Introduction & Research Questions

Why do you want to conduct this research (what is the goal?), on what game or simulation, and what are your research questions?
Remember that playtesting can only answer certain types of questions (as we discussed in the last two class meetings).

City building simulations in digital games (like SimCity) are primarily market
driven, with increased emphasis on economic progress and are highly stylized for
competitive play. Simulating mutually beneficial partnerships and collaborative
play, what if 13 to 18 year olds from schools in US are encouraged to use
Minecraft/ SimCity to conceptualize rebuilding of a sustainable city (like Detroit,
New Orleans etc).

With the harsh reality of ongoing war and natural disasters, there is always a
need for housing and shelter for refugees and displaced persons. Could a city
building game (or a similar gaming environment) as a microworld and simulation
to prototype housing solutions that can be used to address real-world housing
needs?

Can MMOG as an engaging environment using STEAM skills help transfer in-
game experience to real world pro-social action? Could the players participate
in real-world problem-based learning in an authentically situated gaming
environment that they already know and love?

Research Qs:
Intended interactions vs player interactions/ expectations?

Design
How will you conduct the observations? This includes the setting (in players' home? At the lab?), whether you will test one player at a time
or two players (dyads), and what other data you plan to collect (e.g., demographic data).
Set an objective #1
Survive the Weather & Tornadoes Mod (download: http://www.coros.us/mods/tornadoes) in
Minecraft and participate in a series of reconstruction efforts.

Decide on the methods
Heuristic Evaluation
Prototyping
Workshops
Field Studies

Design the tasks
Survive a Hurricane (Stage 5 Storm)
Build Tornado Proof Houses
Protect/Repair an NPC village
Build a Tornado Siren and a Sensor
Build Tornado Proof Animal and Food Farm

Determine the setting
Columbia Grammar and Preparatory School in New York City
Schools with Minecraft/ MinecraftEdu clubs
Private schools
After school programs
Community centers

Decide what to record and how (UCAIHS/IRB for videotaping?)
Find representative users
13-18 yr olds. Active users of Minecraft

Participants
Who are your participants (describe their characteristics, etc., retired people above 60 who would like to exercise their cognitive skills) and
how you will find/recruit them (e.g., will be recruited from a senior home in town).
Select School/s:
Contact Joel Levin, a computer teacher at Columbia Grammar and Preparatory
School in New York City (http://minecraftteacher.tumblr.com/) or

Reach out to potential middle schools and high schools
Finalize a school and administrative procedures
Select an administrative liaison at the high school

Instruments & Measures
Here you list each survey or other measure you plan to use. This is especially important if you want to use existing validated measures that
assess certain learner characteristics (e.g., Ravens progressive Matrices to measure intelligence). Most common here is to list a
demographic questionnaire.


Procedure
Describe the step-by-step procedure of your data collection, from the moment the participant enters the room (or you enter theirs) to the
moment when the study is done and the participant leaves. A bulleted list is fine; make sure to add estimates how long each step would
take (in minutes).
Testing (Fullerton p253)
Step1 (moderator, play tester, developer)
Create a script
Introduction (thank them, about you, let them know about recording)
Warm-up discussion
Play session (frame the purpose of the session, no wrong answers, testing the game not
their skill, ask them to think aloud)
Use silverback or OBS
Qs
- Where you able to identify what to do right away? (aesthetics- trash particle pulsating?)
- What were you trying to do?
- How was your experience?
- Call out and ask why did you?
- Did you have a strategy?
- Did you identify the end state of the game?
- How long did he/she play after prompting to stop?

Data Analysis Plan
Describe how you plan to analyze the data.


Sources:
http://simcity2013wiki.com/wiki/Disasters
http://techland.time.com/2012/09/21/minecraftedu-teaches-students-through-
virtual-world-building/
http://minecraftteacher.tumblr.com/