Building Bridges Between Serious Game Design and Instructional Design

The design of serious games based on sound learning and instructional principles is important to ensure learning is integrated in the ‘game-play’. However, the process of achieving this is not yet fully understood, and research is hampered by the lack of practical demonstrations of how effective instructional design is when used alongside game design. This chapter provides an example of a successful application of instructional design to the development process of a serious game for traffic accident investigators in the Dubai police force. We use the findings from an experiment conducted for 56 police officers to analyze how learning objects are affected by the instructional principles used. To conclude the chapter, we describe the implications of the use of serious games in the police force for policymakers, educators, and researchers.

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A course on serious game design and development using an online problem-based learning approach

Interactive Technology and Smart Education ◽

10.1108/itse-10-2014-0033 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 12 (2) ◽

pp. 116-136 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Bill Kapralos ◽

Stephanie Fisher ◽

Jessica Clarkson ◽

Roland van Oostveen

Keyword(s):

Instructional Design ◽

Detailed Analysis ◽

Game Design ◽

Serious Games ◽

Problem Based Learning ◽

Serious Game ◽

Game Based Learning ◽

Design And Development ◽

Content Type ◽

Active Research

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to describe a novel undergraduate course on serious game design and development that integrates both game and instructional design, thus providing an effective approach to teaching serious game design and development. Very little effort has been dedicated to the teaching of proper serious game design and development leading to many examples of serious games that provide little, if any, educational value. Design/methodology/approach – Organized around a collection of video clips (that provided a brief contextualized overview of the topic and questions for further exploration), readings, interdisciplinary research projects and games, the course introduced the principles of game and instructional design, educational theories used to support game-based learning and methods for evaluating serious games. Discussions and activities supported the problems that students worked on throughout the course to develop a critical stance and approach toward implementing game-based learning. Students designed serious games and examined potential issues and complexities involved in developing serious games and incorporating them within a teaching curriculum. Findings – Results of student course evaluations reveal that the course was fun and engaging. Students found the course fun and engaging, and through the successful completion of the final course project, all students met all of the course objectives. A discussion regarding the techniques and approaches used in the course that were successful (or unsuccessful) is provided. Research limitations/implications – It should be noted that a more detailed analysis has not been presented to fully demonstrate the effectiveness of the course. A more detailed analysis may have included a comparison with, for example, past versions of the course that was not based on an online problem-based learning (PBL) approach, to better quantify the effectiveness of the course. However, such a comparison could not be carried out here, given there was no measure of prior knowledge of students taken before they took course (e.g. no “pre-test data”). Originality/value – Unlike the few existing courses dedicated to serious game design, the course was designed specifically to facilitate a fully online PBL approach and provided students the opportunity to take control of their own learning through active research, exploration and problem-solving alone, in groups and through facilitated class discussions.

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Serious Game Development: Reverse Cycle Game design first, instructional design second

10.5176/2251-1679_cgat16.17 ◽

2016 ◽

Author(s):

Kevin Anthony Jones ◽

Keyword(s):

Instructional Design ◽

Game Design ◽

Serious Game ◽

Game Development

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Serious Game Design for Vehicular Language Learning Addressing Work Needs

Lecture Notes in Computer Science - Games and Learning Alliance ◽

10.1007/978-3-319-12157-4_33 ◽

2014 ◽

pp. 383-389

Author(s):

Hariklia Tsalapatas ◽

Olivier Heidmann ◽

Rene Alimisi ◽

Spyros Tsalapatas ◽

Spyros Kourias ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Language Learning ◽

Game Design ◽

Serious Game

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Integrating Health Behavior Theory and Design Elements in Serious Games

10.26686/wgtn.12331295.v2 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Colleen Cheek ◽

Theresa Fleming ◽

Mathijs FG Lucassen ◽

Heather Bridgman ◽

Karolina Stasiak ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Health Behavior ◽

Behavior Change ◽

Game Design ◽

Serious Games ◽

Well Being ◽

Health Behavior Change ◽

Serious Game ◽

User Perceptions ◽

Design Elements ◽

User Centered

Background Internet interventions for improving health and well-being have the potential to reach many people and fill gaps in service provision. Serious gaming interfaces provide opportunities to optimize user adherence and impact. Health interventions based in theory and evidence and tailored to psychological constructs have been found to be more effective to promote behavior change. Defining the design elements which engage users and help them to meet their goals can contribute to better informed serious games. Objective To elucidate design elements important in SPARX, a serious game for adolescents with depression, from a user-centered perspective. Methods We proposed a model based on an established theory of health behavior change and practical features of serious game design to organize ideas and rationale. We analyzed data from 5 studies comprising a total of 22 focus groups and 66 semistructured interviews conducted with youth and families in New Zealand and Australia who had viewed or used SPARX. User perceptions of the game were applied to this framework. Results A coherent framework was established using the three constructs of self-determination theory (SDT), autonomy, competence, and relatedness, to organize user perceptions and design elements within four areas important in design: computer game, accessibility, working alliance, and learning in immersion. User perceptions mapped well to the framework, which may assist developers in understanding the context of user needs. By mapping these elements against the constructs of SDT, we were able to propose a sound theoretical base for the model. Conclusions This study’s method allowed for the articulation of design elements in a serious game from a user-centered perspective within a coherent overarching framework. The framework can be used to deliberately incorporate serious game design elements that support a user’s sense of autonomy, competence, and relatedness, key constructs which have been found to mediate motivation at all stages of the change process. The resulting model introduces promising avenues for future exploration. Involving users in program design remains an imperative if serious games are to be fit for purpose.

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The creation and trial of a serious game to support teaching and learning of professional psychology competencies in postgraduate programs

Australasian Journal of Educational Technology ◽

10.14742/ajet.4237 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Gillian McGregor ◽

Emma Bartle

Keyword(s):

Game Design ◽

Design Theory ◽

Teaching And Learning ◽

High Stress ◽

Psychology Students ◽

Professional Psychology ◽

The Body ◽

Serious Game ◽

Safe Delivery ◽

Stage Of Development

The education of healthcare professionals is critical for the safe delivery of services to patients (Ricciardi & de Paolis, 2014). Postgraduate psychology students undertaking a professional degree encounter a steep learning curve when transitioning from theoretical knowledge to professional practice. This beginning student stage of development is fraught with anxiety and high-stress levels, and has implications for both student and client wellbeing (Skovholt & Ronnestad, 2003). Successful navigation of this phase is critical to psychology graduate competence and employability, with potentially lasting consequences for psychologists’ perceptions of self-efficacy and career trajectory (De Stefano et al., 2007; Skovholt & Ronnestad, 2003). Serious games in health provide the potential for safe practice opportunities in an engaging and entertaining manner (Hawn, 2009; Knight et al., 2010). The author developed a serious game with the intention of providing postgraduate professional psychology students with increased and more convenient opportunity to practice psychological competencies. This paper synthesises game design theory into a prototype for educators to provide innovative solutions in a health context. It contributes to the body of research determining the efficacy of games in educational contexts and advances knowledge in the use of simulation pedagogies.

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An Instructional Design Approach to Effective Instructional Game Design and Assessment

Educational Media and Technology Yearbook ◽

10.1007/978-1-4614-1305-9_11 ◽

2011 ◽

pp. 127-138 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Debbie Denise Reese

Keyword(s):

Instructional Design ◽

Game Design ◽

Design Approach

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Contribution of the co.LAB Framework to the Collaborative Design of Serious Games: Mixed-Methods Validation Study (Preprint)

10.2196/preprints.33144 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Dominique Jaccard ◽

Laurent Suppan ◽

Félicia Bielser

Keyword(s):

Mixed Methods ◽

Game Design ◽

Serious Games ◽

Positive Impact ◽

Serious Game ◽

Multidisciplinary Design ◽

Design Teams ◽

Design And Development ◽

Significant Difference ◽

The Impact

BACKGROUND Multidisciplinary collaboration is essential to the successful development of serious games, albeit difficult to achieve. The co.LAB serious game design framework was created to support collaboration within serious game multidisciplinary design teams. Its use has not yet been validated in a naturalistic context. OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to perform a first assessment of the impact of the co.LAB framework on collaboration within multidisciplinary teams during serious game design and development. METHODS This was a mixed-methods study based on two serious game design projects in which the co.LAB framework was used. The first phase was qualitative and carried out using a general inductive approach. To this end, all members of the first serious game project team who used the co.LAB framework were invited to take part in a focus group session (N=6). Results inferred from qualitative data were then used to define a quantitative instrument (questionnaire) which was designed according to the Checklist for Reporting Results of Internet E-Surveys. Members of both project teams (N=11) were then asked to answer the questionnaire. Quantitative results were reported as median [Q1;Q3] and appropriate non-parametric tests used to assess for between group differences. Finally, results gathered through the qualitative and quantitative phases were integrated. RESULTS In both phases, the participation rate was 100%. Verbatim transcripts were classified into 4 high level themes: influence on collaborative dimensions; impact on project course, monitoring and efficiency; qualitative perceptions of the framework; and influence of team composition on the use of the framework. Accordingly, the web-based questionnaire was then developed according to Burhardt's seven dimensions of collaboration. In both projects, the co.LAB framework had a positive impact on most dimensions of collaboration during the multidisciplinary design and development of serious games. When all collaborative dimensions were aggregated, the overall impact of the framework was rated on a scale from "-42" to "+42" (very negative to very positive). The overall score was 23 [20;27], with no significant difference between groups (P=.58). Most respondents also believed that all serious game design teams should include a member possessing a significant expertise in serious game design frameworks to guide the development process. CONCLUSIONS The co.LAB framework has a positive impact on collaboration within serious game development teams. However, expert guidance seems necessary to maximize development efficiency. Whether such guidance can be provided by means of a collaborative web platform remains to be determined.

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