The Heights is a virtual community that provides users with an opportunity to understand the complex and reciprocal nature of the environment upon an individual, family, group, or community through case-based learning and simulation. The purpose of The Heights is to augment and support learning and training and prepare social work students for a complex practice world. This project transformed case studies from within The Heights into interactive narrative experiences, providing a more engaging and immersive method of learning and practicing skills important to social worker responsibilities. Playtesting one of the new case studies suggested that the new design is entertaining and engaging. Further testing, such as comparing the old style of the case studies against the new style, as well as testing with social workers would provide valuable information about how effective the new design is at acting as a training simulation for social work students.

Creator

• Randive, Gaurav Nitin

Contributors

• deWinter, Jennifer
• Schneider, Ben

Degree

• MS

Unit

• Interactive Media & Game Development

Publisher

• Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Identifier

• etd-81161

Advisor

• deWinter, Jennifer

Defense date

• 2022-10-01

Year

• 2022

Date created

• 2022-11-03

Resource type

• Report

Source

• etd-81161

Rights statement

• In Copyright

Last modified

• 2022-12-09