The Transformational Framework

Thesis Study

To think about designing a game experience for my thesis study. I think the barriers in The Transformational Framework could help me articulate the problem easier.

Types Of Barriers

• Motivation: It doesn’t align strongly with their wants or needs. E.g., lack of interest could be a barrier in the understanding of history events
• Relevance: Something seems distant or disconnected from your audience. E.g., distance from the impact of a social justice issue could be a barrier in generating activism
• Social Norms: Your audience has taboos or biases that interfere with their transformation. E.g., social norms about gender roles can be a barrier to equal rights for women in some cultures
• Access: Your audience lacks resources or is blocked from resources that are needed to be transformed. E.g., lack of regular access to healthcare could be a barrier to improving patient self-advocacy skills
• Ability: It requires practiced skill your audience lacks. E.g., the pronunciation of unfamiliar speech sounds can be a barrier to foreign language fluency
• Complexity: It overwhelms your audience in its scope. E.g., the complex nature of medical surgeries could be a barrier to preventing errors that impact patient safety
• Unfamiliarity: Your audience isn’t aware of something or only minimally aware of it. E.g., the invisible nature of atoms could be a barrier to understanding chemistry
• Misconceptions: Your audience actively believes something that isn’t true. E.g., misconceptions about what items can be recycled could be a barrier to effective recycling in a community
• Fear: There’s a (perceived or actual) risk or danger that prevents your audience from being transformed. E.g., apprehension about a positive diagnosis could be a barrier to improving STD testing rates.

Your game will address it, by:

• Trying to eliminate it. e.g., The barrier is a misconception — your game prominently features and dispels this misconception
• Trying to scaffold over or around it. e.g., The barrier is a cultural norm which makes talking about your topic taboo — your game uses a metaphor and fantasy theming to avoid triggering these feelings of breaking a taboo

Your game won’t address it, by:

• Using it to constrain your audience further. e.g., The barrier is access to resources — you decide that although some of your initial target audience may not have access, you still feel like you can best make progress towards your purpose by accepting that your audience will be limited to those with access
• Acknowledging it but focusing on other barriers. e.g., The barrier is unfamiliarity with subject-matter information. You decide focusing on this barrier is not in- scope for your team, instead of allowing that structures outside your game (such as classroom instruction) will need to address this barrier while your game supports other barriers such as motivation.

Reference
http://press.etc.cmu.edu/index.php/product/the-transformational-framework/