Gamification can play a critical role in developing creative and engaging learning, but it’s essential that we understand what we are doing when we implement game mechanics—whether we are designing an entire game, or merely adopting some gamification principles to a specific learning experience. Below is a document outlining several…

This is an interesting, important (and difficult) artifact for me to include, as it highlights a failure of mine. But I think failure, reflection, and growth are key steps in the creative process—all success teaches us is to repeat the same things over and over again, not try new approaches.…

Learning in the coming century will be fundamentally different than anything we’ve experienced in the past. Learning is inherently, social, learner-centered, creative, and driven by innovation and exploration. The following was a presentation prepared and given to learning designers at Spring Arbor University—provided here is a narrated recording. It outlines…

While research around creativity (and how to enhance it), has been happening on and off since the 1950s there is a new boom in the desire for creativity in the workplace, based off of it’s inclusion in many educational core competency requirements. This however, leaves many adult learners out in…

We don’t often think of games themselves as technology. Maybe we consider the computer code or cardboard and plastic pieces they are built from as technology, but not often the game design itself. But the reality is, game design has changed and evolved over time—just like education. Below is a…

This is a professional development plan for Instructional Designers at Spring Arbor University to contribute to an Open Educational Resources (OER) textbook. OER are a developing and growing resource facilitated by new technologies, interactions, and communication that allow learners to have access to high-quality materials at a fraction (or none)…

This is a syllabus for an online training course to be delivered to designers and content creators at Northward Compass—a mixed-media design and game studio. It is designed using a variety of media and technologies including remote-game playing and design tools, to help designers learn how to create narrative game…

This is a lesson designed for a learning experience for the eLearning team at Spring Arbor University. Instructional Design is often a creative field, and we tend to get stuck in ruts that we don’t intend while working on a ‘production line’ approach to course development. This training is designed…