Learning by learning roles: A virtual role-playing environment for tutoring

Abstract

People will invest extraordinary time and effort into learning how to play and win a game. Virtual role-playing environments can be a powerful mechanism of instruction, provided they are constructed such that learning how to play and win the game contributes to a player’s understanding of real-world concepts and procedures. This paper describes a pedagogical architecture and an implemented application where students assume a role in a simulated multi-media environment and learn about the real world by competing with other players, The game, which teaches principles of micro-economics is an implementation of a networked, multiplayer, simulation-based, interactive multi-media, educational environment that illustrates the principles of learning by learning roles.