Post on 06-Aug-2015
Gathering the Voices, andreplaying them in serious games
David MoffatGlasgow Caledonian University1
EVA-MinervaJerusalem, IsraelNovember 2014.
1dm.emogames@gmail.com
Outline
Gathering the Voices project
1st serious game — Arrival
Why serious games?
2nd serious game – Marion’s Journey
Further work
Gathering the Voices project
This project has gathered oral testimony from refugeeswomen who sought sanctuary in Scotland to escape theracism of Nazi-dominated Europe.
Project led by six volunteers, from the Jewish community in Glasgow,and :-
I funded by Heritage Lottery Fund, and other funders
I aided by many other volunteers
I and professionals offering low rates
I faculty and students at Glasgow Caledonian University,particularly our School of Engineering
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GtV project outcomes
GtV project aims :-
I to collect stories of Holocaust survivors in Scotland
I to record their audio interviews
I to digitise their documents (e.g. citizen’s papers, photos)
I to preserve, and make this available via www
I to show contributions they have made to society
—Dissemination is via the website
I http://www.gatheringthevoices.com/
I and a mobile exhibition
I to be used in schools and museums
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GtV mobile exhibition
This can travel to schools in the area. It includes a TV display that canshow videos of the game, continuously.
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1st serious game — Arrival
We held a Game Jam funded by the German Consulate, who alsofunded the development of the winning game.This game Arrival shows the experience of a refugee arriving inGlasgow during the war.—Your character has goals to post a letter, meet his sister, buy somelunch, and so on. . . but all without being able to speak English.—The progress is illustrated with original photos of Glasgow in theperiod.—Game runs on iPhone and iPad.
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Why serious games?
The key to serious games is intrinsic motivation, and interest.Following self-determination theory, we seek to provide :-
autonomy so the player feels in control
challenge leading to a sense of increasing mastery
social interest which may come in through a story
We build these into a story-game structure that could go with manyother digially captured stories:-
I Main story-game giving facts in context
I asking player to make key decisions
I mini-games to exercise parts of the story
I and provide replay value to extend life of the game
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Further work
Both games are soon to be finished.—Then we shall try them in schools, setting them into a learning / lessoncontext (history, or religious education, or citizenship classes).—Will the game prove to be fun to play, and support learning effectively?Will it deepen understanding of social issues, and human sympathy?—Is this the way to enliven other kinds of “museum material”?
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