Systemic Model-based Educative Simulations and Sim-Games Design ©By Gary Boyd, Hongxin Yan, Ying Li , Yang Liu, CONCORDIA university, Montreal. For CNIE 2008 Banff <boydg@alcor.concordia.ca>

The WHY conversation Motivation to learn depends on expectation of success and perceived value of expected outcomes (Fishbein) Working with well engineered learning objects raises expectation of success Role Play conversations, simulations and games have affective & social pay-offs as well as learned knowledge & skills payoffs

Motivation to learn depends on expectation of success and perceived value of expected outcomes (Fishbein)

Working with well engineered learning objects raises expectation of success

Role Play conversations, simulations and games have affective & social pay-offs as well as learned knowledge & skills payoffs

Models vs. Simulations vs. Games MODELS are representations of real-world relationships and transformations, which may or may not be executable as - SIMULATIONS which may be either scientechnical, or Role-Playing, the latter often turn into GAMES which must have accepted rules and goals, and scores to be achieved, however, there may well be, only positive-sum competition for educative purposes.

MODELS are representations of real-world relationships and transformations, which may or may not be executable as -

SIMULATIONS which may be either scientechnical, or Role-Playing, the latter often turn into

GAMES which must have accepted rules and goals, and scores to be achieved, however, there may well be, only positive-sum competition for educative purposes.

The3 Key METAPHORS - yielding MODELS are: Theatre / Machine/ Game If Theatre - Write Scenarios If Machine – make cybernetic diagrams & equations If Game -Make Pay-offs Tables & Notes –and game tree.

If Theatre

- Write Scenarios

If Machine

– make cybernetic diagrams & equations

If Game

-Make Pay-offs Tables & Notes –and game tree.

Moral & Ethical Design With the Theatre Metaphor e.g.:- In your scenarios, are you modeling the treatment of persons as: Ends-in- themselves, or rather are you modeling the treatment of them just as means to someone else’s ends? (apologies to Immanuel Kant)

With the Theatre Metaphor e.g.:-

In your scenarios, are you modeling the treatment of persons as:

Ends-in- themselves, or rather are you modeling the treatment of them just as means to someone else’s ends?

(apologies to Immanuel Kant)

Machine e.g. Induction Motor & fan System

THE AESTHETIC DIMENSIONS To attract and make memorable with positive affect,Your simulations should exhibit :- Human identification (  S ur Prize FORMAL ORDER POWER –Symmetries, few elements many FORMS Rhythmic MOTION

To attract and make memorable with positive affect,Your simulations should exhibit :-

Human identification ( 

S ur Prize

FORMAL ORDER POWER –Symmetries, few elements many FORMS

Rhythmic MOTION

GAME – Pay-off table and Rules

Exemplary TOOLS STORY-BOARD tools – e.g. StoryBoard Quick 2D & 3D Graphics tools – e.g. Bryce Macromedia tools –e.g. Authorware Professional ANIMATION Tools – e.g. Maya VIRTUAL REALITY TOOLS – e.g. SL-tools GRAPHIC RELATIONSHIPS Tools – e.g. Inspiration, C-Maps, Context+ = J-Maps. Dynamic System Modeling & simulation Tools – Stella, Dynamo, Mathcad, Maple etc.

STORY-BOARD tools – e.g. StoryBoard Quick

2D & 3D Graphics tools – e.g. Bryce

Macromedia tools –e.g. Authorware Professional

ANIMATION Tools – e.g. Maya

VIRTUAL REALITY TOOLS – e.g. SL-tools

GRAPHIC RELATIONSHIPS Tools – e.g. Inspiration, C-Maps, Context+ = J-Maps.

Dynamic System Modeling & simulation Tools – Stella, Dynamo, Mathcad, Maple etc.

TWO EXAMPLES Pim Sim induction motor simulation by Rob Gordon and Paul Chomsky –then EdTEch Concordia students, now: www.Article19.com Pre-life In Montreal by ZEG = Ying Li, Hongxin Yan, Yang Liu. Current Concordia Ed-Tech MA students

Pim Sim induction motor simulation by Rob Gordon and Paul Chomsky –then EdTEch Concordia students, now:

www.Article19.com

Pre-life In Montreal by ZEG = Ying Li, Hongxin Yan, Yang Liu.

Current Concordia Ed-Tech MA students

Metaphor Used Pre-life: A created “déjà vu”

Pre-life: A created “déjà vu”

Educative Purpose Integration into society Survival Cultural and legal knowledge Language & communication skills

Narrative Setup Climax Resolutions Initial conflict Storylines Dialogues Instructions/cover story Within-game clues/hints Common storyline Development

Storylines

Dialogues

Instructions/cover story

Within-game clues/hints

Theatre –Scenario Ms. Chang is a graduate student who has just arrived in Montreal, and has rented an apartment, she encounters trouble with equipment on a Sunday and tries to get the janitor to help, but because of her awkward phraseology she offends him. Ah but there is hope if she is helped & learns customary expectations and phraseology

Ms. Chang is a graduate student who has just arrived in Montreal, and has rented an apartment, she encounters trouble with equipment on a Sunday and tries to get the janitor to help, but because of her awkward phraseology she offends him.

Ah but there is hope if she is helped & learns customary expectations and phraseology

QUESTIONS ? For more information [email_address]

For more information

[email_address]