SIR World Langages Investigation Abstract
TESTING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF A MYST-BASED GAME IN TEACHING FRENCH CULTURE
Presenter:
Yuan Liu, Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy, 1500 West Sullivan Road, Aurora, IL 60506
Advisors:
Ms. Brenda Crosby, Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy, 1500 West Sullivan Road, Aurora, IL 60506
Ms. Willa Shultz, Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy, 1500 West Sullivan Road, Aurora, IL 60506
Abstract:
The goal of my inquiry was to create a Myst-based game that would teach French culture. Myst is a computer game that pioneered goal-oriented gaming. I wanted to use a goal-oriented approach in my game as well. My mentors and I decided to focus on contemporary slang. One phrase is “voir trente-six chandelles,” which literally means to see thirty six candles but refers to being knocked out. The game was created in Macromedia Flash because of my familiarity with the program and its compatibility with every web browser. The game advances through a plot and along the way, the player is exposed to challenging puzzles and scenes that involve French slang. One of the puzzles asks the player to put into order five shapes according to three polygons that represent each of them. At the end of each of the three levels, an assessment that calls on what the player has learned is given. In order to test the effectiveness of the game, a pre and post-game test will be given to see how much the player has improved in terms of contemporary French slang. Completion and testing of the game will be accomplished by the end of the year.