Web-based Game Design Advisor

"Gaming technologies offers flexibility not possible with classroom-delivered training and enable instructors to train more students faster. Instructional games offer the strong potential to increase understanding and retention of learning materials andengage and motivate learners.To maximize learning, game-based training must be designed based on sound pedagogical principles that do not compromise the learner's immersive experience. We will review the literature in light of our own success in the computer gaming industry andidentify attributes of commercially successful computer games. We will map those key factors to the challenges and issues most relevant to military training, design a proof-of-concept prototype of the web-based game design aid, and develop an evaluationplan to assess the utility and effectiveness of the tool.We have comprised a uniquely qualified team with the theoretical and experiential knowledge needed to: 1) devise a principled approach for the development of the game design aid and 2) understand and meet the technical and marketing challenges of theproject. The proposed work will: 1) identify a comprehensive set of gaming factors positively affecting learning outcomes and trainee motivation, 2) establish links between those factors and specific characteristics of military training and, 3) produce a web-basedprototype of a design aid for instructional games and a plan for its evaluation. There are numerous