Reflection
This was my first time using Twine to make a text-based game; I have to mention that Twine is a very user-friendly tool for creating interactive, nonlinear stories! I thoroughly enjoyed developing this story that features two classic learning types.
Hypertext’s multiplicity gives readers a changed experience when communicating with the text (Bolter, 2001). Compared to traditional books with single orders of sections and pages, hypertext provides a story network (Bolter, 2001). Even though I determined the paths of the story, I still tried to give readers “the illusion of control” by letting them choose their preferred links (Bolter, 2001, p.43). For example, I set out choices such as “Are you a cat person/a dog person?”
Creation process
1. Main Topic & Ideas
After deciding on the main topic, I started by brainstorming and laying out a network of ideas in a less formal way. In this “prewriting” activity, I was overwhelmed with ideas, as Bolter (2001) mentioned, and had to organize and summarize the text at the end (p.33).
2. Draft document
When writing the draft document, I tried to find matched pictures simultaneously. Additionally, I decided which specific words or phrases to use as hide/show text or to change the page.
3. Build on Twine
Then I just copied text in my draft and pasted it in the passage windows on Twine. Testing every passage after finishing was essential during this stage to ensure the story paths were connected through the textual space.
4. Adjust details
Ultimately, I adjusted the text color to match the associated images on a specific page. Also, I learned from an online Twine tutorial to make the size of images adjustable along with that of the browser window.
Twine Game
I hope you enjoy! Click here for playing online: What is Learning?
Here is the zip file link: learning.html
References
Bolter, J. D. (2001). Writing space: Computers, hypertext, and the remediation of print. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.