Using The Bartle Test of Gamer Psychology to Help Collaboration Among Students
Created in 1996 by Richard Bartle, the Bartle Test is a series of questions with a scoring formula that classifies players of multiplayer online games into categories based on their gaming preferences.
There are four categories being tested — Killer, Achiever, Socializer, and Explorer. Each section has defining characteristics and leads to different attributes when it comes to gaming. These categories are then mapped onto a quadrant model.
The X-axis represents preference of the player on interacting with other players vs. the environment. The Y-axis represents the preference for interaction vs. unilateral action. These specifications are all taken into account when calculating the
“Bartle Quotient”.
The quotient is based on the answers of a series of 30 random questions in the test, with a total of 200% across all categories and no single category exceeding 100%. I actually took the test and got a score of — Achiever: 80%, Explorer 20%, Killer: 60%, and Socializer 40%. This means that I’m more achievement oriented, with an above average tendency to wreak destruction on everything in my virtual path. If you want to take the test here’s the link: http://www.4you2learn.com/bartle/bartletest.php?test=ind.
The amazing thing about this test are the real-world applications it has, especially with adolescents — who are the leading gaming demographic. A science teacher in Hawaii, Douglas Kiang, uses this test to creatively increase cooperation among his students. On one of the first days of class, he asks his students to take the Bartle Test online and report their results. The students are usually a mixture of the four categories, with some weighted heavier than others. He then uses these results to aid him in creating groups and asking his students to cooperate. Each of the four categories have a certain forte and when used correctly, can create the ultimate team.
In the game world, Explorers are those that like to wander around the entire area and discover all the hidden secrets. A student that is an Explorer tends to enjoy learning increasingly more information and then being able to share this knowledge with others. Douglas asks the Explorers of his class to “map out” new units of the curriculum a couple of weeks before the rest of the class, so that they might scout the pitfalls and where others might be confused. These students are those who value knowledge for knowledge’s sake and are those that usually end up doing all of the work for group projects.
Achievers are those that like to gain levels and awards in games. Their sense of accomplishment is measured by being the first to complete something or by winning some sort of reward. These are the gamers that are trying to finish the game as quickly as possible and move on. In the classroom, Achievers are those that believe grades measure their accomplishments. Douglas views the Achievers as being able to help others move along, simply for the thrill of succeeding.
Socializers are those that like to join guilds and clans in games. The game is seen as an outlet for these people to chat and interact with other people. Students that are socializers are motivated by the desire to form meaningful connections and relationships with other students in the class. Douglas notes that the majority of the students in his classroom are Socializers, which provides a great foundation for keeping all the other gaming personalities connected.
Killers are those that will intentionally damage and vandalize the achievements of other players. They usually like player vs. player combat and wreaking havoc in the online world. These students are usually the ones that are trying to find loopholes in the system, at the expense of others. They are risk-takers and often don’t mind being wrong. Kiang looks at this category with a positive spin, explaining that these students usually have a growth mindset, rather than a fixed one. When drawn into the student community, Killers can have a positive impact on others.
To create collaborative groups, Douglas usually asks students to form their own groups with one of each type of gamer. Other times, he asks for his Explorers to form a group to do some preliminary research, his Achievers to formulate a plan, his Socializers to publish and share their process, and the Griefers to look for flaws in the whole project. By sorting the students into these groups, Douglas is able to focus on the flaws of each categories — such as, including the Griefers to prevent them from getting into trouble; keeping the Explorers focused to keep them from wandering; broadening the perspective of the Achievers so that they can see the big picture; and having the Socializers keep an eye out for tensions within the group.
Douglas Kiang’s application of the Bartle Test represents an effective way for psychological tests to be applied to real life, in both an instructional and fun way. It seems that the way gamer’s play reflects how they live and the choices they make. Thus, this article adds to the increasing literature on the effect that gaming can have on adolescent decision making and tendencies.
Kinda makes you wonder if it really is “just a game”.
Article link: http://edtechteacher.org/use-the-four-gamer-types-to-help-your-students-collaborate-from-douglas-kiang-on-edudemic/
