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The gamification of judicial affairs: addressing learning for 'digital students'

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Running head: GAMIFICATION OF JUDICIAL AFFAIRS

THE GAMIFICATION OF JUDICIAL AFFAIRS:
ADDRESSING LEARNING FOR ‘DIGITAL STUDENTS’

by

Leonel Alberto Diaz Jr.

A Thesis Presented to the
FACULTY OF THE USC ROSSIER SCHOOL OF EDUCATION
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
In Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for the Degree
MASTER OF EDUCATION
(POSTSECONDARY ADMINISTRATION AND STUDENT AFFAIRS)

December 2012

Copyright 2012 Leonel Alberto Diaz Jr.

GAMIFICATION OF JUDICIAL AFFAIRS
ii
DEDICATION

I dedicate my thesis to my parents and sisters. I love you. Dedico mi tésis a mis padrés y
hermanas. Los quiéro mucho.

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iii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Thank you so much for supporting and believing in me Dr. Kristan Venegas. You
supported and believed in my ideas when others would not. I truly appreciate all that you
have done to help make my ideas a reality. You have been an extremely wonderful
advisor and thesis chair. Gracias.

Dr. Patricia Tobey, I am very grateful for the many conversations about figuring out my
ambitions. You set in my mind the idea of having an interdisciplinary background. You
inspired me to apply my background in the arts to higher education. You opened a whole
new world of possibilities. Thank you!

I am sure you already know Dr. Tomas Aguirre of my everlasting pleasure to always
working with you. Thank you for providing me with such a great idea for a thesis that
incorporated my talents and interests. You continue being a great friend, mentor, and now
colleague.

When stress and frustration dawned upon me, I could always count on my good friend
Hugo Tapia to take me out to have fun. Thank you for always being there every step of
the way.

When I stopped believing in myself, Elizabeth Hernandez was found a way to motivate
me to continue my work. Liz, thank you for your words of encouragement when I most
needed it. You have been a great mentee, and now mentor.
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iv
When I needed someone to talk to, I always had Angie Rivera listen. Thank you for
always being there when I most needed it. You helped me move forward.

College life has taken time away from having fun with my best friends, Edgardo
Gallardo, Jesus Juarez and Pablo Treto. Thank you for being patient and understanding of
my academic priorities. You three have always helped motivate me to continue
succeeding. Thank you for your constant support.

I would like to thank Zain Bhombal, Alyssa O’Keeffe, and Jenna Sablan for taking the
time to give my thesis some revisions. I really appreciate your time and support.

Lastly, Bob Nolte, Brett Riley, and Garth Wara have been the biggest supporters of my
innovative ideas. You guys encouraged me to pursue my crazy ideas since the first month
in our graduate program. You believed in me more than I believed in myself. Thank you
for encouraging me from the very beginning.

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v
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Dedication ii
Acknowledgements iii
List of Storyboards vii
Abstract viii
Chapter 1: My Earliest Memory with Technology 1
An Individual Shaped by Technological Advancements 1
And The Problem Is 2
Purpose: Getting Started 6
Significance of Topic: Control Layout 6
Why Are Video Games Addicting? 8
Brief Description of Theoretical Framework: Your Mission 11
Brief Methodology: Game Screen 12
Overall Organization of Thesis: Options 12
Frequently Used Terms 13

Chapter 2: Student 2.0, The Upgraded Student 14
Digital Learners + Tech Savvy Millennials + Digital Natives =
Digital Students 14
Table 1: 17
Gee’s Learning Principals 19
Related Literature: The Prequel 23

Chapter 3: The Game Manual 27
Design and Methods: The Investigation 27
Trustworthiness of Data: Found Intel 30
Researcher Bias: Enter Cheat Code 30
Other Issues: Side Mission 31
Limitations—Game Disc Might be Scratched or Damaged 31
How It All Connects (Connect Controller) 32

Chapter 4: Conceptual Game Description and Storyboards 34
Game Objective 35
Game Directions 35
Setting (Game Map) 35
Items (Game Tools) 36
Special Items (Game Tools) 36
Screen Layout 37
Iconic Buildings 37
Player/Game Set-Up 37
Tutorials 38
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Badges 39
Scan Codes (QR Codes) 40
Game Mechanics 40
Game Formula 40
Storyboards 44
And the Participants Respond 56
Length of Game 56
Game Incentives 57
Freedom of Choice: Avoiding Situations and “Well
Ordered Problems” 58
Character Creation 59
Meters 60
Multiplayer 61
Game Over 61
Game Graphics 62
Campus Authority Figures 62
Other Considerations 62

Chapter 5: The End 64
Limitations Part II: Check Disc Again for Dirt, Dust,
and Scratches 64
The Feedback from the Research Participants 66
Future Research and Development 68
Will This Game Work? 71
Revisiting Theory 74
My Latest Memory with Technology 76

References 78

GAMIFICATION OF JUDICIAL AFFAIRS
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LIST OF STORYBOARDS
Storyboard 1: Creating Characters: Appearance 45
Storyboard 2: “Phone” 46
Storyboard 3: PC Access 47
Storyboard 4: Dormitory 48
Storyboard 5: Party Choice 49
Storyboard 6: Party 50
Storyboard 7: Drug Use 51
Storyboard 8: Plagiarism 52
Storyboard 9: Resident Advisor Event/ Floor Meeting 53
Storyboard 10: University Campus 54
Storyboard 11: Badges 55

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ABSTRACT
This thesis focuses on how the gamification of judicial affairs, residential life and
housing can become instrumental to improve student conduct on university campuses as
millennial students adapt to emerging technologies. The researcher creates a conceptual
model for a judicial affairs video game by utilizing university policies as part of the game
description and storyboards. The researcher discusses how video game concepts are
relevant to student learning. The study suggests that the gamification of judicial affairs
can become instrumental to student conduct.

Keywords: millennial students, video games, gamification, higher education,
digital natives, judicial affairs, student affairs
GAMIFICATION OF JUDICIAL AFFAIRS

1
The Gamification of Judicial Affairs: Addressing Learning for ‘Digital Students’
CHAPTER 1: MY EARLIEST MEMORY WITH TECHNOLOGY
What if we could use game dynamics to educate students? I remember having a
grey Super Nintendo Entertainment System controller in my hands at the age of four. My
grandfather would sit with me on the couch and watch me push the A and Y buttons to
get Super Mario to jump and run. I would run past the giant bullets and red turtles, eat
mushrooms to grow, and jump on Yoshi to find a way to rescue the Princess. After an
hour of waiting to see me rescue Princess Peach, my grandpa would be annoyed because
I did not make it past the first two levels of world one—mostly because I could not make
it past the giant bullet and jump over the frog football player, not to mention the
repetitious melodic song. At the time, I would never imagine that video games would
follow me into my adult, academic, and social life. This would define me as a millennial:
a person who has adapted to technology, learns on his own time, and enjoys creative
activities (Provitera McGlynn, 2005).

An Individual Shaped by Technological Advancements
I learned how to use a computer at about the age of ten and began learning how to
hack computers at the age of thirteen. I learned how to repair and reconstruct computers
at the age of fifteen and used a brick size cell phone at an age I cannot remember. I
witnessed the rise of digital copyright infringement, the development of touch screens,
and the birth of social media. I can talk on the phone hands free while driving; I’m not
confined by landline telephones, and have instant access to information using an Internet
connection. I carry a pocket-sized computer referred to as a Smartphone. I am a product
GAMIFICATION OF JUDICIAL AFFAIRS
2
of a Digital Age (McHaney, 2011). To be specific, as a student I have gained knowledge
using social media, mobile applications, eBooks, blogs, and many other methods that
have affected the way I learn. This might be great for me, but this impacts instructors
inexperienced in using technology the same way I do; they are unable to cater their
teaching in a form that I am accustom to learning (McHaney, 2011).

And The Problem Is…
Technology has shaped my life in several ways; it is visual, interactive, and
instant. As I interact with my peers, we have a sense of urgency to receive information
quickly and vividly. If there is a doubt or question about something that is unknown such
as a name of a song, we can mass text message our friends or search on the web for
answers to our doubts or questions. Receiving information can consist of trial and error,
interaction, instant gratification, and ease of access. Therefore, my research question is:
Can the gamification of judicial affairs, specifically residential life and housing policies,
become instrumental to student conduct as millennial students adapt to emerging
technologies?
I have chosen to focus on judicial affairs because the safety of students is always
a rising issue across colleges. Occupy protests in November 2011 at the University of
California Davis (UCD) and University of California Berkeley (UCB) caused concerns
about students being pepper sprayed, assaulted by batons, and arrested at both campuses
(Pringle & Quinones, 2011; Grasgreen, 2011). At UCB, the Berkeley College
Republicans decided to create a bake sale to bring awareness to SB185, a bill that would
allow universities to consider race, gender, and ethnicity (Wollan, 2011). The College
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3
Republicans used the bake sale to protest affirmative action by basing the prices of the
bake goods upon the students’ ethnicity. At the University of Southern California, two
International graduate students were killed in an attempted vehicle robbery in April 2012
(Weber, 2012). These are quite extreme situations that students confront. It is situations
like these that have convinced me to pursue the idea of creating a video game to educate
students on the campus policies, which includes safety.
Students engage in many activities across campuses that sometimes lead them to
making choices that violate campus policies. My experience as a Resident Advisor (RA)
taught me that sometimes students are 1) not aware of the university policies and 2)
misinterpret or are unclear about the policies. Howell (2005) conducted a study on 10
students that entered the judicial process for policy violations. Students are often
unaware of the judicial process, and when they are summoned, there is a sense of anxiety
(Howell, 2005). The anxiety arises amongst the students because they are unaware of
how the judicial process will impact their academic careers. The judicial process usually
takes place in stages: “the initial confrontation by staff members, the investigation of the
incident, the hearing, and the sanction” (Howell, 2005, p. 374). The students in the study
said that they gained a better understanding of the judicial process through their
experience and reconsidered their behavior, although not all would make a drastic change
in relation to alcohol consumption. Seven of the students were in the judicial process due
to alcohol related incidents. The students stated that the judicial process did cause them
to reconsider their actions, such as driving under the influence, but not to stop them from
consuming alcohol. Howell’s study suggests that some learning does occur; sanctions
should “attend to other developmental or behavioral issues surrounding the behavior” (p.
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4
389). It also suggests judicial officers should question students on accepting
responsibility over their own actions to ensure that students are not expediting the
process. In order to help campus administration and students with the violation of
campus policies, I aim to push the idea of developing a game to help improve student
understanding of the policies. To accomplish this aim, I review the gamification of
judicial affairs and research on millennial students.
Gamification refers to the process of “apply[ing] the basic elements that make
games fun and engaging to things that typically aren't considered a game”
(“Gamification”, 2011). By filtering traditional learning procedures and methods through
a gamification process, we can gain the undivided attention of students. Gaming is a
rapidly growing field that continues to evolve alongside technologies (Harris, 2008).
Gamification can be used to increase students’ knowledge of campus policies.
As educators, if we do not keep up with technological advancements, how do we
keep up with a student demand we might not comprehend? You can buy the latest gadget
today and within months it can be obsolete. Technologies are integrating into one
another and it seems as if they are integrating into the people who use them. People are
creating media content that is shared online, which is referred to as participatory culture
(Jenkins, 2009). Participatory culture is described as a culture that is artistic, enjoys
sharing creations, passes along their knowledge to others, people who contribute, and feel
socially connected to others (Jenkins, 2009). An example of this is cell phone technology
integrating with instant messaging, the Internet, music players, cameras, camcorders, and
a hundred other things integrated in a person’s daily activities. To approach the learning
needs of millennials, we must understand them first.
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As a millennial, I feel the need to always know what the latest technological
trend, development, and discoveries are so that I can be ahead. Ahead of what exactly, I
cannot answer. I have grown to believe (thanks to my father) that technology is the way
of the future. As I grew up, my father made me believe that technology would play a
vital role in my daily life activities. So far, he is right. I use technology to communicate
via Internet, via Smartphone, and via text message. I send emails instead of writing
letters, I search for information on Wikipedia instead of picking up an encyclopedia
book, I can purchase items online instead of searching through the mall, I can pay bills
online instead of through the mail or going directly to the company, I play video games
with multiple people online instead of just having one other possible player, and I can
keep up with all my friends through Facebook instead of losing touch with most (Jenkins,
2009; Jukes, 2008). I have also learned how to abbreviate words to form a sentence,
phrase, or expression: idk (I don’t know), g2g (got to go), lol (laughing out loud), cya l8r
(see you later), i<3u (I love you).
My experiences can be described as convergence. Convergence is the “flow of
context across multiple platforms, the cooperation between multiple media industries, and
the migratory behavior of media audiences who will go almost anywhere in search of the
kinds of entertainment experiences they want” (Jenkins, 2006, p. 2). The convergence of
technology has caused an influence in our society and future in which we are now
experiencing. The fact that I am writing this through a computer and not a typewriter or
ink and a feather is a clear sign of the impact of technology on our society. The
possibility that you could be reading this through an iPad and not on paper is a clear sign
of technology and our reliance on them as sources of communication.
GAMIFICATION OF JUDICIAL AFFAIRS
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Purpose: Getting Started
The purpose of this thesis is to:
• bring awareness about millennial students,
• define and describe digital students,
• describe gamification and its application,
• describe the process and significance of designing and creating an
educational game application for the web and mobile devices, and;
• state how this process will benefit universities.
We need to address the issue of gaining clear communication with students who have
been born with a green computer processor chip in hand, not literally of course. We need
to learn how to educate millennial students and the generations that follow by
understanding how technology functions with our youth. I will achieve this by describing
the creation of an application geared to educate students about university services within
judicial affairs.

Significance of the Topic: Control Layout
Video games have become popular with the release of Pong by Atari in 1972.
Pong is a simple game that allows the user to move a white rectangle, or paddle,
vertically only to hit the square ball that bounces around the screen. The objective is to
score a goal on the opponent’s side. Pong quickly became a popular arcade and home
video game system (Classic Gaming, n.d.). Initially, video games stimulated visual
interest and incorporated interaction through hand gesture and thumb action. November
2010 marked history with Microsoft’s release of the Xbox Kinect. The Kinect allows
GAMIFICATION OF JUDICIAL AFFAIRS
7
players to play video games without the use of a control and includes voice recognition.
Microsoft has made video games physically and visually interactive (Microsoft, 2011). I
chose to highlight Microsoft’s Xbox 360 because it is a current representation of widely
available technology. Technology connects you to become a part of it and therefore
becomes an extension of yourself in the sense that you feel in control of your decisions,
rational, observations, critical thinking, and analysis because you are able to take a risk in
exploring options and finding alternatives (Gee, 2005; Jenkins, 2008). Video games are
no longer just controlled through hand gestures. They now include movement and voice
recognition. Video games can also connect to the Internet to provide users (or gamers)
with a sense of socializing and community participation, thus participatory culture and
convergence (Jenkins, 2006, 2008).
Community participation with online multiplayer games causes players/gamers to
work collaboratively to defeat opponents or accomplish a goal. Online enabled video
games are a good representation of participatory culture. Gamers are able to engage in
artistic expression in how to play the game, the type of content they create such as new
game maps, and players share techniques and strategies for game play. There is a sense
of contribution to the team and the social connection they build through playing. All this
touches upon Jenkins’ definition of a participatory culture. Video games provide a sense
of participation because it no longer is about individual expression—it becomes about
community involvement (Jenkins, 2009). The community involvement can even take
place with four gamers in the same room on the same television screen. Video games can
trigger community participation.

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Why Are Video Games Addicting?
Video games have become successful because they contain two elements: 1)
spatial stories and 2) environmental storytelling (Jenkins, 2008). Jenkins provides
support that spatial stories and environmental storytelling are important to video games
because it engages players to become part of the game. He emphasizes how Shigeru
Miyamoto’s Mario Bros. engaged players into the game’s graphic realm with the simple
story of rescuing Princess Peach. From my gamer perspective, I am engaged with video
games that have a great story and amazing graphic environments versus games that carry
one of the two elements. Games like the Halo series and the Gears of War series have
captivated gamers with their evolving graphic realms and breath-taking stories. As a
gamer that has played all the game series of Halo and Gears of War, I feel as I am the
main character that has to problem solve, solve the riddles, and defeat the swarms of
enemies. Even if I’m not feeling like the main character, I feel like I experienced all the
turmoil the main characters faced based on the story’s development and the amount of
detail and visual provided in the graphic environment. I feel like I become part of the
game’s story because I find myself absorbed by the spatial stories and environmental
storytelling. In addition to Jenkins, James Paul Gee provides content for elements that
make games great.
In his article, “Good Video Games and Good Learning,” Gee (2005) states sixteen
learning principals that are integrated into good games. With a short description of what
each means, they are as follows:
• Identity: The player develops a sense of being within the game.
• Interaction: The player is able to have a sense dialogue or discussion.
GAMIFICATION OF JUDICIAL AFFAIRS
9
• Production: Players are able to create outcomes.
• Risk Taking: Failure is allowed in order to develop a sense of learning in the
form of trial and error.
• Customization: The difficulty of a game is adjustable to adjust different player
skills.
• Agency: Players feel ownership over their actions.
• Well-Ordered Problems: Every small problem in a game builds and leads
toward larger problems that require having understood the solutions of small
problems. With progression, you understand how prior easy “levels” prepare
the player for harder “levels.”
• Challenge and Consolidation: Players are constantly challenged with a new
problem that allows them to integrate their “old mastery” into new knowledge.
• “Just-in-Time” and “On Demand:” Players can receive verbal information for
game guidance when in need of it.
• Situated Meanings: New or unknown words are presented to players in a
situated context for deciphering.
• Pleasantly Frustrating: Games should neither be too hard nor too easy.
• System Thinking: Players think about relationships and how it can affect
outcomes in the game.
• Explore, Think Laterally, Rethink Goals: Players are encouraged to explore,
try alternative approaches, and rethink goal objectives.
• Smart Tools and Distributed Knowledge: Smart tools are actions that players
can take that range from using items or knowing character abilities.
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Distributed knowledge refers to players knowing the special abilities of other
players in order to play strategically as a team.
• Cross-Functional Teams: Similar to distributed knowledge, cross-functional
teams refers to how players make use of special character abilities to form
teams in order to make up for a lack of or increase an abundance of an ability.
• Performance before Competence: Players are able to play games without
understanding how to play a game (Gee, 2005).
Gee repeatedly states that these game learning principals are not applied within education
but that they can make learning relevant and interactive. Education should allow for trial
and error, risk taking, performance before competence, interactivity, and exploration
(Gee, 2005). From my experiences as a student, education has mostly been about
regurgitating information instead of making knowledge my own. Students are invested in
surface-level processing, which leads into performance goals (Tagg, 2004). Students are
mostly concerned about obtaining grades. Students should be focused on learning goals,
which would cause deep-level thinking (Tagg, 2004). Deep-level thinking in conjunction
to Gee’s sixteen points justifies support for the gamification of education and the creation
of a game application that addresses the issue of learning being “one size fits all.”
To continue support for the significance of this thesis, social media is another
theme that plays into the learning of students. Social media can be used effectively and
creatively to traverse barriers of traditional learning paradigms. The key idea is to
understand how social media can serve as learning tools rather than disruptive outlets.
“With social media, the audience is expected to participate” (Means, 2010, p.53). Social
media allows individuals to engage in “synchronous and asynchronous modalities”
GAMIFICATION OF JUDICIAL AFFAIRS
11
(Means, 2010, p. 57). Social media websites such as Facebook and Foursquare allow
people to network and interact with other people at the same time or respond to each
other at a later time. Applying this concept to gaming in a university context, a video
game can help bridge students to the university as way to create community and a sense
of belonging. For judicial affairs, this can help students understand the need for policies
that maintain social order.

Brief Description of the Theoretical Framework: Your Mission
Today’s students have been defined as Generation ME, the millennial generation
(Provitera McGlynn, 2005; Oblinger, 2003), Tech Savvy Millennial (McHaney, 2011),
Digital Learners, Digital Kids (Jukes, 2008), and Digital Natives (Bennett, Maton &
Kervin, 2008; Jukes, 2008; Prensky, 2001). They have grown to expect information and
feedback to be provided instantly. With respect to higher education, I will refer to this
group as “digital students.” “Digital students” encompasses the ideas that research has
provided and describes the current generation of students. Digital students are tech savvy
individuals. Digital students are influenced by technology and behave parallel to
technology. Ian Jukes (2008) describes the preferences of digital students by stating that
“digital natives:”
• Prefer receiving information quickly from multiple multimedia sources.
• Prefer parallel processing and multitasking.
• Prefer processing pictures, sounds, and video before text.
• Prefer random access to hyperlinked multimedia information.
• Prefer to interact/network simultaneously with many others.
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• Prefer to learn “just-in-time.”
• Prefer instant gratification and instant rewards.
• Prefer learning that is relevant, instantly useful, and fun.
Digital students are keeping up with new technologies that continue to add features, such
as better camera or video functionality to Facebook integration. A focus on the evolution
of gaming is important to understand digital students. Successful games pull players into
a new world. This interconnectedness is similar to that of social media, which provides
networking, community, and belonging.

Brief Methodology: Game Screen
Three steps are followed to support and reinforce the development of this thesis.
First, relevant literature is used to support the conceptual creation and development of a
game application for digital students. Literature on millennial students, digital natives,
and successful game elements provides context for a game application. Second, a
concept of the game application is elaborated upon to show the various components of
playing the game. The concept includes concept mapping, storyboarding/environmental
design, and the narrative of the game (Jenkins, 2008). Lastly, feedback and input from
research participants will be used to direct the game’s next steps.

Overall Organization of Thesis: Options
Chapter 2 expands upon the theoretical framework, provides related literature,
explains the trustworthiness of data, and discusses my bias, limitations, and methodology.
Chapter 3 will include the design and methods, trustworthiness of data, issues,
GAMIFICATION OF JUDICIAL AFFAIRS
13
limitations, and connections to methods. Chapter 4 presents the game application in
terms of rules, storyboards, and feedback from research participants. Lastly, Chapter 5
presents the findings of the game application, connections to my research, implications of
the game application, connections to practice and policy, and concluding thoughts on the
game application.

Frequently Used Terms
The following terms will be commonly used and explained throughout this thesis:
• Judicial affairs: Judicial affairs units, housed within university student services,
work with students that have violated university policies such as plagiarism and
campus disruptions.
• Gamification: The process applying game functions to non-game activities.
• Generation ME: Generation Millennials (ME) refers to people who have been
born and influenced by technology.
• Social media: Media that is used by people to communicate, exchange and
express ideas, collaborate on and create projects.

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14
CHAPTER 2: STUDENT 2.0, THE UPGRADED STUDENT
As millennial students adapt to evolving technologies, will the gamification of
judicial affairs become instrumental to learning? Evolving technologies, such as mobile
devices, phone applications, social media, tablets, and gaming consoles are shifting the
way students interact within society and their learning process. Each has brought a sense
of connection to a larger society through connectivity to the World Wide Web. Evolving
technologies has integrated itself with the current generation of students (Jenkins, 2008)
to the point where innovative technology is not surprising (Jukes, 2008; McHaney, 2011;
Prensky, 2001). This chapter will focus on digital students’ learning and its implications
for why a game application would be beneficial to a university. The chapter will support
the idea that technology has impacted today’s student.

Digital Learners + Tech Savvy Millennials + Digital Natives = Digital Students
Today’s students are referred to as Generation ME/ Millennials (Provitera
McGlynn, 2005; Oblinger, 2003), Tech Savvy Millennial (McHaney, 2011), Digital
Learners, Digital Kids (Jukes, 2008), and Digital Natives (Bennett, Maton & Kervin,
2008; Jukes, 2008; Prensky, 2001). Generation ME/ Millennials are the children of the
baby boomers (Provitera McGlynn, 2005) who have resulted as the adapters of
technology, or tech savvy millennials (McHaney, 2011). Millennials learn by working
collaboratively, learn in their own time and terms, enjoy creative activities, and especially
enjoy the use of technology (Provitera McGlynn, 2005). Digital learners, digital kids, or
digital natives have adopted technology since birth and consequently/fortunately have
internalized technology (Jukes, 2008). In the context of higher education, I refer to this
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15
group as “digital students.” Digital students encompasses all the ideas that research has
provided and best describes the generation as I place it under the context of higher
education. As seen in Table 1, Ian Jukes (2008) describes the preferences of digital
students that I simplified into eight points. (a) Digital natives prefer receiving information
quickly from multiple multimedia sources. This means digital students having access to
information via Wikipedia, YouTube, news websites, and even online radio. (b) Digital
natives prefer parallel processing and multitasking. This refers to digital natives being
able to do a couple of tasks at the same time. This could be typing an assignment,
listening to music, and texting a friend all at the same time. (c) Digital natives prefer
processing pictures, sounds, and video before text. Content that is visually appealing will
be more interesting to learn and pay attention to. (d) Digital natives prefer random access
to hyperlinked multimedia information. Many websites are now containing hyperlinked
words that direct readers towards a referenced article, word, person, or item. (e) Digital
natives prefer to interact/network simultaneously with many others. Digital natives enjoy
collaborating with others. (f) Digital natives prefer to learn “just-in-time.” This means
learning as you go about your day and not having to wait. (g) Digital natives prefer
instant gratification and instant rewards. Digital natives enjoy knowing that they are
doing well and enjoy being rewarded. (h) Digital natives prefer learning that is relevant,
instantly useful, and fun. This final point focuses on learning that relates to the
individual in an entertaining and interactive approach. These individuals have grown up
with the development of several devices such as the evolution of the cellular phone,
personal computer, the Internet/World Wide Web, and digital media (Jukes, 2008;
McHaney, 2011). Technology incorporates interactivity with the use of visuals, audio,
GAMIFICATION OF JUDICIAL AFFAIRS
16
touch screens, Global Positioning Systems (GPS), and gyroscopes (the things your
Smartphone/Nintendo Wii control use to indicate movement). Because digital students
are learning in real-time, there is an expectation that information all around will be
provided instantly and creatively. Instant information is shared via phone applications,
blogs, Google search, Wikipedia, and social networking sites, like Twitter and Facebook.
The opening line to this thesis states: what if we could use game dynamics to
educate students? A goal of this work is to explore how this technique can influence the
informal learning of this generation. Malcolm Knowles (1950) and Allen Tough (1999)
focus on formal and informal learning in adults. Both distinguish formal learning as
taking place in a university or high school. Formal learning is established to take place
through an instructor or a book (Tough, 1999). Informal learning can happen anywhere
and in anyway; examples are from having a conversation, watching someone work, or
from creating mistakes (Knowles, 1950; Tough, 1999). Tough (1999) found that 20% of
learning is formal while 80% of learning is informal. Formal learning is instruction while
informal learning is a variation of methods. From the 80%, the learner plans 73%. The
73% reflects how the learner decided to learn. The 7% remaining is composed of 3%
taking place as learning from a friend or neighbor, and 4% of informal learning occurring
from a peer group.
Knowles (1950) also focuses on the purpose of teaching. He breaks good
teaching into five changes: knowledge, skills, attitudes, appreciation, and understanding.
Knowles states that teaching should be “on producing changes in persons, not on
covering a given amount of subject matter” (p. 30). Good teaching can be both formal
and informal. Knowles continues by describing the variety of learning situations such as
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Table 1
Video Games and Digital Natives
Author Theme Description

Gee (2005)

Good Games

Good video games contain the following
elements:
1. Identity
2. Interaction
3. Production
4. Risk Taking
5. Customization
6. Agency
7. Well-Ordered Problems
8. Challenge and Consolidation
9. “Just-in-Time” and “On Demand”
10. Situated Meanings
11. Pleasantly Frustrating
12. System Thinking
13. Explore, Think Laterally, Rethink Goals
14. Smart Tools and Distributed Knowledge
15. Cross-Functional Teams
16. Performance before Competence

Jenkins
(2008)

Video Game Narrative

Successful video games contain two elements:
(1) Spatial stories and (2) environmental
storytelling. They are important to video games
because it engages players to become part of the
game.

Jukes (2008)

Digital Natives

Digital Natives prefer: (1) receiving information
quickly from multiple multimedia sources; (2)
parallel processing and multitasking; (3)
processing pictures, sounds, and video before
text; (4) random access to hyperlinked
multimedia information; (5) interact/network
simultaneously with many others; (6) learn
“just-in-time;” (7) instant gratification and
instant rewards; (8) learning that is relevant,
instantly useful, and fun.

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lecture, discussion, group projects, and demonstrations. “Probably the chief lesson the
psychologist have for adult educators is that learning should be pleasant, meaningful,
based on real experience, and satisfying” (Knowles, 1950, p. 22). Informal learning and
good teaching relate to video games in the sense that video games allow players to learn
at their own pace and at their own time (Gee, 2005).
Allen Tough (1999) makes the statement that the Internet is a good example of
informal learning because it allows people to learn at anytime; games can do the same.
“Gamification applies the mechanics of gaming to non-game activities to change people’s
behavior” (Bunchball, 2010, p. 2). By turning traditional learning procedures and
methods into a gamification process, we can gain the undivided attention of students.
Students would be willing to play a game that incorporates aspects of the university in a
fun, interactive, networked, competitive, and incentive induced context. Video game
technology has been tripling since 1996 and has become a way of technology literacy
(Clark & Ernst, 2009). “Gaming has the ability to make learning fun for most students
and increase their motivation, especially those at risk of dropping out of school. It can
also provide quick and specific feedback that can help students succeed in many
subjects,” (Clark & Ernst, 2009, p. 23). Games are fun and engaging; they can be played
with multiple players online. Online playing promotes collaboration, teamwork,
participation, and can be used as an opportunity for students to adjust their own learning
through a game’s difficulty settings (Gee, 2005; Jenkins, 2006, 2008; Jukes, 2008).
“Games utilize stories, characters, and other environmental elements that produce a
unique experience that will allow students to better retain subject matter” (Clark & Ernst,
2009, p. 23). Games can allow students to apply their own perspective and
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19
understanding. A game can make you feel as if you are the character. A good example is
Halo (Microsoft Game Studios-343 Industries, 2011). The character never reveals his
face as you play in first person. You are constantly referred to as “Master Chief” or
“Spartan 117.” Halo is a good game as defined by Gee (2005).

Gee’s Learning Principals
Gee’s (2005) learning principals on good games are important to the development
of games. Good games allow the players to feel in control of outcomes and create their
own choices. Gee breaks down the learning principals into sixteen points. These
learning principals on good games can impact digital students’ educational experience.
Each learning principal will be discussed followed by how it can impact digital students.
(1) “Identity” is the player’s development of a sense of being within the game.
Players can take on a new identity, inherit a character, or build a character. The
development of identity leads us into the (2) “interaction” that the player experiences
within the game. The player is able to have a sense dialogue or discussion, thus an
“interaction.” Games can “talk back” to the players as players make decisions regarding
the game objectives. Interaction allows players to be part of the (3) “production” of a
game. Players can create and produce outcomes. Players can take part in decision
making by creating content within a game. A good example of this is Halo, in which
players can create playable maps and alter their character’s suited armor. Producing a
playable map can result in taking risks. Failure allowed in order to develop a sense of
learning in the form of trial and error is (4) “risk taking.” Risk taking in video games
lowers the consequences of failure and allows players to figure out patterns. A good
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20
example of this kind of game is Angry Birds (Rovio, 2011). In Angry Birds, players are
able to retry levels to find ways of destroying the pigs from their protective barriers in
order to score additional points. Many games, such as Call of Duty (Activision
Publishing, 2011), allow players to adjust the difficulty of the game to adjust different
player skills, thus (5) “customization.” Customization allows for players to problem
solve in more than one way. In relation to education, students and teachers would not
have to worry about pacing, but about intersection of curriculum, the learner’s interest,
desires and styles of learning. Customization allows for players to develop a sense of (6)
“agency,” which refers to the players feeling ownership over their actions. Agency
allows players to feel connected to the problems they encounter in a game. (7) “Well-
Ordered Problems” in a game builds and leads toward larger problems that require having
understood the solutions of small problems. With progression, you understand how prior
easy levels prepare the player for harder levels. (8) “Challenge and Consolidation” refers
to players being challenged with new problems that allow them to integrate their “old
mastery” into new knowledge. When confronted with a new challenge, they are able to
apply old knowledge on solving problems. This allows for the repetition of knowledge.
Solutions exist for when players feel stuck and can be (9) “Just-in-Time and On
Demand.” Players can receive verbal information for game guidance when in need of it.
If there ever is a word that is new to player, then the words are placed in (10) “Situated
Meanings.” New or unknown words are presented to players in a situated context for
deciphering. Games like The Legend of Zelda (Nintendo, 2011) will highlight and situate
new words to players. Games should be neither too hard nor too easy; games should be
(11) “Pleasantly Frustrating.” Games should be challenging, but doable. (12) “System
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Thinking” is a game’s ability to have a player think about relationships and how it can
affect outcomes in the game. In the instance of Angry Birds, players have to think about
where they slingshot the bird and how that decision will help eliminate the pigs. Players
are encouraged to (13) “Explore, Think Laterally, [and] Rethink Goals.” Good games
allow players to try alternative approaches and rethink goal objectives. A good example
of this is Batman: Arkham City (Rocksteady Studios, 2011), which allows players to
approach villains in a variety of ways. You can walk in, fly in, jump in, sneak up, run in,
and use Batman’s gadgets to begin an assault. Batman’s tools are an example of (14)
“Smart tools,” which are actions that players can take ranging from using game items or
knowing a character’s ability. “Distributed knowledge” refers to players knowing the
special abilities of other players in order to play strategically as a team. Smart tools and
distributed knowledge helps foster participatory culture (Jenkins, 2009) in the sense that
players need to interact and work as teams in order to successfully complete their
objectives. Similar to distributed knowledge, (15) “cross-functional teams” refers to how
players make use of special character abilities to form teams in order to make up for a
lack of or increase an abundance of ability. Lastly, (16) “Performance before
Competence” refers to players being able to play games without understanding how to
play a game (Gee, 2005). Good games often provide players with instructions on how to
navigate a character’s ability through in game tutorials or pop-up tips on the screen.
These learning principals are crucial to the development of games because digital
students are able to control their own learning. Digital students do not feel the pressure
to keep up with other students. They are able to adjust their own learning by adjusting a
game’s difficulty or using other students for guidance and support. These principals
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provide a foundation for the learning of digital students. From feeling a sense of
belonging to taking a risk in learning, Gee’s principals will be used in the development of
the game application and used to justify why it will benefit digital learners and
universities. In addition, the learning pricipals help support the methods for game design.
The design of a game is important to ensure “players’ potential to become experts
and foster collaboration among peers” (Mathis, 2010, p. 18). The creation of a video
game must keep engagement and the player in mind in order to successfully captivate the
player in narrative and interaction (Mathis, 2010). Dickey (2005) describes the strategic
use of engagement (as cited in Mathis, 2010) that game designers use: player positioning
or point-of-view (POV), narrative and interaction choice. This allows “game designers to
create meaningful virtual environments transporting players into unfamiliar territory”
(Mathis, 2010, p. 19). Keeping the player in mind helps guide the focus of creating a
video game, as there are several considerations. Mathis (2010) describes some of those
considerations:
“Four features to construct the play experience: clear learning goals; broad
experiences and practice opportunities that continue to challenge the
learner and reinforce expertise; continuous monitoring of progress, and
use of this information to diagnose performance and adjust instruction to
learner level mastery; encouragement of inquiry and questions, and
response with answers that are appropriate to the learner and context” (p.
20).
Keeping the player and learning outcomes in mind help tailor a game that can foster
growth.
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23
In his dissertation on a prototype college access game, Garcia (2010) collected
data using “an intake form, observation of game prototype play-testing, and focus groups
discussions (after play-testing the game at least once)” (p. 46). The prototype game aims
to help students understand the college application process. The student participants in
the study were low-income students from underrepresented backgrounds. His
presentation of data begins with the game objective, sorting of cards, the use of paper
clips in the game, and ends with seven steps, or game rules, to play the game. After
Garcia describes the process of playing the game, he follows it with data from focus
groups conducted. Garcia’s dissertation on a prototype game keeps in mind the learning
outcome of player: to learn how to apply and get into college (2010). Themes such as
taking risks, performance before competence, and situated meanings are apparent in the
design of the prototype game. This is a representation of the learning principals on good
games that Gee emphasizes as well as game design methods.

Related Literature: The Prequel
Literature on digital natives (Bennett, Maton, Kervin, 2008; Jukes, 2008) estimate
that this generation was “born in or after 1982” (Provitera McGlynn, 2005, p19) or
“between 1980 and 1994” (Bennett, Maton & Kervin, 2008). Roger McHaney, author of
The New Digital Shoreline, addresses how millennials are affecting higher education.
McHaney (2011) states,
“Tech-savvy millennials and their expectations are altering the basic fabric
of teaching and learning. Higher education must explore how students
today are different from students of the past and understand the way they
GAMIFICATION OF JUDICIAL AFFAIRS
24
learn. While these students aren’t necessarily smarter or somehow
technologically superior, they do have different expectations, and many
have spent their formative years using a wide array of technology” (p. 19).
McHaney is addressing the shift in learning that has occurred over the years due to
technology and how it impacts education. It is important to understand that these
students are not smarter due to technology; their learning has changed due to their use of
technology.
Bennett, Maton, and Kervin (2008) address the debate about education reform and
digital natives. Their argument is that there is a sense of “moral panic” among educators.
The authors believe that student disengagement and lack of attention is not based upon an
instructor’s lack of technology use or the students’ technological skills. Their argument
is centered on the idea that technology is not affecting the classroom environment. They
believe that the issue of digital natives has been widely argued but there has been no
empirical or quantitative data proving the need for education reform. As they review
literature addressing digital natives, they highlight two points that are widely assumed:
1. “Young people of the digital native generation possess sophisticated knowledge
of and skills with information technologies” (p. 777).
2. “As a result of their upbringing and experiences with technology, digital natives
have particular learning preferences or styles that differ from earlier generations
of students” (p. 777).
The authors argue that there is no concrete evidence leading to these two assumptions.
The authors are asking for empirical and quantitative evidence that supports that digital
students think differently due to technology and live completely immersed in technology
GAMIFICATION OF JUDICIAL AFFAIRS
25
(Bennett, Maton, & Kervin, 2008). Ian Jukes contradicts Bennett, Maton & Kervin by
stating that it is important to address the needs of “digital kids” (2008). Jukes (2008)
discusses the following points about bridging the digital divide that I will reinforce:
1. Learning should be interactive and engaging. It should make sense as to why it is
we are learning the subjects that we study. In relation to gaming, games that are
interactive are great, so why not make learning interactive?
2. Digital kids need to receive information quickly. Technology can provide instant
access to information. Instant access can make class content clear so that it
appears fast and not confusing.
3. There should be less step-by-step instruction and more just-in-time learning
situations. Students use technology to find a variety of methods to learning:
images, YouTube videos, and even Wikipedia. There is no one-way of learning
or one method. It becomes a trial and error (Gee, 2005) learning environment.
4. Introducing multimedia into learning would make it “pleasant, meaningful, based
on real experience, and satisfying” (Knowles, 1950). Providing pictures, sounds
or video allows for a deeper understanding of the content being taught.
5. Digital kids prefer interacting and multitasking. This is a participatory culture
(Jenkins, 2009) that enjoys communicating through technology. Facebook,
Twitter, blogs, and text messaging are methods for students to collaborate.
6. New research about the mind and brain should always be applied to student
learning. We should be keeping up with the latest research.
The literature on digital learners brings awareness to the need of changing the
way in which we teach in order to continue the relevance of academics. We should
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26
observe how students today are utilizing technology in order to properly address the issue
of their education. This chapter has focused on millennial students’ learning, the impacts
of gaming, and technology. The implication for why a game application would be
beneficial to a university is that technology has impacted today’s student. A university
needs to ensure students can learn from a variety of methods to ensure that deep learning
occurs and not just surface learning (Tagg, 2004). Using gamification on university
services can increase student engagement because it can influence their behavior
(Bunchball, 2010). Games can provide rewards, achievements, competition, and status
among students. Frequent flyer reward programs, Nike +, and foursquare are examples
of gamification (Bunchball, 2010). By having students utilize judicial affairs through a
game application, we can ensure student participation and engagement to the campus. To
justify the need for the gamification of judicial affairs, we must keep in mind that our
students are tech savvy millennials (McHaney, 2011), digital natives (Jukes, 2008;
Prensky, 2001), and millennials (Provitera McGlynn, 2005) that have grown up
influenced by technology as a participatory culture (Jenkins, 2008).
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27
CHAPTER 3: THE GAME MANUAL
My methods in this study connect to my theoretical framework and literature by
uniting the elements of gaming and social media to what is known about digital students.
My goal is to establish a bridge among gaming and social media towards digital students
to provide reason to developing a conceptual model for a video game application that
intends to gamify the services of a university. “Gamification is a long-term strategy, not
a launch-and-forget-it one” (Bunchball, 2010, p. 12). If students are well engaged, they
will continue utilizing the game application. This chapter will focus on the design and
methods, trustworthiness of data, issues, limitations, and connection to methods.

Design and Methods: The Investigation
The design and method of this research concentrates on a conceptual model
created for a game application. It includes game description, storyboards, and feedback
from research participants. The game description is used as the core of the game as it
will be the foundation in which students learn how to play. The game rules are
influenced by university policies. The storyboards are a series of drawn images of what
the game environment will look like, how the game will function, and most importantly
the story of the game. Residential life and housing are aspects of judicial affairs are the
focus of this conceptual game.
Technical aspects of this thesis include the game rules and game play. Game
rules describe the formal system of the game (Salen & Zimmerman, 2004). An example
we can look at is Tic-Tac-Toe: (1) Play occurs on a 3 by 3 grid of 9 empty squares; (2)
Two players take turns marking empty squares, the first player marking Xs and the
GAMIFICATION OF JUDICIAL AFFAIRS
28
second player marking Os; (3) If one player places three of the same marks in a row, that
player wins; (4) If the spaces are all filled and there is no winner, the game ends in a draw
(Salen & Zimmerman, 2004, p. 120). Rules serve as means to guide players to the
boundaries that exist or do not exist and the outcomes of the actions (Salen &
Zimmerman, 2004). Game rules can include the objective of the game for players, but
game play is not the same as game rules. Game play refers to how a game will be
interacted by the player. Players should have a meaningful play experience at every
possible moment (Salen & Zimmerman, 2004). Game play is what the player
experiences. How they interact, react, behave, and experience the game is what creates
the essence of the game. With good game play, objectives become of interest to the
players. The objects will determine the purpose of the game. In the case of the game
application I’m designing, an objective for students will be to call the Resident Advisor
on duty when they smell alcohol or hear other students drinking. Specific game rules and
game play of the actual game application will be elaborated upon in chapter 4.
My research design is similar to that of Garcia’s (2010) dissertation on a
prototype college game aimed at low-income underserved students. Garcia describes the
game followed by his notes of the focus groups he conducted. Garcia’s game description
is broken into cards, symbols, and how each step, or rules, works in the game. My
approach is similar in that I present the game description and storyboards followed by the
reactions of my research participants. I used both individual interviews and focus groups
to gain feedback. The individual interviews were structured with open-ended questions
pertaining to the game. The approach for the individual interviews was a “funnel-shaped
interview” where the questions began vague and ended specific (Kvale, 2007). I used
GAMIFICATION OF JUDICIAL AFFAIRS
29
focus groups because it would “bring forth more spontaneous expressive and emotional
views than in individual, often more cognitive interviews,” (Kvale, 2007, p. 72). My
study was approved through the Institutional Review Board (IRB) to ensure it met all
ethical requirements and the safety of the research participants.
Participants were a mixed group. The first group is undergraduates that showed
interest or experience with video games and higher education. The second and third
groups contacted were masters and doctoral candidates selected based upon their
experience working in higher education. All participants were contacted through email
inviting them to participate in a study about using a video game to educate students about
university policies. I contacted fourteen individuals to participate in my study. Out of
the fourteen, twelve individuals responded. I conducted email interviews with all twelve
participants. Using the same twelve participants, I formed two focus groups. One focus
group consisted of two doctoral students and one master’s graduate. The second focus
group consisted of four graduate students. One Skype interview was conducted with one
undergraduate participant. A phone interview was conducted with another undergraduate
participant. The remaining three participants were only able to respond through email.
Two participants are graduate students and the other an undergraduate. Three
participants are male and nine are female. Only one female and one male consider
themselves gamers. Two males considered themselves former gamers. Six females had
some knowledge of video games and the remaining two had very little knowledge on
video games. All participants were emailed the game description and storyboards and
were asked to answer questions regarding the content. Participants were asked to email
their responses to me and bring their responses to the focus group, if they were able to
GAMIFICATION OF JUDICIAL AFFAIRS
30
participate. This allowed focus group participants to prepare prior to the focus group and
allowed for spontaneous expressive and emotional views, as Kvale puts it.

Trustworthiness of Data: Found Intel
Research in the topic of education and gaming is limited. To ensure that my
research is valid, I gathered literature from various sources to support my claim that
university services can be turned into a game. Research came from different sources
outside of education in order to reinforce my research question. Research gathered
present and focus on the various aspects of gamification and how it can be best applied.
Each aspect of this conceptual model for a game is supported through various literatures
in gaming, learning paradigms, social media, and millennials. Literature making
references to higher education has been used to justify the need to gamify university
services.

Researcher Bias: Enter Cheat Code
I write this thesis as a digital student. As much as I try to limit any bias, it cannot
be avoided completely because I am writing about an audience that I belong. I am a
representative of the tech savvy millennial (McHaney, 2011) students as well as an
educator and researcher. I write this thesis to bridge an understanding to my target
audience: students and faculty. As much as I would like to avoid bias, it can only be
minimized. My background, which includes growing up with technology, social media,
and video games influences my writing and worldview. Growing up with these things
has conditioned me to always favor them as part of my learning, education, and daily life
GAMIFICATION OF JUDICIAL AFFAIRS
31
activities. From this perspective my knowledge may be considered a positive advantage
because I am focusing on a way to address the need for change in student learning and a
method of integrating gaming concepts for millennials.

Other Issues: Side Mission
This thesis originally intended to focus on the process of developing the game,
testing, programming, test results, and functionality. Getting a committee of three
individuals to meet has proven to be a challenge with our already busy schedules. The
committee determined that this project might take longer than expected because of our
busy schedules, lack of additional members, somewhat lack of resources and support, and
thesis time constraints in being able to track all aspects of developing the game. This led
me to focus on a conceptual model of developing this game and reasoning for its
effectiveness. However, focusing on a conceptual model allows me to focus one service
of a university, judicial affairs, and use it as a blueprint for other university services (i.e.
financial aid, academic advising). This issue has resulted in a positive outcome for this
thesis.

Limitations—Game Disc Might be Scratched or Damaged
The limitation to this thesis is the lack of research in the theme and topic of
gaming and education. Because the topic is fairly new, or emerging, research from other
areas will be utilized to compensate for the lack of direct research relevant to higher
education. These areas may include video games, gaming consoles, mobile devices,
social media, and assistive technology. Although there is research on millennial students,
GAMIFICATION OF JUDICIAL AFFAIRS
32
social media, digital learners, and advancements in technology, there is not enough
research that directly addresses video games, gaming, or gamification in education. This
is a slowly emerging theme that may rapidly gain the interest of higher education. This
thesis focuses on further developing a conceptual standpoint. This thesis will be covering
the planning and preparation process and why it is important to create a game application
for digital students in higher education. This approach to develop a conceptual game
allows thoughtful considerations and planning to prevent this idea from being a fad for
higher education. It ensures that the game can and will work before it is launched into
development.

How It All Connects (Connect Controller)
As mentioned earlier, Jukes’ (2008) eight preferences for learning of digital
natives and Gee’s (2005) sixteen principals for good games will be used as a guide and
foundation for creating a game application that utilizes universities services. The purpose
of chapter four will be twofold. The first part focuses on designing a game application
conceptually to allow flexibility and incorporation of available research on gamification,
learning, digital natives/tech savvy millennials, participatory culture, convergence,
teaching and technology. The conceptual design of the game will include a set of rules,
game play, game objectives, storyboard and how it will gain the attention of digital
students. Drawn images will be included to provide a visual representation of the game
layout and story. Through out the conceptual creation of the game, references will be
made to the literature and theoretical framework to show support for why it will work.
GAMIFICATION OF JUDICIAL AFFAIRS
33
The second part consists of responses from interviews conducted to receive
feedback on the game’s design. Interviews took place as focus groups, phone call, Skype
call, and email interviews. Using this mix approach allowed me to easily pinpoint the
common themes and unique ideas participants addressed. The following chapter will
present the game application in terms of rules, storyboards, and feedback provided from
the research participants.

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34
CHAPTER 4: CONCEPTUAL GAME DESCRIPTION AND STORYBOARDS
Prior to beginning this conceptual video game, there must be an idea of what
things will look like before production. Things can be characters, environments, game
objects, stories, scenarios, and screen layouts. I have decided to begin this conceptual
game by creating a description that includes objective, directions, setting, items, rules,
badges, and a few others options. In addition to the game description, I have designed
eleven storyboards that represent the topics within the game description and have named
the game ‘MyUniversity.’ Starting with the game description and storyboards helps
guide the game for future development and serves as a model. The aim is to create a
game that can help students understand the university policies in a fun consequence-free
platform.
My theoretical framework, described in chapter two, has been integrated into the
game description and storyboards. I have applied Gee’s (2005) learning principals on
good games. Identity, interaction, production, risk taking, agency, system thinking, and
smart tools are the most noticeable learning principles applied. Amongst the storyboards,
you will notice the integration of spatial story and environmental storytelling as described
by Jenkins (2008). Literature about digital students has been considered and incorporated
into the game. The use of badges described below is a form of instant gratification and
instant rewards described by Jukes (2008). A detailed description of how this affects the
game and players is provided in chapter five.
The research question for this thesis is: Can the gamification of judicial affairs,
specifically residential life and housing policies, become instrumental to student conduct
as millennial students adapt to emerging technologies? Below you will find the game
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35
description and storyboards. Following that, there will be feedback from selected
research participants and their thoughts about the game description and storyboards. The
following is written as a video game instruction manual to the user/player.

Game Objective

The objective of ‘MyUniversity’ is for you to explore the campus and avoid
trouble, or get into trouble. You decide! As a college student, you are expected by the
university to be a good citizen, civil, responsible, and contribute positively to student and
college life. Behavior that promotes unsafe and unruly citizenship will result in
disciplinary consequences.

Game Directions

As a student, there are consequences to causing, promoting, or participating in
disruptive behavior and actions; there are also rewards and incentives for promoting good
citizenship. In ‘MyUniversity,’ you will be placed in situations that involve making
choices. Your choices will determine the outcome of each situation. As you explore the
campus, you will find activities you can par-take.

Setting (Game Map)
The map will be an almost replica of your university or at least some resemblance
to it. For starters, it will focus on the residential area of the campus or campus center (see
storyboard 10).
A. Players can move about through buildings.
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36
B. Players can interact with artificial intelligence characters that represent students,
staff, administration, and faculty.

Items (Game Tools)

• Student I.D.: used to gain access to some buildings like residence halls, libraries,
and student commons
• Backpack: where all items will be placed
• Campus Map
• Water Bottle: used to rehydrate after running
• Bike or skateboard or scooter: to speed up transportation (see storyboards 2 and
10)
• Smartphone: used to send missions to the player, access calendar, character
settings, transportation, text messaging, etcetera (see storyboard 2)
• Computers: access game blog, chat with other players, and see player progress
(see storyboard 3)

Special Items (Game Tools)
Special items can be used to unlock new or hidden missions. Special items can be
received through an office at your campus or by completing special events in game.
• Event Flyers
• Lost Keys
• Advertisements
• Email (in-game)
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37
Screen Layout
On the top right on your screen, you will have a health meter that indicates the
status of your health. Health can be decreased and increased based on actions you take.
On the bottom right corner you will notice the “game shortcuts” menu that will contain
your backpack (used to store items), a skateboard (to speed up travel time across
campus), and Smartphone (game options). The box on the bottom left is the friend menu
that allows you the ability to add friends that you wish to compete against. The yellow
circle with the red star will allow players to customize (or edit) the corresponding box
(see Storyboards 4-10).

Iconic Buildings

• Health Center: used for players to recover from events or when health is low
• Bookstore: can purchase items for missions
• Student Union: game lobby
• Residence Hall: player’s home
• Judicial affairs office: judicial hearings take place

Player/Game Set-Up

1. Enter student ID #: This will allow us to track the levels each student completes
so that we know that they should have known not to violate a university policy.
2. Create a character: facial appearance, clothes, apparel, gender, character
personality, major, and class year (see storyboard 1).
3. Select a residential hall
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38
4. Players must complete initial tutorials to learn how to play the game. This means
control layouts (on keyboard and mouse) and game layout (menu, settings, game
features and badge system).

Tutorials
After player/game setup tutorials, players then have assigned tasks (new tutorials)
they must first complete before setting out on a college adventure. These tasks will
include:
1. Orientation
a. Players will learn about their role as a student.
b. What the university expects of them (to be good citizens).
c. Players will learn how to move around in this task.
d. Player will receive first game item, a campus map.
i. The map highlights unexplored areas, explored areas, and
pending tasks.
2. Meet your roommate
a. Each player will have an assigned roommate (artificial intelligence).
b. The player will get some background information about the roommate
and get a sense of what the roommate likes and doesn’t like (such as
noise, visitors, food, cleanliness, habits, etc.).
c. Scenarios will develop from this relationship later in the game.
d. Player will receive their first badge (The Roommate).
3. Attend mandatory floor meeting
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39
a. During this tutorial, players will get a very simplified version of the
university policies. Players will receive an item (the actual university
policies and even housing policies) that will go to their backpack
(where in-game items are stored).
b. Players will also receive a badge (Welcome to Res Life).
4. Attend a Resident Advisor event
a. Here players will learn about community building and
b. Players may earn another badge (Community Member).

Badges

Badges will be used to symbolize the accomplishments you obtain. Badges are
used as an indicator to unlock new missions. Some starting badges include: The
Roommate (represents meeting roommate), Welcome to Res Life (attended mandatory
floor meeting), Community Member (attend a Resident Advisor event), College Life
(participated in a community effort), College Orientation (successfully completed all
tutorials), and Care for Health (visited the health center) (see storyboard 11).

Scan Codes (QR Codes)

Outside of the game realm, you can find special missions and items by visiting a
participating office on your campus. Look for a Quick Response Code (QR Codes),
which is similar to that of a barcode. Use your phone to scan the code and it will redirect
you to our website to provide you with your reward. Visit your Resident
Coordinator/Advisor, Academic Advisor, or Housing office to find a QR Code.
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Game Mechanics
At this point I am no longer writing this as a video game manual. This section
provides a game formula I have created, campus policies simplified, game topics, and
game title. The next part is the game formula. This is an idea of how the game would
operate logistically to provide a sense of how the rules work within in the game.

Game Formula
• Scenario (general description of occurrence)
o Situation (the incident)
 Outcome (what actually happens)
• Based on response, this leads to next situation
o Response can be Likert scale (for severity issues) or
true/false
o Situation 2
 Outcome 2
• Based on response, this leads to next situation
o Response can be Likert scale or true/false
o Situation 3
 Outcome 3
• Based on response, this leads to next situation
o Response can be Likert scale or true/false
• Result (adjudication)/ (reward)

Example: “Want to get high?” (see storyboard 7)
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a. Student player will be introduced to a drug (ex: marijuana or cocaine)
b. Student will be asked to try the drug
i. If yes,
1. Student health meter decreases
ii. If no,
1. Student health stays constant
2. Player can either
a. Leave the location,
b. Report the incident, or
c. Changes mind and tries the drug
c. Result
i. If player tried drug, they get adjudicated
ii. If player left location, players learns of what could have happened
(which is getting adjudicated)
iii. If player reports the incident, player receives badge for being a
good community member.
This game formula provides an easy understanding of how games operate. This game
formula relates to how the judicial process works for students when they are caught for
violating campus policies. The student is first involved in a scenario. From the scenario
the student is either caught or avoids trouble. Assuming the student is caught, the student
then has a choice to make: to be honest, to lie, to use an alibi, or try escaping. Each one
of these choices can better or worsen the situation. Assuming the student is cooperative,
the student enters the adjudication process. From here the student meets with a judicial
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42
affairs officer to determine an appropriate sanction. Had the student escaped from the
situation, no action would have occurred. This game formula opens a pathway for other
possibilities.
Other Possibilities.

Each player will have a health meter during the levels. Example 1: The
consumption of drugs leads to overdose or no health left which causes a player to appear
in a hospital or health center. Example 2: Players can potentially fall off from their
transportation vehicle or become injured during a protest/rally mission (see storyboards 6
and 7).
Players cannot progress within the game until they complete earlier missions.
Players will be initially forced to commit bad actions to learn a general idea of campus
policies. Once the fundamental ideas are achieved in the beginning missions, then
players are allowed to make their own choices. All missions can be played in any
sequence as long as they complete a set to move on to the next level.
Campus Policies Simplified.

The following infractions are the missions, levels, and policies for the game.
These are the university campus policies simplified for the game. The infractions are:
cheating, plagiarism, forgery, misrepresentation of self, unauthorized entry, disruption of
an activity, obstruction of an activity, disrupting university operations, infringing the
rights of community, obstruction of pedestrian or traffic access, disorderly, indecent, or
obscene behavior, physical abuse, threats, intimidation, harassment, sexual misconduct,
hazing, possession of illegal drugs, misuse of legal pharmaceutical drugs, manufacture of
illegal drugs, distribution of illegal drugs, possession of alcohol, manufacture of alcohol,
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distribution of alcohol, public intoxication, theft, destruction and damage of university
property, possession of weapons, misuse of computer facilities, failure to comply with
university official, any act chargeable as federal, state or local law, violation of student
conduct procedures, encouraging another into an act subject to discipline, permitting
another into an act subject to discipline, and assisting another into an act subject to
discipline.
Some of the policies have to be further simplified for the game, such as misuse of
computer facilities, weapons, threats, intimidation, and hazing. Each of the thirty-five
campus policies can serve as a level. Because each can be combined or simplified, it
allows for multiple possibilities within the game, in terms of avoiding trouble and getting
into trouble.
It can also be built into the game the possibility for students to learn that they can
violate campus policies before and after a semester, during a holiday, and during long
breaks (summer and winter) to emphasize the idea that they are always a student
regardless of classes being in session or not.
Potential Game Topics.
The following are some potential game topics that can be further developed:
alcohol abuse, student health: flu and STIs, mental health: suicide, academic integrity:
plagiarism and cheating, drug abuse: hallucinogens, hazing: Greek life and athletics,
protests: activism, nation-wide events, world events, campus racism, LGBTIQ issues,
vandalism, theft, pets, roommate conflicts, financial problems, family problems,
relationships, and shootings (guns). These are a list of topics I compiled that could serve
the game for missions or levels. Some of these could affect one campus more than
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44
another topic. In addition to missions and levels, the game title should also be considered
in how it speaks to students.
Game Title.

‘MyUniversity’ is the current pending game title. The game should sound more
appealing to students. The current title may cause students to avoid the game because it
may sound too educational. I have an idea that college students do not want to play
games that sound or look educational. I personally believe that games that sound
educational are unexciting. If I were to target this game towards a student like myself, I
would not play it if it looked or sounds educational. The idea for me is branding. I’m
more likely to buy something that is well known versus something that is unknown.

Storyboards
The next section is a series of eleven storyboards that represent the game
description, rules, items, and badges. The storyboards all represent different aspects of
the game: player creation, items, stories, and badges. Each storyboard has a brief
description attached. Following the storyboards there will be responses pertaining to the
research participants.

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Storyboard 1

Creating Characters: Appearance

Customization allows for players to feel connected to a game. This storyboard represents
the ability for players to create their own character. The current options (face, nose, ears,
etc.) are common amongst games that allow for character creation.

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Storyboard 2

“Phone”

This Smartphone is a game tool designed to organize game options in one location. Each
icon represents a function within the game.

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Storyboard 3

PC Access

In game computers can be used to do multiple things to keep the game interesting. The
computer is another game tool that will allow players to have a sense of community and
interactions with other players.

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Storyboard 4

Dormitory

This storyboard represents a dormitory hall. Players will be given hints to enter specific
rooms that will lead into game missions or objectives. In this scenario, music can be
heard from the center door.

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Storyboard 5

Party Choice

When players get close to a game mission or objective, they will be given the opportunity
to make a choice. The choice can determine the outcome. In this case, the player can
avoid or join the party. In the game itself, the arrows would not appear. The arrows are
presently there to highlight the choices available.

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Storyboard 6

Party

This storyboard represents a typical college party in a dorm room. Here, the player has
decided to join the party. When players decide to par-take in an activity such as a party, a
health meter will appear in the upper right corner of the screen. Actions such as drinking
will decrease health. If a player drinks too much, they will be sent to the health center for
recovery. Disciplinary action will follow after. The possibilities will change based on
the player’s progress in the game.

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Storyboard 7

Drug Use

This player decided to smoke marijuana. Note how the health meter has decreased due to
drug use. The player would learn about the dangers of drugs through the game. Topics
such as drug and alcohol awareness can be integrated into the game.

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Storyboard 8

Plagiarism

Using the computer game tool, students can learn about academic integrity. In this
storyboard, the player is faced with the option of plagiarizing.

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Storyboard 9

Resident Advisor Event/Floor Meeting

This storyboard represents an event or floor meeting that takes place in many dormitories.
Players will often receive a mission through events like this one. The Resident Advisor
artificial intelligence can warn players about things not to do and things to do. This
would update the player’s tasks with new missions.

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Storyboard 10

University Campus

Each college and university should have a personalized version of the game. The
personalization of the game can give players familiarity with their campus and enhance
the sense of belonging.

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Storyboard 11

Badges

Badges can be earned once a player achieves a milestone within the game. Players can
earn badges for completing a mission and performing an action “x amount” of times.
Badges provide players with a sense of completion, achievement, and success.

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And the Participants Respond
Participants in this thesis read and viewed the game description and storyboards.
They were asked to share their thoughts, perceptions, and feedback about this conceptual
game. There were nine common and distinctive ideas that the participants addressed
during the focus groups, individual interview, and via email interview. Each idea will be
addressed as a topic and will be taken as feedback to improve and further develop this
conceptual game. I will address the most common topics followed by other
considerations. By distinctive I refer to unique ideas that were provided by individual
participants through focus groups, individual interview or via email interview. These
topics emerged through the responses of the participants. The first topic, length of game
will be addressed next, followed by game incentives, freedom of choice, character
creation, meters, multiplayer, game over, game graphics, campus authority figures, and
other considerations.

Length of Game
The most common topic that arose through out the participants was the length of
time to play the game. Participants suggested two hours, a few days, and two weeks.
Participants shared that students that are non-gamers may be reluctant to play and
possibly even discouraged to play if the game were to take more than two weeks to play,
especially if the game took place during the academic semester. As a result, seven
participants shared that the ideal time for students to play the game would be the first
year of college prior or during orientation. Participants felt that this ideal time would
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help the student get acquainted to the college, assuming that the game would be
customized and tailored to each college.
If it was a short game, it could focus on the main points a university might
address said seven of the participants. A short game would have to become tailored to
every university’s top issues amongst their student population, such as hazing, drinking,
or drug use. Four participants believed that the game could become large enough to be
played on a game console such as the Xbox or Playstation—this questioned the notion of
whether universities and students would be interested enough to play the game. The
participants shared that the game would then be tailored to show high school students
about college life. This would incorporate game topics such as attending/not attending
class and academic life. In relation to length of game, game incentives became the next
area of focus for participants.

Game Incentives
Out-of-Game Incentives.
Two variations of incentives arose: incentive to play the game and in-game
incentives. Incentive to play the game was a concern of the focus group consisting of
masters’ students.
One participant shared, “Every badge earned works towards the completion of
orientation, fifty cents at the school bookstore, or having their name placed in a raffle.”
The group expressed that this would help motivate students to complete the game,
especially if they have an opportunity to win free books for the semester or coffee gift
cards. Through email interview, a graduate student provided the idea that through
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58
residential life, a dormitory that has all students complete the game or earn “x” amount of
badges wins a prize. In this very sense came the idea of in-game incentives for earning
badges.
In-Game Incentives.
The individually interviewed undergraduates provided great ideas to improve the
instant gratification system of the game. One undergraduate said, “Maybe setting up a
token economy, and giving them the sort of token/money/reward for every small-
completed task, that they can use toward unlocking prizes (i.e. more options to customize
player, new clothes, opportunity to go to some awesome local place/event).” The other
two undergraduates shared the idea that the badges could unlock new areas of the campus
for exploration, provide college life tips, and be used as a way to ensure players cannot
continue to succeed within the game until they earn a specific badge. “Do something that
is related that each badge gives you access or abilities to certain things that without
completing it, it becomes difficult to navigate college,” said another undergraduate. One
of the participants through email interview said, “You can always make a ‘bad’ choice,
but redeem yourself. Maybe try to work on this gray area that usually gets blurred.”
Game incentives related to players having the freedom to make choices.

Freedom of Choice: Avoiding Situations and “Well Ordered Problems”
Eleven participants shared concerns as to what would happen if a student player
avoids getting into trouble within the game. “Is it possible to avoid getting into trouble?”
One undergraduate participant pointed out that the game initially forces you to get in
trouble. The participant said, “At what point are players given freedom of choice?” Five
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participants said that the current game description and storyboards are unclear as to how
each game level builds onto the next level. Three participants stated that the game
currently lacks how the judicial process would play out. The participants suggested that
there be a choice as to the type of student a player decides to be. A concern to this idea
was how students would get to know what the university policies are if they avoid
trouble, thus the judicial process. One participant asked, “How can the game educate
students about the policies if they decide to be ‘good citizens?’” Five participants stated
that some situations could have positive outcomes even if they are placed in a negative
situation. One example provided was that a hall/floor meeting could be a negative
situation because the meeting could be based upon the hall/floor being too loud, thus a
negative situation. A second example provided was that a player could walk into a party
and not drink, this a positive outcome. With this, participants added the idea of students
going off campus within the game to teach them about how university policies work
outside the universities and the difference of dealing with city ordinance. The next
emergent topic for participants was the ability to create your own character.

Character Creation
Character creation was well received by eleven participants. The focus group of
four women in the study highly praised the idea of being able to create a character
because it would allow them to feel connected to the game. Being able to customize their
characters would make the game fun for them because it could serve as a representation
of who they are. Along with the creation of characters, participants had great ideas about
the use of meters.
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Meters
Participants discussed three types of meters: progress, grades, and health. Each
meter is discussed as to how it can be applied to the game.
Progress Meter.
Through phone interview, one undergraduate participant shared the idea of having
the game track progress. The participant shared that a progress meter could “show how
close you are to getting a certain badge or finishing a level.” The participant shared that
it is important for players to know how close or far away they are from completing a task.
Grades Monitor.
For the plagiarism scenarios, the focus group of all females suggested having a
grade monitor/meter. The meter would indicate how much the student is plagiarizing.
Their idea was that it could work similarly to the health meter that has already been
incorporated. One email graduate participant stated, “I like the ‘morals’ issues where you
make choices based on what is right or wrong, or good or bad for your health. Couple
that with the concrete consequences like failing a class, or like, you stayed out and
partied so you didn't get sleep, you missed class, and your grades went down, rather than
just losing health.”
Health Meter.
The focus group comprised of two males and a female shared that there should be
multiple ways to increase health instead of just decreasing health. One participant said,
“One way to boost a player’s health can be through exercise and physical fitness. Going
to the campus gym is a common way for students to counter the negative physical effects
of stress in college.” The group also suggested that increasing health could add a “boost”
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to the player’s character such as a longer running time. This focus group led the idea of
the health meter into multiplayer game play.

Multiplayer
“I also like the fact that students can ‘add friends’ to compete against, because I
feel that competition will motivate students to complete the game” said a participant.
During both focus groups, participants generated the idea of having players play missions
together and see the progress of their friends. The participants came up with the idea that
having friends in certain levels could cause the players to “get in trouble” or “stay out of
trouble” together. They also added that the idea of playing levels with friends could cause
for them to realize how even one person could get the whole group in trouble, which
could mean peer pressure. One participant said it best: “Friends drag you down or help
you out.” Both focus groups what would happen if players lose during a mission and
how the game would end.

Game Over
Depending on the length of the game, participants in the two focus groups
wondered how the game could end. The focus group of three participants suggested that
the ending could correlate to grades. If the student does well, then they succeed as a
college student. If the student does poorly, they fail as a college student. This could be
the learning outcome of the game. Another idea provided by the four-person focus group
was that the game could end with the player graduating from college. All participants
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lightly touched upon the following two topics, game graphics and campus authority
figures.

Game Graphics
The participants stated that the graphics are good, bold, unique, and interesting.
Both focus groups stated that it should keep a cartoon-feel. A participant from the phone
interview suggested that making the game look three-dimensional would make it realistic.
All participants stated that the color scheme works very well. One participant in the
focus group of all women was concerned about how campus figures would be
represented in the game.

Campus Authority Figures
Resident Assistants (RAs) and campus safety are the most predominant figures of
authority to students said one participant. The participant provided the idea that both
RAs and campus safety should be well represented in the game as “people who are there
to help” and not strictly law enforcers. The participant made it clear that there should be
a special focus on the RAs as community members promoting a healthy community and
not “write up” students. The participant added that RAs are typically seen as “law
enforcers” and that their role should be well defined within the game. The next section
provides some important considerations that participants brought to my attention.

Other Considerations
The two focus groups provided some ideas to consider when developing the
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game. Low-income students, English Second Language (ESL) students, and the digital
divide were the three areas to think about. One participant shared that it should be
considered how the game could impact students from low-income backgrounds. Another
participant elaborated that having the game option to change the language of the game
could help International students understand the university policies in their own native
language. A third participant stated that technology barriers still exist for some students,
especially those from rural areas, and that the digital divide should be considered.
Overall, participants enjoyed the idea of having a game educate students about
university policies and procedures. Participants believe that this would be an effective
way to communicate a serious topic to students. Some skepticism about the game was
directed towards students that would not want to play the game and that there is too much
content to focus on for a game that should take no more than two weeks to play. One
participant said that both the game play and story must be really good, or else students
might not want to play due to its educational goal. Another participant said that the game
would have to be well marketed to students in order to motivate them to play. And lastly,
one participant said it is a “better medium to send message to college students rather than
a PowerPoint or a speech. A lot more interactive, more engagement.”
All twelve participants are excited about the current state of the game and hope to
see it develop further. The participants provided a great foundation to future
development of the game. The feedback helps reconsider, reinforce, and implement
changes by allowing me to consider parameters to the game’s development. The final
chapter of this thesis will focus on limitations that occurred, my thoughts about the
feedback provided by research participants, and future development.
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CHAPTER 5: THE END
The aim to this thesis is to answer the following research question: Can the
gamification of judicial affairs, specifically residential life and housing policies, become
instrumental to student conduct as millennial students adapt to emerging technologies?
This thesis has purposefully aimed to bring attention to millennial students, define digital
students, describe gamification, design and create a conceptual game, and demonstrate
how this benefits universities. The goal of this thesis is to demonstrate a conceptual
game that can benefit judicial affairs and other areas of student affairs due to the increase
in use of technology by students. This chapter will focus on limitations that arose, the
findings from the research participants, recommendations for the game’s development,
and my thoughts on whether the game would actually work. I will first begin with the
limitations that arose.

Limitations Part II: Check Disc Again for Dirt, Dust, and Scratches
Originally I intended to focus only on game rules and storyboards. In the process
of creating both, I discovered that the game rules alone were not enough to represent the
game as I imagined it and using the university policies to create the game rules proved
challenging. In turn, I decided to instead focus on game description versus game rules.
The game description would incorporate the game rules, which made it easier to develop.
What made the games rules difficult to create was a lack of understanding the rules
within games. After reading video game manuals and playing some of my favorite Xbox
360 games, I realized how the game rules worked and what I needed to do. Instead of
creating one set of game rules, I had to create several. Several rules combined would
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65
create the game rules. To clarify, transportation vehicles such as a bicycle would have a
set of rules in terms of where it can be used, what it can do, and how fast it can go.
Having this understanding allowed me to focus my attention to the central theme of the
game: creating a set of rules for events, situations, tasks, and tutorials. With this in mind,
creating rules for how game tools work and how missions are triggered would become an
easier task. This caused me to instead focus my attention to how the game will initially
work. A second challenge I confronted was the creation of characters.
Although I have an art background in drawing, I do not have a forte for drawing
characters. I am talented in creating environments and objects, but not fictional
characters. This was something that was a bit hard for me to accept about my drawing
abilities. I had to understand and remember that creating characters would take
additional time and multiple character renditions. I resorted to using stick figure
characters to depict the presence of characters. Three of the storyboards do contain non-
stick figure characters, but they serve as a beginning to future characters. I would need to
dedicate my time solely to character development to create a solid collection. Instead, I
focused my attention to creating environments. My third challenge in this process was
the development of creating a mobile device version of the game.
When it comes to tablet devices, the game could run the same except that it would
need to be reconfigured to recognizing touch screen commands. When it comes to
Smartphones, the game may not work the same as it would on a desktop or laptop
computer. This is due to the size of screen and the possible file size of the game itself.
Smartphones could be used in a different capacity for the game. An application could be
created that focuses on a particularly small function of the game. It could be the scanning
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of QR Codes that unlock new game items and missions. This feature would only be
available through Smartphone. The application could provide small game levels that
could only be played through the phone. The possibilities are many. The fourth and final
challenge I experienced was the integration of universal design.
The Center for Universal Design (1997) defines universal design as “the design of
products and environments to be usable by all people, to the greatest extent possible,
without the need for adaptation or specialized design” (p. 2). Incorporating universal
design into the game at this state is very difficult. The video game is still in its
conceptual design. The game needs further development in order to decide on the
universal design modifications. There is much to consider with universal design.
Though once this game gains a stronger foundation, the integration of universal design
will be necessary. It will be easier to design the game with universal design in mind
versus having to come back to a finalized game and altering its functionality. These
challenges have helped guide me to creating a list of recommendations for the
development of the game.

The Feedback from the Research Participants
The research participants provided a great amount of feedback for the video
game. I was able to compile their feedback into nine dominant themes: length of game,
game incentives, freedom of choice, meters, multiplayer, gave over, graphics, and
campus authority. It is obvious that the game needs further development and that the
directions are many. The most helpful feedback was the consideration about the length
of the game. That is something that I had not considered. It is very likely that not all
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67
students will want to play the game and will be completely immersed in it. But as most
of the research participants stated, it is a lot better than having to read and answer
questions and attend a meeting where they stop paying attention. One participant stated
that if students were to play a special mission related to their sanction, it would at least
make the student process the situation because he/she would have to think about it and
invest time playing.
The research participants’ feedback also helps support the idea of game
incentives, or instant gratification, and freedom of choice. With game incentives, players
will be motivated to play the game, whether it is to win a physical prize or an in-game
award. This will help encourage students to play and complete the game. The idea of
allowing players create their own choices was also well received. All participants
believed that it could help students learn making choices and how it influences their
college experience. There were concerns about students not learning what occurs if they
avoid a situation. My idea to this concern is that the game can be built for students to
always learn what the situation would have looked like if they had “gotten in trouble.”
This could be demonstrated through a short video that could appear in the form of an
artificial intelligence character, the in game email, or a built in campus newspaper. There
are many ways to make this happen. The participants believe that the students having the
choice to get in trouble or avoid trouble are realistic choices they have as college
students.
Overall, I am pleased with the feedback provided. It allows for further
development of the game in a conceptual sense. This allows me to focus on these
suggestions as the next steps in the game’s development. Given the feedback, I will next
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focus on the length of the game and the end of the game. This will set up parameters in
terms of what should or should not be added to the game.
Future Research and Development
If this game is to be further developed, there are many things to consider. The
first consideration is the title of the game. Currently ‘MyUniversity’ is a suggested title.
My concern with the game title is that if the game sounds educational in any way,
students may not want to play the game. The target group is currently entering college
students. This means that students are just around eighteen years of age. From my own
experience, entering college is an entitlement to becoming or being an adult. The last
thing I would want is for someone to make me play a game that appeared childish and
educational. In conjunction to the game title, how the game is presented to students will
be another determining factor to how the game will be perceived. This claim of mine
requires research for support. Though basing it off my experience with my gamer
friends, we often purchase and play games based off a game’s title, trailer, and story line.
This is something that can be decided much later in the game’s development, but
something to consider.
The game has potential to become expansive. I was not able to get very far with
this initial development because there are so many topics to consider. My
recommendation would be to form several committees, each in charge of developing one
aspect of the game. The aspects could be characters, environments, game items,
storylines, and rewards. Another take on aspects could be residential life, housing,
orientation, and campus crisis. In the game’s current focus on judicial affairs, there are
several topics to cover that would require committees. We could have one team focus on
GAMIFICATION OF JUDICIAL AFFAIRS
69
alcohol abuse, another team on academic integrity, another on hazing, and one team on
drugs. These topics, as outlined in chapter four, can be expanded to different capacities.
Different universities might even consider having their game focus on a topic that is
predominant to their campus. This leads me to my next recommendation: customization
of the game.
It is great for players to have customization within the game, but so should the
universities that will own the game. Each game should look like its respective campus.
This can help students get to know their campus and quickly develop a sense of comfort
that does not mean feeling lost on campus. In addition, each campus might have a
different set of problems. One university may deal with drug abuse, another with
underage drinking, and a different university may have issues with hazing. The game
should allow for universities to set what the dominant topic of the game will be. It does
not have to be one topic; it could be a few. It could be set where the university can
change the game topics based on actual recent campus incidents to educate the student
community on that particular incident/subject (e.g. vandalism).
Given the game’s current state, I recommend further development of the
storyboards and game description. This will allow the game to be tailored and refined
over time. This is also a cost effective approach. The storyboards will allow us to
visually perceive the game’s direction and functionality. Storyboards are a good way to
figure out the flow of the game and the visual narratives. Development of the game
description will also help provide a clear vision of the game’s mechanics and operation.
There are still several research and development ideas to consider.
GAMIFICATION OF JUDICIAL AFFAIRS
70
In addition to the conceptual development of the game, there are several
possibilities for research and development. One possibility is to consider where the
learning within the game occurs and how can learning can be embedded. The learning
can occur as they break the university policy, during the adjudication process in the
game, or after several occurrences on an incident. The second possibility to consider is
what the conversation will look like outside of the game. Will students recall the game
before, during, or after a possible incident? Will students recall the lesson learned to
encourage good behavior amongst their peers? Will student affairs professionals be able
to participate in the conversations outside the game? What about participating “inside”
the game? Will student affairs professionals initiate dialogue with students regarding the
game and use it as a teaching opportunity? A third possibility is whether
successful/experienced players could become mentors to new or other players.
Successful and experienced players could impact the game play of other players. Will
they discourage or encourage game play? A fourth possibility is deciding how to end the
game. The game could end with the player graduating, finishing the first
quarter/semester, or end with one last final “boss” level. A fifth possibility is deciding
how to include universal design. What aspects of the game could be played by voice
recognition? Touch screen commands? A sixth possibility is to consider how much
customization is allowed. The game can be customized during specific times of the year
such as midterms, finals, holidays, and beginning of new quarters/semesters. Various
events occur during midterms, finals, holidays, and beginning of new quarters/semesters
that would require customization. We could go as far as focusing on Greek life rush
weeks, tailgates, move-in, spring break, and finals week. One last possibility would be
GAMIFICATION OF JUDICIAL AFFAIRS
71
the focus of how the game objectives for each portion of the game are developed. How
would the objectives change based on each situation or incident? These are just some
research and development possibilities. All these points are important considerations
towards the game’s future.
Will This Game Work?
I have grown up playing video games since the age of four. As a child,
educational games were fun; but as I have grown into an adult, I find them boring. Thus
this brings me back to my research question: Can the gamification of judicial affairs,
specifically residential life and housing policies, become instrumental to student conduct
as millennial students adapt to emerging technologies? To answer the question, I will
first give some background about my experience as a college student.
I never did pay attention to any of the emails, flyers, or my resident advisors when
it came to the housing and university policies; it was presented in the most boring way
possible. I did not want to sit in my dormitory and read all the material I was given on
move-in and orientation day. All I wanted to do was meet people, explore the campus,
and settle in to my dorm. Learning the housing and campus policies were the least of my
worries. Before I knew, classes started and so did study time and hanging out time.
Anything I might have been told about campus policies never made it to my brain. This
probably holds true for many entering college students. There is just so much going on
within the first few days. Every department on campus wants the new student to visit and
learn about what they have to offer. Campus policies are just the last of my concerns.
Besides, I’m there for my academics, right? I am also a young adult adjusting to life
GAMIFICATION OF JUDICIAL AFFAIRS
72
without a family. I could continue going on here, but the idea is that there is just one too
many factors at play.
Video games can be educational, but the word education must be hidden. Call of
Duty by Activision could be a successful educational game. It provides some historical
facts such as the bombing of Pearl Harbor and World War II. I believe that if Activision
really wanted, they could make learning about history in a video game very easily. I
know that as a college student, I would dislike having to play an educational game that
was boring. If I were to be required to play a game, it better be fun and entertaining.
This is why ‘MyUniversity’ should focus on students getting into trouble versus being
good citizens. ‘MyUniversity’ should be a game similar to Grand Theft Auto (Rockstar
Games, 2012) where players are only seeking to get into trouble in order to learn the
campus policies. Successful games allow players to roam within the game. They do not
have to follow a set path. Games like World of Warcraft (Blizzard Entertainment, 2012)
allow players to roam to different “worlds” and play different missions in a non-
chronological order. This makes the game fun and exciting. ‘MyUniversity’ should
follow a similar path. The game is about choices leading to different paths. Through the
game, students will learn about the various university policies because they will have
either violated the policy or experienced what could have happened had they violated the
policy. The message will get ingrained into their mind. This can be assured if the game
is fun and entertaining. The best games I have played etch my memory. The same could
be said about a movie you really enjoyed. The movie stays with you for a very long-time
and sometimes even forever. But there must be caution to how the education piece of the
game is incorporated. As one participant said, “I feel as if the greatest challenge would
GAMIFICATION OF JUDICIAL AFFAIRS
73
come from getting students to actually use the game. It needs to be marketed
appropriately and students may need some sort of incentive to play the game.”
In the previous paragraph I mention that ‘MyUniversity’ should be similar to
Grand Theft Auto (Rockstar Games, 2012) in that players seek to get into trouble in order
to learn the campus policies. To clarify this point further, the game will be carefully
designed to not encourage students to destroy the campus property or disobey the campus
policies. The main difference between a game like Grand Theft Auto and ‘MyUniversity’
is the educational component. To properly educate the students, there must be a balance
of how much mischievous behavior and discipline occurs within the game. Grand Theft
Auto encourages the player to utilize violence to resolve problems while ‘MyUniversity’
will present the player with alternative options and the adjudication process to provide
the educational component. This educational component can help future research on
games.
This conceptual game design is as a roadmap to other graduate students
conducting research on games. Other graduate students can develop research on
education and gaming. Graduate students can create conceptual work. This reinforces
the idea of collaboration because it enables us to further expand our ideas by working
with others in different fields, in this case, programmers, artists, game designers,
educators, and many others. The timing of this game presents an opportunity for higher
education to educate students on campus policies as students enter college.
So would this game really work? I believe it will. It will highly benefit
universities and students. The gamification of education is looming near. Gamification
is growing. Just take a look at your surrounding. Credit card companies and stores offer
GAMIFICATION OF JUDICIAL AFFAIRS
74
reward points for reaching spending limits. Checking in on foursquare will sometimes
give you a discount at your favorite restaurant (and that’s not to mention the badges you
can unlock). Most video games (if not all) offer some sort of a reward for completing a
task in game. Nike has made being active a game by introducing a ‘Nike+ Fuelband’
wristband that measures calories and steps taken (Nike Inc., 2012). All these things
connect to the Internet, which connect to your Smartphone, which means you are always
playing and viewing your progress. Higher education needs to move forward with
technology and introduce gamification to student services. The idea already exists within
universities. Take a look at academic progress, for example. Students will login to
Blackboard or WebCT to view assignments, complete assignments, and view grades.
The student is already thinking about the “reward” they will receive for completing an
assignment. Students will take risks and “bust an all nighter” to complete an assignment
knowing they had two weeks to complete it. In some cases, students will fail a class and
retake it. Academic progress sounds a lot like risk taking within a video game. The only
difference being that in a video game, you can retry playing a level several times until
you succeed; as a student, you really have very little opportunities for taking academic
risks. Game-like elements already exist within education. So why not use that to create a
video game to educate digital students on the various services a university offers? Being
the digital student that I am, I know I would play the game—and so would my “digital”
friends and peers.

Revisiting Theory
In developing my conceptual video game, I kept in mind Gee’s (2005) sixteen
GAMIFICATION OF JUDICIAL AFFAIRS
75
elements for good games, Jenkins’ (2008) description of video game narrative, and Jukes’
(2008) research on digital natives. I incorporated most of Gee’s elements. Elements such
as performance before competence and situated meanings are currently missing. Video
game narrative has been present in storyboard six, the party scene, and storyboard seven,
the smoking marijuana scene. I added the instant gratification badge system and made
the topics relevant within the game based upon Jukes’ research on digital natives.
Working with this theoretical model guided the process of creating a conceptual game.
Using the works by Gee, Jenkins, and Jukes does prove to be an effective model
to follow. Their work allowed me to consider the functionality of the game and how it
addressed the needs of digital students. During the interviews with the research
participants, topics arose that relate to the concepts of Gee, Jenkins, and Jukes.
Multiplayer game functionality is a representation of “cross-functional teams” and “smart
tools and distributed knowledge” as described by Gee (2005). “Customization” was an
idea that the research participants enjoyed hearing when it came to character creation and
making choices. The game graphics can be related to Jukes (2008) in that digital natives
prefer “receiving information quickly from multiple multimedia sources” (p. 26) and
pictures, sounds, and video. I can also relate the game graphics to video game narrative
as described by Jenkins (2008). This conceptual video game is off to a good start
because it is being created with research in mind. The game takes into consideration the
elements that make good games while addressing the learning of digital students.
Participants in this study suggested instant gratification and instant rewards (Jukes,
2008).
GAMIFICATION OF JUDICIAL AFFAIRS
76
Participants in the study suggested the idea of a “token economy” and providing
additional meters (grades and progress). One participant suggested the idea of having
badges unlock a special ability once the badge is earned. This is evidence of the digital
native expecting instant gratification and instant rewards, as Jukes would put it.
Participants want to see more rewards incorporated into the game, and the reasoning was
that it would make students continue to play the game and be engaged. This also hints at
learning being fun due to the engagement with the game. The responses correlate to the
theoretical framework, which is an unexpected finding from this study though it should
be no surprise as all but one of the participants are considered millennials. So once again,
can the gamification of judicial affairs, specifically residential life and housing policies,
become instrumental to student conduct as millennial students adapt to emerging
technologies? I believe the answer is yes because a game can make universities policies
fun, educational, and respectful.

My Latest Memory with Technology
I often wonder what my grandfather would think of the video games and
technology of today; he passed away a month after my eleventh birthday. Through my
dad, I can make an assertion about what my grandfather would make of video games and
technology. My dad recently purchased an iPad. He asked me to sit down with him and
teach him how to use Skype, instant messenger, Pandora, the Los Angeles Times
application, maps, and Safari. I spent a few days giving him tutorials. My dad has
experienced televisions transform from boxes in black and white to flat panels in high
resolution and Wi-Fi. My dad has always believed that technology will shape our lives—
GAMIFICATION OF JUDICIAL AFFAIRS
77
even though it takes him a while to adapt. He encouraged my twelve-year-old sister to
use his iPad to increase her tech savvyness. Given this, I believe my grandfather would
have sat down next to me to ask questions about the purpose and objectives of the games
I play today. After watching me play my favorite game, he would probably pick up a
controller and play.

GAMIFICATION OF JUDICIAL AFFAIRS
78
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Abstract (if available)

Abstract This thesis focuses on how the gamification of judicial affairs, residential life and housing can become instrumental to improve student conduct on university campuses as millennial students adapt to emerging technologies. The researcher creates a conceptual model for a judicial affairs video game by utilizing university policies as part of the game description and storyboards. The researcher discusses how video game concepts are relevant to student learning. The study suggests that the gamification of judicial affairs can become instrumental to student conduct.

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Asset Metadata

Creator Diaz, Leonel Alberto, Jr. (author)

Core Title The gamification of judicial affairs: addressing learning for 'digital students'

School Rossier School of Education

Degree Master of Education

Degree Program Postsecondary Administration and Student Affairs

Publication Date 09/10/2012

Defense Date 09/10/2012

Publisher University of Southern California (original), University of Southern California. Libraries (digital)

Tag digital natives,gamification,Higher education,judicial affairs,millennial students,OAI-PMH Harvest,student affairs,video games

Language English

Contributor Electronically uploaded by the author (provenance)

Advisor Venegas, Kristan M. (committee chair), Aguirre, Tomas (committee member), Tobey, Patricia Elaine (committee member)

Creator Email leoneldiaz@leonel-diaz.com,leoneldiazjr@gmail.com

Permanent Link (DOI) https://doi.org/10.25549/usctheses-c3-95498

Unique identifier UC11288703

Identifier usctheses-c3-95498 (legacy record id)

Legacy Identifier etd-DiazLeonel-1188.pdf

Dmrecord 95498

Document Type Thesis

Rights Diaz, Leonel Alberto, Jr.

Type texts

Source University of Southern California (contributing entity), University of Southern California Dissertations and Theses (collection)

Access Conditions The author retains rights to his/her dissertation, thesis or other graduate work according to U.S. copyright law. Electronic access is being provided by the USC Libraries in agreement with the a...

Repository Name University of Southern California Digital Library

Repository Location USC Digital Library, University of Southern California, University Park Campus MC 2810, 3434 South Grand Avenue, 2nd Floor, Los Angeles, California 90089-2810, USA