Storytelling in games and in teaching
stories add meaning and relevance to the game experience. Although not all games have a narrative component (e.g., abstract games), storytelling is a relevant component of games in general. Furthermore, it can be observed that even in more abstract games (e.g., chess), people add a story to the game simply by naming the pieces. "Humans are great at adding story narrative to a variety of situations because stories add meaning, provide context and guide action" (Kapp, 2012, 41). Therefore, stories have been added to more and more games over time. Stories are also readily used for teaching outside of the game context. Learners and employees can remember stories better than a list of rules and requirements. Central elements of storytelling are:
- Characters: A game usually starts by introducing you to a character,
- the plot line: This character is usually faced with a problem.
- suspense: The problem creates suspense and the character playing may not immediately know how to solve the problem and may do wrong things.
- resolution: Finally, a solution becomes apparent, for example, through a mentor character who has good advice.
(freely translated and paraphrased from Karl Kapp, 2012, pp. 41-43)
Characters
Characters make the game experience more personal. You can identify with them, have successes or overcome failures. At the same time, characters help maintain abstraction. Especially with difficult topics it can be helpful to experience through another person or entity than oneself.
Depending on the competency goal, you will want to decide whether a character is virsulalized or not. The more you incorporate visualization, the easier it will be for learners to identify with the character, but the more clearly the character and the person playing are also separated.
Implementation in learning environment
You can draw your own avatars or use free illustrations from the Internet. You can include the graphic as an image in your learning environment. Note that characters are used in different positions and with different facial expressions. Therefore, the use of avatars involves significant effort.
To give the learning game a persona, you can also write your own story in which you describe the characters in detail or choose the first-person perspective as the narrative mode. For example, the learning module is particularly suitable for alternating between narrative and task, but in principle you can place these story elements anywhere you work with the Page Editor.
The plot
After getting to know the character or characters, it should quickly become clear what the challenge to be mastered is and ideally also why this character is responsible for it or why exactly this character can master the challenge. This realizes both the connection to prior knowledge and the outlook on the competencies to be acquired or promoted. The problem formulated in this step should be one that is challenging for the character to solve but not impossible to achieve. In this way, you will achieve a good mix of motivation and demand.
Implementation in learning environment
Introductory sequences or introductions are a good way to create transparency about the context of your course content and the requirements that learners will face. Tools are the description texts of the objects but also the page editor in the course or the different objects in which it comes into play. It is also conceivable to use the comments to convey the connection between content and task.
To make the best use of the difficulty of the challenge, it is advisable, on the one hand, to have materials and tasks of varying difficulty available. Furthermore, you should consider a mechanism to determine the current level of competence of the learners. For example, you can use a test to do this. In a learning-objective driven course, for example, it is very easy to visualize different difficulty levels or to assign content to topic areas (challenges).
Suspense
Tension can be created by making it quickly visible which way to go by the way the course is designed. Possible solutions should be quickly tangible.
As the game progresses, the tension can be maintained by illustrating at each step how the person playing (learning) got closer to the goal and, if it was not the ideal way, how it would be possible to move forward in another way. The goal is to know at any time which steps can be taken next. This not only motivates the learner to continue, but also reinforces their self-efficacy.
The use of stories goes hand in hand with the clear formulation of goals. Just as stories can encourage learners to achieve a goal, this can also, and better yet, be complemented by clear and transparent goal design. Explain to your learning group why which competency is relevant.
Implementation in learning environment
Tension can be supported visually, for example, by a treasure map (you will make it when you find the treasure) or a fairly clear starting point, for example, the presence of a key for which you have to look for the matching lock or have already found it.
To maintain the tension curve, use the feedback options available in almost all ILIAS objects. For example, feedback in questions, star rating for objects or on wiki and learning module pages, badges, design elements on pages, and many more.
The resolution
A resolution is given in game-based learning by the fact that the players have demonstrably achieved their learning goal. Feedback on this can be provided in a variety of ways.
Implementation in learning environment
By providing a badge or other visual feedback, you can reinforce this feeling in learners. And even if someone didn't reach the goal, it should be clear during the resolution what the reason was. Learners should then also be given a hint about how they might make it on another attempt.
You can create final tests, practice assignments, learning module questions, or surveys that conclude with an appropriate message. You can also visualize the achievement of the goal through the design of the course interface. Central to motivation is that learners experience that they have accomplished something. And this accomplishment should have been perceived as challenging but not impossible.
The Hero's Journey
A common method of storytelling is the hero story. The hero character's journey usually starts with an encounter with a person from normal everyday life. Something special happens that interrupts the everyday life and the character has to act. The character leaves their ordinary life behind to face the new task. The character encounters villains and enemies, but also new friends and he discovers the new world. Of course, the journey is not an easy one. There are always difficult situations and relapses. However, the character learns new skills and constantly improves. This will arm her to face the final challenge. Only through her abilities and the wise advice from the past, the character narrowly manages to escape the doom. However, upon returning to normal life, the hero character discovers that the problems have not yet been fixed and that even greater challenges must be overcome. At this point, at the latest, the character learns that she will no longer be able to face these challenges alone. However, even this challenge is eventually overcome and the hero character and her friends have improved normal life for everyone.
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