Experiences authoring interactive pedagogical dramas

The focus of this article is the design of Interactive Pedagogical Dramas (IPD). An IPD is a computer-generated environment that immerses the learner as an active participant in an engaging, evocative story, populated with animated characters. The story unfolds based on the learner’s decisions. The various design issues that are faced in crafting IPDs will be covered. In particular, how pedagogy can be incorporated into the learner’s interaction with the narrative will be discussed. The discussion will be illustrated using several existing IPDs. Finally, we will conclude with several observations on the design process for IPDs and possible new directions for this design process.