Alternate Reality Games for Orientation, Socialisation and Induction

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Alternate Reality Games forOrientation,
Socialisationand Induction

• Names

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By the end of the session participants will

• Have experienced an ARG first hand
• Recognise the components that make up the game
• Be aware of the ARGOSI design framework and
  customizable artefacts
• Have developed challenges for their own learning
  outcomes 

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Overview

• times Introduction
• times Playing the game
• times The ARGOSI framework
• times Developing challenges
• times Conclusion

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What are ARGs?

• Emerging game form - 2001
• Viral marketing tool
• Real world and online - variety of media
• Narrative unfolds over time
• Built by the players - user-created artifacts
• Collaborative challenges
• This is not a game
• Typically niche but with high engagement

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Why ARGs for education?

• Its a gaming environment
• Provides challenge, context and purpose
• Creates engagement and mystery
• Theyre collaborative
• They support active learning
• Problem-based, experiential, authentic
• Theyre lo-fidelity
• Encourages use of range of technologies
• Less development effort to produce and extend
• They use actual reality
• Enables orientation in the real-world
• Uses the best of each medium
• Links to community and other organisations

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The ARGOSI project

• ARG to support student induction one year JISC
  funded project
• Integrated gaming environment
• Meet InfoSkills learning outcomes
• Create social networks
• Improve student orientation confidence
• Engage in, and enjoy induction
• Induction
• Lack of context
• Information overload
• Pub focussed
• Little orientation to the city

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ARGOSI structure
Narrative
Challenges
Community
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Narrative structure

• Overarching storyline
• Regular plot points when challenges released
• Customisable sub-plots
• Related to learning outcome sets

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Challenges

• Online and offline
• Individual and group
• Different levels of difficulty
• Linked to InfoSkills learning outcomes
• Use Library catalogue to find specific items
  call number challenge
• Identify SSOs door stickers
• Use online reading lists hidden book
• Range of ways to provide evidence

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Community

• Socialisation
• Online and offline
• Shared goal
• Forum collaboration

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