7 story types

Some people argue that only 7 types of story exist in all literature.

1. Rags to riches

The central, poor downtrodden character rises from nothing into greatness. They must defeat a foe of some kind to keep their new found status. E.g. Aladdin, Cinderella.

2. Quest

The central character takes a journey in search of something, with obstacles trying to stop him/her on the way. E.g. Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings.

3. Overcoming a monster

The protagonist must defeat an evil being that threatens. E.g. Star Wars, James Bond.

4. Rebirth

The protagonist's imprisonment is derived from something within his own psyche. His liberation can only be achieved through the actions of other good forces. E.g. Snow White, A Christmas Carol.

5. Journey of discovery

The hero travels to another world, learning things along the way that give him/her a deeper understanding of himself and the world around him. E.g. Wizard of Oz, Alice in Wonderland.

6. Tragedy

The central character goes through a series of actions and decisions that unwittingly brings about their own downfall (unless it's a Hollywood movie). E.g. Hamlet.

7. Comedy

Not necessarily funny. Some kind of misunderstanding is created that keeps parties apart until it resolved and they are brought back together. E.g. Bridget Jones Diary.

Designing games through human survival instinct

In his article, Westwood College faculty member and trained architect Christopher Totten explores how human psychology is understood by architects, how that can apply to level design, and explores games that use these techniques effectively.

This article is about the spatial dangers or elements of space that create the impression of danger for players. The other concepts describe elements of the pleasures that follow, and other methods for training players.

The article concludes by pointing point out that there is pleasure in overcoming dangerous situations, a principle they say is one of the most basic ideas of game design. When levels are engaging, players know, even if they cannot verbalise what makes them so pleasurable. Some modern texts on level design only teach readers to model environmental models and scenery, but the levels designed by learning from these books have no way of engaging the player and provide no discernable amount of experience so level designers have to look to other sources for inspiration. The alternative is creating the experience boredom or frustration for players, which is counterintuitive to the goal of making a "fun" game.

Level designers can take the concept of "pleasure from overcoming danger" to heart by utilising the human survival instinct to create dramatic environments that play with the comfort levels of people interacting with them in a way that is motivated by creating pleasure. As stated previously, utilising these spatial survival concepts to create levels gives players opportunities to not only interact with the game on a functional button-pressing manner, but also on a cognitive one that speaks to the instincts that help make video games fun in the first place.

Also, while these concepts are incredibly important to the practice of level design, they are but part of an expansive whole. Concepts such as Operant Conditioning and the articulation of short and long-term goals were mentioned among others. Again, pleasure is derived from overcoming danger.

Native Apps vs. Web Apps

Should you make a web app that works on all phones or design a device-specific native app?

As stated in Upside Learning, both types of solutions have their advantages and disadvantages:

Web Apps

1. Platform independent development, so you can reach a wider audience.
2. Fast development and low maintenance.
3. High-end applications can be developed with HTML5/CSS3, which also enable use of audio, video and animation.
4. Lower performance and dependent on web access.
5. The app can be delivered instantaneously as there are no intermediate delivery platforms like an app store.

Native Apps

1. Works on targeted smartphones only.
2. Increased development time and maintenance overheads.
3. Lets you access the device’s features like camera, accelerometer and data, like an address book.
4. Superior performance and user experience.
5. The app has to be deployed through an app store, which can be a time-consuming process.

The choice really depends on the richness of your mobile learning solution (user experience, performance and features) and the audience (or smartphones) you are targeting.

Mobile devices in the workplace

Upside Learning is of the opinion that there are 3 primary types of usage for mobile devices in the context of learning:

1. Used as part of a blend

• Pre-class micro-course (5-10 minutes)
• Post-class follow-up (summaries, scenarios) that help learners apply what they have learnt
• Quizzes

We’re aware that learners probably don’t retain much 2-3 days after a training program – especially in the absence of an opportunity to apply what they have learnt. Mobile device based follow-up could increase retention and aid application of knowledge and skills.

2. To access information

Learning happens most often when we are stuck with a problem or have made a mistake, so our mind is most receptive to new information and willing to learn in those moments. Mobiles are excellent devices to help retrieve information like ‘how to’ manuals or videos, or to simply search for answers on Google or the company’s intranet which in itself is fast turning into a social environment. This has great potential and needs to be exploited by organizations – by providing the ability to access information in moments of need.

3. Performance support

Performance support could range from simple calculators to complex procedural information that helps makes decisions. The link between performance support and the performance itself is very often direct and the results are immediate.

Mobile Learning Environment

The following video shows where the US military is focusing their MoLE (Mobile Learning Environment) research project – mainly in areas of conflict or natural disaster.

This video represents the vision of the MoLE research project: a platform independent set of tools aimed at learning collaboration and information sharing on mobile devices.

About MoLE.