Making a Serious Case for Games and Sims

Transcription

1 101 Making a Serious Case for Games and Sims Anne Derryberry, I'm Produced by Building Immersive Learning Simulations

2 Making a Serious Case for Games and Sims Anne Derryberry I m Getting to Know You Poll set #1 (personal info) Poll set #2 (tech info) Page 1

3 Demographics Matter Demographics Matter Page 2

4 Serious game Drawing on the various genres of video games, serious games have the serious purpose to change, in a pre-defined way, the beliefs, skills and/or behaviors of the cohort group(s), primarily, and individuals, secondarily, who play the game, while preserving the entertainment aspects of the game experience. Principle characteristics of serious games (SG) are multi-player, immersive, persistent virtual environments. Immersive learning simulation Virtual renderings of real life environments and situations that allow individuals and groups to learn and practice skills and behaviors in a safe environment. As opposed to SGs, the game experience is not a characteristic of ILS, and emphasis can be made on individual learning and performance. Page 3

5 Learning cohort A group of learners who are working together toward the same learning goals. Typically, though not always, the learning cohort is based on an intact work team or other group with common performance requirements. Game genres Not unlike novels or movies, they include: First-person shooters Strategy Action Adventure Fantasy Role-playing Page 4

6 Mirror vs. metaphor Simulations and games draw on different design motifs, with simulations being mirrors of the real world and games being metaphors of the real world. Learning simulations present a learning environment that is a virtual representation of the performance environment. Serious games present a learning environment that is a metaphorical representation of the performance environment. Occurs as a learning cohort accomplishes the learning goals and objectives of a serious game or online learning simulation. Serious learning Page 5

7 Games and Sims Poll set #3 (SG info) Free-form question: What is your biggest question/concern/fear about serious games? Cheap Ways to Get Started Student -designed COTS (Commercial Off-the-Shelf) Customizable Eve Online - entrepreneurship Everquest II, World of Warcraft - teamwork, leadership, community Neverwinter Nights, Halo - creative producers and communications Sims franchise Second Life/There Free games - Page 6

8 Data, data, data Analysis Design Dev t Audience Performance -Demography -Solo/group Game Content Performance Skills/knowledge/ beliefs Game Environment Performance -In-world -In life Game - Recommendations - Justification Game Attributes Backstory and Storyline Game mechanics Rules Immersive graphical environment Interactivity Challenge/competition Risks and consequences Player(s) Page 7

9 Process Mashup Cohort Analysis Design concept to Research Project scoping Bottom Line Demographics Thoughtful, honest interpretation and presentation of data Start small to prove your point Use commercially-available titles to test the waters Page 8

10 Q&A Page 9