Today’s learners have grown up with videogames and technology everywhere they turn. Many can effectively use phones to watch videos and play games before they can even read the words on the screen. How? Due to advances in media and user experience design, we’ve made consumption of content accessible for users of varying technological proficiencies. But there’s been a lag in the professional sector. Becoming a game developer may seem like a lucrative path making use of today’s learners’ natural affinity towards the virtual, but the segmented and outdated nature of the resource materials is a major hurdle for them. But there is an opportunity in the void. The Virtunomicon would congregate many of the disjoint resources and give information with context and interactivity. A digital peer-reviewed encyclopedia will help engage users by emphasizing relevance and condoning exploration and participation on the platform.
According to Reiser and Dempsey, a learner’s “motivation to learn is promoted when the knowledge to be learned is perceived to be meaningfully related to one’s goals.” Students are more motivated to work on things that are related to their personal wants and interests. Relevance isn’t just that the knowledge is useful, usefulness is subjective. In modern times, the usefulness of knowing how to fish varies immensely (Imagine living in an urban city vs a tropical island). For knowledge to be considered relevant it just has to be related to what the learner cares about. It would be a foolish assumption though to think that game development documentation and resources are making it clear that that the content is helping them make their dream games. Too often does the aspiring developer find themselves with simple questions like “How do I make a character jump?” and amidst the plethora of results they may find dissertations on the history of jump mechanics without interactive elements, and equations of anonymous origin without context or implementation. The Virtunomicon design will allow for these questions to be answered with context: a character jumping on the screen, with information before during and dafter the interactive element. Making a learning tool in a game engine isn’t a new idea. Games have been mainstreaming as a learning platform since the dawn of personal computers; applications like Apple Logo and Lemonade Stand were crucial in the development of education programs (TeachThought, 2021).
Recent attempts at onboarding new aspiring developer/designers have been adequate for the time, with video instruction being the norm, and even light gamification being rarely implemented. The Virtunomicon will utilize runtime scripting systems, such as Roslyn C#, to allow contributors to add interactive context and relevance to the content on the platform. Articles in the Virtunomicon still give the text-with-image-or-video-embed format that learners have grown used to, but they are also game levels, and researching games finally becomes a game itself.
The Virtunomicon design needs to include a meaningful experience with a low barrier to entry if it is to address the shortcomings of learning resources in the games industry. According to Reiser and Dempsey motivation to learn is promoted when learners believe they can succeed in master of the learning task (Reiser & Dempsey, 2018). However, if you are unfamiliar with programming seeing 'simple' code like this:
amongst your results without context or implementation can be discouraging. Many new learners are sensitive to new info because most people aren’t motivated to change. According to Julie Dirksen, “change is a process, not an event,” and a process implies action over time. The Virtunomicon will allow editors, moderators, and authors to ensure articles are up to date with queues of moderation that are assisted with an automated triage system. Articles become living games that evolve with their topic and contributors. Virtunomicon users are then rewarded at every level: the learners being affirmed towards success in a platform they are familiar with, and the authors being able to validate their work with peer review. Affirmative Design, thus, must be central to the conceptualization of the project due to the power of “growth mindset” (Greene 2012). A learner who believes they can learn is able to bounce back from failure.
The segmentation of resources in the game development industry and outdated nature thereof compound the myriad challenges already present in the instructional experience. Aspiring creators venture into the craft aiming to cross a knowledge gap, bu there are other types of gaps as well, which the Virtunomicon is being designed to better address (Dirksen 2016). Communication gaps that may be present due to unfamiliarity with technology or platform is equalized in the Virtunomicon platform. By allowing the conglomeration of sources through advanced linking and greater fidelity multimedia (ie game plugins) the Virtunomicon project can engage learners in a platform that grows in depth with their understanding. According to Dirksen the difference between having a skill and having knowledge can be easily ascertained by one question: “Is it reasonable to think that someone can be proficient without practice?” If the answer is no, then the learning experience should incorporate and condone practice so that skills are being developed (Dirksen, 2016). Further, Zayapragassarazan and Mohapatra found in their 2021 Review on Effective learner engagement strategies in visual presentations that effective engagement efficiently utilizes all three domains of learning: cognitive (the knowledge), affective (the relevance) and psychomotor (the interaction). Today’s mainstream tools often utilize at least two of the domains in some fashion, but the Overlay feature of the Virtunomicon design lends it to be a “study buddy” while working on projects. This design can help equalize some of the other gaps in the learning experiences so the learner can immerse themselves in tackling their knowledge gap; their true intrinsic motivation (Reiser & Dempsey, 2016)
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The Virtunomicon Project aims to address some of the roadblocks aspiring creators are encountering in the games industry by providing a gaming platform and tools to teach gaming mechanics and production techniques.
The Virtunomicon will allow for demos of mechanics and have an overlay system that integrates resources with software
References:
Butler, T. (2014, January 20). The rise of the jump. Polygon. Retrieved June 18, 2022, from https://www.polygon.com/features/2014/1/20/5227582/the-rise-of-the-jump
Dirksen, J. (2016). Design for how people learn. New Riders.
Greene, R. (2012). Mastery. Penguin.
Journigan, G. (2022) Journey and the Origin of the Virtunomicon . Retrieved June 16, 2022 from https://express.adobe.com/page/fgpA4cKobOK5y/
Teachthought. (2021, September 20). A brief history of video games in Education. TeachThought. Retrieved June 14, 2022, from https://www.teachthought.com/technology/a-brief-history-of-video-games-in-education/
Reiser, R. A., & Dempsey, J. V. (2018). Trends and issues in Instructional Design and Technology. Pearson.
Sarah, David Gouveia, & user712092. (1960, January 1). How to make a character jump? Game Development Stack Exchange. Retrieved June 17, 2022, from https://gamedev.stackexchange.com/questions/29617/how-to-make-a-character-jump
Zayapragassarazan Z. ,& Mohapatra D. P. , Effective learner engagement strategies in visual presentations. Journal of Education Technology in Health Sciences. 2021; 8(1):2-11 Retrieved June 17, 2022 from https://doi.org/10.18231/j.jeths.2021.002
Hello!
I love the title of your post. The idea of a Virtunomicon seems similar to an encyclopedia for game development. It also reminded me of the format of Khan Academy-- a one-stop shop of all the knowledge you need for, in this case, game development. In regards to the idea of motivation and relevance to goals, I think it is important to consider that encyclopedias and Khan Academy were not created in a vacuum. The authors of such tools will alter the content or delivery of the content knowingly and unknowingly. This could lead to a disconnect between one's own goals and the intent of the author. To mitigate this, authors should be aware of how the design of…
First, let me say, “I’m learning about technology as I go.” Foundational knowledge about specific programs I used daily was all I had in my teacher toolkit until your case study on Virtunomicon, which was NEW to me.
In my opinion, this case study is essential because the gaps in game development and documentation are critical if, as a society, we can’t keep pace with advancements; how can we be front runners in technological advances. Virtunomicon is the right resource needed to fill the gap and promote awareness of current trends in game design. In addition, Reiser and Dempsey reiterate that well-designed games provide an environment in which people are more receptive to learning (p. 282) and additional guidance on…