Drax's reading in Neverwinter Nights: With a tutor as henchman

Abstract

This is an account of what a teacher educator learned from using the video game Neverwinter Nights with Drax, a high school student whose reading is like that of an elementary school student. Neverwinter Nights is a role-playing adventure game that requires reading print along with other meaningful signs such as sounds, artefacts, color, maps, etc. Using examples from eight hours of transcribed play, the author details the ways in which print matters to game play. Drax read walkthroughs which led to reading dialogues calling for practice with word recognition, which in turn led to acquiring new vocabulary. He also used strategies such as thinking aloud, rereading, and attending to details. Based on these findings, the author argues that it is worthwhile to explore and research opportunities for reading development within video games with print.