Volume Two - Academic Conferences

3.3 The different ‘events’ supported:
Thomas Putz
Quiz: a text and one or more options to choose from
Decision Tree: similar to Quiz, however various choices have no immediate reward but link to a
subsequent event (which can be any event type). This allows construction of complex simulations of
chains of choices or decisions
Conditional decision tree: similar to Decision Tree, but some of the possible choices are available
and visible to the player only under particular conditions
Simple: text message that can be used as a ‘leaf’ of a decision tree or as a simple random event
Multimedia: opens a multimedia resource then links to a subsequent event. Can be used to enhance
the graphic aspect of the events or to insert audio/visual elements in decision trees
Set internal variables value: The game holds an internal array. This can be used as a sort of ‘state
machine’ for complex event correlations
‘Case of’ tree: event structured just like the CASE instruction in programming languages, such as
SQL. Different events are activated according to current value of one of the internal variables
Null event: game contents logic may require an ‘empty’ event
Game Over: event overriding the normal ‘game-over’ rules
A trial was held a whole semester usage of the mGBL game Mogabal during the course “Logistics“ at
the Faculty of Maritime studies, University of Rijeka. This Game has been used to test the knowledge
of students during the semester, and also, for the first time ever, mobile game was used for the final
course exam.
3.4 Pervasive game template: “Get Real!”
Teams of learners engage and re-engage with a real world critical situation
Planning and undertaking learning activity in competition with other teams
Afterwards they reflect on the processes they were engaged in
Learning goals are decided collaboratively by the teacher and their group of students
Content goals: e.g. Making choices (after Prensky, 2001).
Activity goals: e.g. Skills, Judgement; Process, Procedures; Observation (after Prensky, 2001).
Process goals: e.g. Analyse, Evaluate, Create (after Anderson and Krathwohl, 2001).
The phases of the competition are linked to Kolb’s (1984) learning cycle (simplified terminology: Race,
1994):
‘WANTING’: Planning a game to fit their own learning agenda.
‘DOING’: Engaging with a real world critical situation; investigating and proposing solutions.
‘FEEDBACK’: Using system feedback and peer feedback.
‘DIGESTING’: Reflecting in and on action (double loop learning, Argyris and Schön, 1976), i.e.
reflecting
The mGBL prototype ‘Get real!’ has been developed as a ‘pervasive’ game, i.e. it is a multi-user
mobile game that uses mobile technologies to bridge virtual world with real world activities (c.f.
Benford et al., 2005).
It is a true game:
632