A Novel Approach
Posted by Kwip on February 21st, 2008 Comments Off
I am fascinated by this usage of the Neverwinter Nights toolset. Basically, Nora Paul of the University of Minnesota took some NWN licenses, a designer (Matt Taylor), and a nice grant ($10,000). Combining them, she wound up with a modern-day scenario of a crashed tanker truck that spewed toxic chemicals and caused a small town to be evacuated.
After a discussion with Kotaku’s Brian Crecente, Paul chose to focus on three conceptual points in the interview process: attitude, reliability of source (as compares to authority), and secondary confirmation for every single detail. Subjects respond better to direct queries than to aloof or tentative approaches. They become annoyed when the player relies on them for basic information. Official mouthpieces and people with something to gain need be taken with a grain of salt, then revisited if an alternative take develops.
Her journalism students have to log on to the ‘game,’ interview a variety of people, and cobble together a story based on witness accounts and interviews with officials. It’s reported to be buggy as hell with some serious UI problems – but the concept is brilliant. This is something that should absolutely be pursued and developed further. This is a great concept and a very unique take on journalism instruction.
As a communications major in school right now, I’m actually very eager to share this with some of my professors. As a gamer, I’m fascinated by such a creative take on instruction and such a valuable ‘simulator.’ Certainly it’s not going to replace real-world experience, but it is definitely an amazing tool that could really be used as an introduction to journalism.
Especially that part about having to kill the editor… (just kidding, Russ!)
