Representation
The representation is also an important factor in learning with games. Literature shows that users’ motivation and sense of engagement is closely associated with the ‘player sense of challenge, game realism, opportunities to explore or discover new information, and learner control’ (deFreitas, 2006). An important aspect of game-play is the ‘role playing’ that creates a sense of acting inside a story; it is pivotal through the role-playing to offer users the opportunity not simply to select and configure an avatar but also to regulate the avatar’s behaviour interacting with the elements of the story, namely non-playing characters, graphical objects, and more, and influencing the plot of the game (Francis, 2006).
‘Through situated role play within the virtual world students develop ‘embodied empathy’ for their virtual persona and gain a deep, but tacit, understanding of a web of social relationships whilst talking and interacting with dozens of player and non-player characters’ (deFreitas, 2006). The term ‘mediated sense of presence’ is used to describe ‘a technology-induced illusion of being present in one (simulated) place when one is actually present in another (physical) place’. Both immersion and narrative contribute to creating and increasing the sense of presence.
‘Immersion increases the place illusion, while the narrative contributes to generating an emotional response and strengthening the subjects' sense of inner presence’.
Click here to go back
Click to go back to the home page
References
de Freitas, S. (2006). ‘Learning in Immersive worlds: A review of gamebased learning', available at [1]
de Freitas, s. and Oliver, m. (2006) How can exploratory learning with games and simulations within the curriculum be most effectively evaluated? Computers and Education Special Issue on Gaming. 46 (2006) 249-264.
Francis, R. (2006). Towards a pedagogy for game-based learning. Paper presented at JISC Online conference: Innovating with e-Learning 2006. 30th March. Available in Innovating e-Learning Practice - The proceedings of the JISC Online Conference: Innovating e-Learning 2006. Cheltenham. Direct Learn Services Ltd. Last retrieved online at: [www. jisc.ac.uk/elp_conference06.html].
