Stories or Scenarios: Implementing Narratives in Gamified Language Teaching Joan-Tomàs Pujolà M. Vicenta González Argüello Universidad de Barcelona Universidad de Barcelona Barcelona, España Barcelona, España jtpujola@ub.edu vicentagonzalez@ub.edu ABSTRACT elements of the whole gamification procedure. As such, it is This study focuses on the analysis of the narratives of 29 convenient that the dynamics and mechanics of the game gamified didactic interventions (GDIs) by foreign language are closely related to the storyline chosen. The tension, the teachers. Two types of narrative were identified: those conflict, the challenges or the characters generate emotions which included a story, and those which only set up a in the students and thus make the experience immersive scenario. Both types were analysed considering the and, consequently, more memorable. Listening to stories following criteria: the narrative they were based on; the means the user will relate these stories to things they have genre applied; the plot they followed; their duration; the experienced themselves, making new connections [14]. inclusion of roleplaying; and their design appeal. Results Narratives usually make engagement easier and longer- show that most of the GDIs used a scenario since this lasting. According to Keller [16] “what we learn from makes implementation easier for teachers. However, the games is that adding narrative, storyline, a theme, or fun GDIs using a storyline as the backbone were more coherent graphics to our lessons and activities can help students be in their gamification as the elements were integrated in a more engaged.” meaningful way. Stories help us to organize and remember information and Author Keywords tie content together in a coherent way. Designing Gamification; Foreign Language Teaching; Narratives, gamification as a series of narrative experiences means you ACM Classification Keywords can design the emotional journey you would like you - Applying computing participant to go on [14]. Adding stories to learning  Education programs allows teachers to connect to the learners on an o Computer Assisted Instruction emotional level. Moreover, a story is the perfect way to o E-learning introduce an element of playfulness. This narrative layer opens up opportunities for being creative and could take INTRODUCTION learners to a higher motivational level, a level to get them Gamification narratives are a fundamental dynamic in a “hooked” on the storyline as if it were a book, a film or a gamified process [36] [14] and directly influence the type TV series. of gamification which is developed - that is, whether it be structural or content gamification [15]. Although it is Storytelling is one of the most enjoyable and effective possible to add a story, characters and other game elements pedagogical techniques in the development of language to structural gamification, adding story elements to a course skills in one's first language, and also in the acquisition of a could alter the content to make it more game-like [15] [8]. foreign or second language [18]. Digital storytelling Werbach and Hunter [36] listed the narrative as one of the specifically has become a way to motivate students to use game dynamics which is key for engaging participants. the language both inside and outside the classroom [25]. Narratives have always helped teachers to contextualise Introducing a semantic layer, either using a story or a theme language use in a meaningful way since they prompt [10], helps to give coherence to the gamification and helps learners to do something meaningful with the language they to make it more easily understood [3]. According to van der are meant to learn [28]. In this sense, there is a long Meer [23] “the narrative is the experiential scaffold within tradition in second language pedagogy of using role play the thematic framework that you’ve chosen. It is the actual and simulations [4] [17] as a way to set up scenarios where nuts and bolts of the experience that you want your players learners taking on roles can practise their language skills to go through.” Adding a story, a theme or a scenario to a and, at the same time, gain an understanding of socio- gamification could have a major impact on the other cultural aspects of the language they are learning. Reinhardt Copyright © 2019 for this paper by its authors. Use permitted under [28] underlines that “game-informed L2 instruction Creative Commons License Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0). recognizes the power of contextualization, but takes it In: J. Arnedo-Moreno, C.S. González, A. Mora (eds.): Proceedings of the further and, wherever possible, situates the language in 3rd International Symposium on Gamification and Games for Learning (GamiLearn’19), Barcelona, Spain, 22-10-2019, published at http://ceur- narrative and goal-directed behavior. [...] An activity, ws.org lesson, unit, or curriculum may be thematically structured around a narrative or set of narratives in which the learners hero must overcome throughout an adventure, subsequently are immersed and invited to narrativize”. coming home changed or transformed. This journey is the metaphor of the evolution of the character in the narrated Bearing all these concepts in mind, the study presented in story. The hero becomes the backbone of the narrative on this paper attempts to describe how 29 foreign language account of the vicissitudes through which he has to go. teachers developed their gamified didactic interventions in When designing stories in gamification scenarios relation to the selected narrative. Therefore, this study has Marczewski [20] prefers to apply a simple variation of this the following aims: to identify the type of narratives that the pattern, called the Soap Hero’s Journey (as it is popular in teachers chose for their GDIs; and to analyse their features soap operas), which implies the following of 4 or 5 phases: so as to understand the affordances of the narrative in the Calling, the Challenge, the Transformation, (the Twist, gamified language teaching. an optional stage) and the Resolution. In addition, the user’s THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK journey can even be condensed into 3 stages [23]: the Call, Stories have always been linked to the field of education. the Initiation and the Return. Nonetheless, Gomez [9] Long before pedagogy, orality was the medium through points out that the classic hero's journey structure is no which traditional fundamental knowledge was transmitted, longer useful since most narratives in the real world today and stories or parables were the main way of conveying this are collective ones. In such journeys the protagonist is one knowledge [5]. Likewise, popular culture has been passed member of a collective, the challenge can be huge or down to new generations through narratives (for instance pervasive, there are multiple perspectives and shifting stories, myths, legends, movies and novels). It is, in viewpoints, there is strength in diversity, and mentorships essence, an element that is used to contextualize are distributed. In these collective journey narratives information: "Narratives, like stories, function as cognitive everybody wins as they are able to move forward due to frameworks that contextualize new knowledge because their capacity for cooperation. some of the story elements are familiar" [34]. Some storylines in gamifications are imported directly from Within a classic conception, the narrative is defined like as successful video games [37]. “The difference between a text characterized by representing a succession of actions stories for games and stories for movies is that games are, over time [35]. Succession implies progress from an initial by definition, interactive. They don’t have “viewers,” they situation to a different final situation, a new state. This have “players,” and players play an active role.” [11]. In a progression establishes what is meant by story: "From a game, stories must be interactive [33]; they are not only to pragmatic point of view, the narrative must contain an be heard, read or seen. The player should have a sense of element of intrigue that structures and gives meaning to the agency [14], take an active role and be at the centre of the actions and events that take place over time." [21]. Todorov story. Regarding interactive narratives, Marczewski [20] [35] asserts that the narrative sequence is constructed from talks about the concept of the narrative atom, narrative five stages: units that can stand alone in a storyline. In non-linear branching narratives, as found in many video games, “each 1. A state of equilibrium. A specific space and time is narrative atom must be able to hold its own without the presented, along with the characters and the background of need for every other atom to support it”. Each atom should the action; have its own start, middle and end so the player can jump in 2. A disruption of that order by an event. A progression of and out of them depending on the choices made. The key incidents and episodes that entangle the action and maintain factor in interactive narratives is to make sure that every the intrigue is established; choice feels like it has meaning. Narrative choice 3. A recognition that the disorder has occurred. There is architecture, either real or fake, should be built carefully so recognition of the event that disturbed the equilibrium; as to ensure that players' decisions have some effect on the 4. An attempt to repair the damage incurred during the outcome [19]. disruption; 5. A return or restoration of a NEW equilibrium. A new Sailer et al. [32] show that narratives, avatars and the fact of state is shown, resulting from the actions taken and the working in groups and having teammates "affect outcome itself. experiences of social relatedness" and give meaning to gamification beyond the mere search for points, badges and Therefore, the main requirement in such a story is that there a better position in some classification. In this sense, Ruhi must be a change of state prompted by a causal relationship [31] considers that making a creative narrative context can within a certain period of time. help participants to be more motivated when participating There are diverse narrative patterns on how to develop a in a gamified action. Narratives, moreover, can be story such as the ones introduced by Vonnegut’s concept of constructed from a range of possibilities, from the most the universal shapes of stories [7]. Many narratives are complete fictional universe to a contextualization in the real characterized by following a pattern in which the story world. According to Sailer et al. [32], this "can enrich progresses from the monomyth or the Hero’s Journey [2]. boring, barely stimulating contexts, and, consequently, This idea focuses primarily on raising a problem that the inspire and motivate players and particularly if the story is in line with their personal interests". Stories help language education. The course was delivered in a blended- participants to be involved in the activities [30] and help learning format in two phases. The first one was a five- them to consider their own actions within gamified week online gamified program in which trainees received activities as more meaningful. However, Nicholson [24] is input on gamification in a foreign language education cautious in recommending the implementation of context. In the second phase, trainees had five months, with fantasy/fantastical narratives since players are placed the help of a course tutor, to plan, design and implement outside the real world, but finds the employment of analogy their own gamified didactic interventions (GDIs) for their useful as it may provide richness that the real-world setting respective groups of students. Trainees designed their GDIs does not. Gamification narratives may use metaphors as a according to their educational contexts taking into account tool [23] since it is “a powerful hook for our imaginations their students’ needs. They were in-service foreign to latch on to and is an efficient way to promote the trigger language teachers working in the EOI language schools in for a (new) behavior”. Catalonia (Spain), teaching English, French, Italian, German and Russian, all of them with ample language Ruhi [31] proposes three types of narratives, which are used teaching experience but none in gamification. as a single layer of gamification: integrated narratives, emerging narratives and interpreted narratives. The In a previous study Batlle & González [1] identified two different narratives are related to the different elements of types of narrative, one that includes stories, and another that gamification. The integrated narratives are related to the merely sets up imaginary scenarios to contextualise the mechanics and are those proposed by the designer of the learning tasks. The aim of this study is to go deeper into gamified action. The emerging narratives are related to the this concept to provide an answer to the following research dynamics and actions of the players-participants: "they are question: What features emerge from the GDIs that can be created by players during their interaction with the seen to characterize these two types of gamification gamification application in a dynamic fashion as they narrative? The answer to this question will provide relevant perform different activities" [31]. Finally, interpreted information on how language teachers are able to integrate narratives are related to aesthetics, understood as "the gamification narratives into their teaching and which desirable emotional responses evoked in the users when elements they use to develop them. they interact with the gamified system" [31]. According to Data in this study consists of 29 GDIs, their lesson plans, Ruhi, a successful gamified experience must show teaching materials and presentations of their interventions, coherence between the three types of narratives, that is, the collected from participants in two different editions of the designer's proposal is the one that the players both develop Gamelex course: 2016-17 and 2017-18. The analysis and, at the same time, experience in a personal way as they carried out followed a descriptive-interpretative approach participate in the gamified experience. that consisted of the following stages. Firstly, six areas of In storytelling, genre plays a determining role. According to analysis were identified: type of narrative, genre, plot, van der Meer [22], genre is a potent tool which creates a avatar or roleplaying, visual aesthetics, and duration of the scaffold for concepts, contexts and rules which can be GDIs. Secondly, an exhaustive revision of GDIs was placed on a narrative foundation, helping to connect the carried out in order to be able to determine which story with the player. Thus, if a recognisable genre is added characteristics of the narratives were present. This to the narrative it will deepen that connection even further. qualitative analysis for each area was carried out by the Genre gives participants a recognisable, somewhat researchers independently, with results being compared universal basis, which can then be transformed into a later and any disagreements being discussed jointly so as to different world with different rules, cultures, and customs. achieve inter-rater agreement and thus to ensure a higher reliability of the results. Finally, both researchers analysed Reiners,Wood & Dron [29] define narrative as: “unique the GDIs to identify patterns or trends in the narratives paths through the story which also enliven the story and combining the features of all the areas. “unfold in space” and support the process of understanding and building cognitive structures. Narratives are either pre- RESULTS scripted (ready to reveal their sequences of milestones and The results of the analysis will be presented in the same activities over and over again), or use exploration and goal- order as has been followed in the analysis of the data. oriented triggers to multiply the possible narratives that Firstly, the type of narratives will be described in two learners can indirectly choose from.” The scope of the categories: stories / scenarios; then the data related to the narrative must be suitably wide for learners to engage a other areas will be presented in the following order: the sense of curiosity and develop motivation for learning, genre the GDIs were based on, the plot they followed and the duration of the GDIs, then the roleplaying of the METHODOLOGY participants in the gamified tasks, and finally the degree of This study has been carried out within a continuing visual aesthetics applied in their gamified designs. professional development course about gamification called Gamelex at the IDP-ICE in the University of Barcelona [1] Stories and scenarios [27], which was devised to research gamification issues in The value of analysing which elements form the core of their own narrative, which is repeated, and the sum of gamification narratives comes from the importance of the all of them provides them with the solution to the narratives that contextualize new content and new teaching challenge posed. objectives [34] [6] [29]. This is even more relevant in the Genre context of teaching foreign languages, in which learning is "Genre is an overall categorization of a semiotic domain contextualised in such a way that language teachers try to where narrative can take place" [24]. In addition, genres help students live out communicative experiences similar to help to identify the students with the story from the moment those that they could experience outside the classroom. This they can recognize it thanks to their previous experiences implies that the stories or scenarios not only contextualize [24]. In the narratives of the GDIs there are different genres the learning experience, but they also contextualize it depending on whether they are designed around a story or a through themes that are close to the students’ reality, from scenario. These varied genres can be summarized as their own experiences or from the socio-cultural reality of follows (ordered from highest to lowest frequency in each the countries in which the target language is spoken. type group): The analysed narratives of the 29 GDIs fall into three Genre in stories categories (number of GDIs is indicated at the end of each Socio-cultural genres: in this group we have 13 GDIs that category and an example provided): are based on topics related to culture, such as art or cinema, with popular culture represented by some GDIs dealing a) A first category consisting of narratives that develop with customs and traditions. The importance of stories, in which the basic narrative stages of sociocultural issues lies in the fact that these are a key beginning, development and resolution are present, and component of communicative competence [12] that which culminate when the learning objectives are students of foreign languages usually work on in the achieved. (13 GDIs) language class in order to acquire the necessary skills to Example: GDI24 focused on the struggle of mafia communicate in the target language. There are five genre clans to take control of different areas of Sicily. The types which these GDIs are based on: i) Art, customs and goal was to get the maximum number of areas for each traditions of the countries in which the language is spoken of the clans, which prompted students to perform (6 GDIs); ii) Novels, cinema or TV series (4 GDIs); iii) language tasks in exchange for coins to buy more Famous people (1 GDI); iv) Serious games (1 GDI) and v) areas, bribe the police, etc. an initiative journey (1 GDI). b) A second category in which scenarios are set up to Genre in scenarios contextualize the gamified didactic experience. These In this group of 16 GDIs there is also a variety of genres: 7 scenarios are characterized by not having introduced GDIs dealt also with socio-cultural genres based on art, clearly the basic triadic stages of a story from the point customs and traditions of countries. For example, GDI17 of view of narratology. What they offer is a static celebrated 100 years of Russian cinema, while in GDI25 scenario in which events unfold. This type of narrative students were trying to recover lost art. There is also 1 is usually the same as the typical gamified tasks that GDI in which a scenario is created around a famous person. imitate or reproduce contests or quizzes. (14 GDIs) In this group, two different genres from those found in the Example: In GDI14 students had to participate in a story group are identified: 4 GDIs explored the knowledge contest that followed the idea of the TV show of the participants regarding customs and habits and another Masterchef. The goal was to get as many points as 4 GDIs were based on scenarios related to TV quizzes. possible by going through 3 tests consisting of a All of the GDIs coincide in starting from well-known simulation of “cooking” 3 different dishes. products easily recognizable to the participating students. This recognition is a feature that seems to facilitate entering c) A third category in which the narratives are constructed smoothly into the narrative storyline and the students’ from a succession of scenarios. In this group there are enjoyment thereof. GDIs that have trips to different destinations as the backbone of the narrative. In each of the destinations, Plot: Contextualisation or Storyline students seek some information but the tasks done in The 16 narratives that set up a scenario described an one destination are repeated in the following imaginary context where the learning tasks took place and destination, so that there is no progression of a story. (2 no storyline is developed. They create only a situation, GDIs) sometimes simulating real life experiences. However, Example: If we look at GDI29, the students have to within the 13 GDIs that included a story, two types of plot collect information about the different countries that were identified, according to their storyline complexity: make up the Francophonie. The same tests are - a unique linear plot, in which a sequential storyline is proposed for each of the countries, so each of the followed and no complications or twists are groups worked through similar tasks in a different encountered (10 GDI). Example, in GDI13 the scenario. In each of the places, each group develops students had to prepare a project to redesign the Trans-Siberian journey, all the actions that they Those GDIs that covered up to 6 sessions but that did not carried out were geared towards that final goal. exceed two months were characterized by leaving some time in each class session to do activities related to the - a complex linear plot in which a sequential storyline is gamified experience. also followed, but there is more than one puzzle or challenge to overcome in various narrative threads (3 Roleplaying GDI). Example: In GDI16, based on the film series Learners could take another identity in the GDIs as most “The Hunger Games”, the students are divided into were assigned a role to play, a typical feature of some different districts and have to interact with each other gamifications. However, these roles cannot be considered in order to free them from the problem they have (they as avatars since they do not receive any particular lost their memory). In addition to this common and personality traits. There are two groups of roleplaying final goal, other specific objectives in the storyline identified in the data: in 12 GDIs the teacher assigned one emerge such as identifying the infiltrators or role to learners and in 17 more than one role was assigned. preparing a trip to gain the favour of the smuggler. From the first group some differences can be established: there are 6 GDIs that consider the group of students as The type of plot that does not appear in our data corpus is simply being themselves, not taking on a special role that of a branching storyline, typical of a videogame. beyond the role of being a player. Example: In GDI10, the Duration students participate in a game that imitates the competition The length of time of the GDIs is also analysed to find out of the film Oscars in which they have to demonstrate their if this factor has implications for how trainees managed to knowledge about cinema. integrate the narrative. Three groups can be established: In the second group there are another 6 GDIs which those that were developed in a single class session (3 assigned a role linked to the narrative. It should be noted GDIs), those that were developed in several sessions close how these role plays have been integrated into the narrative together in time (12 GDIs) and those that took place over a through learners having to assume the peculiarities of the more prolonged period of time (14 GDIs). assigned roles and to act in accordance with the underlying The GDIs with only one session are characterized by an story. Examples: Students played the role of travellers in intensive session in which the storyline does not have time two GDIs and in the other GDIs the role of experts, to become complex. walkers, cooks, and volunteers to work on the farm. From the fourteen GDIs with more sessions two subgroups Regarding the second group, in which the teacher assigned emerge: different roles to the learners, two more groups are identified, the GDIs with 2 roles and those with 3 or more. - few full sessions over time (7 GDIs). Example: GDI15 The 3 GDIs with two roles are characterized by one of them (4 sessions in 4 weeks) GDI20 (4 sessions in 2 months), being the leader of the group (such as in GDI3, the captain) GDI22 (6 sessions in a month), GDI25 (3 sessions in 1 and the rest of the group assuming the same role month), GDI26 (4 sessions in 2 months), GDII27 (3 (guardians). activities in 2) months), GDI8 (5 sessions in 4 months). 13 GDIs that include 3 or more roles are characterized by GDI26 took place over 2 months, during which time each of the participants having to assume the features of the students concentrated their tasks on written their roles in the context of a group. From the didactic expression, reading comprehension and audiovisual perspective, this is a beneficial feature because students understanding, but the actual gamification consisted of must clearly form collaborative groups of as many 4 sessions. In-between the teaching sessions, students participants as there are roles in the group [32]. Some had the chance to carry out activities of a certain examples: In GDI2 there were 4 roles: "Commissaire de degree of complexity. Police", "Officier de Police", "Ingénieur de la Police Technique et Scientifique" and "Technique de la Police - small parts of sessions repeated over time (7 GDIs) Technique et Scientifique"; or in GDI25, each student in Example: GDI3 (over the course of 3 months), GDII7 groups of three was an expert in a different art. (8 weeks), GDI9 (4 months), GDI11 (4 months), GDI18 (3 months), GDI19 (3 months), GDI29 (4 months). There are also 2 GDIs that are halfway between the types described above. In those cases, teachers divided the class GDI3 took place over 3 months, during which time the into groups and assigned a generic role. For instance: In activities (video selection, audiovisual comprehension, GDI24 the class was divided into 3 groups and each of the etc.) were being carried out during class time and also groups belonged to a different mafia clan, and in GDI16 outside the class. This extensive GDI was developed students in groups were inhabitants of different German with enough time for the students to receive feedback, Federal States. to review their own activities, to deliver them, to receive their reward, and also to carry out other Finally, there is one unique case in GDI19 as there were 5 activities. roles assigned in a diverse way. In groups of three, students were assigned the following roles: mission coordinator, feature into account in a serious way. Example: In GDI16, communications & IT expert and linguistic expert. The the leaderboard took the form of the map of Germany by same roles were assigned for each group. However, there graphically differentiating the different states that was also a murderer and a secret link in the class group. participate in the game. On this map the students had to move on earning points (currency created for the game) To sum up, roleplaying is a key feature in the gamification and badges (especially designed) won by each of the teams. narratives in our data and is closely related to the concepts of cooperation and competitiveness. There are those GDIs DISCUSSION that included roles either individually or in groups in order As far as the narratives in our data are concerned, not all the to compete with each other, or those in which teachers GDIs clearly presented the three basic classic narrative assigned individual roles in groups who had to cooperate so stages: beginning, development and conclusion [35], but as to achieve their gamified learning objectives. most presented scenarios that contextualized the GDIs and did not develop a story. Similarly, the idea of the hero as Visual aesthetics and design the main protagonist [2] was surpassed [20] [23] and a The aesthetics of the design is also a relevant feature to help collective character in many of our cases was the main enhance the narrative and it was therefore evaluated protagonist [9]. This is not a surprising result as qualitatively to see the degree to which it was incorporated collaboration in performing language tasks is quite common in the different GDIs. The elements to be considered in in language learning and teaching. Moreover, all the GDIs shaping this visual aesthetic construct include: drawings, of the corpus are in the group of integrated narratives [31], designs, visual details related to the themes incorporated in incorporating mechanics such as competition, feedback or some gamifications into points, badges or leaderboards turns. In addition, we can also affirm that all can be (PBL), the logos in the teaching/learning material, posters, characterized as emerging gamifications, although in infographics or even in some cases, t-shirts the participants different degrees. This is so because although they all have created to identify their groups; even, on a few contain a narrative, depending on the type of narrative we occasions, some scenography and decorations which were can see differences in terms of progression. used to set the atmosphere of the gamification theme. Narratives based on a story have a clear progression in the These elements were incorporated unevenly in each of the storyline, to reach a clearly stated objective; on the other GDIs so their value as a cohesive element of the hand, in those based on scenarios an imaginary context is gamifications is also unequal. In that respect, a simple set up without a narrative moving forward. However, in Likert scale of three points was defined: 1, a minimal some cases there was a combination of scenarios designed presence of visual aesthetic elements; 2, little presence but to give the sense of progression. This idea reminds us of the limited to the PBL and some elements of the teacher's concept of the narrative atom [20] where each atom has presentation material; and 3, high presence in many identity of its own and can be connected to form a storyline. gamification elements. Nonetheless, both types of narrative, stories and scenarios, In the data there were 13 teachers who, even having attempt to reproduce known worlds or establish analogies incorporated some elements, did not take advantage of the with the real world which usually enrich the gamified design elements to reinforce the narratives, 10 teachers who experience [25]. If we then focus on the interpreted tried to take advantage of these elements to a greater extent, narratives, the same thing happened as the role of the player and finally 6 who made the most of the aesthetic elements allowed students to adopt an active role towards the to enhance and give greater coherence to their narratives. narrative and to create their own experiences [11] usually participating in a sort of interactive story [33]. The intention From the latter group, GTI27 stands out because all the was for students in all the GDIs to have a sense of agency elements used were aesthetically marked by the design, [13]. enhancing the narrative: the letter found that set up the story, the bloodstains on the wall, the use of only three The predominant genre of the narrative was a sociocultural colours in the whole GDI (white, black and red) and the one, as an understanding of this realm forms an integral part original typography of the murder case based on the movie in developing the communicative competence [12] that poster, an email account created for the occasion through provides students with a more nuanced approach to the which the teacher communicated with the detectives target language. In most GDIs the underlying genre was (students), etc. related to the language world in that it showed the target culture, traditions, customs, and even everyday situations. Before discussing the main issues of the results, we would Fewer GDIs, in comparison, based their narratives on like to point out that the analysis of the PBL elements in genres such as adventure, thrillers, etc. relation to the narrative was carried out but no relevant differences stood out as all the GDIs in some way or In terms of the duration of the GDIs, we can only speak of another integrated these components into their narratives. trends according to our data: the implementation of However, in six occasions they were highly pertinent in gamifications in an intensive way seems to correspond to their aesthetic design and the teacher took this aesthetic the sequence of a story with a complex linear plot (GDI16 and GDI24). The group with a longer period of time led to programme in which data collection took place. Webpage: less complex storylines, as counter-intuitive as this may http://www.ub.edu/realtic/es/ initially seem. 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