Persuading Giants to be Wise: An Exploratory Study of Advice Sharing in Online Games

This study investigates the effects of a browser game as a motivational factor for the sharing of short written reflections. We have analysed 400 anonymous written reflections and conducted 10 interviews in order to get a deeper insight of the game experience. This is an opportunistic investigation and the authors did not have control over the game environment. We have found that there is a predominantly positive attitude towards the approach taken by the game, and a significantly higher level of contributions from participants, as compared to a recent investigation of contributions in social awareness streams. A number of user contributions that clearly do not match the game intentions are being reported and discussed. We draw the conclusion that persuasive tools and techniques can be employed within personal learning environments in order to guide learning. The paper makes a strong argument by example for the use of browser games as a persuasive tool in informal online learning.