Videogame Walkthroughs in Educational Settings: Challenges, Successes, and Suggestions for Future Use

Proceedings of the 51st Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences j 2018 Videogame Walkthroughs in Educational Settings: Challenges, Successes, and Suggestions for Future Use Kelly Bergstrom Emily Flynn-Jones Jennifer Jenson Cristyne Hebert University of Hawai‘i at York University York University York University Mānoa [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Abstract This paper takes up those calls for games to be, much like radio, television and cinema, learning In this paper we describe the use of videogame environments that can be studied, explored and walkthroughs implemented in three different experienced. We ask: how might both teachers and educational contexts: 1) an informal learning students who are unevenly skilled when it comes to environment where 11-12 year-olds used text and video playing digital games best be supported to use them in walkthroughs to supplement their Legend of Zelda: formal learning environments? Relatedly, how have Wind Waker play during an optional, lunch-time video videogame ‘walkthroughs’ been used as tools to game club in their school library; 2) a formal learning support learning as well as videogame skill environment where grade six (11-12 year-old) students development? And finally, what are some of the used a written walkthrough for Lost Winds 2: Winter potential areas of concern that must be acknowledged of the Melodias played as part of their Language Arts in order for walkthroughs to be an effective learning classroom; and 3) the use of a written walkthroughs by aid in the classroom? As games have made their way Grade 7 and 8 teachers as part of their preparations to into a variety of in/formal learning contexts with both teach a game-based learning unit in their Geography negative [31] and positive impacts [34] on the learning classrooms. Taken together, we argue that while outcomes, it is increasingly important to study how to walkthroughs can be useful pedagogical tools when best support novice players and pedagogues. And, as using videogames in classroom settings, the social and reporting on this research remains heavily focused on cultural contexts in which they are introduced must be gameplay and/or student interactions with the carefully considered in order for their effectiveness to technology, there needs to be increasing attention paid be fully realized. to peripheral materials and cultural contexts that also constitute key components of the gameplay experience. Consalvo [11, 12] has argued for the inclusion of 1. Introduction peripheral materials, or paratexts, in the study of digital games and their surrounding communities, as In order to address the unique skills and needs of a such sources “serve a specific role in gaming culture new generation of students, it has been argued that and for gaming capital; they instruct a player in how to classroom practice must specifically accommodate the play, what to play, and what is cool (and not) in the ‘digital affinity’ of the so-called ‘net generation’ who game world” (p. 22). Beyond developer-created texts are connected, creating, and likely know more new (e.g. instruction manuals), a vast array of player- technological developments than their teachers [16, created knowledge also exists about particular games 17]. The belief that youth exhibit a digital affinity including art [8]; calculations on the underlying undergirds the push towards an inclusion of digital mathematical mechanics of the game [21, 24]; third- games in the classroom. Supplementing a curriculum party modifications (‘mods’) and ‘add-ons’ to the game with games builds on the out of school activities of client [10, 32]; and MMOGs and other games more these digitally connected youth, as many are already generally, as demonstrated through conversations on playing games, especially boys and young men, in their message boards and forums [5, 6, 24]. leisure time [14, 27, 33]. Furthermore, it is argued that Videogame ‘walkthroughs’ are a form of paratexts – at least for some students – games may be more produced by players. They are most easily defined as engaging than the books, worksheets, or lectures that texts that describe where to go in the game, how to have, for some time, been commonly used as teaching solve puzzles, and how to successfully progress to the tools [26, 29, 30]. end. Building on Consalvo’s arguments that texts outside of a game not only matter, but are integral to URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10125/50124 Page 1875 ISBN: 978-0-9981331-1-9 (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0) understanding play, the goal of this paper is to add to bridging texts for teachers who are otherwise the growing discussions about games and education by unfamiliar with videogames, but seek to integrate means of reporting on the uptake and use of paratexts digital games in their classroom or use them to in both formal and informal learning environments. supplement existing curriculum. We conclude this paper with a discussion of the ways videogame 1.1. Motivations and Scope walkthroughs can be used as a means of reinforcing media and/or information literacy, offering suggestions The specific type of paratext at the centre of this for how they can be successfully introduced to study is the videogame walkthrough. These are written in/formal learning environments. or video documents created by players about a game, with an intended audience of other players seeking 2. Videogame Walkthroughs in assistance through a step-by-step guide explaining how Educational Contexts to complete in-game objectives and tasks. Typically, walkthroughs are used to supplement digital gameplay In his dissertation on the topic, Giddings defines in a leisure context. Walkthroughs can also be useful walkthroughs as such: “[A walkthroughs is] in part an for supporting and scaffolding digital gameplay in instruction manual, assisting a stuck videogame player educational contexts, especially for students and through a particular puzzle, tortuous labyrinth or teachers who are new to videogames and their fiendish demand on hand-eye co-ordination, but it is affordances. In this paper we demonstrate that as also a verbal map of the peculiar space–time of the valuable walkthroughs can be, their use value may not videogame’s virtual world. It is a document of the be readily apparent to novice players. Drawing from writer/player’s skill and effort in exploring and solving our own fieldwork in a variety of contexts, we provide every last aspect of the gameworld. It is knowledge examples of the variance in reception, largely a result shared via the Web to both assist other players and to of how walkthroughs were framed when introduced to display the writer’s expertise in, and devotion to, the our research participants. To this end, we describe the game in question. A walkthrough is a determinedly uptake (or lack thereof) of videogame walkthroughs non-literary work, dispassionate, stripped of implemented in three different contexts: noninstrumental description and of most subjective 1) An informal learning environment where 11- reflection on its writer’s part. The walkthrough’s 12 year-olds used The Legend of Zelda: The audience is addressed in an impersonal second person Wind Waker text and video walkthroughs – the player instructed” [15:31]. during an optional, lunch-time videogame Videogame walkthroughs are a form of paratext club in their school library; that are typically produced by fans or enthusiasts of the 2) A formal learning environment where grade game, rather than officially put out by the game’s six (11-12 year-old) students used a written developers. Juul [18] makes a distinction between two walkthrough for Lost Winds 2: Winter of the types of supplemental guides, walkthroughs and Melodias played as part of their Language strategy guides, based on the type of game being Arts classroom; played: “Progression games have walkthroughs: lists of 3) The use of a written walkthroughs by Grade 7 actions to perform to complete the game. Emergence and 8 teachers as part of their preparations to games have strategy guides: rules of thumb, general teach a game-based learning unit in their tricks” (p. 328). As walkthroughs provide step-by-step Physical Geography classrooms. details about the tasks that must be completed to finish In this paper, we are less concerned with the a game, they may contain spoilers by providing evaluation of whether adding digital gameplay to an information about crucial plot points in a game’s educational environment resulted in measurable narrative. In this paper we focus our attention on what learning gains than sharing lessons learned from our are considered walkthroughs according to Juul’s observations of the use of walkthroughs in varying definition, that is, texts that allow players to follow educational settings. In so doing, we aim to highlight along step by step to complete the objectives laid out how audiences interact with games and paratexts is for a player to successfully complete the game. highly dependent on social and cultural contexts. What As mentioned above, Consalvo [11, 12] has argued we hope to illustrate is that digital gameplay is a that accounting for paratexts (such as walkthroughs) is socially mediated experience even in an explicitly an essential part of understanding videogames in a educational environment. Related to this point is that broader cultural context. Apperley and Beavis [1] how walkthroughs are framed can have unintended extend Consalvo’s argument, describing how students consequences that limit uptake by students. used and also made their own paratexts as part of the Additionally, we illustrate that walkthroughs can act as Page 1876 game-based pedagogy in their high school classrooms formal and informal learning environments. Before where they argue that there are multiple forms of moving on to a discussion of these possibilities, we information literacy at work.

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