The Role of Narrative in Game Play

How important is narrative to game play? It is a no-brainer to answer this question in the context of an RPG or an adventure game. The story is the crux of the game. Period. But, how important is it to an educational game? Again, a reasonable answer is that it is important. The story in an adventure learning game can keep students engaged and playing to the end. Making a personal connection with characters in the game can motivate students to persevere in solving even the most difficult problems, an important quality required for learning math!

The narrative also adds context to problem solving and makes it easy to throw a spotlight on applications of math. A student who is asked to help a shopkeeper convert currency, or the healer’s assistant to mix medicine, will learn the underlying concepts with an understanding of how they are used to solve problems in the real (and virtual) world. The story and the context thus make learning algebra meaningful!

Additionally, the dialog in an adventure game can be used to address math-anxiety and remind students of problems they have solved to increase confidence and self-efficacy.

The effect of narrative in games on learning outcome also has support in learning research. A study done at Columbia University found that narrative-based games can increase learning, understanding, and transfer of knowledge, when used in conjunction with more formal learning activities.

By integrating problem-solving with the gameplay and storyline, ProblemScape puts to full use the power of narrative, making learning algebra fun, engaging, and relevant.