Analysis of Role-Playing Games and ELLs

A look at RPGs, their engaging nature in the classroom, and connections to language learning for ELLs

General information: Mission U.S.

Mission U.S. is a historical role playing game produced by WNET THIRTEEN (New York Public Media) supported by CPB and and the National Endowment for the Humanities.  The game is designed so that the player gets to be a young man (For Crown or Colony?) or young woman (Flight to Freedom) experiencing very realistic, historically based events and the choices these young people would likely have encountered in their lives at these turning points in history.

Choices presented to player at the end of
the prologue, before beginning Part 1.

In each game, the player has to decide what actions and choices they should make, and in what order.  The order makes a difference to the next event or conversation in the game, as does what choices they player makes when interacting with the NPCs (non-player characters). 

My first choices upon interacting with "momma" and "Henry"
after overhearing their conversation.

The player interacts with the world seamlessly through use of the mouse. Any object or NPC that is available to interact with is outlined in yellow when the mouse hovers over it.  Clicking on characters, objects, and areas of the world around them provide more and more information to help players form a schema of the historical setting to help them with decision making.

One of my tasks is to talk to my brother, Jonah.
When I hover my mouse over him, he is outlined in yellow.

Choices made during game-play resulted in earning different badges, which can be used during the story (at a crucial moment of conflict and decision) at the end of the story to “finish” the life-story of the character.  I thought it was fitting to show that the choices you make and the people who you allow to influence you early in life give you skills, experience, and wisdom/insight that you can use to build upon in the years to come. 

Analysis based on Flow Theory
For this analysis and discussion below, I chose to play Mission 2: Flight to Freedom.  Examples discussed in relation to Mike Csikszentmihalyi's Flow Theory are based off of game-play from the scenario of a young slave girl of 14 who is forced to flee her plantation in Kentucky to gain her freedom, and the choices she makes about slavery, her family, and life.

o   Task that the learners can complete: Does the game provide small sections that lead to the completion of the entire task?

In Mission U.S., Mission 2: Flight to Freedom, there were several missions and tasks within each of the five parts of the game; each part took approximately 20 minutes to complete, but would likely take younger students more time. 

Each task completed during game-play led to more information about the character’s life, family, and situation, giving the player more information to make choices within the game to earn different badges.  The game world was also very easy to explore, engaging learners who enjoy exploring to learn.  In adopting this learning style myself, it did not take long to discover how to accomplish tasks.

o   Ability to concentrate on task: Does the game world draw learners?
The characters are very well-designed and sympathetic – you want to know what will happen to them very quickly.  There is a prologue and an epilogue to each game.  The prologue provides some background for the character and their story before engaging directly in their world.

The world itself is rich, colorful, and full of life and noise.  While there is not a lot of actual movement when the player is attempting to navigate the world and complete tasks, the world itself if full of detail that draws the eyes and attention inward.

o   Task has clear goals: Does the game have components such as survival, collection of points, gathering of objects and artifacts, solving in puzzles?
Each task assigned for each part of the story was clearly stated by an NPC.  These tasks were listed at the top of the screen for me to refer to as needed, as you can see from screen shots above and below.  Tasks yet to complete were greyed out; tasks completed became colorful.  I could often choose the order to complete the tasks, giving more variation to game-play.

Tasks varied widely, from collecting items or information to searching for people, completing work, and making choices during interactions that would focus on one goal or another for the character or game-play.

o Task provides immediate feedback: Does the game respond to learners’ choice or movement?
Each choice made during game-play immediately results in feedback, either in the form of a comment made by the NPCs or in an event that comes next.  For example, I chose to hide some eggs from the chicken coop, which resulted in earning a badge, but also meant the supervisor “caught” what I did and gave me extra work as punishment.  Later in the game, during a conversation with a slave hunter, I had the choice to engage him or run.  Both had immediate reactions and consequences.

Choices presented prior to completing one of my chores.

The badge I earned for hiding eggs.

o   Deep but effortless involvement: Does the game create worlds that are far removed from what we know to be real?

      Because the game is easy to interact with and the graphics are so colorful, bright, and historically accurate, it was easy to begin to think of the choices presented to me as ones which had real consequences this young girl would have to live with.  You very much do not want her to get captured and sold back into slavery. 

It is true that this game is based on historical reality, not a fantasy scenario.  I feel that this is not a weakness, however, but a strength.  Making history come alive for students and give them an opportunity to interact within this long-past time and reality can help develop high-level thinking skills for students in the content of history.  They don’t just get to interact with history in a way where they are outside it, like at some historic sites with re-enactors, but they get to BE a part of the story, making choices and seeing consequences for their actions and decisions. 

The fact that this mission is centered around slavery will make it difficult for some students to be empathetic to choices that seemed to, though not supporting slavery, turned the other way to it.  However, it is well-known that many slaves survived by “keeping your head down”; these options available to the character might need to be discussed with students to help them build empathy for the very harsh and real situation many experienced and lived with for their entire lives. 

o   Exercising a sense of control over their actions: Does the game allow learners determine paths?
The choices given to you during interactions and tasks were nicely varied and realistic.  I noticed that there were almost “themes” among the choices available for players to choose from.  I could have my character be bold, brave, and confrontational (by choosing sabotage on the plantation, to learn to shoot a gun instead of study, etc) or choose paths that focused on family, others, or learning along the way.  As mentioned before, these choices earn badges that affect what choices can be made later during game-play and at the conclusion of play.

o   Concern for self disappears during flow: Does the game provide an environment that is a simulation of life and death? Does the game allow decision or activity that might dangerous “only” in the game world?
The scenario and background information presented during the Prologue and early in the game made you feel very connected to the character you were playing.  You wanted to see her succeed and become free, and I often felt challenged and unsure of what choices were the right ones to help me achieve this goal.  The game is designed to be challenging and make players feel uncertain about their ability to become and then stay free.

Again, with the topic of Mission 2 being slavery, which is such an emotional and moral topic, it was sometimes hard for me to consider what I would do if I was really a slave.  I know what I would do as a free white woman, but those choices were not always the best for the character in the story.  I found it hard, but necessary, to change my thinking. 

o   Sense of duration of time is altered: Does the game allow learners play year-long tasks in hours or minutes? Does it make learners lose track of time? Does it make learners’ perception of time distorted?
The story moves quickly, with most parts taking only a day or two of  “time”, depending on the choices made by the player.  Time mostly passes between parts, as is evidenced by announcements of the time, date, or other information given in a narrative at the beginning and end of each part.

Analysis with ELLs

I chose this game from the list available this week because I thought it might be the most applicable for the ELLs I currently work with at the elementary level.  US History is typically taught in 5^th grade, and, while this is the lower end of the grade/age range recommended by the developers, I felt it might still be applicable for these students.  While the level of language is fairly complex, making the game more challenging for lower level ELP students, they game is well-designed, interactive, interesting, and gives players multiple choices to investigate the historical world and to explore and develop their opinions of the historical events.

Cornillie et al. (2011) write a wonderful research article about the challenges and benefits of RPGs and ELLs.  They write that the language in RPGs are very demanding on language and literacy skills (RPGs “undeniably contain themost language of all game genres” p.132) and often are only accessible to more proficient students of English.  They argue, over the course of the paper, that language needs to explicitly be a part of the instructional and methodological frameworks of educational games for ELLs to be able to access the benefits of RPGs in an educational context (Cornillie et al., 2011).  Suggestions made in the paper to support and facilitate vocabulary acquisition during adventure and RPG games include: providing context and use for new words, highlighting new and important words in transcripts of interactions, and defining the words for players on the screen in a designated area. 

One element of this game that showed a strong connection to the ideas presented by Cornillie et al was the “literacy badge”.  When players interact with NPCs, ask questions, and learn more about the situation/scenario, important vocabulary words specific to the content and context of this historical scenario appear in yellow.  The character (and player) can learn new vocabulary words (usually related to slavery and abolition) by clicking on them and reading the definitions.  Searching for and clicking on these new vocabulary words helps her to learn to read better, and earn literacy badges at the end of each part. 

My first Smartword found.

Explanation of Smartwords student sees. 

There was an option to check these “smartwords” at the bottom of the screen.  Clicking that box brings up a menu of smartwords seen by the player, who can click on them to see the definitons again.
  

Your Smartwords collected during game play can
be accessed at the bottom of the screen at any time. 

Language presented during interactions was also in short, precise amounts and was typically no more than two sentences long.  For the conversation to continue, the reader had to either select a response or click “More” to hear the next piece from the NPC.  This allows “opportunities for noticing” language that might be new, unusual, or be used in these new contexts for ELLs (Cornillie et al, 2011, p.136).  However, there was no way that I saw to have the NPCs repeat their sentences.  Adding that option would allow all students to hear these new, content-specific vocabulary words again in context before moving on with the game.  There was also no place or way for the player to use the words; “producing [language] in meaningful contexts” is important for new language and vocabulary to become a part of the language structure and schema of the ELL student (Cornillie et al., 2011, p.136).  

Creation of student-generated dictionaries made during game-play to collect and write definitions of smart words would be a useful tool for students to have on hand to refer to during continued game-play over several days or sessions, as well as an excellent resource to use to enhance ELL language and participation in class activities, discussions, and student writing about the game.

I cannot conclude this post without mentioning one last thing about integrating game-play with classroom use.  The choices offered to the player during conversations are very thought provoking.  A teacher could easily have students complete one “mission” (part) of the game at a time, then share and discuss their game-play, choices, and results from their choices with peers.  Reflective writing assignments could help students construct and infer what life was like for individuals and the challenges within the conflicts they experienced.  Resources for each mission are available for teachers when using this RPG in their classrooms.  

Reference:

Cornillie, F., Jacques, I., De Wannemacker, S., Paulussen, H., and Desmet, P. (2011). Vocabulary treatment in adventure and role-playing games: A playground for adaptation and adaptivity. Retrieved July 18, 2013 from: http://www.academia.edu/2487222/Vocabulary_Treatment_in_Adventure_and_Role-Playing_Games_A_Playground_for_Adaptation_and_Adaptivity