Observations on Story-based and Game-based Learning for School Kids

A few days back, I was checking some e-learning modules from company archives. In terms of graphics some courses were great. However, there was a severe lack of good instructional design in several modules.

For example, in some of the modules, a story and a game based approach were used while providing teach. However, I found a distinct jerk when a learner or viewer transitions from the story into the teach.

Now ruminating on the same, I can understand the strategy which has been used which is similar to my mom telling me a story while she fed me when I was a baby. The story which will tingle some quarters of the brain is meant to distract me from the eating process which is mechanical. So in the long run I will forget all my antics and finish my meal.

This strategy will not work in e-learning for youngsters. The reasons are listed below:

1. The story is taking attention away from the teach which is appearing as plain text.
2. The story, game, and the teach are not integrated harmoniously. This means the teach is not woven into the story.
3. High quality graphics are used for the story telling which grabs attention away from the teach.
4. The story, for example, a pirate story is not integrated into teaching algebra.
5. Unlike the storytelling during feeding strategy, the story and the teach both requires brain and cognitive involvement.
6. The vital portion of the course is the teach but the story takes the attention away and does not help the learner to remember or retain what he or she has learnt.


So when you are using game based learning or story based learning, do make sure that all the elements blend harmoniously. You might just end up creating a course, which is visually brilliant with a good navigation interface but fails in satisfying the learner’s needs in an adequate manner.