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Slide 1: UCI-DSC Dinosaur Science Learning Games Walt Scacchi, Robert Nideffer, Celia Pearce UCI Computer Game Culture and Technology Laboratory 29 December 2004 1
Slide 2: Overview • Project goals • Design study 0.1 – Two games – Standardized science learning resources – Back stories – Game play experiences – User interfaces – Player registrations 2
Slide 3: Two games • Dinosaur treasure hunt (K-3, 1-2 centered) – Locate, find, observe/interact, match/piece together/discovery puzzle game – Multi-level (K-3) game play and learning tasks • Dinosaur quest (4-6, 5-6 centered) – Locate, find, observe/interact, piece together role-playing, time machine game – Multi-level (4-6) game play and learning tasks 3
Slide 4: Dinosaur treasure hunt • Puzzle examples – “What am I?” given (visual) features of different dinosaurs in different settings, determine what (kind of) dinosaur I am – “Fossil hunter” given a list of dinosaur pieces, pictures or clues, can you find them on site? – “Am I a dinosaur?” given (visual) features of modern animals/birds, can you determine who may be related to dinosaurs 4
Slide 5: Dinosaur quest • Time frames for a time machine – Momentary – e.g., allosaurus encounters a sauropod (predator-prey relationship) – Adaptive – e.g., changes in size and features of a pterosaur (gets smaller, more agile) – Epochal – e.g., plate tectonics segregate dinosaurs species give rise to adaptation across epochs (cretaceous vs. jurassic) • Game play roles (next) 5
Slide 6: • Dinosaur: sauropods vs. allosaurs; surviving (seeking food/prey, feeding, moving about, avoid danger, defending oneself/brood), adapting and evolving • Dinosaur life scientist: looking for evidence of survival and adaptation biomechanisms • Geologist: examining how plate tectonics affects dinosaur over >100M years • (Paleo)Ecologist: mapping ecological patterns and arrangements over time 6 Dinosaur quest
Slide 7: Science learning resources • University of California Museum of Paleontology • Discovery Channel/BBC Walking with Dinosaurs • National Science Standards Matrix 7
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Slide 12: Back stories • Dinosaur treasure hunt: “The Three Dinosaurs” a traversal/adventure game that blends Goldilocks and Three Little Pigs • Dinosaur quest: “The Dinosaur Time Machine” is an adventure recreation game that blends role playing in different time frames (from momentary to epochal) 12
Slide 13: Game play experiences • First encounter: requires exposure to training tutorial/game overview • Return visit: to “level up” to more challenging game play and learning tasks • Single user vs. classroom users – Single user may start with PC for tutorial – Classroom may start with shared (large-screen) tutorial/overview • Game play anchored in physical exhibit walkflow patterns (minimize walking crossovers) 13
Slide 14: User interfaces • Game system usability (usage experience) is critical • Multiple and hierarchical UI’s – Top level offer tutorial, help, background, “play game”, “the making of…”, etc. – Each top level may then offer one or more sub-levels of task specific user interfaces • Game play can offer both full online experience (virtual walkthrough) and multi-level game play – UIs may be multi-lingual (English, Spanish, Korean) • In-game text/narratives distinct from visual content or game play sequencing to accommodate internationalization 14
Slide 15: Player registrations • “First-visit” players are registered for a single session only; no personal data collected. Game play identifier is reusable by other players. • “return-visit” players are able to explore deeper realms of game play; requires minimal persistent personal data. Game play identifier is unique. • “contributors” are players who are able to create/modify game content for use by other players; requires persistent personal data and unique identifier. 15
Slide 16: Player registrations • Backend system may utilize “course topic and learning management system” – Each game section organized as a “topic” – Topics can be added, updated, removed, commented – Players registered to topics played (i.e., course subjects taken/completed) – System can accommodate player messaging (synchronous (IM), asynchonous (Discussion forum)) 16