Learning Things - Learn to Play: Designing Tutorials for Video Games - page 55

Cheat Sheet
Following is the cheat sheet of important items from the chapter; their
definitions are given as they apply to games. Feel free to snip it out.
Agency: Giving players control, or at least perceived control, over a
system. The feeling of having an effect on a game world.
Attentional Control Theory: A theory that posits that human learn-
ing occurs gradually through a combination of auditory and
visual inputs. Players use “gist” audio memory to aid them
in visual recall.
Behaviorism: A school of thought that posits that all human knowl-
edge is the result of learned behaviors. You do not touch the
stove not because it is “hot,” but because it is unpleasant. Strict
behaviorists believe all human knowledge can be illustrated
through stimuli and responses. Games and their teaching are
often very deeply rooted in behaviorism.
Bloom's Taxonomy: A system for organizing learning outcomes. In
games, this can be understood as a system for outlining how
difficult the behaviors we desire from our players ought to
be. Also provides for how learning objectives and behaviors
become more and more complex as we learn more and more
about a topic.
Clique Behavior/Club Behavior: Excluding players based on a per-
ceived skill factor. Bill has to queue for hours because he is
Level 1, but people who are Level 99 queue instantly. Usually
undesirable.
Cognitive Load Theory: A model of the human mind that functions
much like a computer. Humans have a limited amount of pro-
cessing capacity, after which they will balk and disengage.
Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning: A similar but distinct
theory to ACTML, Mayer's theory posits that learning is an
active process in which the user must be wholly absorbed.
Heavily modularized in the form of “principles.”
Conditioned Reflex: Associating one thing with another through
repeated use. he one- up sound makes us think of an extra
life, and is easily used as a reinforcer. Think clicker training
with dogs.