Abstract
STEAM education enables the cross-curricular study of subjects based on their naturally occurring relationships through holistic and integrated methods. Narratives are enablers of STEAM learning environments, something that is evident in the exploration of narrative learning from pre-recorded history until present. Narrative Digital Game-Based Learning (DGBL) use narratives to drive the game. The extended Ludo Narrative Variable Model (the Variable Model) is a narratological model for categorization of narrative DGBL. Empirical evidence from categorizing narrative DGBL on the Variable Model shows that there is a particular set of categories that incur positive effects on engagement, motivation, and learning. This article introduces the eLuna co-design framework that builds on these categories and empowers educators to participate alongside game developers in multidisciplinary design and development of narrative DGBL. eLuna comprises 1) a four-phase co-design method, and 2) a visual language to support the co-design and co-specification of the game to a blueprint that can be implement by game developers. Idun’s Apples, a narrative DGBL co-designed, co-specified, and implemented into a prototype using eLuna, is presented to illustrate the use of the method and visual language. Arguing that narrative DGBL are vessels for STEAM learning, seven eLuna co-designed games are examined to illustrate that they support STEAM. The article concludes that narrative DGBL co-designed using the eLuna framework provide high opportunity and potential for supporting STEAM, providing educators and game developers with a STEAM co-design framework that enforces positive effects on engagement, motivation, and learning.
Highlights
Teaching and learning in STEAM allows for cross-curricular study of subjects based on their naturally occurring relationships through holistic and integrated methods
With regards to game structure, The full design in the supplementary materials differs from Figure 6C in three details: 1) it shows planting tomatoes and making shopping list as one quest, which was altered later since it gives more flexibility to the player, 2) it only opens the café after Idun has been to the supermarket, in the later version both become available at the same time, to allow more flexibility, and 3) it shows Idun learning about both the Farmer’s Market and Lise’s Urban Farm when visiting the supermarket, which in the later version was changed to Idun learning about Lise at the café, a place where the co-designers felt it was more natural that Lise would have connections
To see if the seven narrative digital game-based learning (DGBL) meet support the integrated and holistic cross-disciplinary education targeted by STEAM, each design was evaluated for content related to science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics
Summary
Teaching and learning in STEAM allows for cross-curricular study of subjects based on their naturally occurring relationships through holistic and integrated methods. An example is illustrated by Pant et al (2020), showing that adding stories and poems to mathematical education creates increased motivation and meaningful engagement towards mathematical classroom education Another example is provided by Hunter-Doniger et al (2018) who, realizing that non-arts educators need to learn how to infuse the culturally relevant arts into STEM, created a unique approach to STEAM through storytelling. The research presented in this article enforces this position by first exploring narrative learning traditions in a historic perspective, before placing an emphasis on narratives in digital game-based learning (DGBL) and showing how DGBL, too, are narratives that enable cross-curricular learning environments for STEAM subjects. Having established that narrative (digital) gamed-based learning supports STEAM, the eLuna framework, a multidisciplinary co-design framework for developing narrative DGBL, is presented and its use illustrated through a description of the co-design of a narrative DGBL named Idun’s Apples. The findings and discussion argue that eLuna is usable as a multidisciplinary co-design and specification framework for creating effective narrative DGBL that supports STEAM education
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