world of Azeroth playing World of Warcraft, you typically don't hear of too many kids spending the weekend laboring over their algebra homework.

But what if we could do something to combine games with learning. What if we could make solving a huge algebra problem just as fun and rewarding as slaying a dragon in World of Warcraft? 

Then maybe, just maybe you might hear one of these statements...

"I know it's dinner time but I'd really like to go over my multiplication tables a few more times."

"Maybe I can finish up this English paper on Sunday. I really like how it's coming together."

"A pop quiz. YES!!!"

I mean, are games and schoolwork all that different? Each has activities that you are required to learn before advancing forward. Both have a scoring system. Both have 'levels' through which you advance through. Both even have small repetitive tasks that you perform again and again and again before you can attempt a larger challenge.

It seems games and schoolwork actually have quite a bit in common. 

Lets also examine for a moment what skills are required to create a computer game. There's the obvious computer skills like programming which carries a heavy amount of math and mathematical formulas. Then there's the art, sound effects and music. The writing. The research. In many games there is a fair amount of physics, geometry and trigonometry. And given the right subject matter for the game it may contain, history, government, biology, astronomy or even psychology. 

I don't know about you, but that list starts to sound an awful lot like my middle school and high school days.

In fact, I would go as far to say, given the right game theme, you could learn any subject matter found in our modern middle school or high schools.

Why then are these two things, that have so many similarities, so far apart in the minds of kids today? Why isn't schoolwork fun? 

Maybe the better question is, "Why can't school be more like a game?"      

That's the driving question behind the Academy of Games. 

My name is Todd Cowden and I have nearly a decade of experience in the gaming industry as a creative, as a game designer and as a developer. I've helped build games for companies such as Universal Pictures, LEGO, Microsoft, Post Cereal, Lucasfilm and many others. Creating those games was fun, but the thing I'm proudest of in my life is my two kids Katie and Connor. 

Katie and Connor are both big gamers. They've both been playing games pretty much since they could touch a mouse. And both have learned a lot from playing games. Katie was reading at at least a 2nd grade level when she started kindergarden, mainly from playing Disney's Toon Town massively multiplayer online game. Connor has a better understanding of World History at age 8, than most high school students I know in no small part because of games like Civilization and other real-time-strategy games.

I can, without any hesitation what-so-ever, say that games have helped them with school. But that still doesn't quite make school 'fun' for them. We still have to get onto Connor when it's time to do homework, especially when a controller is in his hands. 

The Academy of Games is a program to make school more like a game. It's handled mainly in the presentation. It rides on top of the existing education system instead of reinventing the entire system. 

As of last week I've rolled out version 1.0 of the Academy's program to both Katie and Connor. 

This blog will follow their progress through the rest of the school year as we apply the Academy's scoring system, advancement system and reward system to Katie and Connor's schoolwork.