About
A new type of Language Learning
We've been developing Zon in our minds for years, but only recently were we able to give Zon shape in the digital realm. Dr. Yong Zhao, a Michigan State University Distinguished Professor, originally outlined the concept in a paper three years ago in 2004. From there it has taken us four years to create the game and three design iterations before becoming the reality it is today. Without the sponsorship of the Office of the Chinese Language Council International (Hanban) and Michigan State University Zon would never have existed. It is only through their insight and pursuit of excellence in international education that we'd have the resources to produce such a unique and exciting learning game.
Sponsors
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Zon is a multiplayer, online learning environment designed to teach Chinese language and culture through gameplay. As a web-based site, Zon provides real-time, on-demand connection to interactive learning activities and authentic cultural information. Zon players are motivated not only by their intrinsic desire to learn more about Chinese language and culture, but also the ability to interact with engaging story-driven plot lines, interesting characters, and fellow players. Zon is built on the premise that learning is interactive. The game provides the opportunity for players to learn from non-player characters (NPCs), responsive game agents, and other players. Throughout each scene, players can engage with various elements of the environment, but they can also speak with other players in that scene or elsewhere in Zon. This allows for players to learn from both the designed game elements and other players. In this way, Zon is designed to provide social and environmental scaffolds to support player learning.
More about Zon - Gameplay