Co-written with Akshata Bhatt and Palia Pandit, Dhempe College of Arts and Science, Goa, India.
Co-presented at the IGNITE Digital Round Table in April 2020
Abstract
Letters are an integral component of administrative activities in various domains. It is paramount that language-facilitators equip learners with requisite letter-writing skills necessary to take ownership of their actions and collaborate with different stakeholders in an attempt to tackle global challenges linked to UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. However, prescriptive and lecture-based modalities of instruction in formal correspondence often prove inadequate in instilling a nuanced knowledge of communication rubrics among learners. As a response to this pedagogical problem, faced especially in Indian classroom set-up, the present study initiates gamification as an intervention to facilitate immersive learning in formal correspondence.
The present paper traces the conception, design, prototyping, and testing of an interactive game developed by the researchers in the context of higher education. As players, learners in this self-paced, interactive game assist characters created within the module to navigate through myriad pressing scenarios. In order to progress through the game, the players need to communicate with the characters to understand the socio-cultural and economic context and then correspond with various stakeholders through proper administrative channels. They gain Experience Points along the way. In Level One, players help their characters tackle issues that arise on campus. After they graduate Level One, they have to tackle other civic issues from health care and sanitation facilities to provision for green and clean energy.
The first iteration of the prototype was thoroughly tested with undergraduate learners. Suitable pre and post-assessments were conducted. The progression of students on the verticals of format, grammar and content of letter writing was tested. The students’ responsiveness to issues that were tackled as part of the game was also recorded. Through results and conclusion, the paper puts forth the benefits of integrating such gamified modules within curriculum for enhanced experiential learning and, concomitantly, greater sensitization of learners towards social issues.
Natasha 