{"id":2629,"date":"2019-08-19T06:00:58","date_gmt":"2019-08-19T13:00:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/inspire\/?p=2629"},"modified":"2019-08-20T11:10:23","modified_gmt":"2019-08-20T18:10:23","slug":"games-as-a-model-for-motivation-and-engagement-part-1","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/inspire\/2019\/08\/19\/games-as-a-model-for-motivation-and-engagement-part-1\/","title":{"rendered":"Games as a Model for Motivation and Engagement, Part 1"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

I am an avid gamer. For some time, I have been thinking about how engaging games are and whether this quality can be leveraged for other purposes; like instruction. Put more simply \u2026 What is it about games that makes them so engaging? Is there something about this that we can use as educators?<\/strong> Granted, these are not new questions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Meghan Naxer<\/a> recently posted a primer on Self-Determination Theory (SDT), Self-Determination Theory and Online Education: A Primer<\/a>.<\/em> I believe SDT does an excellent job describing much of what makes games so motivating and engaging. Indeed, games provide an excellent model of SDT and can inform us on how the three basic psychological needs (autonomy, competence and relatedness) might be met in learning environments. I hope to build on some of the concepts introduced in Meghan\u2019s post.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is the first in a series of posts on games as a model for SDT. In part 1, I look at the convergence of Autonomy<\/em>, Competence<\/em> and Relatedness<\/em> in gaming and online learning in relation to building community and intrinsic motivation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Autonomy: Open World<\/strong>s<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Games are becoming increasingly complex, particularly in the arena of Open World<\/a> games where players are allowed to choose their own paths (autonomy). Entire worlds, even universes, exist for you to immerse yourself in, each with their own history and internal logic. You are often thrown into a new world with few instructions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, in the Open World game No Man\u2019s Sky<\/a>, millions of stars and planets are procedurally generated just for you, unique to your specific game. When this game begins, you appear on an alien planet next to a broken space ship. Your space suit is running out of oxygen. No instructions, just urgent messages from your onboard computer on toxicity and your decreasing oxygen levels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The complexity of modern open world games is more than can be reasonably covered in a tutorial. Besides, a significant part of what makes the game engaging is the autonomous exploration and discovery. You decide how you will play the game, in what order you will do things and at what pace. Being told how to play the game is far less interesting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here is the internal logic of No Man’s Sky<\/em>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n