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Level 3 – Iteration Equals to Rebirth

Posted by on 2023 年 11 月 2 号 in Game-based Learning, 所有文章 All Articles, 教育技术 Learning Technologies | Comments Off on Level 3 – Iteration Equals to Rebirth

“What you get by achieving your goals is not as important as what you become by achieving your goals.”


– Zig Ziglar
Board Game: 80 Days in Predynastic Egypt

Iteration and rebirth can be seen as similar in the sense that they both involve a process of renewal and transformation. During the ongoing progress of the course “Designing Games for Learning”, I felt that not only did my games undergo multiple iterations, but my mind also experienced numerous rebirths throughout the same process.

On level 3, I used the games from Level 1 I played as mentor games to design my board game. All the competencies I relied on were from previous practices, readings, discussions, and assignments. I could see my board game more and more clearly approaching to the submission deadline. I hoped to make it better, but the time was always limited. So, I will just record the current status of my board game 80 Days in Predynastic Egypt here in my blog, and waiting for the next round iteration for the game.

Analog Game Design & Prototype Video (7384)

  • Game Title:80 Days in Predynastic Egypt
  • Video Introduction: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_GEB_nXqdNA
  • Subject area: History & Geography
  • Learning domain, learning goal/objective: The architectures, religious system, and civilization development in Ancient Egypt 
  • Who are the players: Students in Grade 4- Grade 8 who have recently learned about Predynastic Egypt. The student players will form groups, each group consisting of 3 to 4 students.
  • Premise of the game: Hi students, many of you are familiar with Magic School Bus, which is the title of a series of fictional scientific books. In this game, 80 Days in Predynastic Egypt, a board game will give you a chance to get on the magic school bus to have a virtual venture in Ancient Egypt, and I will be your driver. During the game, you will use your learnt knowledge about ancient Egypt to embark on your group adventure, you and your group members will be invited to share your journey after the game. Are you ready?!
  • Game Goal. To resolve the problems related to Egyptian civilization in 80 turns and create a team story to introduce Predynastic Egypt based on the questions and learning from the culture foundation course. 
  • Learning Objectives. 

Learning objective 1: To use the knowledge learnt from the Culture Foundation course to resolve the problems in the game.

Learning objective 2: To create a group-made Predynastic Egypt journey report for all players.

  • Content. 

A game board contains 80 grids on behalf of 80 turns(days) in the game.

There are three different icons on the board on behalf of different challenges: Civilization Development Challenges, Religious System Challenges, and Architecture Challenges.

The reward cards and penalty cards will bring random affairs related to Ancient Egypt to increase or decrease the players time travel opportunities. When the players have more chances to do the time travel, they can have more opportunities to explore in Ancient Egypt to discovery more knowledge with holding the reward cards. And the penalty cards will shorten the players time travel journey, then the players will have less chance to find more details for their final group presentation. 

  • Setup.  Before the game begins, the student players will form groups, each consisting of 3 to 4 students. During the game, each group of students will represent a group of tourists, and they will roll the dice to determine their pace in the virtual journey through Predynastic Egypt. The game board features illustrations on the grids that depict challenges, bonuses, or penalties, all of which are related to the real history, civilization, and religion systems of ancient Egypt. Some grids will lead the players to check the “Reward” or “Penalty” cards to add more story details, random and fun.
  • How to Play. In a turn, the player will roll the dice, then move the Player chess to the relative grid according to the number on the dice, then the player will check the information on the grid. Different grids contain different information, like: penalty, reward, common step, which will lead the player to check relative cards or information to compose a journey story (Core loop). Each round of the game will be finished in 80 turns. Then, all the players will collaborate to solve problems and use their game experience to create a presentation that introduces their virtual journey, helping them learn and review knowledge about predynastic Egypt.
  • End of Game. The game will be over when all the players share their stories after finishing all the grids on the boards. The teacher will lead the students to reflect all the learnings they covered in the Ancient Egypt module in the culture foundation course. 
  • Statement about Learning.

Game Elements Embedded in 80 Days in Predynastic Egypt

Goals: The simple introduction of a goal adds purpose, focus, and measurable outcomes (Kapp, 2012, p. 68). In my game, the instructors from the Culture Foundation class will illustrate the game goals which are helping students eager to explore using their learnt knowledge. This game is another way to assist students to retrieve. The fact that retrieval practice, spacing, rehearsal, and the construction of mental models improve learning and memory is evidence of neuroplasticity and is consistent with scientists’ understanding of memory consolidation as an agent for increasing and strengthening the neural pathways by which one is later able to retrieve and apply learning (Brown et al., 2014, p. 172)

Conflict, Competition, or Cooperation: While it is helpful to consider the elements of conflict, competition,and cooperation separately, often good game design includes elements of all three (Kapp, 2012, p. 73). The student player will cooperate with the group member to develop their virtual journey stories. They need to resolve the conflicts together when they encounter some challenges while playing. During the showcase session, friendly competition will happen between different groups, while the student player will learn other teams’ stories to enhance their own to improve their learning. 

Feedback: during the showcase session, the audience including the students and teachers will provide feedback to the storytellers as feedback to improve their understanding about Ancient Egypt. 

Storytelling: storytelling plays a very important role in the serious game. All the students need to consider how to compose their adventure story while playing the game. As an educator, if I just ask my students to engage in mechanical repetition, they quickly hit the limit of what they can keep in mind. However, if they practice elaboration, there’s no known limit to how much they can learn. Elaboration is the process of giving new material meaning by expressing it in their own words and connecting it with what they already know. The more the students can explain about the way their new learning relates to their prior knowledge, the stronger their grasp of the new learning will be, and the more connections they create that will help them remember it later (Brown et al., 2014, p. 5)

The elements of “ALLUE of Play” in 80 Days in Predynastic Egypt

There are a lot of strategies and resources for designing an educational board game in the book The Educator’s Guide To Designing Games and Creative Active-Learning Exercises – The Allure of Play. I considered some simple mechanics or complex mechanic activities introduced in the book to design my game. 

Simple mechanics(Bisz et al., 2023)

  • Random: The dice, the reward and penalty cards will bring randoms to the players.
  • Role: Students will play the roles as time travelers in Ancient Egypt.
  • Rival: Students tend to compose their stories to be more vivid, literatical, and informatic to compete with other teams. 

Complex mechanic activities(Bisz et al., 2023)

  • Trivial Questions: understand through recall and review. Many grids on the board will be linked with questions related to Ancient Egypt knowledge. The students will answer the question to continue the game, while preparing their group story report. 
  • Brainstorming & Creation: Create a quick list for later appraisal. The student players will form a group to brainstorm their final story presentation.
  • Simulation Role-play: Create by identifying with other perspectives. Since some challenges the students encounter will bring the students to a historical context, to let the students play a role and make some decision to continue the game.  
  • Statement about your Mentor Games. 

There are a lot of valuable elements I borrowed from my mentor games 1&2. I didn’t only combined my two mentor games’ names surficial, but deeply merry their main mechanics together. The players can find a lot of similar mechanics in the new board game from Predynastic Egypt and 80 Days, e.g.  budget plan (resource management mechanics); route selection (control mechanics); dialogues (progression mechanics); turning setting (control mechanics); random affairs (uncertainty mechanics); real historical affairs (progression mechanics). 

  • Credits. This board game is similar to Monopoly (“Monopoly (Game),” 2023) but it follows a single direction along the chronological development of Ancient Egypt in each round. The target audience is students in grades 4 to 8 who have recently learned about Predynastic Egypt, and can use this board game for review. In my game, 80 days in Predynastic Egypt, the “Chance” and “Community Chest” cards from the original Monopoly will be replaced with “Reward” and “Penalty” cards. 

References:

Bisz, J., Mondelli, V. L., Linn, M. C., & Carnes, M. C. (2023). The Educator’s Guide to Designing Games and Creative Active-Learning Exercises: The Allure of Play. Teachers College Press.

Brown, P. C., III, H. L. R., & McDaniel, M. A. (2014). Make It Stick: The Science of Successful Learning (1st edition). Belknap Press: An Imprint of Harvard University Press.

Kapp, K. M. (2012). The Gamification of Learning and Instruction: Game-based Methods and Strategies for Training and Education (1st edition). Pfeiffer.

Monopoly (game). (2023). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Monopoly_(game)&oldid=1181759040

Appendix:

Knowledge about Ancient Egypt on the challenge, reward, and penalty cards (Created by ChatGPT, revised by Yupei Duan).

1. Architectures:

Pyramids: The most iconic structures of ancient Egypt. The Great Pyramid of Giza, built for Pharaoh Khufu, is one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World and showcases the precision and architectural prowess of ancient Egyptian builders.

Temples: These were centers for worship and ceremonies. Famous temples include the Temple of Luxor, Karnak Temple, and the Temple of Horus at Edfu. These structures had massive columns, intricate carvings, and were often aligned with celestial events.

Tombs: The Valley of the Kings and Valley of the Queens are famous for their underground tombs, including that of Tutankhamun. These tombs were elaborately decorated with frescoes that narrated the life of the deceased and prayers for the afterlife.

2. Religious System:

Polytheism: Ancient Egyptians practiced polytheism, with a pantheon of gods and goddesses. Each deity had specific roles, and their importance could change over time.

Afterlife: The belief in the afterlife was strong. This is evident in the mummification process, where the body was preserved for the soul’s journey in the afterlife. The Book of the Dead provided spells and instructions for this journey.

Priesthood: Priests played a significant role in society. They conducted rituals, maintained temples, and were intermediaries between the people and the gods.

3. Civilization Development:

 Ancient Egyptian civilization can be divided into several periods:

Predynastic Period (c. 6000-3150 BCE): Settlements began along the Nile, with farming communities flourishing due to the fertile land.

Early Dynastic Period (c. 3150-2613 BCE): This saw the unification of Upper and Lower Egypt under Pharaoh Narmer. The concept of a centralized state began to form.

Old Kingdom (c. 2613-2181 BCE): This period is known for the construction of the pyramids. There was a strong centralized government, and the pharaoh was seen as a divine ruler.

Middle Kingdom (c. 2050-1710 BCE): After a phase of decentralization, the Middle Kingdom saw a reunification and a resurgence in art, literature, and building projects.

New Kingdom (c. 1550-1070 BCE): This was the golden age of ancient Egypt, with powerful pharaohs like Ramses II and Amenhotep III. The empire expanded, and there was significant architectural and cultural development.

Late Period (c. 1070-332 BCE): This period saw invasions by foreign powers, including the Nubians, Assyrians, and Persians. Nevertheless, Egyptian culture persisted.

Ptolemaic Period (c. 332-30 BCE): This began after Alexander the Great’s conquest and lasted until the Roman conquest. It saw a fusion of Greek and Egyptian cultures.

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Level 3 Blog – Reflect on Analog Design Process — 80 Days in Predynastic Egypt

Posted by on 2023 年 10 月 27 号 in Game-based Learning, 教育技术 Learning Technologies | Comments Off on Level 3 Blog – Reflect on Analog Design Process — 80 Days in Predynastic Egypt

( Created by ChatGPT + DALL.E3 Plugin. Prompt: Artistic rendering of two school students dressed in current-day clothes and carrying backpacks, as they venture into a digital representation of old Egypt. Floating projections of landmarks like pyramids and the Temple of Dendur, the gods Osiris, Anubis, Horus, mummies, and a statue of Khafre engross them. )

Level 3 Blog – Reflect on Analog Design Process– 80 Days in Predynastic Egypt

I am on my way to re-envision my mentor games into a board game. Here is this Blog Entry, I am going to document my work and reflect on how this process has gone.

My process for designing the mechanics for my mentor games. What worked best, what didn’t?

During the iterative prototyping process, I initially wanted to use some mechanics, but eventually which were changed with the game’s core dynamic adjustment. Currently, I am using Exploration as my new game’s core dynamic. So, here are the main mechanics I want to keep in the re-envisioned game.

  1. The dice brings random effects to the game (Uncertainty mechanics)
  2. The shuffled “Reward” cards bring random questions related to the celebratory affairs in ancient Egypt history (Uncertainty mechanics)
  3. The shuffled “Penalty” cards will give the players random questions related to the tragic affairs in ancient Egypt history (Uncertainty mechanics)
  4. The game board is designed in chronological order, the players will explore and review the history of egypt chronologically (Progression mechanics)

If I had to do this process over again, I may change some elements based on different targeted audiences. A good design needs to be accepted by the players. Without the user’s review and feedback, the designer will find it hard to spotlight the weak points of the design.  

My re-envisioned idea

  • Mentor Game 1 Predynastic Egypt
    • Subject area: History
    • Learning domain: Ancient Egypt History
    • Learning goal/objective: Familiarize students with the development of civilizations, culture, and religion systems in ancient Egypt.
    • Game goal: Build a successful and strong civilization in Predynastic Egypt.
    • Core dynamic: Territory acquisition
    • Main mechanics: resources collect (resource management mechanics); turning setting (control mechanics); random affairs (uncertainty mechanics); real historical affairs (progression mechanics)
  • Mentor Game 2 80 Days
    • Subject area: Geology & History 
    • Learning domain: Critical Thinking: Players must make strategic decisions to manage their resources, choose the best routes, and handle unexpected challenges. Problem-Solving: As they encounter various situations and dilemmas, players need to find creative solutions to continue their journey successfully.
    • Learning goal/objective: “80 Days” encourages strategic thinking and resource management as players plan their routes, budget their finances, and choose their travel options.
    • Game goal: Players try to circumnavigate the globe in 80 days or less.
    • Core dynamic: Race to the finish.
    • Main mechanics: budget plan (resource management mechanics); route selection (control mechanics); random affairs (uncertainty mechanics); dialogues (progression mechanics)
  • Re-envisioned Game Details:
    • New game title: 80 Days in Predynastic Egypt 
    • Subject area: History & Geography
    • Learning domain, learning goal/objective: The architectures, religious system, and civilization development in Ancient Egypt 
    • After playing the board game 80 Days in Predynastic Egypt, the players will be able:

Learning objective 1: To memorize the different types of architectures, and the development of religious system and civilization in Ancient Egypt 

Learning objective 2: To use the knowledge learnt from the Culture Foundation course to resolve the problems in the game.

Learning objective 3: To compare one’s own report with others’ reports and try to make improvement.  

Learning objective 4: To create a group-made Predynastic Egypt journey report for all players.

  • Game goal:To resolve the problems related to Egyptian civilization in 80 turns and create a team story to introduce Predynastic Egypt based on the questions and learning from the culture foundation course. 
  • Core dynamic: Exploration. I changed the core dynamic from Territory acquisition to exploration.
  • Mechanics: Uncertainty mechanics: the dice brings random effects to the game; the shuffled real history cards bring random questions related to ancient Egypt history; the shuffled affair cards will give the player bonus points or penalties. Progression mechanics: the game board is designed in chronological order, the players will explore the history of egypt chronologically.  
  • Describe your idea briefly including the following:

This board game is similar to Monopoly (Links to an external site.) but it follows a single direction along the chronological development of Ancient Egypt in each round. The target audience is students in grades 4 to 8 who have recently learned about Predynastic Egypt, and can use this board game for review. In my game, 80 days in Predynastic Egypt, the “Chance” and “Community Chest” cards from the original Monopoly will be replaced with “Reward” and “Penalty” cards. 

Before the game begins, the student players will form groups, each consisting of 3 to 4 students. During the game, each group of students will represent a group of tourists, and they will roll the dice to determine their pace in the virtual journey through Predynastic Egypt. The game board features illustrations on the grids that depict challenges, bonuses, or penalties, all of which are related to the real history, civilization, and religion systems of ancient Egypt. Some grids will lead the players to check the “Reward” or “Penalty” cards to add more story details, random and fun. In a turn, the player will roll the dice, then move the Player chess to the relative grid according to the number on the dice, then the player will check the information on the grid. Different grids contain different information, like: penalty, reward, common step, which will lead the player to check relative cards or information to compose a journey story (Core loop). Each round of the game will be finished in 80 turns. Then, all the players will collaborate to solve problems and use their game experience to create a presentation that introduces their virtual journey, helping them learn and review knowledge about predynastic Egypt.

Peer responses

Peer reviewer A: 

Pose at least one question:
How will the territory acquisition work with the card-based system?
How will you incorporate culture and lifestyle (your 1st learning objective) into the mechanics?

  • One idea for improvement for the design idea

    I’m not sure if you’ve played a deck building type game, but those are card-based games where you can “buy” other cards using some sort of resource. This could be an idea as far as territory acquisition.

    As far as the score recording aspect, I think you could come up with some sort of “point” system (like, maybe different territories are worth different points?) like Catan uses. This would be a simple and clear way for players to record score.
     
  • Does the proposed game address at least one of the three Cs of social mechanics (cooperation, collaboration, & competition)?

    I feel like competition aspects are implied here but not explicitly stated. I assume this since each player will be recording their score as they play. The game goal could be a little more specific by being specific what a “great” civilization is mechanics-wise

Peer reviewer B:

I had never heard of the game ‘Magic: The Gathering’ before and had to look it up to have a better reference point. I understand that it is a card game, but you also reference a board game in your reimagined design. Will this be a board game with a card aspect or simply using cards? Honestly, I feel that the goal of developing a civilization may be too big to translate into a card game and would definitely suggest you consider a combination.

I agree with Kristin that there seems to be a sense of competition implied in the design with the mention of recording scores. Maybe adding another layer of competition by including a race to the finish aspect where players are working to be the first to accomplish a particular goal.

My Reflection on the peer reviews:

I was so lucky to have two peer reviews which pointed out very critical problems in my game. Based on the comments and suggestions, I made the following improvements:

  • Changed the game style.
  • Changed the game core dynamic
  • Added more learning objectives.
  • Changed the game rules.
  • Improved and added the game mechanics.
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Reflection of Introduction to VR-Enabled Instructional Design

Posted by on 2023 年 10 月 16 号 in 在线教育 Online Education, 多媒体教学 Multimedia Instruction, 所有文章 All Articles, 教育技术 Learning Technologies | Comments Off on Reflection of Introduction to VR-Enabled Instructional Design


Yupei Duan

School of Information and Learning Technology, University of Missouri

2023FS-IS_LT 4888/7888 Intro to VR-enabled Instructional Design

Dr. Xinhao Xu

October 15, 2023

Reflection of Introduction to VR-Enabled Instructional Design

Introduction

        When I stood at the finish line of the course: Introduction to VR-Enabled Instructional Design, I first asked myself whether I met this course’s expectations. Scores on the assignments are just minimal requirements for graduate students since they don’t only learn the course for a certificate but for doing research. The unknown questions are more important than the known ones. The research about VR just began when I finished this course.  In this personal reflection, I will cover my basic takeaways from the course, some proposals for my future research based on this course, and the concerns I currently have but may get answers in the future.

What is Virtual Reality?

        The term VR came from Jaron Lanier, who is the founder of VPL Research. However, it was in 1965 that Ivan Sutherland published a paper entitled “The Ultimate Display” which described how one day; the computer would provide a window into virtual worlds (Mandal, 2013). After that, many technologies related to reality simulation were developed, including different types of VR systems, which were classified according to different usage of technological supply. Those various supplies and equipment were represented in various displayed hardware and interaction devices. “VR systems are classified according to the level of immersion they provide, ranging from semi-immersive (or desktop) VR to fully immersive VR to augmented reality (AR)” (Saeed et al., 2017).

        Meanwhile, the conception of VR was getting more and more clear: the computer-generated simulation of images or whole environments that can be experienced using special electronic equipment – is progressing in several ways, including traditional virtual reality that crates environments, allowing people to be “present” in an alternative environment; augmented reality that starts with the real world and overlays virtual objects and information; and spherical or 360-degree video that captures an entire scene in which the viewer can look up, down, and around (Virtual Reality | Tools, Publications & Resources, n.d.).

        A desk-top VR platform OpenSimulator was used in this course, which was an open-source multi-platform, multi-user 3D application server. It can be used to create a virtual environment (or world) that can be accessed through a variety of clients, on multiple protocols (OpenSimulator, n.d.).

Creation in OpenSimulator      

         I used Opensimulator in my master’s degree program as a user, this course gave me an opportunity to be a developer. I started by personalizing my avatar, constructing my virtual environment, and setting up my OpenSimulator Server. The comparison of using Mozilla Hubs with OpenSimulator let me find more possibilities for using VR to learn and teach.

        The teamwork with my groupmates Shreya and Xaviera was a dream work I enjoyed. Although Xaviera was based in South Africa, which was 6 hours ahead of Mizzou, we used emails, Canvas forum, Google Docs/Slide, and Slack to update the progression of the group project. The real-time audio talk function in OpenSimulator was also used when we did our real-time collaborations. We combined our personal VRLEs into a series of learning project which isn’t just a learning opportunity; it’s a profound platform fostering comprehension of the profound relationships between humanity, our beloved Earth, and the boundless universe that surrounds us.  

A Video link to the Real-time Collaboration: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rOfb-Dxi2GU

VR and Learning

        “People do not learn from technology; they learn from thinking. When technologies can enhance students thinking, they should be used. Otherwise, they are probably no better than no technology.” David H. Jonassen commented to the relationships between learning and technology during an interview (Simsek, 2012). When I used OpenSimulator to design my instructional content, I used more energy to decide which learning content I should create than thinking about what technologies I should use during my personal project. What kind of scenarios can I create in the virtual reality learning environment (VRLE) to provide the learners with a better learning experience than in the real learning environment? My initial thinking was the environment contains more barriers and constraints for the learners in the real world. Both the small-sized and large-sized worlds meet my assumption. E.g., a planet cell or a solar system is impossible for common learners to experience in real life, but in the VRLE, the answer is OK. Plus, in OpenSimulator, the avatar can fly to check the virtual creation from more dimensions, making it easier and more beneficial for learners who want to learn space science. Then, I created my personal VRLE, a Mini Solar System. The group project From the Moon to the Universe was created under the same consideration.

        The future of VR-enabled Learning is bright and potential. This course gave me a basic understanding and fundamental skills in using VR to design learning environments. In my future research, I would like to try more different types and platforms to try more possibilities of using VR to enhance learning.

        There are more possibilities waiting for me. Everyone has been talking about the Metaverse since 2022. However, the metaverse is still in its nascent stage and evolving continuously. It has a huge potential in health care to combine the technologies of AI, AR/VR, web 3.0, Internet of medical devices, and quantum computing, along with robotics, to give a new direction to the healthcare system (Bhugaonkar et al., 2022). I was so lucky to be involved in a research program to use Metaverse to enhance clinical instructions and training. I am sure there are more meaningful experiences from it.

References

Bhugaonkar, K., Bhugaonkar, R., & Masne, N. (2022). The Trend of Metaverse and Augmented & Virtual Reality Extending to the Healthcare System. Cureus. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.29071

Mandal, S. (2013). Brief Introduction of Virtual Reality & its Challenges. 4(4).

OpenSimulator. (n.d.). Retrieved October 15, 2023, from http://opensimulator.org/wiki/Main_Page

Saeed, A., Foaud, L., & Fattouh, L. (2017). Environments and System Types of Virtual Reality Technology in STEM: A Survey. International Journal of Advanced Computer Science and Applications, 8(6). https://doi.org/10.14569/IJACSA.2017.080610

Simsek, A. (2012). Interview with David H. Jonassen: Looking at the Field of Educational Technology from Radical and Multiple Perspectives. Contemporary Educational Technology, 3(1). https://doi.org/10.30935/cedtech/6069

Virtual Reality | Tools, Publications & Resources. (n.d.). Retrieved October 15, 2023, from https://www.ala.org/tools/future/trends/virtualreality

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Narrative Game Design-The Hidden Map of MU

Posted by on 2023 年 10 月 6 号 in Game-based Learning, 所有文章 All Articles, 教育技术 Learning Technologies | Comments Off on Narrative Game Design-The Hidden Map of MU

This is an assignment from the course 2023FS-IS_LT-7384-01 Designing Games for Learning. I have been trying to use the takeaways from the course to design a game to help more students like me, as a new on-campus student in the University of Missouri to better understand the geographic and historical details about the beautiful campus. There are a lot of meaningful and interesting details hidden in the campus, by playing my twine game, I hope the players can be more confident to engage in MU, and be more proud to introduce MU to their friends and family members as MU ambassadors. During the process of designing my game, the criteria for what qualifies as a solid game narrative(Berger, n.d.) helped me a lot:

  • Are the story milestones exciting and/or compelling?
  • Is the character development organic and gradual?
  • Does the narrative have a relationship to the gameplay, or is it independent of it? To what degree is the latter? Do the actions from the narrative have consequences on the gameplay? Does the gameplay have consequences on the narrative?
  • Is the narrative frictionless? Or is the fun being interrupted too many times in order for me to follow a story that is not interesting?
  • Does the story fit with the rest of the game? Is it tonally consistent? Is the pacing consistent?
  • Most importantly, am I emotionally invested?

        I can’t agree more with Annakaisa Kultima’s point, “The game ideas arise from solitude and mature by bouncing” (Kultima, n.d.). At the very beginning of my game design, there was only a blight and blurred thought that I wanted to design a game that could help more students like me as a new resident in Columbia, Missouri.

Game Title:The Hidden Map of MU

Learning Topic and Objectives

        This game is designed for all the learners who want to know more about Mizzou, especially for the new MU students. The gamification learning journey aims to familiarize the learners with the knowledge about the MU campus and increase learners’ interest in MU history, including fun facts. To fulfill this goal successfully, the following learning objectives should be accomplished:

  • By the end of this game, the players will be able to discuss with their friends three or more hidden history stories of MU.
  • By the end of this game, the players will be able to support human rights.
  • By the end of this game, the players will be able to evaluate the value of learning.

Intended Audience

New On-campus students at the University of Missouri.

Twine Prototype URL

https://yuepei.itch.io/the-hidden-map-of-mu

Plot Summary

        A new graduate student (players type their names) enrolls in the University of Missouri-Columbia (MU), and embarks on his or her new school year. This is the player’s first time to step on MU’s historic campus. Columbia, Missouri is a small town, which is different from the player’s previous life experiences. The player is struggling to get used to the new life and finds himself or herself drawn to the rich history of MU. As an eager learner, the player wants to find more answers to his questions on the campus by reading more books or talking to some gurus. By chance, in a corner of the Ellis library, the player finds an old map, and then a magical time-travel journey begins while the player reads the map. The player witnesses the big fire in the Academic Hall and a lynching at the Stewart Road Bridge, and he talks with Thomas Jefferson and other famous people related to MU. During the process of the player’s time-travel journey, a lot of historical details will be shown. Back to real life, the player becomes more familiar with MU. The player is new but knowledgeable about MU and can help more people to know MU’s hidden history. 

Map the Story Progression

  Narration
Background Even if you believe that you are so familiar with the University of Missouri, Columbia campus, there are some places or hidden histories you may not know. So, this educational game The Hidden Map of MU, is designed for you and other new students at MU. The player will have a fantastic “campus exploration” to travel between different times in history and places on campus. The player will be involved in firefighting to witness the origin of “the Columns (Links to an external site).” and try to stop a lynching at the Stewart Road Bridge (Links to an external site.), talk with Thomas Jefferson, whose family gave his original tombstone (Links to an external site). to MU, a grumpy senior man will talk to the player about his understanding about education after he got his honor Doctoral Degree of Laws, the senior man has a written name, Mark Twain (Links to an external site). Mort Walker (Links to an external site). is in his 20s to chat with the player about his comic dream… The style of the game will be similar to the movie Midnight in Paris.(Links to an external site).
Conflict The player as a new resident in Columbia, Missouri, is embarrassed in a lot of areas. The Hidden Map of MU makes the player more confident. The player talks with Thomas Jefferson, Mark Twain, and Mort Walker about the value of learning, the difference between schooling and education, the difference between a degree and an experience, the difference between spiritual abundance and wealth…
Resolution The player will put himself or herself to a new MU on-campus student’s shoes. With making the choices they learn more details about MU’s history. The game will encourage the learner to explore more fully.
Conclusion The game encourages the new MU students to explore the campus and their lives bravely and actively. The story aims to remind all the learners how to make choices in their ordinary and academic lives, shares a chance with the players to ponder what they want and what they need, and tells the players that the different possibilities in our lives are based on our choices. 

Branching Storyboard

Gamification Aids Problem Solving

        I agree with Karl Kapp’s claim that “Gamification has been shown to improve the ability of learners to problem solve. The key is to design the game-based learning environment in such a manner that it encourages higher-order thinking skills.” In the game, The Hidden Map of MU, I intended to embed the gamification aids with the game.

        In the very beginning of the game, the players will give the protagonist a name. Their own names are encouraged to be used to let them assume the roles in the game. Assuming a role means the learner must actively think about his or her actions, decisions, and choices from a perspective other than him- or herself (Kapp, 2012, p. 232).

        The familiar names of the locations in the MU campus and the pictures used in the game will provide an authentic environment for the learners, especially they have walked around the campus for a couple of times and already familiar with the basic locations and facilities. I strived to create games that closely represent situations the learner will encounter in the real world which will assist the players to solve problems in the game (Kapp, 2012, pp. 234–235).

        After the players get familiar with the basic setting in the game, they will be immersed in a situation immediately, the big fire in the Academic Hall. There was not so much time for the players’ mind wandering. Traditional instruction does not immerse learners in the environment in which the skills need to be practiced; games provide that opportunity and should be leveraged (Kapp, 2012, p. 230).

        When the players start the game, they will encounter a series of dialogues with others or with themselves. The meaningful dialogues are important because they offer additional opportunities for thinking (Kapp, 2012, p. 237). To make sure the dialogues are meaningful, the sentences are designed with more vivid descriptions and detailed instructions.

        After the players are hooked by the game, the complex storyline will keep them immersed more deeply and longer. A well-designed story places the learners into a case study they are not passively reading, they are an integral part of the action (Kapp, 2012, p. 238).

        Most of the players will be new MU students who are curious about knowledge, active with explorations, and passionate about intellect. The challenges the learner will encounter in the game will provide a chance for the player to ponder the value of knowledge and the meaning of life. This a good opportunity for the learners to use metacognition to review their real learning journey at MU. And definitely, this kind of section will challenge the learners. Unless a learner is overcoming challenges, no higher-level learning will occur. The game must place the learner into a situation in which he or she will be challenged (Kapp, 2012, p. 239).

References

Berger, R. (n.d.). Dramatic Storytelling & Narrative Design: A Writer’s Guide to Video Games and Transmedia.

Kapp, K. M. (2012). The Gamification of Learning and Instruction: Game-based Methods and Strategies for Training and Education (1st edition). Pfeiffer.

Kultima, A. (n.d.). The organic nature of game ideation: Game ideas arise from solitude and mature by bouncing.

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Level 2 Blog: The World of Play

Posted by on 2023 年 09 月 29 号 in Game-based Learning, 所有文章 All Articles, 教育技术 Learning Technologies | Comments Off on Level 2 Blog: The World of Play

Figure 1. My Second Mentor Game: 80 Days

        The second section of the learning journey in the Why So Serious Game Academy (WSSGA) has been becoming more dramatic and challenging. I have been playing my second mentor game, “80 days”, while exploring the “skeleton” of a good game. Where is the skeleton as the foundation of a good game located in? The answer is “a good story”. And then, what is the inner core of a good story? The answer is “a good idea”. Just like the game “80 days”, I have been playing over these days. Jules Verne had a good idea to set a Great Britain Gentleman to travel around the world in 80 days. Developed on this idea, his novel (story) Around the World in Eighty Days was first published in French in 1872 and became popular and famous. Then based on the novel (story), uncountable related learning materials and games were yielded. Even after over 150 years, Jules Verne’s unique idea still shines. “Most of the students in a study reported that not only did their knowledge of the world increase after completing a course assignment but that their interest in the discipline increased as well by using the National Geography Standards in the context of Jules Verne’s Novel”(Donaldson & Kuhlke, 2009). The mentor game 2 I selected, 80 days, won a lot of awards, e.g., TIME Game of 2014, IGF Award for Narrative Excellence, IMGA Award for Narrative…It was released by Inkle for iOS platforms on July 31, 2014 (‎80 Days, 2018).

“When forced to work within a strict framework, the imagination is taxed to its utmost—and will produce its richest ideas. Given total freedom the work is likely to sprawl.” —- T.S. Eliot

        Where can I find my good ideas like Verne’s? That was the first question that jumped out of my brain when I was asked to design my own educational game in WSSGA level 2. Annakaisa Kultima gave me valuable suggestions based on her 23 interviews with Finnish game designers and professionals. Her suggestions were “reading, watching television shows and movies, or, not that surprisingly, playing other games”(Kultima, n.d.). I loved the suggestions and followed them in the past several weeks. Besides those games on the WSSGA level 2, I played educational games about water science at Adroit Studios at the School of Information Science and Learning Technologies, I played a card game about the bureaucratic system of the US at a workshop led by the faculties from Teaching for Learning Center, I read Dr. Victoria L. Mondelli’s new book The Allure of Play: The Educator’s Guide to Design Games and Creative Active-Learning Exercises, I reread Robert McKee’s classical book Story, and I finished reading the Chapter 7: Applying Gamification to Problem-Solving of Karl Kapp’s The Gamification of Learning and Instruction… If given more time, I would prefer to read more and not start to design my story to align with the 11 parameters for designing a game to teach problem-solving. Even they have stayed in my mind for a while. T.S. Eliot is right when he said, “When forced to work within a strict framework, the imagination is taxed to its utmost—and will produce its richest ideas. Given total freedom the work is likely to sprawl.”

        Indeed, if given the fictional protagonist Phileas Fogg forever but not 80 days to travel the world, most possibly, Mr. Fogg would not set off yet, and Verne’s good idea would not have a chance to be developed to a great story, and the following distinguished establishments both in literature and in gamification. The deadlines and constructive learning progression in WSSGA helped me turn my creative stream into a river. And the protagonist in my narrative game has been floating up gradually.

“Tell me and I forgot, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn.” —- Benjamin Franklin

        I am so lucky to have Dr. Oprean and Nicholas as my mentors and learning models when I was learning how to design games for learning. We three formed a team to design another educational game outside of WSSGA about energy and the environment, which paralleled my learning journey at WSSGA. I obtained more opportunities from this lovely team to practice the theories I learned into practice.

        The tools of collaboration and designing they used to push teamwork forward efficiently impressed me and showed me how to design an educational game more professionally. I have not been learning by reading; instead of that, I have been learning by doing in the team. It was a great experience for me to borrow similar working philosophies from the team project to my personal game design.

        Dr. Oprean Listed all the strategies for writing a good story and let Nicholas and I evaluate each of them, improve them, and polish the story. Besides that, the weekly meetings always went along with extra readings, which enhanced my understanding of educational games. During the process of designing my game, the criteria for what qualifies as a solid game narrative(Berger, n.d.) helped me a lot:

  • Are the story milestones exciting and/or compelling?
  • Is the character development organic and gradual?
  • Does the narrative have a relationship to the gameplay, or is it independent of it? To what degree is the latter? Do the actions from the narrative have consequences on the gameplay? Does the gameplay have consequences on the narrative?
  • Is the narrative frictionless? Or is the fun being interrupted too many times in order for me to follow a story that is not interesting?
  • Does the story fit with the rest of the game? Is it tonally consistent? Is the pacing consistent?
  • Most importantly, am I emotionally invested?

        I can’t agree more with Annakaisa Kultima’s point, “The game ideas arise from solitude and mature by bouncing” (Kultima, n.d.). At the very beginning of my game design, there was only a blight and blurred thought that I wanted to design a game that could help more students like me as a new resident in Columbia, Missouri. After giving up several initial ideas, I decided to ride my bicycle to the MKT trait, a famous natural trait that can lead you along from downtown Columbia to the Missouri River.

Figure 2. Twin Lake, a small lake the MKT trait leads to

On my way back to the campus, a panel on the roadside grabbed my attention. The panel told me a hidden history of the bridge ahead of me,” Near this place James T. Scott, a Black janitor in the medical school at MU, was killed on April 29th, 1923. A mob brought Mr. Scott to the bridge, place a noose around his neck, and pushed him over the railing while hundreds of spectators watched…The Lynching at Stewart Road Bridge reminds us of how far we have come and the work we have yet to do (Lest We Forget, n.d.).” Nobody told me about this, I thought. If I could collect more hidden histories about the campus and design them in a game, it would allow the players to learn more knowledge about Mizzou’s history in a gamification way. Then, I went back to my apartment to write down the draft of my game story. If I had to repeat this process, I wish I had started to write my first draft earlier and focused on what I was most concerned about.

A beautifully told story is a symphonic unity in which structure, setting, character, genre, and idea meld seamlessly. To find their harmony, the writer must study the elements of story as if they were instruments of an orchestra—first separately, then in concert. —-Robert McKee

       Here is the first draft of my game

        Title: The Hidden Map of MU

        Story summary: Even if you believe that you are so familiar with the University of Missouri, Columbia campus, there are some places or hidden histories you may not know. So, this educational game The Hidden Map of MU, is designed for you and other new students at MU. The player will have a fantastic “campus exploration” to travel between different times in history and places on campus. The player will be involved in firefighting to witness the origin of “the Columns (Links to an external site).” and try to stop a lynching at the Stewart Road Bridge (Links to an external site.), talk with Thomas Jefferson, whose family gave his original tombstone (Links to an external site). to MU, a grumpy senior man will talk to the player about his understanding about education after he got his honor Doctoral Degree of Laws, the senior man has a written name, Mark Twain (Links to an external site). Mort Walker (Links to an external site). is in his 20s to chat with the player about his comic dream… The style of the game will be similar to the movie Midnight in Paris.(Links to an external site).

        Learning goal: This game is designed for all the learners who want to know more about Mizzou, especially for the new MU students. The gamification learning journey aims to familiarize the learners with the knowledge about the MU campus and increase learners’ interest in MU history, including fun facts.  

        Learning Objectives:

  • By the end of this game, the players will be able to discuss with their friends three or more hidden history stories of MU.
  • By the end of this game, the players will be able to support human rights.
  • By the end of this game, the players will be able to evaluate the value of learning.

        Setting: The players will travel on MU’s campus. Check the history details as a new MU student. The historical figures and scenes will keep their own traits in history. Players will act as a time traveler to visit the famous places and people.

        Plot: In the Fall of 2023, a new MU graduate student Yupei enroll in MU. This is his first year both in MU and the US. Yupei struggling to get used to the new life and finds himself drawn to the rich history of MU. By chance, he witnesses the big fire in the Academic Hall, and a lynching at the Stewart Road Bridge, he talks with Thomas Jefferson and other famous people related to MU. During the process of his time travel, a lot of historical details will be shown. Back to real life, Yupei becomes more familiar with MU. He is new but knowledgeable about MU who can help more people to know MU’s hidden history. 

        Conflict: Yupei’s as a new resident in Columbia, Missouri, is embarrassed in a lot of areas. The Hidden Map of MU makes him more confident. Yupei talks with Thomas Jefferson, Mark Twain, and Mort Walker about the value of learning, the difference between schooling and education, the difference between a degree and an experience, the difference between spiritual abundance and wealth…

        Resolution: Conclusion of the story: The story encourages the new MU students to explore the campus and their lives bravely and actively. The story aims to remind all the learners how to make choices in their ordinary and academic lives, shares a chance for the players to ponder what they want and need, and tells the players that the different possibilities in our lives are based on our choices. 

        The branches:

  • Wealth v.s. Spiritual abundance
  • A degree v.s. An experience
  • Schooling v.s. Education

        The feedbacks I received:

        Commenter A: I would like to see further developed for your final submission is the story that guides this exploration. Twine (and even Scratch) are narrative driven, so facts with reading, and dialogue with various characters are the primary way to interact with the game. This leads to a need to generate a storyline foundation that will allow for players to explore but to also have a sense of purpose…The focus now should be on really defining the learning so you can make sure your design addresses it for your final submission. In prototyping, you don’t have to build the entire game, only the major story parts to see if the game design works without all of the details.

        Commenter B:  While the concept is fascinating, the story summary is somewhat vague in terms of how gameplay mechanics will work. More details on how players will interact with history and complete objectives could provide a clearer picture of the game. I think you’re on point with the firefight. But what activities could be included as interactions with the historical figures? What actions can be taken that are relevant to the content?

        Commenter C: As an online student not living in or from Missouri, I love the idea for your game. Also, the title fits quite well with the game’s premise. Your story see …

        Commenter D: What did you like/dislike about the story and title? (Remember be kind, we are all learning here!) I love this concept. I am really into history so I think this is …

        Commenter E: It sounds like we’re facing similar uncertainties with complexity and Twine. It’s still intriguing to think about the possibilities. I will definitely check your game out! 

        Let my story continue; let the game continue… 

Figure 3. The Campus of the University of Missouri

References:

‎80 Days. (2018, January 30). App Store. https://apps.apple.com/cg/app/80-days/id892812659

Berger, R. (n.d.). Dramatic Storytelling & Narrative Design: A Writer’s Guide to Video Games and Transmedia.

Donaldson, D. P., & Kuhlke, O. (2009). Jules Verne’s Around the World in Eighty Days: Helping Teach the National Geography Standards. Journal of Geography, 108(2), 39–46. https://doi.org/10.1080/00221340902945958

Kultima, A. (n.d.). The organic nature of game ideation: Game ideas arise from solitude and mature by bouncing.

Lest We Forget: Lynching at the Stewart Road Bridge Historical Marker. (n.d.). Retrieved September 28, 2023, from https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=169415

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