Paper Reading #1: Calibration games: making calibration tasks enjoyable by adding motivating game elements

Introduction

In their paper "Calibration games: making calibration tasks enjoyable by adding motivating game elements," David R. Flatla, Carl Gutwin, Lenmart E. Nacke, Scott Bateman, and Reagan L. Mandryk studied whether it is possible to make calibration procedures for interactive devices more entertaining for users and still maintain accuracy in the data. All of the authors except Nacke came from the University of Saskatchewan in Canada. Nacke was from the University of Ontario Institute of Technology in Ontario, Canada. The paper was presented at UIST'11 in October 2011 in Santa Barbara, CA.

Summary

The main hypothesis that Flatla, et al. wanted to test was whether it was possible to turn standard calibration protocols into something more fun while still collecting accurate data. This way, users would be less reluctant to skip the usually required calibration steps for an interactive device to run correctly. They broke down the calibration process first into several types. On the human capabilities side, there were calibration types such as perceptual threshold motor threshold, just-noticeable differences (JNDs), and perceptual performance. For the measurement of technology, there are such calibration types as physical space registration, color space registration, and auditory registration. Next, the authors looked at the standard calibration procedures and determined what the underlying task was needed to be done in order to calibrate. Some of these include signal detection, reaction time, and aiming. Afterwards, they matched these core tasks with certain game mechanics that were inherently related to them. Finally, they added game design elements in order to make the calibration procedure become more game-like. They created three different games in their study. Their first game tested calibrating color just-noticeable-differences with a game based on the well-known Space Invaders game. In calibrating control-to-display parameters for targeting, they created a shooting-gallery game with "evil blorgs" as the targets (Flatla, et al. 407). Finally, they calibrated a physiological sensor of chest circumcference change while breathing with their "BabyLaunch" game in which the user blows as hard as he or she can in order to launch a baby out of a picnic basket.

Figure 1: Screenshot of BabyLaunch game

Related Work Not Referenced in the Paper

After spending some time searching for related studies and papers on turning calibration procedures into something more entertaining, I found that, just as the authors had appropriately explained in their work, there has not been much work done in this specific area. Flatla, et al. were exploring a relatively novel idea. The following list shows ten papers and how they compare to this work:

1. Unkelbach, C., and D. Memmert. "Game management, context effects, and calibration: the case of yellow cards in soccer." Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology 2008. 30.1 (2008): 95-109. Web. 4 Sep. 2012. 

In this paper, the authors observe how soccer referees unconsciously calibrate their judgments in soccer games. They use observations early in the game to determine how calls should be made for the rest of the game. This is related to this work because both include using games in some way to help them make decisions for future tasks.

2. Deterding, Sebastian, Miguel Sicart, et al. "Gamification. using game-design elements in non-gaming contexts." CHI EA . (2011): 2425-28. Web. 4 Sep. 2012.

Det

Deterding, et al. explained what gamification is and how it can be applied to many non-gaming systems to increase user engagement. The work of Flatla, et al. is a direct application of this.

3. Renaud, Christian, and Bridgette Wagoner. "The Gamification of Learning." Principal Leadership. 12.1 (2011): 56-9. Web. 4 Sep. 2012.

In "The Gamification of Learning," Renaud and Wagoner discuss how video games can be more effective educational tools than decontextualized skill-and-drill instruction. Video games allow for a more immersive environment and present novel situations. This is related to Flatla, et al.'s work because they are trying to make something that is decontextualized into something novel and more immersive.

4. Chorney, Alan. "Taking the Game Out of Gamification."Dalhousie Journal of Interdisciplinary Management. 8.1 (2012): n. page. Web. 4 Sep. 2012.

Chorney takes a reverse approach to the gamification concept when compared to Flatla, et al.'s approach. Chorney deconstructs games into their simplest form: content. Flatla, et al. took the main objective a calibration procedure and added game mechanics to construct games.

5. Padilla, Stefano, Fraser Halley, and Mike J. Chantler. "Improving Product Browsing whilst Engaging Users." Digital Engagement '11. (2011): n. page. Web. 4 Sep. 2012.

Stafano, et al. used gamification techniques in order to make browsing a large number of objects more entertaining and less tedious. This is similar to the work of Flatla, et al. because they both modified an existing method of some sort and worked to make it more interesting and engaging.

6. Hamari, Juho, and Veikko Eranti. "Framework for Designing and Evaluating Game Achievements."Proceedings of DiGRA 2011 Conference: Think Design Play. (2011): n. page. Web. 4 Sep. 2012.

Hamari and Veikko's work focused on showing a framework of designing and evaluating achievements that would reward users for completing tasks in a satisfactory way. Flatla, et al. could use this work in the future to help participants be more entertained by calibration games by adding more achievements and rewards.

7. Sturm, Janienke, and Ben Schouten. "Ambient Gaming and Play: Opportunities and Challenges." n. page. Web. 4 Sep. 2012.

Ambient games are activities that are integrated in our lives. The boundaries between other activities and play are disappearing. They offer more natural interaction, which is what Flatla, et al. wanted to achieve through their calibration games.

8. Smith, R. "The future of work is play: Global shifts suggest rise in productivity games." Games Innovation Conference (IGIC). (2011): 40-43. Web. 4 Sep. 2012.

Smith explores how gamification of global, societal, technological, economic, and socio-political arenas will change the future. The work of Flatla, et al. is an example of how even the simplest tasks are becoming gamified. Gamification may be seen in other places, such as business and other workplaces.

9. Bernhaupt, Regina, Katherine Isbister, et al. "Games and HCI: perspectives on intersections and opportunities." CHI EA '11. (2011): 351-54. Web. 4 Sep. 2012.

Bernhaupt, et al., look at how gamification has become a new trend in the field of HCI. They consider what game designers do to contribute to this growing trend and what may lie ahead in the future. Flatla, et al. are contributing to this trend by making calibration procedures more game-like by adding game mechanics to it.

10. Nicholson, Scott. "A User-Centered Theoretical Framework for Meaningful Gamification." Games Learning Society 8.0. (2012): n. page. Web. 4 Sep. 2012.

Nicholson argues that the external rewards of an activity that has been turned into a game might undermine the internal rewards inherent within the activity. He proposes a different approach in using certain game design element to improve internal motivation so that there is less need for eternal rewards. Flatla, et al. has small elements of reward, which should be analyzed so that motivation to calibrate devices and tools is not lost.

Evaluation

The two main questions that the authors were looking to answer were whether turning a calibration procedure into a game rectifies a user's "lack of enjoyment and lack of motivation" to do the task and if it affected the accuracy of the calibration data. The authors only measured parts of calibration systems. They only changed the appearance and interaction with the calibration procedures. To measure the enjoyment and motivation factor, the authors used quantitative survey responses comparing the two calibration interactions. They used a ranking for each question. In all three games, there was a significant jump in enjoyment. Even adding decoration was able to notably entertain the users. In order to examine the accuracy of the data, they simply compared the data between the gamified calibration and the standard calibration. There were actually some differences in the data. For example, in the calibration of the sensor for measuring chest circumference change, the users actually performed better. However, the differences were relatively accurate; they showed similar trends or only differed by a constant factor. The author's believe that it was the increase in entertainment that might have increased response time or performance. They are unsure if this may have a negative or positive effect on calibration of devices and sensors though.

Discussion

I think this work is long overdue. Most people who have experienced any kind of calibration procedure know that it is long, tedious, and boring. Even when game consoles with interactive devices, such as Microsoft's Xbox Kinect, have the user do several boring calibration tasks. This is especially concerning because of the Kinect's inherit purpose of providing entertainment. It surprised me that this kind of work has just been published. I think the evaluation process was appropriate, since they examined the perception of users as well as the data itself. The work was novel in a sense; no one else had explored this aspect of calibration procedures. However, at the same time, many users have complained about how boring and tedious these procedures are to complete, but no one did anything about them until now.

Reference

• Flatla, David, Carl Gutwin, Lenmart Nacke, Scott Bateman, and Reagan Mandryk. "Calibration games: making calibration tasks enjoyable by adding motivating game elements." UIST '11. (2011): 403-12. Web. 30 Aug. 2012.

The Introduction

The Mugshot

Hello, world! I am not the best at introductions, but I will try to entertain you as well as inform you. I hope that I am successful! Feel free to contact me; my email address is jennthan (at) neo.tamu.edu

Howdy, my name is Jennifer Than, and I am a sixth year senior. I am a double major--technically double degree pursuer--in Math and Computer Science. I hope to graduate in the Spring of 2013. I am taking CSCE 436: Computer Human Interaction because it is interesting. One of the main reasons why I entered the computer science world is because I have been fascinated in how technology has shaped the lives of people. I bring the experience of a hardworking, determined, and quirky personality from a warm but disciplined home. I also have a creative side; I like to draw! I have had several semesters of upper level computer science courses and have a strong background in math. I hope that this combination of technical skill and a creative mindset gives me an advantage in my classes and beyond.

I have some idealistic professional life goals and some more realistic professional life goals. If everything worked out perfectly for me, I would love to be working on developing purely enjoyable and fulfilling video games. More realistically, I want to be able to work on somehow enriching the lives of myself and others. I would like to get my doctorate and educate upcoming computer scientists or mathematicians and/or work in industry that would somehow contribute to improving the well-being of others. My personal life goals are quite simple: to be happy. I want to enjoy what I do, hang out with wonderful friends and family often, and continue to develop some of my artistic skills. After I graduate, I might either immediately continue on to graduate school or work in industry and then pursue my master's degree. In ten years, I think I will be in school, possibly pursuing a doctorate or just taking classes for fun and personal growth. Also, I want to be living in a beautiful home that I own.

I believe the next big technological advancement in computer science will be in artificial intelligence. As we continue to explore this thriving field of intense curiosity, we're going to discover how far AI can go in adapting to various environments. It will also continue to raise questions about our own possibilities and limitations. Specifically, I think the development of robots to handle disaster situations, like earthquakes or the sudden mass dislocation of people, will be a significant advancement.

If I could travel back in time, I think I would like to meet Socrates. I would get the opportunity to see both how the world was like and a man who thought outside the box. He shaped the minds of people throughout time, and his influences can still be seen today. I don't really have a favorite pair of shoes, but if I really had to choose one, I guess I would choose my Adidas sneakers. They are probably four or five years old, but they have lasted a long time and are still comfortable! If I could be fluent in any foreign language that I am not already fluent in, I would be fluent in Mandarin. It would give me a large advantage in industry, and I would learn a language that is not based on Latin. It also would make it easier to learn other languages that are related to it, like Japanese or Vietnamese. Finally, an interesting fact about myself is that I am a red belt in Tae Kwon Do. I am only two belts away from being a black belt.