GALA NoE Deliverable 2.3: Priority Area 2 Report

This document reports on the work on a method we have developed to obtain insights into the narrative-pedagogical mechanisms and to provide a tentative definition to address serious game mechanics, in particular in the area of narrative as a first field of investigation (Narrative Serious Game Mechanics, NSGM). The report also offers an overview of coordinated efforts in utilising the learning and game mechanics mapping (LM-GM) framework to investigate game patterns within which NSGM can be identified. By overlaying the LM-GM framework with the SG Description (SGD) Template by WP1, it becomes possible to analytically and systematically establish the relationships and associations of ludic content, the narrative context and pedagogy meant to enforce learning. A systematic approach is described to map and analyse the link between pedagogical practice and narratives mechanics in serious games is proposed. The pragmatic nature of the method is to enable a faster means to identify game play narrative mechanisms and therefore patterns from which sustained educational benefits can be obtained. To this end a selection of SGs across different topical agendas (e.g. business, engineering, health) were investigated for their underlying narratives within a game-pedagogy setting. The work also investigates the patterns emanating as a result of the narratives and from its design and implementation perspective. The intention is to provide a generic, yet systematic, means to establish the narrative-pedagogical implications and potential benefits of associated pedagogic practices along with the relationships and associations of ludic content and pedagogy to uncover narration/storytelling/drama patterns. This is the forefront of a series of investigations to gain further insights into the designed elements of SGs. The proposed (purpose-processing) methodology is intended to become part of a toolkit for serious game design. It is also important for components to be identified which could become reference SG objects that are interoperable. Progressive testing of the methodology reported will ultimately lead to effective