The Jazz Academy
THE JAZZ ACADEMY
Your brain is already playing a game - one governed by cognitive levels of learning. Many L&D Professionals don't design for it. This one does.
Genially | Bloom's Taxonomy | Brain Centric Design | Game_Beased Learning | Screencasting | Generative AI | Photoshop
DESIGNER'S STATEMENT
Most instructional design training tells you about Bloom's Taxonomy. This experience makes you live it. The Jazz Academy was built to close the gap between knowing a framework and feeling how it works — because the best way to understand cognitive scaffolding is to move through it yourself, one level at a time.
| Overview Item | Description |
|---|---|
| Event | TechLearn Gamicon Pre-Conference, New Orleans - October 2025 |
| Format | BYOD 90-minute Workshop + Playable Game |
| Platform | Genially (free tier) |
| Tools | Genially, Screencasting, Google Drive, Generative AI, Photoshop |
| Framework | Bloom's Taxonomy, Brain-centric Design, Game-Based Learning |
| Audience | L&D Professionals, Instructional Designers |
| Status | Playable Game Complete - available for play Beginning and Intermediate Build Tools - complete and hosted on Google Drive Advanced Level - under construction |
PROJECT OVERVIEW
The Challenge
When invited to lead a Bring Your Own Device session at the TechLearn Gamicon Pre-Conference in New Orleans (October 2025), the goal was ambitious: teach attendees to build an interactive game from scratch — using only Genially's free tier so anyone could replicate it without a subscription. In addition, be prepared to move at the speed of the group in the session and provide tools for them to finish the game design build after the conference as they continued practicing skill and use of Genially.
The Solution
A Jazz Academy breakout game set in a prestigious New Orleans music school infiltrated by "discord gremlins." Players take on the role of concertmaster, called in to restore curriculum alignment before an accreditation review by the local maestro. To escape, they must navigate all six levels of Bloom's Taxonomy — reviewing understanding of the taxonomy and it's cognitive level through use of this tool to align measurable objectives with assessments at the same cognitive level.
My Role
Solo — game concept, narrative design, level design, Genially build, workshop documentation, step-by-step guides, and screencast tutorials.
Game Mechanics:
- The Premise / Storyline Discord gremlins have disrupted the Jazz Academy's curriculum. Objectives are misaligned, assessments are a mess, and the maestro is coming. Only you — the concertmaster — can restore order in time.
- The Mechanics
- Narrative
- Quest
- Levels with Unlocks
SIX LEVELS
| Level | Bloom's Cognitive | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Remember | Select measurable verbs |
| 2 | Understand | Match cognitive levels to verbs |
| 3 | Apply | Classify objectives by level |
| 4 | Analyze | Sequence objectives in teaching order |
| 5 | Evaluate | Assess objective-assessment alignment |
| 6 | Create | Design assessments for given objectives |
DESIGN DECISIONS
Decision 1: The Format
Why Bloom's as gameplay? Most L&D training about Bloom's Taxonomy is passive — read the triangle, memorize the verbs, move on. This game forces players to actively demonstrate each level before progressing. You don't just learn about Bloom's. You play it.
Why a breakout game? Breakout mechanics create urgency and reward. Every correct answer feels like a win — not just feedback. The constraint of collecting letters keeps players oriented toward a goal even as the cognitive demand increases level by level.
Why free-tier Genially? The workshop was designed so every attendee could replicate it. Requiring a paid subscription would have created a barrier that contradicted the whole point — teaching people to build, not just play.
Decision 2: The Setting
Why New Orleans / Jazz? The conference was in New Orleans. Theming the game to the location made it immediately relevant, gave the narrative authentic flavor, and gave every game mechanic a musical name that participants would remember.
WHAT WAS BUILT
Full Deliverables Package
THE WORKSHOP
We had 90 minutes. Ninety minutes is not long enough to learn any type of new software fully. In addition, there was no pre-conference gating to see who would be in the room. I needed to scaffold this into three tiers, then gauge whether we started and stayed in "Introductory" or moved to "Intermediate" concepts. The Advanced level would consist of more complex interactions they could go through at their own pace after the workshop. All assets would be available on the Google drive with the opportunity to contact me if help was needed.
Introductory — Genially basics, adding assets, navigation. Supported by step-by-step documentation and screencast video tutorials available on Google Drive.
Intermediate — Animation and interactivity using free platform features. Participants could continue building with the template they started at the workshop or pick up from a pre-built template representing work done in the Introductory session.
Advanced — Advanced movement and unlocks in the experience as well as free add-on components needed to complete the full game experience.
CONNECTION TO GAMICON 48V
The Jazz Academy also connects to The Game Your Brain Is Already Playing — a peer discussion session hosted at Sententia Gamicon48V exploring how Bloom's cognitive levels mirror the brain's natural learning progression. The game is available for play at the conference.