Learning more about conversations

The Campie P7s  just brim with ideas and insights when we gather them round for the latest demo and discussion, and it is a real joy to run each session and hear what they have to say. Judy makes speedy notes on all their contributions, which I will have to raid to give specific quotes, but the overall impression is that the children are quick to learn and are applying lots of prior knowledge from their reading and writing, even when we are working on visual aspects of the game. Last week we looked at some of the more advanced features of the conversation writer, and we all learned a thing or two, adults included . . .

Having previously shown the children the basics of the Conversation Writer, when everyone created a simple branching conversation, the time had come to introduce them to the "Add Action" function. This could ultimately lead to some of them exploring the programing that goes on behind the actions, but it immediately offers everyone ways to add to their storytelling power and player engagement within the game: the designer has an additional means of guiding the player towards a pathway through the game, and the storyline can further develop as choices and actions occur - yet without the use of conventional written narrative. 

The children had been quite taken with the way Maisie Rabbit followed the player when an offer of help was given, and discovered that this was known as becoming the player's ally. An alternative to this was to add an attack if the player decided not to get involved in the quest to help Cedric Bear.The majority of children very quickly came up with  quality dialogue and genuine, worthwhile choices for the player, and were quick to harness the action function and test the results in their game - even though this meant getting killed along the way! They were inquisitive about the drop down menus and one added an action called "Player performs a noble act" and another added "Player performs an evil act". They added multiple actions including giving gold and experience points. We will post some screenshots of the children's dialogue ideas very soon.

I then gathered the children round and ran my game to show them how conversation with a character can be conditional on a particular set of circumstances. When the player approaches Cedric Bear, he just keeps repeating that he is too distracted by the loss of his cloak to talk. The children swiftly inferred that the player might do well to try and find the cloak, which, for demo and testing purposes, I had placed close by. We checked the player's inventory to be sure there was no cloak there, then picked up the cloak to see what would happen next.

This time, with cloak in hand, the player found that Cedric no longer complained but rather he offered useful information about the plight of the land and how the player might help. When we checked the player inventory again, the cloak had gone, and the player had gained 200 hundred gold pieces. The children were quick to suggest that the cloak had been handed over and the gold was a reward, and we discussed the possibility that the player might need that gold in order to accomplish some other task in the game or to be allowed to talk to another character.

In addition to showing the children how plot items can help to take the story forward and provide interest for the player when used to place conditions on a conversation, we also looked at how to examine the cloak and they discovered that it had yet more story information to offer - we will look next week at how to put such information into books and other important plot items.

The next step was to open the Conversation Writer and see how all of this was done. The trick is to start by adding a choice, but for the creature, rather than the player. The children were then quick to see that what Cedric had said first actually came second on Conversation Writer screen. This is because the computer checks for any conditions set on the first line of conversation, and if they are not met it will always revert to the second line. The children also noted how the Add Action function had been combined with the Add Condition so that the cloak was removed and a reward given. They then dashed off to add a tagged plot item to their area and start to make a conditional conversation relating to it. Some pupils could quickly see how this facility related already to what they were trying to do in their game - one child's game requires the player to find a special necklaces, in another the player is asked to search for lost items of armour.

We ran out of time, of course, but will recap on this next week, and try to build on the language work they have been doing in class to ensure that quality dialogue and storytelling continue to develop. We have learned that whilst there is much in the Conversation Writer to get excited about - it does seem to have the power to support children's storytelling techniques - the children need time. They need time to explore the rest of the toolset to develop ideas that will help the dialogue evolve, and they need time to explore the functionality of the Conversation Writer in its own right and to think how to harness that power to weave the threads of their plot and its quests.

So, we will spend the next visit supporting dialogue development rather than rushing on to think about transitions - which would only complicate the dialogue possibilities even further! But we are heartened by the fact that although the children are actually getting very little hands-on time (we only have 10 laptops available), they are still coming up with great ideas and seem to be learning very quickly. Just think what it will be like when this resource is available for ordinary whole class use!

"Conversation writer helped me think of the plot for my project, Characters Names,Places to go , find stuff that is hidden." (Rebecca)

"This really helped me develop my conversation and decide whether to make the animal nice or nasty!!! Thanks to the Adventure Author Team!!!!!!!!!!" (Morgan)

Comments

[Judy Martin]

Thank you Adventure Author team, Miss Collins and Class for the detailed comments in your blogs on how to work with this fantastic resource in the classroom to develop literacy, problem-solving and creativity. I enjoy logging in each day to see what clever things you've been up to!

[Gail Dyer]

It is really interesting to read about how the Adventure Author has developed since the beginning. You are so fortunate to be working in an environment which is so encouraging of such initiative. Thanks for connecting us with Judy. Look forward to meeting her next week when she visits. To think connections are made across the world to like minds in the same city. Will keep reading and commenting with enjoyment. Brilliant!

[Judy Martin]

Gail, I can't wait to meet up next week! It is funny to think that we should link up via people on the other side of the world, when we are just a 'stone's throw' away from each other. Are you getting as excited as I am about the possibilities of creating what Campie P7's have, right here in our own schools?

[gail dyer]

This is just so exciting to be part of, even if vicariously. To know Judy, Kathrin, Kieron and have talked with them about the balloons which seem to have mutated into fridge magnets (clever) to have been in the classroom with Kathrin, she is trully fine educator and seen how she has the kids eating out of her hands, I sit here reading the observations and wishing that we could experience and be supported in such a dynamic, fascinating way of accessing and engaging students. Judy M both Kim and I are really looking forward to meeting with you and seeing how we can become a support / inspiration for each other in the vaccuum in which we are working at the moment.

[Cathrin Howells]

Gail, Judy, it's just great to have your enthusiastic and supportive comments - thank you so much - and if there's anything we can do to help you develop things on your side of the world, we will do our best to help. Very happy to chat about the literacy, learning and teaching angles. I have to say I feel very privileged to be part of this project, it's probably the best thing I have done in the whole of my career in education, and I do feel we are on the brink of being able to offer something quite special and powerful that has the potential to make a real difference to children and teachers. I hope to spend some time over the summer developing support materials and guidance info so that future projects can become more independent. It's really good to know that you are keen to try similar things in your neck of the woods, and we'd love to know how you get on.

[Judy Martin]

Cathrin, thanks for your offer of support. I'm very keen to try something similar to what you have been doing, once the software has passed through the trial stage. Support materials and info on how to plan and teach such a project would be a huge asset to teachers also. I'll definitely keep in touch to let you know how I get on.

[Gail Dyer]

Cathrin we are keen to try what you have been doing and we know it will benefit our students language learning ad creativity enormously. I know Kim and Judy have now met thanks to you and they will no doubt be in touch and there will be communication. We will continue to follow the path of Adventure Author it is an exciting project.