Introduction to E-Learning and the Three Cs of 3D Games - Creating E-Learning Games with Unity - page 2

and consolidates different types of information in different regions of the
brain, based on their relevance. By tying in a strong cinematic experience to
the delivery of learning outcomes, you can recruit these systems in the user's
brain to learn and retain the material you want to deliver.
• But how do we make our games immersive? From the body of know-
ledge in movie, TV, and consumer game development, there are
many design features we could borrow. However, to pick two import-
ant ones, we know that good character development and camera
work are large contributors to the immersion level of a story.
• Character development occurs when the view or opinion of the main
character changes in the eye of the player. This happens naturally
in a story when the main character participates in a journey that
changes or evolves his or her world view, stature, or status. This evol-
ution almost always happens as a result of a problem that occurs in
the story. We will borrow from this principle as we plan the obstacles
for our player to overcome.
• Cinematic camera work helps encourage immersion because the
more interesting and dramatic the view of the world that the player
experiences, the more actively does the player engage with the story,
and hence the learning outcomes by association.
• Along with cinematic camera work, we must be sure to balance the
playability of the game. Ironically, it is often the case that the more
playable the game camera is, the less cinematic it is!
• Spatial learning : It is worth giving spatial learning a special mention despite
its close association to immersion as a modality of learning. It is known that
a specific area of the brain stores the mental map of where things are in your
surroundings. Games that have a spatial navigation component to them nat-
urally will recruit this part of the brain to facilitate learning.
• Active learning : Instruction is passive and learning is active! Playing games
that require levels of thought beyond passive observation are naturally more
conducive to learning and retention. By using games that have challenges
and puzzles, we force the player to participate in higher order thinking while
manipulating the subject matter of the learning outcomes.
• Reinforcement and conditioning : Psychologists and learning professionals
know that, for a given scenario, positive reinforcement of good behavior in-
creases the likelihood of eliciting the same good behavior the next time that
scenario presents itself. Traditional game designers know this lesson very