Against The Authority

Against The Authority is an alternate reality game (ARG) co-designed by Craig Hargraves and Dr Colleen Stieler-Hunt. It is designed to be used as a pedagogical tool to further the learning outcomes of SGD100 Introduction to Game Design course. The ARG interweaves a fictional story and quests with real-world class interactions. This is done through the class receiving messages from — and sending messages to — fictional ARG characters who live in a future in which games have been banned. Course materials are “hacked” by these fictional characters to set class quests. The game includes player (student) achievements, and a fictional story that aligns with course assessment tasks. We have found that the ARG provides additional opportunities for learning that did not exist prior to introducing the game; the way the ARG aligned with assessment provided extra meaning for the assessment tasks being completed; and students engaged with the ARG in many different ways. For an overview of the game, go to www.againsttheauthority.com/tour