This interactive multimedia program was designed as a means of testing engagement and motivation.

Eight learning effects were built into the microworld:

• Immersion
• Reflection
• Flow/play
• Collaboration
• Learner control
• Curiosity
• Fantasy
• Challenge

ORIGIN OF THE LEARNING DESIGN
The project was begun within the Faculty of Business to provide an exemplar for other staff IN the use of multimedia as a teaching tool. It received a small internal grant, but was mostly produced through goodwill.

TIMES THE LEARNING DESIGN HAS BEEN USED
It was used several times until the content expert resigned from the University. It is now somewhat outmoded.

DISSEMINATION
The program has been given to academics from other institutions, but only as an exemplar.

RESEARCH CONDUCTED ON THE DESIGN
The research on the microworld formed the basis of a Ph.D study. The study set out to define the characteristics of adult motivation and engagement in learning, and to identify a set of guidelines for the development of engaging and motivating interactive multimedia.

The study was conducted using a combination of ethnographic action research and grounded theory as these allowed the researcher to focus on a specific problem relevant to the actual situation and allowed patterns in observations to be detected. The study used descriptive methodology to report what actually happened whilst looking for relationships between design elements, with cross-sequential sampling overcoming the problems of mono-operation bias.

All students undertaking the program were given pre-, post- and delayed-post tests. A group of students were observed and video recorded using the program. They were divided into pairs and single users, and their progress through the program closely monitored. They were also interviewed using open-ended questions to gather their views on the program. A large group of students (n=130) were also given the program, and were asked to complete a questionnaire on their views.

Findings:

Students enjoyed the learning environment, claiming that the non-realistic graphics enhanced rather than hindered their progress. They liked the authentic context and the fact that the content was represented in a multiplicity of ways. The study showed that students adapted differing navigational methods to progress through the program, but having settled on a path tended not to deviate from it throughout each phase of the program.

The study also highlighted the fact that such an environment is probably more effective in promoting incidences of reflection and higher-order thinking among collaborating students, although, with sufficient scaffolding elements built into the program, students working in isolation may achieve some of the same effects from collaboration with the program itself.

Another effect of using the microworld was that students could relate their learning back to their everyday lives, as well as place themselves into the environment. These factors, combined with the gaming elements of trying to increase their wealth, created an environment that caused an increase in positive attitudes among both the male and the female students.

DESIGN EFFECTIVENESS VERSUS INTENDED OUTCOMES
Students certainly appeared to find the environment engaging and were motivated to improve their scores each quarter. The fact that almost all the students improved between the post- and the delayed-post test highlights the fact that ongoing learning was taking place outside of the program.

UNEXPECTED LEARNING OUTCOMES
The most unexpected result was the one outlined above, where students maintained their interest after they had completed the program, and reported that they were reading The Financial Review, The Economist, and were talking to experienced investors about some of the principles.

HOW LEARNER ENGAGEMENT IS SUPPORTED
The program was really built to accommodate the learners in nearly all of the above ways. Some students reported that they were able to concentrate better on the program than they could in traditional classes, and observations of them using the program enforced the fact that they experienced immersion and “optimal flow”, as all the students had to be reminded of the time.

The mindful engagement that derives from such a learning environment stems not only from the novelty, but from the realism, interactivity, fantasy, challenge, co-operation and immersion that is a natural extension to its benefits.

ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF LEARNING CONTEXT
Most of these points have been answered in other sections, but the students experienced positive transfer between their other subjects of study and their everyday lives.

Diversity issues were taken into account in the building of the program, with a mindful attempt at designing to accommodate not only culture, but also age and gender.

HOW THE LEARNING DESIGN CHALLENGES LEARNERS
The program presented many challenges to the students. The scope and depth of the content was challenging, and the presentation of conflicting information challenged the students to think about what they were doing and encouraged them to develop their own strategies for investment. The students made many comments on the challenges that they experienced, but few of the experiences were seen as negative or limiting. The challenges within the program appeared to strengthen its ability to engage the students and to maintain their interest and enthusiasm.

OPPORTUNITIES FOR PRACTICE
Because the students were immersed in a realistic and authentic learning environment, everything that they did related to practice. The act of investing, whether as a dyad or a single-allowed students to demonstrate their learning and receive almost instant feedback on their decisions. Students were not only asked to make investment decisions, but also personal decisions such as on ethics - again authentic decisions that caused many of them to mention that they'd talked about these things in other classes but it was not until they had to apply the concepts that they realised how difficult some of the dilemmas could be.