Abstract
Narrative-centered learning environments hold significant promise for K-12 STEM education. Much of the appeal of narrative-centered learning arises from the capability of narrative to provide a meaningful structure for integrating pedagogical objectives into a unifying, coherent form that serves as a powerful motivating force for students. This chapter explores the relationship between narrative-centered learning and student motivation. Connections are drawn between motivational factors and narrative context through an examination of the crystal island narrative-centered learning environment. Drawing on the results from studies of middle school students interacting with crystal island we consider the hypothesis that narrative can simultaneously promote learning and increase students’ motivation.
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Acknowledgements
The authors wish to thank members of the IntelliMedia Group of North Carolina State University for their assistance, Omer Sturlovich and Pavel Turzo for use of their 3D model libraries, and Valve Software for access to the Source™ engine and SDK. This research was supported by the National Science Foundation under Grants REC-0632450, DRL-0822200, and IIS-0812291. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation. Additional support was provided by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, and EDUCAUSE.
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Lester, J.C., Rowe, J.P., Mott, B.W. (2013). Narrative-Centered Learning Environments: A Story-Centric Approach to Educational Games. In: Mouza, C., Lavigne, N. (eds) Emerging Technologies for the Classroom. Explorations in the Learning Sciences, Instructional Systems and Performance Technologies. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-4696-5_15
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