Below is an instructional game prototype with the idea sparked by Kylie Gross & Kat Abe; developed by Dr. Ensmann using GameWise Gigi, an artificial intelligent (AI) bot by Dr. Ensmann. 
3. Gigi led me through the steps, but essentially this is how we developed it. I reiterated this process several times, learning about coding and the authoring tools as we progressed, asked her to code it for Twine and inserted it into the Twinery free webbased platform.
How we created the instructional game prototype:
  1. I input the instructional game concept to GameWise Gigi, who reminded me to ground it on foundational theories. 
  2. After we established the game premise, mechanics, and gameplay feel I wanted, I asked her to provide a storyboard.
Picture
Storyboard using GameWise Gigi
PictureFlowchart using Twine
4. After testing it in Twine and finding non-working links, I asked Gigi to recode it in HTML which she then returned the icon to play and test it. 
6. I did some research to ensure I did not copyright labels.​
7. Copied the HTML code into an embedded widget in my free Weebly account and Voila! You can see the final prototype below.
We are not just making a game— 
We’re designing an empathy engine.
​How do you want learners/players to feel at the end of gameplay?
​5. I then took the HTML code, placed it in JSFiddle.net, an HTML editor, and adjusted the code to improve the gameplay. ​
* Pros of using AI to aid in the instructional design process: Days of time saved. Learned something new each time from coding to authoring tool use!
* Cons: Had to take the time to review and ensure I was driving the direction of this product and not a machine. Hours of time are also still needed to improve this to full game status, but we have a prototype (a functional instructional game to communicate the academic product we envisioned)!
Under the Surface Prototype

Under the Surface

An Interactive Narrative Game About Student Homelessness

By Kylie Gross, Kat Abe, and Dr. Ensmann

Authoring tools used: GameWise GiGi LLM and JSFiddle.net

□ Premise

Experience life through the eyes of those who don’t see what's really happening. Play as a classmate or professor trying to help Jack, a student hiding his homelessness. Your empathy and perception shape his future.

□ Gameplay

  • Text-based narrative with decision-making
  • Inventory system for tracking subtle clues
  • Multiple endings: Graduation, Continued Struggle, Dropout

□ Educational Value

Learn about the invisible challenges faced by homeless university students. Develop empathy, observation skills, and awareness through meaningful gameplay.

Under the Surface - HTML Version

Under the Surface

Instructional Game Prototype