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