Proposal 1:  Creating a Framework for educational game design

Pros:
  • existing research on simulation design (Schank 1993), etc.
     
  • an opportunity exists:  Serious Games email list arguing on what would be required on a design team (instructional designer, game designer, content designer) - can't seem to settle
     
  • Zyda paper shows a basic model of this- might be a good starting point
     
  • might be able to make educational games a lot of fun- right now they kind of suck

 

 Cons:
  • lots of arguing about what anyone says
     
  • probably tons of work on this topic already, hard to sort through and make a new contribution
     
  • might have to find faults in other existing models - could be difficult since models often contain vague terminology
     
  • would be hard to stay away from 'Freudian' style research:  commenting on what we see, not doing social-science style research, etc

 

 

Process:

  1. read / become an expert on good game design (what emotions / feelings / experiences are we trying to achieve?)
     
  2. read / become an expert on good educational / instructional design (general pedagogy?  Or apply a specific field of study?)
     
  3. read / become an expert on good content design (things that might be studied:  animation, creation of 3-D objects, simulation of human behavior, cartoons, special effects (film industry), etc)
     
  4. Should this tie in our motivational purposes (why gaming is better than traditional instruction), or simply focus on the key elements of making a good educational game (assume reader already knows the benefits of games in the classroom)?

    (4a.) if needed:  tie in research, 'why' gaming in the classroom can be be better / supplement traditional learning
     
  5. start doing a factor analysis:  MANOVA / something?  The point of this dissertation can't be a summary of all the above guidelines.  Can't just generate a huge list:  rather we should use it as a starting point (first few chapters of dissertation), then do some sort of factor analysis- what points contradict each other, which points might be eliminated, which points don't exist and need to be added to the list
     
  6. How could this process be tested?  Need some sort of empirical evidence to create a list, add / remove points, etc.  This can't be supported by opinion- need to show what works.

    (Strategy):  Find a way to separate variables and test them?  Or look for games that exist that exhibit the qualities in question?  The latter might be easiest:  don't have to create games / test cases
     
  7. The goal of this project would be simplification:  after finding all the factors across all the different designers (game / instructional / content), it'd be overwhelming to a 'real' designer / project lead:  how could we strip the thing down to a minimum while maximizing results?
    - short list of 'things' to do
    - framework to use?
    - dummy tests:  something that tests a key factor:  should be short / dirty / quick / simple (comparable to some quick HCI tests:  GOMS, counting information displayed on a page, etc.)
     
  8. Would have to decide early whether research results are going to be aimed at theoretical or practical side:  highly generalizable (more theory), or highly useful (practitioner's guidebook)?
     

Supporting Groups of Research(ers) / Practice: