Beyond the Siege of Rochester Castle towards integrating MORPGs in the curriculum

Ken Eustace & Leah Irving

WORKSHOP

BatesÕ Taxonomy of

Games

Explanation of Genre GagneÕs Intellectual Skills

BloomÕs Taxonomy

Action Keep the player mov ing and involve d at all times. Primary skills are eye/hand coordina tion and quick reflexes. Deep thinking is gene rally not require d. Examples: Dark Age of Camelot, Jedi Knight

Defined Concepts Concrete Concepts Discrimin ations

Application Compre hension Knowledge

Role Playing

Revolves aro und characters, story and combat and takes place in large, expansiv e worlds an d played ou t over hundred s of hours. Examples: BaldurÕs Gate, Diablo, Icewind, Rochester Castle

Problem Solving Higher Order Rules Defined Concepts Concrete Concepts Discrimin ations (All)

Evaluation Synthesis Analysis Application Compre hension Knowledge (All)

Adventure Story based on explor ation and puzzle solving where the player is the hero. Examples: CSI, Law & Order, Myst

All All

Strategy

Effective strategy games are balanced. Just enough in formation is provide d for motivation an d interes t. Too much information, the player doesnÕt make effective decisions ; too li ttle information the player spends t ime worrying about what to exclude. Examples: Rise of Nations, Civilization

All All

Simulations The pures t form of wish fulfillment; fulfill the playerÕs fantasy of what he canÕt do in real life. Examples: The Sims, Cruise Ship Tycoon , Flight Simulator

All All

Sports Allows players to play thei r favorite sports activity to their heartÕs content. Examples: Tige r Woods PGA Tou r, NHL 2004

Defined Concepts Concrete Concepts Discrimin ations

Application Compre hension Knowledge

Fighting Games

Allows players to taunt their rival who is play ing beside them. Specia l moves and signatur e moves are a must. Examples: Quake II & III, Star Wars

Defined Concepts Concrete Concepts Discrimin ations

Application Compre hension Knowledge

Casual Games for the Ņnew gamersÓ Š easy to lear n and not difficult to master. Examples: Who Wa nts to be a Millionaire?, Monop oly

Defined Concepts Concrete Concepts Discrimin ations

Application Compre hension Knowledge

Taxonomy of instructional games

From Gikas & Van Eck (2004) guide for teachers on how to integrate instructional games into the classroom

• Educational value: as the change and positive experiences in learners, involving

seamless movement to and fro between moments of surface and deep learning, cooperation with others, contributions to the dialogue and feelings of self-worth.

• Does instructional gaming have educational value?• Atari game designer and author Chris Crawford

“Games are the most ancient and time-honoured vehicle for education. They are the original educational technology,...having received the approval of natural selection. In light of this, the question, ‘Can games have educational value?’ becomes absurd.” (Crawford, 1982)

Educational value of MORPGs

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• Cognitive experiential learning experience requires critical thinking skills as students perform thinking tasks to achieve learning goals during each stage of design, development and play;

• Teachers and students need access to games technologies and game design theory and then to collaboratively undertake different tasks and thinking behaviours;

• Create, edit and share objects, characters, content through a constructivist and problem-based non-linear learning environment.

Engage and motivate students in cognitive processes

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• Lepper and Malone (1987) identified seven theories of “intrinsic motivation” to guide the game design process:

1. Challenge;

2. Curiosity;

3. Control;

4. Fantasy;

5. Competition;

6. Cooperation;

7. Recognition.

• The last three theories of intrinsic motivation were categorised as “interpersonal motivation.” and are of particular interest in the application of MORPGs to collaborative learning and teaching practice in schools.

Intrinsic motivation

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• The MOO can offer several forms such as additive, expressive and performative, which are immersive, interactive and reactive environment.

• Additive form uses the established media • Expressive form via creation and manipulation of objects;• Performative form includes the user as aspect of performance

“…MOO explores the influences within a constructive digital environment and looks to the future of immersive, interactive design technology.”

Truna, Lost Cities MOO, QUT April 2003

Why use MOO?

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• Many games provide several virtual reality world views: 1st person or 3rd person?

• In 1st person view you see what your avatar sees, while in 3rd person view you see what your avatar is doing.

• Cognitive models are used to help represent the participants as they interact with a gaming system

“Fantastic graphics are a given, successful games longevity depends upon the game play. MOO has the game play, just not the graphics.”

Geoff Fellows, Charles Sturt University 2003

Virtual environments and cognition

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• Each new cognitive experience takes time for players to adapt.

• Staff and students developing Rochester Castle quickly learnt to use a new technology as an innovation,

• Moar & Bailey (2000) investigated how students created shared 3D worlds using the ActiveWorlds™ technologies (http://www.activeworlds.com & http://www.activeworlds.com/edu ).

• With the ActiveWorlds™ technologies, the students quickly learnt to build, navigate and communicate within two 30-minute sessions.

• Their results supported the observations made in Rochester Castle MORPG where the MOO is quickly learnt by users.

Takes time for players to adapt

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• One games design theory is centred around the Hero's Journey (Campbell, 2001; Jung, 1966).

• The Hero's Journey experiences ups and downs through realistic immersion in an imaginary world until a final reward becomes extremely satisfying to the gamer.

• The Jungian model of storytelling shows a number of steps a game must have if it is to have a positive impact on the player.

Games design theories in education

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1. There must be a hero from the ordinary world;

2. This hero receives a call to adventure to seek something or someone;

3. The hero may have to be pushed into the quest if they refuse the call;

4. A wise old mentor offers to help;

5. The hero crosses the first threshold;

6. On the journey, the hero encounters tests, allies, enemies, and is allowed to have a bit of fun with tricksters and shape-shifters;

7. The hero must approach the inmost cave via various threshold pirates;

8. The hero must then face the supreme ordeal;

9. The hero overcomes his deepest fear and seizes the reward, which must be love, knowledge, or a sacred stone;

10. The hero then starts on the road back, often chased by minions of the shadow;

11. The hero must go through another ordeal, leading to a form of resurrection;

12. The hero finally makes a triumphant return with the elixir.

The 12 steps of the hero’s journey

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• As an alternative approach to the Hero’s journey, Gikas & Van Eck (2004) proposed using a sequence of questions during analysis and design

• Let us break up into groups and use their technique to design a gaming experience in your curriculum

• You may have to form a “clan” with other disciplines?• In combining the taxonomies of Bloom (1984) and

Gagne et al (1992), full their guide is also at http://alc.memphis.edu/Conference_Presentations/games_handout.pdf

Analysing and designing a gaming experience

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• Analysing and designing a gaming experience• Here are the 9 main tasks which all have questions for

you to answer on the worksheet:1. The learner

2. You the teacher

3. The environment

4. Interface of the game

5. Gameplay/Entertainment

6. Learner characteristics

7. Instructional/learning factors

8. Length of time of play

9. Linear or learner-controlled gameplay

• Each group to report on the gaming experience…

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Workshop activity: a gaming experience in 9 steps

Case study 1: 3D thinking worlds• Brannigan, (2006) announced the beta release of an

authoring technology for the production of 3D Thinking Worlds for teachers and students to create, edit and share their “Thinking Worlds”,

• Access given to a large online library of 3D worlds, objects, characters and educational content from http://www.thinkingworlds.com

• What might 3D Thinking WorldsTM offer in the hands of educators and students?

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Case studies

Case study 1: 3D thinking worlds• 3D thinking worlds (like MOO) allows educational

content to be embedded into the game design process. • Students motivated to become producers and

designers, rather than just game players. • Role playing requires students to research historical

events and to work as a team.• Social interaction and cognition are blended in a

massive MORPG (MMORPG) through the formation of guilds and clans.

• Guilds and clans are similar to communities of practice.

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Case studies

Case study 2: le tour de MMORPGs• Guilds that form in one MMORPG then get together as

a team and subscribe to play several MMORPGs and enhance their collaborative game playing.

• EverQuest II (http://everquest2.station.sony.com ) and • World of Warcraft (WOW) (

http://www.worldofwarcraft.com )• Second Life at http://secondlife.com/ with a free

account… see also by Linden Labs at http://lindenlab.com/

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Case studies

Case study 3: Campus: Second Life• Second Life also includes collaborative space for

educators interested in distance learning, computer supported cooperative work, simulation, new media studies, and corporate training,

• See https://secondlife.com/community/education.php• Campus: Second Life a new hub for holding classes

where student and teachers can meet with others working on various projects.

• Virtual resources on the Second Life Education Wiki site at http://www.simteach.com/wiki/index.php?title=Second_Life_Education_Wiki

• Main page at http://www.simteach.com/

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Case studies

Dealing with ‘Griefers’• ‘Griefers’ is a term applied to disruptive members of a

gaming community, who may harm team-mates or otherwise obstruct the rules and objectives of the game or virtual world.

• MOO community example (1994-1998) • The presence of Griefers in gaming communities

(Davies, 2006) lead to a call for a policy framework. • According to Stephen Davis, IT GlobalSecure:

“The most common ‘griefer counter-measure’ is to put in place a strong community system.”

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A policy for fair play

Dealing with ‘Griefers’• The Internet Special Projects Group at Charles Sturt

University, developed a self-government policy approach for online game and chat users in 2001

• General security issues and matters which involve the functional integrity of the game environment, access to unauthorised abilities or areas, or real-world legal concerns are not fully covered in this policy document.

• The policy need was urgent after as one particular community split up after philosophical and cultural differences emerged over time.

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The emerging need for rules of engagement

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Expected Behaviour and Manners for gamers

1. Harassment of other users will not be tolerated. This includes, but is not limited to, spamming (filling their screen with unwanted text), teleporting them or their objects without their permission, repeated paging or following them after they have expressed a desire to be left alone, broadcasting messages to all game subscribers, or actions done with the specific intent of causing another person annoyance or discomfort.

2. While freedom of speech is an important part of any online community, obscene language, violence, unwanted sexual acts, or other blatantly offensive behaviour will also not be tolerated.

3. Spoofing (displaying text that is not obviously attributed to your character) to deceive others or avoid responsibility for one's actions is traceable and is not allowed. Moreover, programming or making available scripts or bots designed specifically to display text without attribution or misattributed text is also not allowed.

4. Spying on others is expressly prohibited. All objects that relay messages to another person or location must clearly state that they do so. Silent teleportation is also a form of spying, as is any mechanism intended to intercept messages not intended for you through unanticipated loopholes (this last is also a security issue, see 'help terms').

5. Common courtesy is expected from all users toward others in the game. In addition to the above points, this means paging others before joining them in a non-public space (a private room, a city street a battle field, etc), asking before taking or using objects that do not belong to you, leaving objects where you find them, and all of the other courtesies you would follow when visiting someone else's house or place of business.

Multi-User Virtual Environments (MUVEs) in Education• Foley & Kobaissi (2006) recognised the potential of

online computer games or MUVEs and suggest: • Whyville (www.whyville.net ) as being most successful with over

1.7 million users.• Students can log on every day to chat, play and learn about

science in a totally informal and virtual environment.

• Harvard University - Multi-User Virtual Environment Experiential Simulator system (MUVEES)

• MUVEES are an engaging way to improve educational outcomes using museum-related multimedia and virtual environments for teaching and learning science

• http://www.gse.harvard.edu/~dedech/muvees/index.htm

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Current developments with MORPGs in education

• Scupper’s Island at http://ispg.csu.edu.au:7688/• This MORPG is uses the Jungian Storytelling design

approach and the pirate code of conduct to teach computer ethics.

• This game will be used as a learning resource in a Computer Ethics university subject.

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Scupper’s Island: A role playing game (MORPG)

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Scupper’s Island: A role playing game (MORPG)

TomFlint activates BluePrint. BluePrint says, "*Squawk* I be a Parrot bot, to remind ye of your Code of conduct" You say, "avast their ye parrots!c Where are all the gambling tables?" BluePrint [to TomFlint]: *Squawk* Gambling is strictly forbidden, and is punishable by 40 lashes You say, "or get away with thee!" BluePrint says, "*Squawk*" TomFlint reaches for a bottle of rum. You say, "Let me see..." BluePrint says, "You seem kind of empty handed, dont you carry stuff around with you?" You say, "I think I remember the captain laying down the rule." BluePrint [to TomFlint]: *Squawk* Ye Captain shall have full command at all times. He who disobeys will be punished. Punishments may be overturned by a majority vote. You say, "be quiet you mouldy old bird. How come ye have green feathers yet ye be called BluePrint?" BluePrint says, "*Squawk?"

BluePrint as the parrot bot to uphold the code of conduct for pirates.

• Gaming communities or guilds display a pattern of to and fro, cooperative problem solving behaviour

• according to a study of online gaming communities named Project Massive (Fleming Seay et al, 2004) at www.projectmassive.com.

• Activities performed during gaming sessions can be classified into four types:

• game playing and building; • coordination and scheduling; • support and advice and social interaction.

• These interpersonal communication skills for the workplace and life in general.

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Conclusion and Discussion

• Players quickly realise that the best organised groups rise to the top of the game.

• Combination of computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL), play theory and games design theory can be applied to K-12 teaching practice.

• MORPGs are especially effective to this end. • In a MORPG, large numbers of players can form

groups, clans or guilds to take up role-play together in a dynamic, online virtual world.

• There is much evidence of the learning that takes place in the immersive worlds created by these games.

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Conclusion and Discussion

• Is instructional gaming worth all the effort required by teachers and students?

• but with the right team, the effort may be similar to established teaching practices.

• Control of the game environment needs to protect against interlopers joining the game.

• Can instructional gaming can be part of the professional practice of many educators?

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Conclusion and Discussion

• A senior manager in engineering at Yahoo! got his job in 2004 after he was noted as a top guild master in World Of Warcraft (http://www.worldofwarcraft.com ).

“Never again let anyone say to you that playing computer games is a waste of time, as long as you choose the right game.”

Acknowledgments:

Leah Irving, Geoff Fellows, Mark Lee, Allan Bytheway

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The last word