Now that the game prototype is finished, I have been spending time getting the instructional materials ready. First to be created was the story, which the students will read before doing the related exercises and playing the game:
I was able to find several websites dealing with recycling in Germany and Austria (Berlin sammelt and Umweltprofis) and I adapted the information from these websites so that it was appropriate for a first-year German student. Basically, the reading details how recycling is sorted in Germany and simply presents factual information on the types of recycling bins available. The exercises that will follow (yet to be created) will personalize this information for the student. For example, a fill-in-the-blank story that describes how a student in Germany recycles objects in her apartment. The experiment group, of course, will use the game as a means whereby this learning can be made even more subjective and personal, hopefully resulting in measurable improved learning outcomes.
