Gamification of Business Process Modeling: A Board Game Approach to Knowledge Acquisition and Business Process Modeling with BPMN Bahar Kutun Business School Technische Hochschule Ingolstadt Ingolstadt, Germany Bahar.Kutun@thi.de ABSTRACT 1 Introduction Gamification of learning, the application of game Playing games fascinate people. If people are design elements to learning activities, has observed during a game session, an ongoing increased over the last years, due to its potential to motivation is remarkable. Huizinga defined enhance learning. Following this assumption, we gaming as an activity, which is carried out developed a board game in the style of a “wheel of completely free without constraint, and where the fortune”, which is known to most people from human feels pleasure [1]. Hence, gamification, television or trade fairs. The content of the wheel defined as “the use of game design elements in refers to the modeling language Business Process non-game contexts” [2] has become a popular Model and Notation (BPMN). The basic idea of method used to foster human motivation and the BPMN wheel game is that players learn basics performance in regard to a given activity. Given about BPMN and these can apply practically. The this potential, the idea of using the motivational board game is suitable for a lecture in universities power of games for the learning context is or enterprise trainings. The prototype was tested reasonable. The ultimate goal of teaching is to and evaluated in the course ‘Business Process foster learning. Gamification is a relatively new Management (BPM)’ of the bachelor’s program approach that has shown a potential benefit to ‘Digital Business’ at Technische Hochschule learning [3]. Gamified approaches overcome Ingolstadt. demotivating factors that could make learning This contribution should be considered as work in more difficult or even impossible. Based on the progress. concept of gamification, we developed a board game as a kind of wheels of fortune to increase KEYWORDS learners (learning) motivation to acquire (new) Gamification, Business Process Management, knowledge in the field of business process board game, BPMN, Game Based Learning, modeling. We also aim to improve the model knowledge acquisition, knowledge transfer, quality of business processes. Using the board process modeling game we intend to answer the following research questions in this article: WOODSTOCK’18, June, 2018, El Paso, Texas USA B. Kutun. RQ1: Can the use of gamified solutions support knowledge acquisition and knowledge transfer in the field of BPMN? RQ2: Can gamification improve the model quality of business processes? The developed board game is not intended to replace a whole course, but to be embedded into an interactive teaching part. Figure 1: BPMN wheel 2 Concept and Implementation 2.1 Game design elements 2.1.1 BPMN wheel game content The BPMN wheel game was developed with the learning matter ‘BPMN’ [4, 5 and 6]. Players can get an overview of the modeling language BPMN and practice their knowledge by modeling a business process. 2.1.2 BPMN wheel game design The core of the board game is the BPMN wheel and another wheel for the collection of notation elements needed for process modeling. The BPMN wheel contains 14 fields consisting of four Figure 2: Notation elements wheel field types called learning cards, control question 2.1.3 Elements for knowledge acquisition and cards, teamwork and notation elements wheel (see process modeling figure 1). The notation elements wheel (second  Learning cards and control question cards wheel) includes also 14 fields for collecting the We created 40 learning cards of the same color for usual notation elements, e.g., activities and events the theoretical learning content needed for process (see figure 2). The number of fields per field type modeling. We defined headings for the was adjusted after a real test to influence positively information printed on the learning card. This the game flow. Thus, there is an uneven should support players by structuring the learning distribution of the total number of fields to the matter. field types.  Control question cards 20 same-colored control question cards should query the theoretical learning content and support the learning process. Questions of various types, i.e., open and closed questions, are placed on the Gamification of Business Process Modeling WOODSTOCK’18, June, 2018, El Paso, Texas USA front of the control question cards. Students can see the answer of each question on the backside of Epic Meaning Each player contributes to the control question card. Players get coins as a the team success. reward for correct answers. The color of the coin, which can be collected by answering a question Quests Control questions of correctly, is printed on the front of the control different question types as question card. Collected coins can be redeemed for well as modeling of the (missing) notation elements afterwards. business process. Transparency of  Notation elements results Players know the color of We prepared moderation cards for the different the coin they can collect. notation element types to enable business process modeling. For that reason, a game set includes … … cards for activities, events, gateways, data objects … … and lanes. These can be collected throughout the time of playing. Collected cards can attached on 2.2 Prototype and Playing presentation paper during the time of teamwork. We implemented the prototype according to the 2.1.4 Game mechanics concept discussed above. Figure 3 illustrates the In order to motivate players and catch the elements of a BPMN wheel game box. attention of the different player types Bartle identified [7, 8 and 9], we implemented a set of 14 game mechanics, i.e., badges and clear goals. The following table lists some selected game mechanics and their implementation in the BPMN wheel game. Table 1: Game mechanics and their implementation Game … and how it is mechanic… implemented in the game Badges The winning team is crowned as an expert team Figure 3: Content of a BPMN wheel game box in the modeling with BPMN. In the game are two phases: the learning phase and the modeling phase. In the learning phase, Clear goals Correct modeling of the theoretical basics are learned and questions are business process. answered related to BPMN. In the modeling Customization Players can select and phase, the theoretical contents learned are arrange notation elements implemented by attaching the collected notation as desired. elements to the moderation paper. WOODSTOCK’18, June, 2018, El Paso, Texas USA B. Kutun. The gameplay looks like this: Students organize minutes. Collected coins themselves in teams of 3-4 people. The teams get can be redeemed for a modeling task in form of a verbal description. missing notation The board game is played clockwise. The players elements now. follow the instructions related to the ‘rotated’ fields (see table 2 and table 3). The winner team is the team who has modeled the business process Table 3: Description of the fields on the notation elements with fewest errors within the given time slot. wheel Field Instruction The following table lists the fields and the actions to be taken on the field. Activity Draw an activity card and label it according the Table 2: Description of the fields on the BPMN wheel textual process Field Instruction description. Learning card Draw a learning card and Event Pick a suitable event. read the information You have the choice aloud. between a start event, an intermediate event and an Control question Draw a question card and end event. Again, within card read the question aloud. these you have to choose Try to answer the the types, i.e., message question. Your team event or timer. members can support you, if you are not able to Gateways Choose from different answer. Check the gateways, i.e., event answer printed on the based gateway or backside. The color of the exclusive gateway. coin, which can be collected by answering Artifacts Collect artifacts, i.e. data correctly, is printed on objects. the front of the control question card. Lane Draw a lane card and Notation elements Turn the notation label it. wheel elements wheel and follow the instruction (see table 3). 3 Research Methodology and Results We tested and evaluated the BPMN wheel game Teamwork You should model the in the course ‘BPM’ of the bachelor’s program process with the collected ‘Digital Business’ at the Technische Hochschule notation elements in 3 Ingolstadt with 52 students. The course takes place Gamification of Business Process Modeling WOODSTOCK’18, June, 2018, El Paso, Texas USA in the 3rd semester. The 52 attending students were divided in an experimental and a control group randomly. In the experimental group were 28 students, while 24 students participated in the control group. Smaller teams of 3-4 students were formed in each group. The teams of the experimental group played the BPMN wheel Figure 4: Results of knowledge tests (pre and game, while teams of the control group got some post) of experimental group selected literary extracts. The teams got for modeling the given business process a timeframe of 70 minutes. The control group had to return the literature at the beginning of the modeling part after about half the time. In order to measure the learning success of both Figure 5: Results of knowledge tests (pre and groups, we conducted identical pre and post post) of control group knowledge tests. The test consists of a theoretical part and a modeling part. In the modeling part, the From the results of the knowledge tests, the students had to model two small processes. following findings can be achieved: Both groups Students could achieve 3 points for each question have improved about equally well in the in the theoretical part. A student could achieve a theoretical part of the knowledge test. It is maximum of 30 points (3 points x 10 questions) in noticeable, that the control group was significantly the theoretical part. A student could score a better than the experimental group in the modeling maximum of 10 points in the modeling part. For part of the knowledge test (pre). The control group the entire test, a student could thus get a maximum was also better than the experimental group in the of 40 points (30 points + 10 points). The modeling part of the post knowledge test. This experimental group could score a maximum of may be because the experimental group did not 840 points (28 students x 30 points) for the draw enough learning and control question cards theoretical part and 280 points (28 students x 10 for the practical modeling part. Instead, the control points) for the modeling part. Accordingly, the group had all the theoretical as well as the experimental group could score a maximum of modeling information in more compact and 1,120 points (840 points + 280 points) for the structured form because of the literary extracts. In entire test. The control group could score a the modeling part of the knowledge tests, two maximum of 720 points (24 students x 30 points) smaller processes were depicted, dealing with for the theoretical part and 240 points (24 students specific gateways. Most likely, the teams in the x 10 points) for the modeling part. Hence, the experimental group did not draw the cards with control group could achieve a maximum of 960 this specific gateways used in the modeling part of points (720 points + 240 points) for the entire test. the knowledge tests. Since both groups knew that Figure 4 and 5 demonstrates aggregated scores for process modeling was following, it may be that the both groups and the change of absolute numbers control group has focused more on modeling. In and relative shares. addition, th groups knew that the identical WOODSTOCK’18, June, 2018, El Paso, Texas USA B. Kutun. knowledge test would be carried out after the [2] Deterding, S., Dixon, D., Khaled, R., and Nacke, l. learning activity. Probably the teams of the control (2011). From game design elements to gamefulness: group have dealt with similar modeling examples defining gamification. Proceedings of the 15 th or gateways more intensively. It is also possible international academic MindTrek conference: Envisioning future media environments. 9-15. that the control group has delegated tasks to the team members, so that each team member has [3] Kapp, K.M. (2012). The gamification of learning and dealt with a specific topic. The team members instruction: game-based methods and strategies for could have exchanged intensively. This would training and education. John Wiley & Sons, San Francisco. make it possible to gain deeper insights. [4] Allweyer, T. (2015). BPMN 2.0 - Business Process Model and Notation: Einführung in den Standard für die 4 Conclusion and Directions for Geschäftsprozessmodellierung. BOD, Norderstedt. Further Research [5] Freund, J. and Rücker, B. (2016). Praxishandbuch We developed and evaluated a board game in BPMN 2.0. Hanser, München. form of wheels of fortune for the modeling language BPMN. The first experiences we gained [6] Fleischmann, A., Oppl, S., Schmidt, W. and Stary, C. were positive. The experimental group was able to (2018). Ganzheitliche Digitalisierung von Prozessen: acquire theoretical knowledge about BPMN and to Perspektivenwechsel – Design Thinking – wertegeleitete Interaktion. Springer Vieweg, Wiesbaden. reduce the errors in process modeling. Thus, the game has supported the knowledge acquisition and [7] Bartle, R. (1996). Hearts, clubs, diamonds, spades: knowledge transfer in the field of the modeling Players who suit MUDs. Journal of MUD research, language BPMN (RQ1). The practical http://mud.co.uk/richard/hcds.htm. implementation of the theoretical knowledge had [8] Deißler, N. (2013). Welche Spielertypen gibt es?, a positive influence on the model quality (RQ2). http://digitalfit.de/spielertypen. Nevertheless, it is noticeable that the control group [9] Zichermann, G. and Cunningham, C. (2011). was able to acquire knowledge as well as improve Gamification by design: Implementing game mechanics model quality. This may be due to the reasons in web and mobile apps. O’Reilly Media, Sebastopol. given in Chapter 3. In order to measure the learning success more accurately, the same knowledge test was carried out after about 3 weeks again. This is to test the retention effect. It will certainly be interesting to compare these test results as well. In order to consolidate our findings, we will conduct further evaluations with other student groups. REFERENCES [1] Huizinga, J., and Flitner, A. (2009). Homo ludens. Vom Ursprung der Kultur im Spiel. Rowohlt, Reinbek.