How might we design learning experiences that make failure feel like progress instead of defeat? In game-based environments, failure is often reframed as feedback—a chance to try again, improve, and move closer to mastery. Yet in many learning contexts, failure is still perceived as a setback or personal flaw. To support flow and resilience, instructional designers must create psychologically safe environments where failure is expected, constructive, and motivating. What mechanics, scaffolds, or narrative choices can we use to normalize iteration and make learners feel empowered to keep going?

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Session Overview

In this session you will learn to:

• Apply game mechanics to the enhance flow of a learning experience
• Prototype a learning activity that reframes failure as progress, incorporating at least one scaffolded feedback loop or retry mechanism

As instructional designers, we strive to create experiences that are not just educational, but immersive, engaging, and meaningful. This session will explore how principles from game design and flow psychology can transform how learners interact with content; especially when challenge, autonomy, feedback, and motivation are aligned.

Through eight key questions, we’ll examine how mapping skill vs. challenge reveals opportunities for flow, how the right mechanics can deepen focus, and how micro-goals can fuel sustained momentum. We'll also tackle deeper design issues like how to make failure feel like progress, how to reduce friction, and how to move beyond superficial gamification.

Get ready to think differently about learning experiences—not as content delivery, but as carefully designed journeys that make learners lose track of time, stay curious, and want to come back for more.

About the Presenter

Kevin Flynn is a lifelong learner and international educator with a wealth of knowledge in language acquisition, gamification, intercultural communication, and instructional design. Kevin has an undergraduate degree in Organizational and Speech Communication and a master’s degree in Education. Between degrees, Kevin taught in South Korea where he helped develop e-learning curriculum and the provincial LMS for the students and educators on many of the 400 islands surrounding the Korean mainland.

Kevin currently develops e-learning for healthcare, government contractors, and higher education clients.

Learner centered gamification is always at the forefront of what Kevin likes to develop and he's excited to share some ideas and theories with you!

Cancellation Policy: A full refund will be issued if the cancellation request is made on or before 5 calendar days before the scheduled program. Please email events@tdmaine.org with your inquiries.