Graduation Year
2014
Document Type
Thesis
Degree
M.A.
Degree Granting Department
English
Major Professor
Marc C. Santos, Ph.D.
Committee Member
Meredith Zoetewey, Ph.D.
Committee Member
Julie Staggers, Ph.D.
Keywords
persuasive games, procedural rhetoric, technical communication
Abstract
For my thesis, I have undertaken the creation of a persuasive game to advance a particular argument of the way that work is performed in the field of technical communication. Designed using procedural rhetoric, with an attention to aesthetics, fun, and the qualities that make games viable pedagogical tools, my game has been programmed using HTML5 and JavaScript, and made freely available online at RhetoricalGamer.com. This written document is meant to serve as a supplement to the game, providing a rationale for the use of games in education and in technical communication; a definition of procedural rhetoric and the necessary qualities of game design to ensure that the rhetoric operates correctly; and a detailed breakdown of the final elements and mechanics in place within my game. It is my hope that this work will serve as an exemplar for others interested in pursuing the creation of persuasive games, as a case study for the application of procedural rhetoric to education, and as a means of advancing technical communication's study of games and their relationship with such emerging technologies.
Scholar Commons Citation
Walsh, Eric, "Hermes, Technical Communicator of the Gods: The Theory, Design, and Creation of a Persuasive Game for Technical Communication" (2014). USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations.
https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/etd/5147
