From the April 21st Webinar on “Robots are eating the Building: Narrative for Increased Engagement” Andy Petroski & Charles Palmer Stories in TV and movies are mainly meant to entertain. A story for learning should be entertaining, but also needs to be functional. The story needs to draw the players into the experience and create a bridge between characters, media elements, digital activities, and the interactive elements. A story is not only important for immediate motivation, engagement, and purpose. It’s also important for long-term learning and behavior change. Stories connect with our emotions, something that is usually lacking from traditional training, performance change, or employee engagement initiatives. Emotional experiences are memorable experiences. Join this session to explore stories for learning within the context of Alternate Reality Games (ARGs). ARGs combine real-world experience with fictional clues, puzzles and communication in a collaborative game format. The story-based and problem-based experience promotes the use of online resources, collaboration among game players, and critical thinking related to the storyline and problem-based activities.

1. “Robots are Eating the Building:
Narrative for Increased Engagement”
Alternate Reality Games for Training

2. Andy Petroski
Sr. New Product Development Consultant
Corporate Faculty
Harrisburg University of Science & Technology
@apetroski
www.linkedin.com/in/apetroski/
http://www.slideshare.net/apetroski

3. Charles Palmer
Executive Director
Professor of Interactive Media
Harrisburg University of Science & Technology
@charlespalmer
www.linkedin.com/in/charleslpalmer/
http://www.slideshare.net/charlespalmerhu/

4. www.gamificationforperformance.com (sign up)
Twitter: @ARGGamification
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gamificationforperformance
Buy on Amazon: http://amzn.to/1RKPfJN

5. What is your main reason for attending this webinar?
Improve ID techniques
Expand storytelling techniques
Increase learner engagement
Interesting topic
Learning about ARGs

6. Robots are Eating the Building: Narrative for Increased
Engagement
Narrative for
Increased
Engagement
Power
of Story
Learner
Types and
Story
Methods
Plot, Setting,
and Subject
Story
Perspectives
Story
Structure

7. The Power of Story and Narrative
What impact did this video have on you? | What impact do
you think it had on the audience at the conference?

8. Chat: What is your favorite story
and why is it your favorite story?

9. Cinderella
• Stepmother
• Fairy Godmother
• Ball at the Palace
• Prince
• Glass Slipper
• Happily Ever After

10. Neuromodulators
chemicals that impact our behavior
Acetylcholine
attention
Norepinephrine
novelty (cool!)
Dopamine
reward & pleasure

11. Emotion
“Although many of us think of
ourselves as thinking creatures that
feel, biologically we are feeling
creatures that think.”
(Bolte Taylor, 2008, pg. 19) – A Stroke of Insight)

12. Info Info Activity Info Quiz

13. Methods
Info Info Activity Info Quiz
Story
Story
Story
Story
Story
Maria is preparing her expense report today. After stepping in a
mud puddle on the way into the building, banging her knee on the
corner of her desk, and spilling her coffee all over her receipts, she’s
ready to start entering expenses. Here are the four steps Maria
must remember to enter her expenses correctly.

14. Methods
Story Story Story Story Story
Info
Reflect
Evaluate
Decide
Apply
Info
Info

15. narrative
observation
conversation
Techniques
Exaggeration
Humor
Scenes

16. Alternate Reality Games
ARGs combine real-world experience with fictional
clues, puzzles and communication in a collaborative
game format. The story-based and problem-based
experience promotes the use of physical and online
resources, collaboration among game players and
critical thinking related to the storyline and problem-
based activities.

17. Story Perspectives
Column A Column B
Realistic
The story and/or the learner’s
role is realistic.
Connected
A connected perspective is
explicitly connected to the
performance goals for the
learner.
Fictional
The story and/or the learner’s
role is fictional.
Disconnected
A disconnected perspective is
implicitly connected to the
performance goals for the
learner.
Pick one from column A and one from column B

19. Check out the “Designing game narrative” article from HitBox Team for more tips on building great game stories
http://hitboxteam.com/designing-game-narrative

21. Common Story Structure
• Act One (Setup)
– Beginning
– Inciting Incident
– Second thoughts
• Act Two
– Obstacle
– Obstacle
– Obstacle
– Disaster
– Crisis
• Act Three
– Descending action
– Wrap-up
– End
Blake Snyder’s "Save the Cat" approach

22. Basic ARG Story Components
Challenge
Setting
Outcome Characters

23. Where to begin?
1. Initiation
2. Preproduction
a. Build teams
b. Define goals, objectives, and
preliminary schedule
c. Design the experience
d. Document the idea and process
e. Build a media plan
f. Put it all together
3. 3. Production
a. Create a treatment
b. Build components
c. Prepare to fail
4. 4. Postproduction
5. 5. Go live
a. Hosting the game
b. Starting the game
c. Monitoring the experience
d. Ending the game
6. 6. Debrief
Brainstorming

24. 6 tips for conducting successful
brainstorming sessions
1. Identify your goals
2. Decide who should attend
3. Friendly comfortable environment
4. Get brainstorming
1. Warm up
2. Brain dump
3. Divergent thinking
4. Ideation
5. Don’t discourage silence, and yes
there are bad ideas
6. Know when to call it quits
http://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/26133/6-Steps-to-Conducting-a-Successful-Content-Brainstorming-Session.aspx
Brainstorming

25. Brainstorming Tools
http://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/26133/6-Steps-to-Conducting-a-Successful-Content-Brainstorming-Session.aspx

26. Diverge from traditional media
Traditional media production
• Refinement
• Off to production
ARG media production
• Participation evaluation
• Refinement
• Treatment
• Off to production
Outcomes
Challenges
Settings
Characters

27. Levels of Participation and Activities
Participation Activities
Passive Reading, watching, collecting
Active Puzzles, short challenge questions, light
research or collaboration, two-way digital
communication
Immersive World building and customization, asset
crafting, extensive communication
Outcomes
Challenges
Settings
Characters

28. Down the rabbit hole
Outcomes
Challenges
Settings
Characters

29. Location, location, location
Outcomes
Challenges
Settings
Characters

30. Location, location, location
Outcomes
Challenges
Settings
Characters

31. Location, location, location
Outcomes
Challenges
Settings
Characters

32. Creating characters…
Outcomes
Challenges
Settings
Characters
• Who are they
• Where do the come from
• How will they interact with the player(s)
• Friend or Foe?
• Mix character archetypes
– Flat
– Round
– Dynamic
– Static
– Stock
– Foil
– Confidante
http://learn.lexiconic.net/characters.htm

33. Designing with players in mind
Outcomes
Challenges
Settings
Characters
+ the player

34. Okay, go.
Outcome Challenge
Setting Character

35. Questions?

36. Resources
Gamificationforperformance.com [sign up for
announcements]
ARGNet: http://www.argn.com/
Story Impacts Learning and Performance
Story Wonk Podcasts
Story Idea Generator
Character Name Generator

37. Resources
North American Simulation and Gaming Association:
http://www.nasaga.org/page/our-conferences
CUNY Games Festival:
https://gamesfest2016.commons.gc.cuny.edu/
Twine:
http://twinery.org
The Brainstormer:
http://bit.ly/5_Brainstorm2
HitBox Team – “Designing game narrative”
http://hitboxteam.com/designing-game-narrative

38. www.gamificationforperformance.com (sign up)
Twitter: @ARGGamification
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gamificationforperformance
Buy on Amazon: http://amzn.to/1RKPfJN

39. Upcoming Webinars
Levels of Learner Activity and 10
Participation Points for Gryffindor
Tuesday, May 17
1 PM EST