Alternate Reality Games as Simulations (original) (raw)
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The Pedagogical Application of Alternate Reality Games
International Journal of Game-Based Learning, 2015
The advent of the Internet has been instrumental in producing new Game Based Learning (GBL) tools where education and games converge. Alternate Reality Games (ARGs) are one such GBL tool. Interactive narrative games that use the Internet as a central communications platform, ARGs challenge players to collaboratively collate a fragmented story. When used for educational purposes, Serious ARGs provide a novel form of GBL that encourages critical thinking, develops problem-solving skills and fosters collaborative learning. However, the pedagogical application of ARGs is still relatively new. This article presents a background to ARGs and Serious ARGs. It also outlines the lessons drawn from Plunkett's Pages, a Serious ARG that focuses on actual historical events. A selection of evaluation criteria, extracted from the reflections of those who played Plunkett's Pages are presented. These criteria are intended to enable novice ARG designers or educators to formatively evaluate an emerging ARG design.
For ARGument’s Sake! The Pros and Cons of Alternate Reality Gaming in Higher Education
IFIP Advances in Information and Communication Technology
This paper explores the potential of Alternate Reality Games, a type of Game-Based Learning experience, within higher education. The discourse opens by explaining the essence of ARGs; it then moves to present the findings from research in this domain, highlighting key benefits and challenges in using ARGs in higher education.
World Academy of Science, Engineering and Technology, International Journal of Educational and Pedagogical Sciences, 2020
There has been a recent rise in ‘audience-centric’ and immersive storytelling. This indicates audiences are gaining interest in experiencing real adventure with everything that encompasses the struggle, the new friendships, skill development, and growth. This paper examines two themed alternate reality games created by a group of students at the University of Southern California as an experiment in how to design an adventure and to evaluate its impact on participants. The experiences combined immersive improvisational theatre and live-action roleplaying to create socially aware experiences within the timespan of four hours, using Harry Potter and mythology as themes. In each experiment, over 500 players simultaneously embarked on quests -a series of challenges including puzzle-solving, scavenger-hunting, and character interactionsto join a narrative faction. While playing, the participants were asked to choose faction alignments based on the characters they interacted with, as well ...
Designing An Educational Alternate Reality Game
An educational alternate reality game (ARG) is a social learning experience that takes place in both the real and online worlds using various puzzles and activities tied together though an emerging storyline. This project described the design, development, and prototype testing of Finding Identity, an educational, social studies ARG about the history of the Japanese Americans during World War II. The three research topics that this research project addressed were (a) the definition of an educational ARG, (b) the pedagogical benefits of an educational ARG, and (c) the features that could be included in an educational ARG instructional design model. Evaluation of the Finding Identity ARG found that ARGs have pedagogical benefits that can foster significant learning of new topics. However, because ARGs are a relatively new phenomenon, additional research is needed to fully ascertain their instructional potential.
Alternate reality game in education: A literature review
2016
Using the Alternate Reality Game (ARG) game type to improve non-game products is more and more popular in the 21 century. However, as an important field of ARG implementation, the usage of ARG in education area is still at its early stage. This paper seeks to provide an overview of current research about the implementation of ARG in the educational field, as well as make a general conclusion of how ARG techniques can benefit the education context. The authors undertook a literature review that systematically examined the general development trend of educational ARG implementation from the perspectives of timeline and by field of education. By bringing together previously separate and disparate literature, this paper contributes to providing new understanding of this emergent area of gamification research. In the final section, we discuss our findings and propose some challenges to be faced in the future for gamificatiojn in general and for the AGR game type in particular.
Alternative Reality Games to Teach Game-Based Storytelling
This assignment was designed as a final project for a class entitled “Storytelling in Interactive Media and Games.” In order to focus on the collaborative nature of a shared story between game creators and players, we sought a more low-tech form of game, namely the alternate reality game. The paper outlines both the theory behind the assignment and initial steps in guiding the students through it. We focus on assigning roles to game creators to organize a large team, and the “Achievement” sheet which both suggests media for the students to use and point values for the use of those media.
Alternate Reality Games: Platforms for Collaborative Learning
International Conference of the Learning Sciences (ICLS 2012), 2012
We review the first iteration of an Alternate Reality Game (ARG) designed to engage middle school students in the interpretive process behind history and the mathematical roots of cryptography and cartography. Building from the core characteristic of ARGs as collaborative sense-making systems, we sought to integrate elements of effective cooperative learning environments, such as positive interdependence, into our game design. We detail how cooperative learning constructs were designed into the narrative and game mechanics, and how evidence of these features emerged during play. We found that the jigsaw puzzle design of game challenges supported collaboration between groups; daily, whole class discussions strengthened group processing; and real-time, chat-based dialogue among students themselves and students with an in-game character enhanced promotive interaction (e.g., providing positive reinforcement). However, we did note weaknesses in positive interdependence within groups. We conclude with design implications for future iterations of the ARG.
lrsv.umd.edu
This panel will introduce Alternate Reality Games (ARGs) as a platform for engaging students in the practice of 21st century literacies. Exploratory research conducted at the University of Maryland on ARGs as design spaces in the service of education will be described and related to recent information literacy learning events, including the Humans vs. Zombies (HvZ) ARG at the University of Florida and the Ghosts of a Chance ARG at the Smithsonian American Art Museum. It will also address opportunities to better equip library and information science practitioners to understand and apply ARG design techniques in information literacy seminars or sessions for students.
Alternate reality games for developing student autonomy and peer learning
2008
This paper discusses the educational potential of alternate reality games (ARGs), a relatively new game format that takes place both online and in the real world over a number of weeks, and combines narrative and puzzles to develop a collaborative community. In this paper, first the concept of ARGs are described, including their history and composition, and their potential pedagogic benefits are discussed in relation to constructivism, student autonomy and peer learning. Then the paper provides a case study of the Alternate Reality Games for Orientation, Socialisation and Induction (ARGOSI) project at Manchester Metropolitan University, which used an ARG for the development of digital literacy skills. Finally, the paper concludes by highlighting some of the potential challenges of using ARGs in education.
Designing gameful experiences using alternate reality games
Improving Quality of Life Through Information : Proceedings of the XXV Bobcatsss Symposium, Tampere, 2017, 2017
Gamification in education has become an effective tool in engaging and motivating students. Developing courses with games in mind results in a game-like experience that effectively addresses the challenges in education, such as collaboration, engagement, and student motivation. Designing a gameful course is a challenge that requires understanding in both the education and game design theory disciplines. What game elements to borrow and how to integrate these elements into the course are questions that need to be answered. The paper proposes using alternate reality games to further enhance student engagement and motivation by integrating the course design into a narrative using game actions to facilitate and inspire collaboration and community formation. The potential for borrowing from ARGs, based on literature and previous work, is discussed and an approach is proposed to highlight this potential.