FA16-Project 12 – Week 11

Word-Bank

Usman Athar

CUNY York College

The game is trying to teach subjects to read specific letters and identify which words they are. The learning objective the game is trying to create for the subjects is to think faster and be more attentive. The dominant form of interaction the player has with the game is simply reading the flashcard, and thinking of the word that it could be. The player doesn’t have any physical interaction with the game. This does not get in the way of the learning objective as it still stimulates the brain and achieves the learning objective. Cognitive processes are most affected by the game design. The design affects this system simply by not having any physical interaction with the game. It is solely all cognitive processes in action.

Three people are engaged in the game. One person will be the player (subject), the other will be just someone to hold the index cards, and one person will be keeping tally of the score. They interact with one another by the person giving the answer, and the other person holding the index card responding if it was right or wrong. It is neither cooperative nor competitive amongst them. One is simply helping facilitate the game. One is playing the game. One is keeping score of the game. The primary objective of the game is to get as many words right as possible, under the amount of time allotted per word. Time would be set as 10-seconds/per word, for example. The game objective does reinforce the learning objective, as the game objective is to score as many points as possible and the only way to score points is to complete the words, which will then reinforce the learning objective. The rules of the game are simple. Each word will have a 10-second timer. If the timer passes 10 seconds then the game is over and whatever points you collected will be your score. Each word is equivalent to one point. If you get all the words, you get all the points and you successfully beat the game. This compliments the learning objective, as it encourages players to try and beat the game each time they lose, which should help them get better and be more attentive over time. Items such as points are accrued during the game. No resources are spent during the game. Since there are no resources spent, nothing governs the exchange of resources. The only conflicts between the player and the game elements include the difficulty/longevity of the word, the timer and every time the player loses. These conflicts are resolved by getting better each time they lose. The game prevents players from having physical interaction, which should then help them focus as they are solely using their minds to play the game. This limitation can be fun because when you have less things to touch, feel and think about, you’re more focused on doing one thing. This one thing will be thinking, and will contribute to the objective ultimately. The game ends when the player wins, which means the player has to get every word right each round, under the 10-second timer. The outcome does not conflict with the objective, as the end of the game is made long enough that the player has to lose a few times, before getting it right, which then helps the player use his mind more, be more focused and attentive and eventually the objective is achieved.

The main character is the player. The motivation is the difficulty of the game, and the fact that it looks easy in the beginning and seems beatable. There is no relationship between the player and the character, as it is not a video game. The challenges presented to the player include the timer on each word, the difficulty the word, and the longevity of the word. The player must master or learn the skill of reading and thinking fast. This game is a card-based game as it is not a video game, so it does not take place in a fictional world. The premise of the game is to get all fifty words right under the allotted time of ten seconds per word. The game uses a linear narrative, as it is simply one thing the player has to achieve over and over, until they beat the game. Player interactions related to the narrative by allowing them to only use their minds and no physical interaction. That should help isolate them from any other activity and help stimulate reading and thinking. The game is playful by being simple; not having too much going on can make a game fun, simple and playful. Of the many types of play, the most prevalent is the “solitary play”. Of the players in Bartle’s Taxonomy, the one to most likely enjoy this game would be the “achievers”. The tension and resolution are controlled in the game by beating each round. If the player loses then he/she comes back to beat it, which keeps the player at a constant to relieve the tension. The cycle continues. The story does not create conflict in the game, as there is none.

The objects used to build the game include a timer and a deck of index cards. The only object property required for the game includes the words written on the index cards. The only object behaviors that are required are reading and thinking of the word on the index card and speaking it out. The basic relationship between the system elements is associated with the player as it is up to him/her to read them. The player controls the dynamics of the game. The game system does not exist as an economy. No new systems emerge from the game play, as it is a pretty simple game with the same rules and objectives for each round. There are no procedurally generated systems. The rules of the game and how the game is to be played is exposed to the player, there is nothing hidden from the player. The player interacts with the system, controls the system and receives feedback from the system by reading, thinking and then saying out loud what his answer is. The feedback given to him/her is from the other person holding the index card, telling him/her whether or not he/she is right or wrong.

The game is fully functional, as it has all the components to help achieve the learning objective. The game is indeed complete. There is no voice that isn’t being represented in the game. All aspects needed are present. The game is balanced as it has a points system, a system to tell the player if he/she is wrong, etc. The only dominant strategy is to think faster, and read faster. This helps reinforce the learning objective. The game is also symmetrical in all aspects. The game is indeed engaging, as it has the player coming back for more, to eventually beat the game. The elements that support engagement promotes the learning objective by playing the game with the rules provided. Word choices are meaningful in the game and it relates to the objective, as it is needed to beat the game, thus help you get better at thinking. There are no parts of the game that are broken, micromanaging, boring or stagnant, have insurmountable obstacles, etc. It is very easy to play the game, as it is very simple. It takes 30 seconds to learn the game and players learn to play by reading instructions.

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About Robert O. Duncan

I'm an Assistant Professor of Behavioral Sciences at City University of New York, with joint appointments in Neuroscience and Cognitive Neuroscience. I also have an appointment as a Visiting Scholar at New York University. My research interests include cognitive neuroscience, functional magnetic resonance imaging, glaucoma, neurodegenerative disorders, attention, learning, memory, educational technology, pedagogy, and developing games for education.

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