In developing serious video games, it is important to refer to current and commonly used concepts of message design. Conventions of design provide constructs with which to engage with a target audience. When constructing messages for games, like other platforms, it is necessary to answer several questions, conforming to “Who, What, Why, and How?”
Who? Who is your target audience?
What? What is your target objective?
Why? Why should the audience care and what evidence supports this?
How? How will you accomplish the target objective and measure the accomplishment?
By putting these questions together, one arrives at a process for planning, implementing, and evaluating objectives within a game construct or other more conventional platform. These steps can be broken down into three main parts: Formative research, Presentation of Objective (the core message element), and Evaluation of Effectiveness (Atkin, 1994).
Formative Research: Who? What? Why?
Formative research is the planning stage of the project. It is important in the stage to define a narrow target objective for a specific target audience (Atkin, 1994). An objective should be measurable and achievable, just like any goal. In order to ensure that it meets both these requirements, careful formative research must be completed. Two planning models include such a process within the model. Social Marketing includes a planning and strategy phase as well as a transitional phase for “developing and pretesting concepts, messages, and materials” (NIH). PRECEDE-PROCEDE includes five different formative assessments in their structure, Social, Epidemiological, Behavioral/Environmental, Educational/Ecological, and Administration/Policy (NIH).
By completing a comprehensive formative assessment, including surveys, questionnaires, and other information gathering techniques, a development team can isolate a specific audience most likely to be effected by the potential game product, as well as choose appropriate representation, style, incentives, and theoretical models that appeal to that audience (Atkin, 1994).
Presentation of Target Objective: How to Implement?
In this phase it is time to implement the message. This phase likely includes prototypes, playtesting, and iteration. At this point, a team has developed mechanics relating to elements of an appropriate theoretical model that is helping the team to create effective mechanics that will achieve the target objective. In Social Marketing, this phase is “Implementation.” For PRECEDE-PROCEDE this is a two step piece, including implementation and process evaluation. At the end of this phase, ideally, one has arrive at a product ready for evaluation (NIH).
Evaluation of Effectiveness: How to Measure?
Now it is time to evaluate whether the product effectively achieves the target objective. This is perhaps the most important step, as it validates the game or media product delivering the message. In Social Marketing, this phase simply “assess effectiveness.” Again, in PRECEDE-PROCEDE there are two evaluations: one for impact and one for outcomes (NIH).
How to use this
By delineating three steps two creating a game with a serious objective, one can use the steps to plan each before acting. By taking the time to plan formative research, presentation (and delivery) of the target objective, and the evaluation of effectiveness, one is ready to create a credible product. This is appealing in the way that a business plan is appealing to investors. Because one has prepared the scope of the project, others may be more willing to come on board. It also provides a road map to stay on time, on budget, and on target.
Example in Education
This process can be applied simply to unit planning in education, and has been for many years. This is a basic outline for a unit I designed and completed with my eight grade students.
Who?
Students in both 8th grade classes are heterogeneous groupings with Basic, Proficient, and Goal students. The 8G class contains a higher percentage of goal performing students, with almost 50% starting the year at Goal. Approximately 20% were Proficient and 30% Basic. This class also contains two special education students. Approximately 50% of the class is African-American, 40% Latino, and 10% Caucasian. Several students are bilingual. 8W maintains 20% Goal, 40% Proficient, and 40% Basic. This class contains one ELL student and four special education students. Approximately 70% of the class is African-American, 15% Latino, and 15% Caucasian. Several students are bilingual.
What?
(Please note this was a capstone unit, so the objective is much bigger than most plans should be) SWBAT create a lingering connection between the four district defined "Power Strands" that enable students to apply the structure of the strands to think and respond critically to any fictional text. The secondary objective is that students will be able to understand that a text does not exist in a vacuum and connects to the events and people of its time. Note that the D Strand activities cannot be completed effectively without a solid foundation in A, B, and C strands because of the level on Bloom's Taxonomy (Synthesize and Analyze) where they occur.
This is part of the “Big Goal” for the academic year: Students will increase tests scores by 20% points in the annual district post assessment.
Why?
Students must meet requirements of the Connecticut Mastery Test standards in order to be considered proficient by the New Haven Public School District. Their competence on this test directly effects the high schools that they are eligible to apply to and their course work in high school.
How?
In order to best accomplish this, students will use "Layered Curriculum" based on the Power Strands and Bloom's Taxonomy. The choice and independence offered by this unit style will maintain student investment during the last month of school. With this investment and structure, my students will reinforce weak objectives and strengthen solid skills, thereby achieving the Big Goal.
This project requires a high level of student independence. New strategies and activities to demonstrate mastery of objectives will be taught in a daily "station" format. Student wishing to complete those activities come to the station for instructions, support, and guidance beyond standard teacher circulation through the classroom.
How?
Students will be assessed by the District Post Assessment, by rubric, and by completion of the reflective letter. The level of completion (Novice, Proficient, Expert, Master) also assesses student success with unit and course content.
Conclusions
This provides a complete and measurable plan for a capstone unit for specific groups of eighth graders. Preplanning is essential to creating a highly effective and measurable objective and delivery system.
Works Cited
Atkin, C.K. (1994). Designing persuasive health messages. In L.Seacrest, T.E. Backer, E.M. Rodgers, T.F. Campbell, & M.L. Grady (Eds.), Effective Dessemination of Clinical and Health Information. Rockville, MD: U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services. (AHCPR Pub. No. 95- 0015).
National Institutes of Health (2005). Theory at a glance: A guide for health promotion and practice. Retrieved August 15, 2010 from http://www.cancer.gov/PDF/481f5d5363df-41bc- bfaf5aa48ee1da4d/TAAG3.pdf
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