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Hi Lucy-Ann, good to hear from you. I like the way you have framed your question within your wider objectives, which seem to be about engaging more formal and informal learners, as part of fulfilling your mission objectives. So we are talking about both learning and promotion, including: - quality of learning experiences (for schools and others) of the game - other learning opportunities you are developing - promotional value of the game already developed, - other ways of engaging people with your learning offer I had a quick look at the game on my iPhone. There seems to be a lot on offer via the game, and it may be worth thinking about how you could repurpose some of that material (assuming you retained appropriate rights on the main assets) for other platforms, or even revising it to make it more mobile friendly, and to simplify the 'value propositions' to users. Either way I think it definitely would be worth doing some quick evaluation / user testing sessions with the game as it is currently before deciding whether or not to make it the focus for your promotional offer. As regards promoting to teachers, my view (based on extensive experience but no large scale coherent research) is that worth of mouth is most important. Real, face to face events are the most effective driver for that. I realise that geographical location may be an issue for you locally, but there is not reason why you shouldn't put on events in London or other areas where you might get significant take up from schools. Peter has just emailed with very sensible some suggestions re promotion online. For non-formal learning contexts, your website,other websites and social media seem like viable channels, but it will be important to keep the overall 'message' as simple as possible. I think perhaps the key point is to disentangle the 'promotional' and 'learning' roles that the game and other learning opportunities might be playing, and to consider / evaluate effectiveness against each of those areas separately, before reviewing in the round again and deciding what to do. I realise most of this is very general but I hope some of it will be useufl to you and to others participating in this 'surgery'. Best wishes Martin ---------------------------------------------------- Martin Bazley Digital heritage consultant Martin Bazley & Associates 15 Margin Drive Wimbledon SW19 5HA 0780 3580 727 [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]> www.martinbazley.com<http://www.martinbazley.com/> From: Lucy-Ann Pickering [mailto:[log in to unmask]] Sent: 24 March 2014 12:39 To: Martin Bazley; [log in to unmask] Subject: RE: "Games for Learning - A Waste of Money?" DLNET surgery 24 March 2-5pm Digital Learning Network Dear Panel, I was wondering if you might have any thoughts or advice on the following please. Our museum currently has an app that goes with an exhibition we have at the Tower of London. It's been a year since the app was created and now we are wondering what more we could do with it or how we might promote its use in family and other educational settings. The development of the app was part of a bigger project and so whilst its costs were covered, we would still like to make it work for us and increase its use. http://www.hrp.org.uk/TowerOfLondon/stories/palacehighlights/CoinsandKings/mintmaster We're also producing some downloadable word searches and flash cards with other things hopefully to follow in the future. I think we are happy with what we are producing in terms of content, as these kinds of thing have been requested by teachers and people who work with families, but I am not sure how to promote them in a way that will bring them to the attention of the 'right' people without spending lots of money on flyers or other advertising. Are there any recommendations you could give for raising the profile of such resources that already exist? Thanks very much Lucy-Ann Lucy-Ann Pickering Education and Learning Manager From: Digital Learning Network DLNet [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Martin Bazley Sent: 24 March 2014 11:41 To: [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]> Subject: FW: "Games for Learning - A Waste of Money?" DLNET surgery 24 March 2-5pm Digital Learning Network Hi, here is a quick update on this afternoon's online 'surgery' looking at games for learning, from the facilitators for this surgery (DLNET committee members): Alice Heywood, National Library of Scotland Stuart Berry, National Coal Mining Museum Martin Bazley, Digital Heritage Consultant We will be available later to offer help to anyone who may not know anything at all about this area, but may be considering doing something involving games, or just interested. So please get in touch with any questions you might have, relating to specific projects or potential projects you are thinking about, involving games (in the widest possible sense) and learning (formal or informal). + A quick reminder of how to get in touch + Email the DLNET email list. Anyone can join for free and it only takes a minute: see http://www.digitallearningnetwork.net/email-list/ It was good to see a number of people joining the list after we announced the surgery last week - we look forward to hearing from you. Don't be shy! You can also participate via Twitter using hashtag #DLNETsurgery +++ Some key questions / points to consider +++ + How are museums using games for learning? + Wide range, from some relatively straightforward quizzes (let's not worry about whether or not any of these count as 'games'), apps helping people explore galleries or spaces, including geocaching and treasure hunts, more serious 'game' type games, whether online or in gallery, and other interactions relying mainly on social interaction, etc etc. Quizzes - are they mainly for assessment, or for learning, or both? + I want to use games for learning - where do I get started? + - Have a look at this repository of examples and evaluation of museum and other games http://museumgames.pbworks.com/w/page/38863237/FrontPage - Talk to people who have used them - you could start by asking via one of the email lists: DLNET, GEM, ARCHIVES-NRA, MCG etc. - Talk to games developers - but be careful not to be swayed towards 'their' solutions. Best to talk to a few rather than get pally with just one early on... Smaller budgets: what can I do to enhance my digital offer ? Nationals can spend £000s on a game, but what can we do with virtually no budget? How about finding a nearby course and getting students to produce games for you? Generally this sort of approach sounds appealing but does not have a great track record from organisations' point of view. Need to frame very carefully. We could discuss this online. + Success factors? + Here are a couple of points. Please add to them, or comment on them: Some interactions go out of date v quickly - keep it simple Stick to your collections, or at least your interpretation of them - focus on your strengths Iterate - try a simple mock up of what you want to do, try it with some users, then spend the real money if it works. But is that feasible for you? Choose something your users will actually be interested in - sometimes hard to know, until you try... But also review other examples (see above). + What will you actually _do_ with the engagement (the eyeball time) that you manage to create? + Raise profile or improve your 'image' or brand? Drive visits? Or simply fulfilling part of commitment to wider learning? Target the number of users - be realistic, who are you serving, and what for? For example, if based in a gallery, number of users may be lower, but perhaps depth of engagement may be higher. If on web, interaction may be shorter but numbers higher. Which is more important to you, and why? What is wider objective? What is it there for? Sometimes, realistically, it is not so much for users, as for stakeholders, or funders, or peers. These are legitimate audiences, provided the objectives are clear, at least within your organisation. + 'Should we get an app?' + Our view is that, if in doubt, then the answer is no! You will know when it is time to develop an app. But what if you are thinking about this at the moment? Let us know where you are with this. Look forward to hearing from you, either now or between 2pm and 5pm today. Best wishes Martin ---------------------------------------------------- Martin Bazley Chair, DLNET 15 Margin Drive Wimbledon SW19 5HA 0780 3580 727 www.digitallearningnetwork.net<http://www.digitallearningnetwork.net/> [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]> From: Digital Learning Network DLNet [mailto:[log in to unmask]]<mailto:[mailto:[log in to unmask]]> On Behalf Of Martin Bazley Sent: 20 March 2014 15:16 To: [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]> Subject: Re: "Games for Learning - A Waste of Money?" DLNET surgery 24 March 2-5pm Digital Learning Network Dear all Thanks for your suggestions so far for our online surgery this Monday. Information on this is in my original message below, but in the meantime here are some of the examples people have suggested. A couple don't have specific web addresses - if you have these please email them direct to the list. If you have any comments on these or any other suggestions, there is no need to wait until Monday. Pitch in now - which games do you think are successful for learning? Ouch from the Science Museum ... http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/onlinestuff/games/painless.aspx ... builds in little science titbits into the game play about placebos and painkillers for dealing with pain www.lives-at-war.org.uk/<http://www.lives-at-war.org.uk/> Lives at War is an online virtual reality learning resource designed to support KS3/4 pupils learning about life on the Home Front during World War II. http://10most.org.uk/ Each of these objects from the Museum of Design in Plastics<http://www.modip.ac.uk> conceals a mystery; there's something about it we don't know and need your help to find out. Here is a suggestion of a game at Tate http://www.tate.org.uk/context-comment/apps/race-against-time I wonder if one issue to discuss is inclusivity - if something is designed for iphone or ipad specifically why don't we seem to be so worried that we are excluding certain types of audiences from accessing it? Does it matter? In terms of example games, I saw a recent presentation on a Smartphone app from National Museum of Scotland which gamified the exploration of their galleries as part of their Museum Lates. I also really like the idea of the Tate's (Tate Modern, I think) app which turned some of their artworks into a game of top trumps (it was available on iPhone about 4 years ago, but since I have moved to Android, I don't know if it is still available)... There are also the flash games used on sites like www.mylearning.org<http://www.mylearning.org> for formal learning. Wilton's Music Hall have an app game set in the venue. http://wiltons.org.uk/text.php?p=530 The full game isn't free, but they have recently released a lite free version. I have had a go on it and I suspect they invested quite a lot of money in it. I'm not convinced by it, but it would be interesting to see how successful it has been... http://www.wellcomecollection.org/whats-on/exhibitions/high-society/high-tea.aspx High Tea game Evaluation Report: http<http://museumgames.pbworks.com/w/file/fetch/44614076/HighTeaEvaluationReport.pdf>://<http://museumgames.pbworks.com/w/file/fetch/44614076/HighTeaEvaluationReport.pdf>museumgames.pbworks.com/w/file/fetch/44614076/HighTeaEvaluationReport.pdf <http://museumgames.pbworks.com/w/file/fetch/44614076/HighTeaEvaluationReport.pdf> I prefer Axon from Wellcome Trust and it gets a lot less attention than High Tea. It's properly addictive (no pun intended) and is based on some real science: http://axon.wellcomeapps.com/ museum games wiki http://museumgames.pbworks.com/w/page/38863237/FrontPage with reasonably up to date list of museum games Examples of non-museum educational games; http://museumgames.pbworks.com/w/page/39020498/Educational-game-examples Any comments so far? ---------------------------------------------------- Martin Bazley Chair, DLNET 15 Margin Drive Wimbledon SW19 5HA 0780 3580 727 [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]> www.digitallearningnetwork.net<http://www.digitallearningnetwork.net/> From: Martin Bazley [mailto:[log in to unmask]] Sent: 18 March 2014 13:17 To: [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]> Cc: [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>; [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]> Subject: "Games for Learning - A Waste of Money?" DLNET surgery 24 March 2-5pm Digital Learning Network On Monday 24 March 2-5pm, DLNET is hosting the second of its monthly series of surgeries, via the DLNET email list (anyone can join for free: instructions below). You can also participate via Twitter using hashtag #DLNETsurgery. This is a surgery open to non-specialists as well as people who know something about games for learning - no prior knowledge assumed. Would you say that these points are arranged in _descending_ order of importance, or ascending? The ideal (digital) game... ... facilitates learning in different ways from other learning opportunities ... engages users easily and sustains their interest ... is inexpensive to develop and distribute ... can be easily updated or refreshed ... raises the profile of the organisation that produces it ... has clearly defined learning outcomes ... is likely to change the behaviour of those playing it ... gets played regularly by as many people as possible ... What would be your version of this list? "Games for Learning - A Waste of Money?" DLNET surgery 24 March 2-5pm This month's surgery will be facilitated by DLNET committee members: Alice Heywood of National Libraries Scotland, Stuart Berry, National Coal Mining Museum, and Martin Bazley, Digital Heritage Consultant. We certainly don't have all the answers, and this is a surgery for non-specialists - please join in and share your views. Here is what will happen: = Before 24 March: send your examples = To get the ball rolling we will email examples of games later this week. If you can think of any, please email us at [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]> or to the DLNET list by Friday 21 March. Here is a slideshow starter: http://www.slideshare.net/jolifanta/what-museums-learn-by-making-games-serious-play-conference-2013 = During the surgery 2-5pm 24 March: find out more, or share, or both = + If you are thinking of commissioning a game-style learning opportunity (from quizzes to full blown games), get in touch to sound out your rationale so far + If you have already been involved in commissioning, developing or evaluating games, share your experience to date To participate you will need to be subscribed to the DLNET email list [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>. Anyone is welcome to join by just sending an email - instructions at: http://www.digitallearningnetwork.net/email-list/ = After 24 March: we will share results = A short summary will be circulated and added to the DLNET website soon after the surgery. ---------------------------------------------------- Martin Bazley Chair, DLNET 15 Margin Drive Wimbledon SW19 5HA 0780 3580 727 www.digitallearningnetwork.net<http://www.digitallearningnetwork.net/> [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]> + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + DLNET list: Contact the list owner for assistance at [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]> For information about joining, leaving and suspending mail (eg during a holiday) see the list website at https://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/cgi-bin/webadmin?A0=DLNET + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + DLNET list: Contact the list owner for assistance at [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]> For information about joining, leaving and suspending mail (eg during a holiday) see the list website at https://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/cgi-bin/webadmin?A0=DLNET + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + ________________________________ This e-mail is from the Royal Mint Limited. 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