The Interactive Fiction (I.F.) Manifesto
Since first encountering Interactive Fiction in circa 2004, one of my creative dreams has been to produce a work of Interactive Fiction (I.F.) on my own. For me, the thrill of creating an actual game far outweighs the challenges posed by understanding the coding process and understanding “natural language” - a subset of the English language that operates with imperatives.
I’ve had numerous responses to I.F., ranging from the ever excitable “cool” to the whining lament saying that it’s “too hard to play with.” However, only recently have I opened myself up to the idea of integrating text based games.
I believe, firmly, that while text games are engaging and fun for some, they can also prove to be extremely helpful learning aids in classrooms. The encourage creativity and gauge cognitive abilities like critical thinking, analysis and reasoning.
Visualization
Integrating creativity and higher student involvement in order to facilitate learning is certainly not a new concept. We know that audio-visual aids tend to have higher retention rates, and from an unofficial survey of my own students, who are now learning at a developmental level, I’ve found that a lesson packs a stronger punch if it’s combined with a video aid.
Since sense stimulation is the objective, and “interactivity” is the key concept here, I believe that Interactive Fiction can, should and must be employed as an educative aid. Some of us probably remember the Carmen Sandiego games and cartoon shows.
Certainly, Interactive Fiction is a text heavy concept, but considering that it requires solving a puzzle, I think that small chunks of text would be read and understood more clearly than a page full of words.
Going North
In addition to relying on text and user interaction, IF games also work heavily with compass directions. And the clues for walking towards the right direction are usually in the “stage” directions.
For example, if the game directions tell you that while you’re standing in a gallery, with the door to the porch towards the south, it might not do you any good to start walking north.
Imagine, if you will, an I.F. game being used in a Geography class. As a Geography teacher, one would want students to know how physical areas exist in relation to one another.
In a Carmen Sandiego and normal classroom world, we would have visual aids. But what if visual aids weren’t available to facilitate learning?
For someone who might be directionally dysfunctional, or just poor at Geography, perhaps textually understanding spatial relations may prove beneficial.
If the game directions go thusly:
“You live in Connecticut and you are thinking of traveling to Maine. Maine is to the north of Connecticut. The country side in Maine is more rustic, the drive is scenic and full of trees, and you desperately need to get away from the suburban/ city living.”
Once the “stage directions” have been given, it’s time for the user to step in and interact with the text. The process really just boils down to conflict-resolution or goal achievement.
If the goal, in the above example, is to leave Connecticut and head towards Maine, you might want to tell the game to “Go to Maine.” However, a more directionally appropriate response would be to simply type in “Go North” or “N.”
From a cognitive point of view, since the game says Maine is north of CT, and that’s where one wants to reach by the end of the game, going north makes logical sense. For someone who wouldn’t necessarily know that Maine is to the north of CT without seeing the clue in the directions, typing in “Go North” might switch a light on in their minds.
Working Logic
The game I’ve worked on is a simple example of the logical steps one needs to take in order to achieve a goal.
The objective of my game is to be able to get downstairs from the bedroom into the kitchen and eat eggs for breakfast.
The plot, if there is one, along with the tasks that need to be accomplished, is simple. However, I believe that the sheer simplicity of the plot demonstrates the need for critical thinking, logical reasoning and application of these skills to learning. They are some of the abilities that I, and all teachers, evaluate on a constant basis.
If the kitchen is on the first floor, and the fridge is in the kitchen, and the eggs are in the fridge, logically, the fridge is the object that must be reached in order to achieve the goal of the game.
Retention
Of course, retention is also a part of learning, and IF games can gauge retentive abilities as well. Since the games are constructed like maps, a complex layout requires remembering the path taken to retrace it.
For example, if the stairs in the house lead you up from the kitchen, into the bedroom, which is west of the library, which in turn is south from the terrace, returning to the kitchen requires remembering the direction take to get to the terrace in the first place.
Why IF?
Even though Interactive Fiction has been around for a while, especially since the days of Zork, in my opinion, it hasn’t been utilized enough to the point of including people who aren’t aware of it already. But also because getting students involved with Interactive Fiction has the possibility of increasing their learning abilities and outcomes and their skill set.
According to a study reported by the New York Times, participation in activities related to new media gives youth “the technological skills and literacy they need to succeed in the contemporary world. They’re learning how to get along with others, how to manage a public identity, how to create a home page” (Lewin 1). While they’re learning how to get along with others, I believe that through Interactive Fiction, they can also sharpen their practical real world skills. Like finding their way out a forest using a compass.
If socializing and learning are moving on to a new medium of communication, then what better way to provide impetus to learning than through interactivity.
