Exploring Collaborative Storytelling as a Method for Creating Educational Games

Abstract

Designing educational games that meet both learning and entertainment objectives is a challenging task. Games that begin by developing specific educational goals and are later wrapped in a game or narrative context risk appearing forced, while those that begin with gaming elements to which educational elements are added may appear superficial. In this paper, we describe the methodology and results from a three-day interdisciplinary hackathon for developing game narratives designed to address both needs. We present details regarding the hackathon, the collaborative teams, and an example of the outcomes produced.