From Theory to Practice: On Designing a Pervasive Learning Game

1. From Theory to Practice: On Designing a Pervasive Learning Game From Theory to Practice: On Designing a Pervasive Learning Game • Overview of pervasive learning model and 13 principles • Game concept and learning outcomes • Meeting the criteria set out in the model

2. From Theory to Practice: On Designing a Pervasive Learning Game What is Pervasive Learning? • Pervasive—or ubiquitous or ambient—learning is “always on” education. • Always on education: available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, anywhere, at anytime.

3. From Theory to Practice: On Designing a Pervasive Learning Game What is Pervasive Learning? • Need to emphasise: Vast difference between a pervasive or ubiquitous learning experience and pervasive or ubiquitous technology • Emphasis is on social process not pervasive or ubiquitous technology

4. From Theory to Practice: On Designing a Pervasive Learning Game What is Pervasive Learning? A Definition Pervasive learning is a social process that connects learners to communities of devices, people, and situations so that learners can construct relevant and meaningful learning experiences, that they author themselves, in locations and at times that they find meaningful and relevant.

5. From Theory to Practice: On Designing a Pervasive Learning Game The Model • This definition points to four key criteria which make up the pervasive learning model: • Community • Autonomy • Locationality • Relationality

6. 13 Principles of Pervasive Learning • Model can be used for design or evaluation

7. Pervasive Learning Games • Outside scope of this presentation to discuss pervasive learning games in general. • For a discussion of pervasive learning games and pervasive games see paper Pervasive Learning Games: Explorations of Hybrid Educational Gamescapes Simulation & Gaming, Vol 37, No 1, March 2006 p. 41-55

8. Implementation of the Model: ProjectY • ProjectY = intricate immersive mixed-media murder-mystery pervasive game intended to teach economic and political theory. • Mixed-media, or cross-media, games use multiple devices and media channels for gameplay. • ProjectY teaches economic and political theory as players progress through 21 days of gameplay.

9. ProjectY Philosophy • Users should be able to add content The game would continue as players slept • Motivational prompts and triggers would include text messages, phone calls, etc. • Meeting spaces for ongoing debriefing • Game clues would provide mediation • Players would be provided with specialized information tailored to their abilities • Players would be able to play in multiple locations

10. Community Principle One Relationship Building: Architect Situations but Forsake the Blueprints • Was aware of pitfall of overdesigning opportunities for social interaction. • Possible player-to-player scenarios were not scripted out. • Communication was encouraged by building things that players could talk about: • Interesting landmarks such as (poisonous swamps) or obstacles they would need to work together to overcome (e.g. locked doors).

11. Autonomy Principle Four It’s All About Control: Give Learners the Power • Players were given mechanisms to control, and to learn how to control, both the content of the game and the way they played the game • Learners controlled the direction and pace of their learning (as well as content) • Learners set the boundaries for how and when they interacted with the game: e.g. chose device (mobile phone but not email) and times during of contact (9 a.m. to 4 p.m.).

12. Locationality Principle Eight Choice: Let the Learner Choose When and Where • Game was designed to be played when and where learner chose • Meant game had to be constructed in text first to make it usable on all devices • Players set boundaries for when and where but game used triggers to motivate players

13. Relationality Principle Eleven Personal Environments: Help Learners Personalize Public Spaces • Both virtual and physical world=opportunities for personalisation • Virtual: players could take over territory (e.g. name geographic areas, etc.) • Real world spaces: interact with tangible objects

14. Conclusions • The pervasive learning model proved to be an invaluable tool for game development. • Application of the principles presented here only an example • Scope of the design process encompasses more than it has been possible to present in this paper. • Model needs to be refined as more pervasive learning environments are created.

15. Closing Notes • Model is being used for other purposes. Was used successfully for informal mobile learning project: Making Playful Learning Visible. Final report: www.ngf.org.uk/reports/mplv/intro.htm • Send project descriptions and papers for addition to www.pervasivelearning.org (work in progress; aim is to make it a resource for research on pervasive, ambient and ubiquitous learning)