As an instructional designer to-be with a background in the mental health professions, the relevance postings regarding the needs of the other 90% of our society, highlight issues close to my heart. In particular, as Bev states, dysfunction is biting deep in many sectors of the community. Interestingly, there isn't an agreed on model of mental health. Is it to conform, or is it live an interesting and meaningful life?
Computers can't rectify this issue, but they can provide access to models and information about effective communication and functioning. Information that people certainly aren't going to gain from the sensation driven popular media.
Ultralab thankfully listens with interest to the users they are designing for. They are finding that the current generation of children are frequently way ahead of our expectations, and are designing software to suit the aim of the instruction. Rote learning? A suspenseful game interface? Deep learning? Participative tools for thinking.
So, can games stimulate deep learning as well? If they can, we're laughing! (Sorry, couldn't resist.)
At a recent local interactive multimedia forum, one vision caught my imagination. Let me paraphrase, for the person short of time, a summary "a marriage simulation game," an interactive multimedia upgrade of Simlife, or Simcity perhaps.
For the rest, imagine choosing the meeting place--a singles bar? The prettiest girl/boy might prove to give you a lower score! So, how do you handle the wedding night? The mortgage, the renovation, the first kid's birth? Keeping the happiness meter up is your task, otherwise you head for divorce. How many games before you can make the fiftieth anniversary or, have an equitable separation for that matter?! The second marriage is allowed of course, but it comes with an emotional baggage penalty!
Flippancy aside. A skillful multi-talented team working on such a project with a real budget? The wisdom of our culture given air time with style and humor?
Branches which allow the user to try to deal with that conflict situation in their next game in other ways--including some skillful ones--might help some real information to take root. Even in economic rationalist times this makes sense. Parenting, job skills, business management....., what a gem of a model!
[quoting Garcia, 20 Mar 95] 1. Who needs it? (Did they request it?) 2. Why do they need it? (Are the reasons clear?) 3. What do they need? (Will this research help to meet it?) 4. Where do they need it? (Is it for a classroom, department, or a whole system? ) 5. When do they need it? (Timing is everything; prioritize.) 6. How do we meet it?
To which I add: 7. How do we make the required learning irresistible?