Narrative-Centered Learning Environments: A Story-Centric Approach to Educational Games

2012 ◽  
pp. 223-237 ◽  
Author(s):  
James C. Lester ◽  
Jonathan P. Rowe ◽  
Bradford W. Mott
Keyword(s):  
Learning Environments ◽  
Educational Games

An Overview of Accessibility and Usability of Educational Games

2013 ◽  
pp. 63-101
Author(s):  
Marion A. Hersh ◽  
Barbara Leporini
Keyword(s):  
Learning Environments ◽  
Game Design ◽  
Educational Games ◽  
Virtual Learning Environments ◽  
Educational Game ◽  
Mobile Games ◽  
Games Studies ◽  
Educational Computer ◽  
Computer Based ◽  
Guidelines And Recommendations

This chapter presents an overview of accessibility and usability for educational computer-based games and the first survey of the accessibility and usability of digital educational games. The overview includes a discussion of accessibility and usability, both in general and in the specific context of educational games, as well as a brief presentation of issues relating to game design, including of mobile games. Since there are no previous studies of the accessibility and usability of educational computer-based games, studies of the accessibility and usability of the related areas of virtual learning environments, digital games for entertainment and PDF documents, are also presented. The overview of accessibility and usability and the results of the survey are used to draw up a structured list of 62 guidelines and recommendations, organised into three categories at the first level and ten at the second level. These guidelines and recommendations are illustrated by an example of their application to a fictitious new educational game.

Serious Educational Games (SEGs) and Student Learning and Engagement With Scientific Concepts

2018 ◽  
pp. 629-646
Author(s):  
Shawn Y. Holmes ◽  
Brandi Thurmond ◽  
Leonard A. Annetta ◽  
Matthew Sears
Keyword(s):  
Learning Environments ◽  
Video Game ◽  
Game Design ◽  
Educational Games ◽  
Theoretical Research ◽  
Learning Condition ◽  
Design For Sustainability ◽  
Video Game Design ◽  
Serious Educational Games ◽  
Insight Into

Situated in the video game design literature to foster problem-based learning, this chapter illustrates the application of educational theories to create Serious Educational Games (SEGs). SEGs present a learning condition where students can be engaged in standard-based STEM concepts and incorporate these concepts into a fun, interactive challenge where the goal is to solve a problem. This chapter explores a theoretical research investigation of such a learning environment. Students researched standard-based STEM concepts then used design techniques (i.e., story creation, flow chart, decision trees, and storyboarding techniques) and proprietary software to develop their own SEGs. This work sheds light on the process and encourages others to partake in creating similar learning environments, while providing insight into how to design for sustainability.

Multi-User Virtual Learning Environments in Education

2011 ◽  
pp. 146-159
Author(s):  
Nancy Sardone ◽  
Roberta Devlin-Scherer
Keyword(s):  
Middle School ◽  
Middle School Students ◽  
Learning Environments ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Educational Games ◽  
Beginning Teacher ◽  
Virtual Learning ◽  
Virtual Learning Environments ◽  
Learning Tools ◽  
School Students

Today’s middle school students represent a generation growing up where digital tools abound and where using them for home and school is the norm. Virtual learning environments to include multi-user virtual environments (MUVEs) are fairly new to formal educational settings as teaching and learning tools but are growing in popularity. These learning environments have an ability to reach all levels of students in ways that are both familiar and appealing. This chapter reviews interest and trends in educational games and describes beginning teacher reactions to using one of these critical thinking tools designed for middle school students. Recommendations for future implementation in classrooms are made. Faculty perspectives about these newer forms of educational technology are explored.

scholarly journals Teacher candidates’ state of using digital educational games

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 344 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ayşe Alkan ◽  
Hüseyin Mertol
Keyword(s):  
Social Sciences ◽  
Learning Environments ◽  
Teacher Candidates ◽  
Information Technologies ◽  
Educational Games ◽  
Digital Games ◽  
Strategy Development ◽  
Classroom Teaching ◽  
Problem Solving Strategy ◽  
Teaching Learning

<p>The rapidly developing information technologies of our age offer new opportunities in every aspect of our lives. The use of information technologies in educational environments is an important element in creating enriched learning environments. Educational digital games used in teaching-learning environments help students to develop motivation, problem-solving, strategy development skills and creativity. The purpose of this research was to determine the teacher candidates’ state of using digital educational games. The study group of the research consisted of 4th-grade teacher candidates who are studying in the social sciences and classroom teaching departments of Süleyman Demirel University during the 2018/2019 academic year. It has been found that men teacher candidates were more positive than women teacher candidates. Teacher candidates studying social sciences were more positive than those studying classroom teaching. Although teacher candidates were concerned about using educational digital games, they were eager to use these games.</p>

Digital Games

2012 ◽  
pp. 166-178 ◽  
Author(s):  
Betül Özkan-Czerkawski
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Instructional Design ◽  
Learning Environments ◽  
Educational Games ◽  
Digital Games ◽  
Important Case ◽  
Current Status ◽  
Game Based Learning ◽  
E Learning ◽  
Games And Simulations

Digital games and simulations are playing an important role in younger generations’ lives. Their adoption to e-Learning environments, however, is rather slow because educators are reluctant to change the way they teach. This chapter starts with a brief discussion of game and simulation terminology, including serious games, game-based learning, and game genres. It continues with a review of the current status of educational games and simulations being used in higher education institutions. Important case studies are provided to present examples to the higher education faculty. Finally, a discussion of teaching strategies, instructional design processes, and assessment issues for effective digital game incorporation in e-Learning is included.

Enhancing Adaptive Learning and Assessment in Virtual Learning Environments with Educational Games

2013 ◽  
pp. 578-597
Author(s):  
Ángel del Blanco ◽  
Javier Torrente ◽  
Pablo Moreno-Ger ◽  
Baltasar Fernández-Manjón
Keyword(s):  
Video Games ◽  
Learning Environments ◽  
Video Game ◽  
Adaptive Learning ◽  
Educational Games ◽  
Digital Games ◽  
Virtual Learning ◽  
Virtual Learning Environments ◽  
Student Centered ◽  
Adventure Game

The rising acceptance of Virtual Learning Environments (VLE) in the e-Learning field poses new challenges such as producing student-centered courses that can be automatically tailored to each student's needs. For this purpose digital games can be used, taking advantage of their flexibility (good video games always try to adapt to different players) and capabilities to stealthily track players' activity, either for producing an accurate user model or enhancing the overall assessment capabilities of the system. In this chapter, the authors discuss the integration of digital games in Virtual Learning Environments and the need of standards that allow the interoperable communication of games and VLE. Authors also present a middle-ware architecture to integrate video games in VLEs that addresses the technical barriers posed by the integration. The chapter presents a case study with the implementation of the architecture in the “e-Adventure” game authoring platform, along with three examples of video game integration in educational settings.

scholarly journals Why Story Matters: A Review of Narrative in Serious Games

2019 ◽  
Vol 58 (3) ◽  
pp. 687-707 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emily Naul ◽  
Min Liu
Keyword(s):  
Learning Environments ◽  
Serious Games ◽  
Educational Games ◽  
Design Strategy ◽  
Virtual Agents ◽  
Immersive Learning ◽  
Narrative Design ◽  
Learning Game ◽  
Games And Simulations ◽  
Motivation And Learning

Literature has shown that immersive learning environments such as digital educational games and simulations often incorporate storytelling elements in their designs as narrative can be an effective way of making learning more meaningful to students. The purpose of this study is to review the literature on the role narrative can play in the experience of a learner engaging in learning games and to synthesize research on features of story that have demonstrated success in these learning environments. The findings have shown that distributed narrative, intrinsically integrated fantasies, empathetic characters and virtual agents, and adaptiveness or responsivity are four characteristics of game narratives found to be effective. Several learning game analyses were performed to illustrate how these games used narrative to foster greater immersion, engagement, motivation, and learning. Finally, a narrative design strategy for serious games is suggested which integrates the effective narrative features as shown in the example games, along with two analysis frameworks, Game Discourse Analysis and Narrative Centered Informant Design. The findings of this study should provide much-needed insights to designers and researchers who are involved in creating immersive learning environments.

scholarly journals ‘It was fun’: Exploring the pedagogical value of collaborative educational games

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (3) ◽  
pp. 37-52
Author(s):  
Adeline Cooney ◽  
◽  
Eamon Darcy ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Collaborative Learning ◽  
Learning Environments ◽  
Educational Games ◽  
Descriptive Study ◽  
Computer Supported Collaborative Learning ◽  
Pedagogical Tools ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Team Working ◽  
Qualitative Descriptive ◽  
Teaching Team

This qualitative descriptive study explored the value of games as pedagogical tools to teach team working and foster collaborative learning in a higher education classroom. Groups of three or four students (n = 181) were asked to participate in a simple low-tech serious game which required them to solve a puzzle. The puzzle simulated ‘good’ teamwork practices. Subsequently, participants were asked to complete an open-ended qualitative questionnaire about their experiences. The game was found to enhance learners’ understanding of the attributes of effective team working. It was concluded that teambased collaborative games have value in experientially ‘teaching’ team working skills. Moreover, simple low-tech games were found to have good capacity for generating high-quality collaborative learning experiences. In this context it is argued that simple low-tech games should not be forgotten in the rush to develop computer-supported collaborative learning environments. Not least because they generate opportunities for face-to-face interaction.

Student Engagement while Creating Serious Educational Games in Collaborative Learning Environments: Implications for STEM Interest

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-18
Author(s):  
Sheri Berkeley ◽  
Aubrey Whitehead ◽  
Jenny Mischel ◽  
Leigh Ann Kurz ◽  
Anna Larsen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Student Engagement ◽  
Collaborative Learning ◽  
Learning Environments ◽  
Educational Games ◽  
Serious Educational Games ◽  
Stem Interest

Collaborative Learning and Game Mastering in Multiplayer Games

2013 ◽  
pp. 85-104 ◽  
Author(s):  
Johannes Konert ◽  
Viktor Wendel ◽  
Kristina Richter ◽  
Stefan Göbel
Keyword(s):  
Collaborative Learning ◽  
Learning Environments ◽  
Serious Games ◽  
Best Practice ◽  
Educational Games ◽  
Instructional Support ◽  
Individual Feedback ◽  
Learning Scenarios ◽  
Theoretical Foundations

The purpose of the chapter is to provide a state of the art survey addressing research and development aspects for the control of multiplayer Serious Games for collaborative learning scenarios. Hereby, several facets of multiplayer scenarios are addressed: synchronous and asynchronous gameplay and the role of an instructor as Game Master, supervisor, and provider of individual feedback as well as individual feedback among learners in the process of continuous adaptation of the on-going gameplay. Existing approaches and best-practice examples focus on digital educational games for pupils and collaborative learning environments for students. The theoretical foundations of instructional support as well as the implications and technical approaches are discussed. They include some aspects of authoring Serious Games (as already covered in chapter “Authoring Serious Games”).

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document