1 CIG 09 Milan, Sept 2009 A Task Annotation Model for SandBox Serious Games F. Bellotti, R. Berta, A. De Gloria, L. Primavera ELIOS Lab DIBE – University of Genoa Elios Lab - UniGe
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1CIG 09
Milan, Sept 2009
Click to edit Master title style
A Task Annotation Model for SandBox Serious Games
F. Bellotti, R. Berta, A. De Gloria, L. Primavera
ELIOS Lab DIBE – University of Genoa
Elios Lab - UniGe
2CIG 09
Milan, Sept 2009
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SummaryA specialization of computer gamesInfuse instruction into the game play experience
Huge potentiala growing slice of population is familiar with playing gamesRealistic and compelling challenges, capturing user concentration span
for long timessuited to engage the learner and encourage active construction of
meaning and development of skills
Methodologies/tools now needed to support pedagogical authors in developing effective learning experiences
Serious Games
3CIG 09
Milan, Sept 2009
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Elios and partnerImportance of helping students develop well-connected knowledge structures representing relationships among facts and concepts
When the knowledge structure for a topic is well-connected, new information is more readily acquired, since the cognitive load is low
The Sand Box Serious Games (SBSGs) SG class
Successful pure entertainment gamesGrand Theft Auto, Oblivion
Cognitive Processing
4CIG 09
Milan, Sept 2009
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A concrete spatial organization where knowledge is distributed
The VW to be explored
Tasks, spread and contextualized in the VWTasks embody units of knowledge that can be discovered and accessed by the player in order to construct meaning, build lasting memories, deepen understanding
Task Based Learning (TBL) theoryConcrete, focused activities to construct knowledge and develop
skills Characterizing tasks:
– An ability to engage the learner’s interest; a primary focus on meaning; a need to be completed; an outcome in terms of which the success is judged; a clear relationship with real-world activities
5CIG 09
Milan, Sept 2009
Click to edit Master title styleInserting tasks in SBSGs
Content
Delivery StrategyWhen, where and how they become are assigned to the player
A key aspect to support effective knowledge buildingUsually tackled through author-scripted levels and missions
– Costly and difficult to scale
6CIG 09
Milan, Sept 2009
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Hp: huge availability of simple contents (tasks)Elementary online visual authoring toolsAlso User Generated Contents (UGC) trend.
Simple task models:Minigames, quizzes, visiting a limited VW zone, interactions with
3d objects or CVHs
Tasks are semantically annotated by the authorEmployable in various VW environmentsA city, an industrial plant, an island
7CIG 09
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Click to edit Master title styleDecoupling contents from their delivery strategy
Domain experts focus on defining the tasks’ content and annotation
e.g. topics, difficulty, geo-ref. position, learning style, etc.
Game authors specify the requirements for a runtime task delivery strategy according to their educational and entertainment objectives
Strategy learned by a specific CI module embedded in a Game Engine (GE)
This Experience Engine (EE) performs the gameplay task sequencingdrive the player’s exploration of the environment by dynamically
assigning tasks tailored on his actual profile
8CIG 09
Milan, Sept 2009
Click to edit Master title styleWorkflow and high-level System Architecture
9CIG 09
Milan, Sept 2009
Click to edit Master title styleConcept (I)
No need for a detailed story specification
A high-level challenge spurring competition through exploration
E.g. various types of treasure hunts
The story emerges from player-environment, player-task, player-player interactions in a meaningful (3d) context
A shift of focus is needed, in content production, from narrative to actual edu contents (the tasks)
Enlarge the basis of authors and provide users with high quality, content-rich multimedia educational experiences.
10CIG 09
Milan, Sept 2009
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Not better than a strong interactive narrative architecture
They are complementary approaches
But it is a new model that uses AI to deal with a database of semantically annotated tasks and with various types of user features/needs and teacher perspectives/requirements
VW independent
11CIG 09
Milan, Sept 2009
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SBSG as an exploration field where the player is given missions
Missions consists of tasks embedded in the VW
12CIG 09
Milan, Sept 2009
Click to edit Master title styleThe model (II)
The requirements for the decision policy are parameters of the model
Values to be specified by the game author
The runtime system will learn the decision policy
Choice of the tasks according to their fitness to the author strategy with regard to the player
13CIG 09
Milan, Sept 2009
Click to edit Master title styleAnnotating the tasks
Proposed parametersType (quiz, arcade, dialogue, exploration)
Entertainment value
Quality value
Skill relevance
Skill benefits
Difficulty
Covered learning styles
Dependences
Place
14CIG 09
Milan, Sept 2009
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T1: Wind-Rose Puzzle
T2: Nodes Quiz Easy
T3: Weak-Wind Test
T4: Strong-Wind Test
Task Type Puzzle 100%
Quiz 80% VisualQuiz 20%
Arcade 80% Quiz 20%
Arcade 100%
Entertainm. 5 7 7 10 Skill Relevance
Boats 50% Winds 50%
Boats 100%
Boats 70% Winds 30%
Boats 80% Winds 20%
Covered Learning Styles
Visual 100%
Textual 80% Visual 20%
Simulation 80% Text 20%
Simulation 100%
Difficulty 5 4.45 8 8.5 Difficulty Adapt. Range
± 1 ± 3 ± 2 ± 2
15CIG 09
Milan, Sept 2009
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Skill Level
Navigation Ability Level
Task Type Need/Preference
Skill Need/Preference
Learning Style Need/Preference
Visual, auditory, reading and kinesthetic learning modalities
16CIG 09
Milan, Sept 2009
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Definition of a Cost Function for a Mission
To be minimized by the runtime system
Cost = deviation from the reference values specified by the game author
17CIG 09
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Click to edit Master title styleReference Difficulty Curve
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Navigation Difficulty Curve
Inter-task dependences
CNoDep penalizes the absence of dependences from previous tasks (Nda 0 or 1)
CFailedDep penalizes the absence, in the previous tasks of the sequence, of a task on which the ath task depends (Fda 0 or 1)
CIs
19CIG 09
Milan, Sept 2009
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Task Type
Learning Style
Covered Skills
20CIG 09
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Click to edit Master title styleCIs
Entertainment and quality thresholds
Trend for entertainment and quality
Performance curve
21CIG 09
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The benefit for the player must be above a threshold
Repetition
22CIG 09
Milan, Sept 2009
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EE built atop of the Torque Game EngineGenetic Algorithm implementationThe EE can operate also in absence of the specification of the delivery strategy
Continuous adaptation of the game flow without aiming at the achievement of target knowledge levels predefined by the authorReinforcement Learning implementation
23CIG 09
Milan, Sept 2009
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The TiE platform is designed to promote the knowledge of the European cultural heritage to a wide audience using the paradigm of multiplayer SGsA cultural treasure hunt across Europe
Visit a certain number of cities (objective), and in each town the player has one or more missions to accomplish.
24CIG 09
Milan, Sept 2009
Click to edit Master title styleSample Application: Travel in Europe
Mission are characterized by a number of questionsThe player’s explores the urban environments in search of the places indicated in the missionAt each target PoI, the player looks for 3D iconsEach icon triggers a task session through which the user can virtually manipulate pieces of the artistic heritage and face quizzes related to the PoI
25CIG 09
Milan, Sept 2009
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The structure and high-level plot is quite simple and schematic
But it is a scalable and flexible formatCost-effective development (3rd parties & UGC)
Little overhead on the player, who can focus his attention on the contents
Easy to understand overall structure
Minigames instances of templates
3D settings, game mechanics and interaction modalities necessarily high quality
26CIG 09
Milan, Sept 2009
Click to edit Master title styleConclusions (I)
Methodologies to support effective authoring of SGs
Abstract modelVW , tasks
Support authors to focus on defining the tasks
No game scriptinghard-coding events, actions, locations and contents of
a specific game.
27CIG 09
Milan, Sept 2009
Click to edit Master title styleConclusions (II)
Task annotation allows reusing tasks also in different games
UGC: involvement of user communities
A new authoring modelExploit repositories of tasksBuild educational games specifying a VW and the task
delivery strategy criteria for the missions– Learnt at runtime by a CI engine.
New perspectives to pedagogical experts and game designers to provide players with adaptive contents
28CIG 09
Milan, Sept 2009
Click to edit Master title styleUpcoming work
Extensive user testing is now neededAssess and analyze the support for effective learning in a real entertainment context
Open issuesAn extensive validation of the user and task models and of the delivery strategy cost function
The speed of the runtime user adaptation process
However, it is important that the developed games are able to attract users, similarly to commercial videogames, even if they deal with educational topics
29CIG 09
Milan, Sept 2009
Click to edit Master title styleThank you!
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