Branching Storyline Scenarios in Online Learning Environments: An Action Research Work-in-Progress Case Study

Virtual Paper ID: 53803
  1. aaa
    Jenelle Hodges
    University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Education
  2. aaa
    John Marc Green
    University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Education

Abstract: The researchers are conducting a study of the employment of branching storyline simulation activities as an instructional design intervention in a fully online E-Learning environment to increase learner engagement and learning transfer for tutors of international students at the university level. The proposed presentation to E-Learn 2018 includes a summary of the project and a description of its background and methodology, along with a progress report and a list of resources for creating branching storylines in fully online environments. In a recent review of literature by Looyestyn et al. (2017), it was found that out of 1,017 studies involving more than 10,000 participants, 12 of 15 studies found “positive significant effects in favor of gamification”; however, in this research study, we are conducting a more focused examination. Specifically, we are investigating the feasibility of building branching storyline simulations in a fully online environment for adult learners, as well as attempting to identify a set of best practices for designing branching storyline simulations in E-learning modules using popular authoring tools. This is a work-in-progress project. Reference: Looyestyn, J., Kernot, J., Boshoff, K., Ryan, J., Edney, S., & Maher, C. (2017). Does gamification increase engagement with online programs? A systematic review. Plos ONE, 12(3), 1-19. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0173403

Objectives

RESEARCH QUESTIONS: 1) CAN BRANCHING STORYLINE SIMULATIONS BE DESIGNED FOR UNIVERSITY-LEVEL TUTORS IN A FULLY ONLINE ENVIRONMENT? 2) WHAT ARE THE BEST PRACTICES FOR DESIGNING BRANCHING STORYLINE SIMULATIONS IN A FULLY ONLINE ENVIRONMENT?

Topical Outline

A) A brief history of branching storylines in fiction, video games, and board games B) Use of branching storylines in commercial E-learning applications C) Background of the research project D) Methodology E) A brief review of literature and resources F) Description of work-in-progress G) Preliminary findings H) Conclusions I) Resources for instructional designers to create branching storyline simulations

Experience Level

Intermediate

Qualifications

Jenelle Hodges, Ph.D. is the Instructional Designer for the School of Education at the University of Alabama at Birminhgam. John Marc Green is a former journalist with 20 years of experience in radio, television and print, and is currently a graduate student in the Instructional Design and Development program at UAB.

Topics

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