Introduction to E-Learning and the Three Cs of 3D Games - Creating E-Learning Games with Unity - page 1

Chapter 1. Introduction to E-Learning
and the Three Cs of 3D Games
In this chapter, we will start developing a 3D e-learning game. To illustrate the concept
of e-learning in games, our game will teach players American state flags and trivia
over the course of three levels. After beginning with a definition of e-learning games
and how they relate to "traditional" video games, we will carry on with implementing
the core systems that control the main character of the game and define its abilities
and ways to control the camera that follows the player in our 3D world.
In this chapter, we will cover the following topics:
• Understanding e-learning
• Introducing our game—Geography Quest
• Comprehending the three Cs
• Creating our first scene
• Developing the character system
• Building character representation
• Developing code for the camera
• Developing code for the player controls
Understanding e-learning
Broadly speaking, e-learning is the use of digital technology to facilitate learning. This
could include Internet servers and web browsers to deliver course material online in
an asynchronous way. It could include the use of embedded videos in an application
that a user can review at his or her leisure in bite-sized chunks. For our purposes in
this topic, we will focus on the gamification of learning and the use of multimedia and
game software to deliver our specific learning outcomes.
The reasons that gamification works in e-learning are varied and are supported by
both traditional pedagogy and neurobiology. We list, in no particular order, some of
the most compelling reasons as follows:
• Immersion : Games that are immersive to the player naturally activate more
meaningful learning pathways in the brain. This is because the brain stores