Post on 01-Jan-2016
description
Educational Gaming for the Rest of Us WYSIWYG Production of Scalable, Beautiful, Web-based RPGs
Jude Higdon, Ed.D.Director of Innovative Learning and Academic
Technology
College of Pharmacy, University of Minnesota
Why Educational RPGs?
• *Can* provide instructional environments that blend elements of authentic assessment, discovery learning, and structured pedagogy.
• Has the potential to provide enhanced learning and motivational outcomes for students.
• (Some) instructors love it, and would like to be able to power pedagogy through games.
Why *Not* Educational RPGs?
• Build model– Monetarily and time intensive– Boutique expertise– Examples:
• River City• Games+Learning+Society• Croquetlandia
• Buy model: Offerings often fall short of pedagogical goals– Bottom line: Not yet…
NOT SO FAST -- Maybe we can?
• Thinking Worlds:– Inexpensive development licenses– WYSIWYG development environment– Web-based delivery– Ready-to-use libraries of scenes, objects, and
characters– Development environment scaffolds the process of
game development
Can we?
• Our Goal: See if we could create an online RPG game in a sustainable way:– Using only student producer resources– In a short development time cycle– With little to no training for developers
YES WE CAN! (So far, at least...)
• Pilot project: Behind the Message
• School of Journalism and Mass Communication Game (Nora Paul and Kathy Hanson)
• Game to teach basic reporting techniques including:– Story angle instincts– Research protocols– Interview skills
The WYSIWYG Dev Environment
The WYSIWYG Dev Environment
Conclusions
GOAL SUCCESS?Use only student producers?
Yes!
Short development cycle?
Sort of...game play in a year, with one part-time UG worker.
Little to no training for developers
Yes!
Next Steps
• Augmented reality versions of this and other games
• Expand the pilot– Work with the AHC Simulation Center– NIH funding for some simulation evaluation projects
Thoughts and comments?
Let's have a (virtual) coffee!
jhigdon@umn.edu