Games in Training, Education & Health

I wanted to attach my presentation on games and health before I forgot.

I’m very interested in James Gee’s What Video Games have to teach us about learning and literacy approach to games for education as a justification for their efficacy. However, as we discussed in class the early adopters in educational (and health) domains are generally resistant to the endogenous potential of games. The fields are obviously using the underlining technologies, but to suit their own agendas (theories of gameplay are still emerging). It is a natural start and I don’t blame them but I am now feeling my earlier research interests in mental health need fine tuning. This semester I’ve shelved the ideas and will focus on solid collaborations as a starting point.

I have already commented on Aylett, Vala, Sequeira, Paiva. FearNot!–An Emergent Narrative Approach to Virtual Dramas for Anti-bullying Education in last semesters directed readings course and I am pasting them here:

There are certain aspects of FearNot! that could have benefited from the works discussed primarily in visual resentation. Due to the fact that the system was built on top of a totally scripted story, much of the content reuse as not well suited to this emergent approach and had a negative immersive effect. Some items had to be removed entirely like all dialogue, and animated camera presets. This project also highlights the need for a [procedural] believable character approach in animation and gesture which is an ongoing field of research. The logical next step for a system such as FearNot! would be to create the emergent narrative using one of the current approaches – however the cost of implementation, and ease of authorship for outside users will be more of a concern. On a side note, there are many educational spin off projects incorporating the uses of this technology in an augmented/tangible domain such as performances as this is perhaps better suited to a child’s mode of learning through play.

Lastly Regarding Swartout, W. et al. Toward the Holodeck: Integrating Graphics, Sound, Character, and Story, no new comments other than the class discussion. Well just one, While I was at ICT this was definitely their show piece and in retrospect I think you do need to make broad and integrated projects to portray a vision… which reminds me of the OZ project. For demonstration purposes the project was presented well to audiences yet in all practicality, there were some serious perceptual holes. Now ICT seems to be emphasising virtual humans which I am glad to hear.