Elaboration Theory



 Pedagogy   Elaboration Theory

Elaboration theory is an instructional design theory, developed by Charles Reigeluth in the 1970s and 1980s. Reigeluth suggests that material to be learned in graduated order from from simple to complex. His fundamental hypothesis is that use of motivators, analogies, summaries and syntheses will lead to effective learning. Applying these components to well designed videogames shows us the games can support learner centric instruction:. This ordering is arranged into seven major strategy components which are

An Elaborative Sequence
Well designed and coherant videogames follow a sequence that gets incrementally more difficult as the Player (Learner) progresses. Games can provide their own theoretical, procedural and conceptual concepts in that they provide the Learner with a context, an ability to navigate or move around that context and a particular goal or objective within  that context.

Learning Prerequisite Sequences
Videogames demand that you learn before you proceed. They have two mechanisms for this:


 * Tutorials: Games designers will often provide turorials to familiarise players with the controls or new skills that are required for new sections or sequences of the game.


 * Locked sequences:Game designers may stop your progress until you have acquired a particular artifact or skill level.

Summary
Videogames provide constant information (often by means of a Heads Up Display (HUD)) on what the player has achieved so far and how the Learner is progressing against their current objectives. Progress bars, maps etc

Synthesis
This component is particular to the game but the common experince of well designed videogames is that you proceed through knowledge gained from earlier in the sequence and also from agile solution prototyping (the player will adjust techniques until they find a solution) How would you describe your familiarity with DGBL? I am an active User of Game Based Learning. I have used DGBL before but not now I have considered using DGBL I have not considered DBGL I consider DGBL to be inappropriate I don't know what DGBL is exactly.

Analogies
Players can often take learnings from one game into another. for example FPS (first person shooter games) often share much of the same user control features. Also strategies developed inone game can be applied and modified in others.

Cognitive Strategies
A good game designer will invent strategies that the player must uncover and apply to gain a win. Special strategies will exist to provide Epic wins. Epic wins are the A+ of games.

Learner Control
The player (learner) must have some control over their experience in the game. This is fundamental to game. 



 