scholarly journals Informing the Coaching Pedagogy of Game Modification in a Game Sense Approach with Affordance Theory

2018 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 68
Author(s):  
Joss Rankin ◽  
Shane Pill ◽  
Terry Magias
Keyword(s):  
Game Design ◽  
Perception And Action ◽  
Ecological Modelling ◽  
Game Form ◽  
Affordance Theory ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
Design Perspective ◽  
Game Modification ◽  
Logical Semantics ◽  
Coaching Approach

The Game Sense coaching approach is founded on expectations of game-based practice as the game (or game form) becomes the focus and starting point of practice. The theory of affordances, a conceptual pillar of ecological modelling of perception and action in sport leading to a constraintsled game design perspective, provides a basis for understanding the modifying and adapting games as a pedagogical emphasis of the Game Sense approach. We review affordance theory leading to a demonstrated application of constraints-led learning in Touch Football. We conclude with the proposition of constraints-led game design as a logical semantics for the game-based practice assumptions of the Game Sense approach. This paper demonstrates the potential of affordance theory as a means of analysis of the task dynamics of Touch Football to inform a Game Sense coaching perspective for the sport.

scholarly journals Investigating the Current and Future Co-Occurrence of Ambrosia artemisiifolia and Ophraella communa in Europe through Ecological Modelling and Remote Sensing Data Analysis

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (18) ◽  
pp. 3416 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mattia Iannella ◽  
Walter De Simone ◽  
Paola D’Alessandro ◽  
Giulia Console ◽  
Maurizio Biondi
Keyword(s):  
Remote Sensing ◽  
Invasive Plant ◽  
Remote Sensing Data ◽  
Leaf Beetle ◽  
Ambrosia Artemisiifolia ◽  
Ecological Modelling ◽  
Niche Modelling ◽  
Sensing Data ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
Ophraella Communa

The common ragweed Ambrosia artemisiifolia has spread throughout Europe since the 1800s, infesting croplands and causing severe allergic reactions. Recently, the ragweed leaf beetle Ophraella communa was found in Italy and Switzerland; considering that it feeds primarily on A. artemisiifolia in its invaded ranges, some projects started biological control of this invasive plant through the adventive beetle. In this context of a ‘double’ invasion, we assessed the influence of climate change on the spread of these alien species through ecological niche modelling. Considering that A. artemisiifolia mainly lives in agricultural and urbanized areas, we refined the models using satellite remote-sensing data; we also assessed the co-occurrence of the two species in these patches. A. artemisiifolia is predicted to expand more than O. communa in the future, with the medium and high classes of suitability of the former increasing more than the latter, resulting in lower efficacy for O. communa to potentially control A. artemisiifolia in agricultural and urbanized patches. Although a future assessment was performed through the 2018 land-cover data, the predictions we propose are intended to be a starting point for future assessments, considering that the possibility of a shrinkage of target patches is unlikely to occur.

Dropping in to game design

2019 ◽  
Vol 120 (9/10) ◽  
pp. 663-678 ◽  
Author(s):  
Benjamin M. DeVane ◽  
Jeremy Dietmeier ◽  
Kristen Missall ◽  
Salloni Nanda ◽  
Michala Cox ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Collaborative Design ◽  
Game Design ◽  
Educational Design ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Children's Museum ◽  
Development Processes ◽  
Design Perspective ◽  
Long Timescales ◽  
Parent Child

Purpose This paper aims to present an iterative approach to creating a collaborative design-and-play skatepark videogame for a children’s museum physics exhibit. Intended for children of 5-8 years old and accompanying adults, this interactive tabletop game encourages players to build a skatepark and then skate through it with a skater character. This case study describes the authors’ design perspective shift to make the game’s possibilities for tinkering more “perceptible.” Design/methodology/approach This paper presents a case-based design narrative that draws on the project’s iterative playability testing with parent–child dyads and reflections from the design team’s endeavors. This analysis draws on methodological elements adapted from agile game development processes and educational design-based research. Findings The initial game prototype inhibited the collaborative tinkering of parent–child dyads because it used interface abstractions such as menus, did not orient to the task of tinkering with skatepark design and did not help players understand why their skatepark designs failed. Subsequent game versions adopted blocks as a metaphor for interaction, gave players explicit design goals and models and provided players with more explicit feedback about their skater’s motion. Originality/value Museum games that provide tinkering experiences for children are an emerging medium. Central concerns for those designing such games are presenting multiple modes of play for different players and contexts and clearly and quickly communicating the possible activities and interactions. The design approach in this study offers players the opportunity to – at both short and long timescales – take up game-directed challenges or explore the skatepark physics through self-generated goals.

scholarly journals Design Principles for Serious Video Games in Mathematics Education: From Theory to Practice

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Konstantinos Chorianopoulos ◽  
Michail Giannakos
Keyword(s):  
Video Games ◽  
Learning Styles ◽  
Video Game ◽  
Game Design ◽  
Design Principles ◽  
Diverse Learning ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
Video Game Design ◽  
Evaluation Of Learning ◽  
Serious Video Games

There is growing interest in the employment of serious video games in science education, but there are no clear design principles. After surveying previous work in serious video game design, we highlighted the following design principles: 1) engage the students with narrative (hero, story), 2) employ familiar gameplay mechanics from popular video games, 3) engage students into constructive trial and error game-play and 4) situate collaborative learning. As illustrated examples we designed two math video games targeted to primary education students. The gameplay of the math video games embeds addition operations in a seamless way, which has been inspired by that of classic platform games. In this way, the students are adding numbers as part of popular gameplay mechanics and as a means to reach the video game objective, rather than as an end in itself. The employment of well-defined principles in the design of math video games should facilitate the evaluation of learning effectiveness by researchers. Moreover, educators can deploy alternative versions of the games in order to engage students with diverse learning styles. For example, some students might be motived and benefited by narrative, while others by collaboration, because it is unlikely that one type of serious video game might fit all learning styles. The proposed principles are not meant to be an exhaustive list, but a starting point for extending the list and applying them in other cases of serious video games beyond mathematics and learning.

scholarly journals Redefining the MDA Framework—The Pursuit of a Game Design Ontology

Information ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (10) ◽  
pp. 395
Author(s):  
Rogério Junior ◽  
Frutuoso Silva
Keyword(s):  
Game Design ◽  
Digital Games ◽  
Subject Area ◽  
Main Concern ◽  
Frequent Use ◽  
Analytical Perspective ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Design Perspective ◽  
Main Components ◽  
The Universe

In computer science, an ontology is a way of showing the properties of a subject area and how they are related by defining a set of concepts and categories that represent the subject. There have been many attempts to create a widely accepted ontology for the universe of games. Most of these attempts are defined based on an analytical perspective: few have found frequent use outside universities, as they are not easily translated to the development of games, which is a design perspective. There are some core aspects of the domain that turn this task into a difficult goal to achieve. In addition, game designers tend to refuse a methodology or a structured way of developing a game; the main concern is that it can impair creativity in a field that could not survive without it. A defined ontology would improve and mature the growing industry of digital games, both by enhancing the understanding of the domain and by supporting a structured methodology for designing games. This paper describes the properties of digital games and shows how they make it difficult to create an ontology for that field of study, especially when it comes to a design perspective. It clarifies the closest approach to a unified ontology that there is for the game domain: the mechanics, dynamics and aesthetics framework (MDA). We propose the redefinition of MDA’s taxonomy, calling it Redefining the MDA (RMDA), providing better use for the approach from a designer’s perspective, embracing the design properties of the domain, and overcoming issues found in the literature of the game domain. The main purpose of this paper is to clarify the MDA framework by redefining its main components, mechanics, dynamics and aesthetics, as a way to make the tool more understandable and useful for game designers. Understanding aesthetics and how developers can invoke them by correctly defining mechanics and creating dynamics is the main focus of the paper. Thus, some examples are provided in order to explain the applicability of the RMDA as a methodology to produce games.

Modding Neverwinter Nights Into Serious Games

2009 ◽  
pp. 408-426 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christian Sebastian Loh ◽  
Jae Hwan Byun
Keyword(s):  
Real World ◽  
Game Design ◽  
Serious Games ◽  
Digital Games ◽  
Comfort Zone ◽  
Game Modification

Game Modification, or Modding, is a unique and valuable way of learning with digital games as well as a means to earn beginners’ stripes in the game design world. Beginners who emerge successful from a modding experience, having created at least one playable game, have stepped out of the comfort zone of being gamers, and shown the courage in taking on a real-world adventure. Their rewards are altogether different from having beaten the toughest boss in a game. A team of modders share a unique bond with one another as comrades, as members of a fellowship. It is an experience found, not in the retelling of ancient epics by others, but in the making of one’s own adventure. This chapter is an account of one such undertaking that shows the potential and value of game modding for education, Readers who are contemplating the use of game modding for creating serious games should find the chapter useful.

scholarly journals Pay-to-Win Gaming and its Interrelation with Gambling: Findings from a Representative Population Sample

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fred Steinmetz ◽  
Ingo Fiedler ◽  
Marc von Meduna ◽  
Lennart Ante
Keyword(s):  
Video Game ◽  
Game Design ◽  
Common Ground ◽  
Population Sample ◽  
Game Form ◽  
Internet Users ◽  
Video Game Design ◽  
Economic Profile ◽  
High Engagement ◽  
German Adult

AbstractPay-to-Win gaming describes a common type of video game design in which players can pay to advance in the game. The frequency and value of payments is unlimited, and payments are linked to players’ competitiveness or progress in the game, which can potentially facilitate problematic behavioral patterns, similar to those known from gambling. Our analyses focus on assessing similarities and differences between Pay-to-Win and different forms of gambling. Based on a survey among 46,136 German adult internet users, this study presents the demographic and socio-economic profile of (1) Pay-to-Win gamers who make purchases in such games, (2) heavy users who conduct daily payments, and (3) gamers who are also gamblers. Motives for making payments were assessed and participation, frequency and spending in gambling by Pay-to-Win gamers are presented. To assess the similarity of Pay-to-Win gaming and gambling, we tested whether Pay-to-Win participation, frequency of payments and problematic gaming behavior are predictors for gambling and cross-tested the opposite effects of gambling on Pay-to-Win. We find that Pay-to-Win gamers are a distinct consumer group with considerable attraction to gambling. High engagement and problematic behavior in one game form affects (over)involvement in the other. Common ground for Pay-to-Win gaming and gambling is the facilitation of recurring payments.

scholarly journals Investigation conditions for inclusion of gamification elements in study of the basics of algorithmization and programming to improve the quality of educational results of pupils

2021 ◽  
Vol 52 (4) ◽  
pp. 461-477
Author(s):  
Elena K. Gerasimova ◽  
◽  
Nadezhda V. Gavrilovskaya ◽  
Elena V. Soboleva ◽  
Tatyana N. Suvorova ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Game Design ◽  
Research Collaboration ◽  
Social Activity ◽  
Cognitive Activity ◽  
Statistical Processing ◽  
Game Form ◽  
Chi Square ◽  
Educational Achievements ◽  
Logo Programming

The problem and the aim of the study. Formation of programming skills, communication with artificial intelligence and other people, the level of thinking development are the basic indicators that determine effectiveness of the didactic system. Within the framework of e-learning, digital technologies, gamification elements, cyber-physical devices, etc. are actively used to support the quality of learning. The authors investigate conditions for effective inclusion of gamification elements in algorithmization and programming activities to increase the level of educational achievements of pupils. Research methods. The analysis and generalization of scientific literature on the problems of gamification of learning and cognition processes, the study of the basics of algorithmization are used. For development of game projects, debugging and testing applications, the ideas of structural programming, the method of step-by-step detailing are used. The programming technology is supported by the principles and techniques of gamification. Empirical methods that were used are observation, analysis of the results of work in the Logo program (user interface, game design, choice of algorithmic constructions, etc.). The study involved 48 pupils who study in grades 5-6 in Kirov school №11. The Pearson’s χ2 (chi-square) criterion was used as a method for statistical processing of the experimental data. Results. The pupils of the experimental group were involved in the purposeful cognitive activity on development of game projects using the Logo programming language (studying fundamental concepts, graphical capabilities, managing a Turtle in the object-oriented environment, research, collaboration, social activity). Statistically significant differences were found between the experimental and control groups in the level of educational achievements χ2emp.2 > χ2crit0.05 (7.885 > 7.815). In conclusion, the conditions under which the gamification of learning the basics of algorithmization and programming is maximally effective for improving the quality of academic achievements of schoolchildren are summarized: correlation of the didactic goal and the result of the game form of work, the choice of the plot for the game project, thinking through the mechanisms of feedback and interactivity, the distribution of roles, etc.

scholarly journals Vietnam Run: An Alternative Approach to Mobile Learning

10.28945/3773 ◽  
2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian McCauley ◽  
Li Ping Thong ◽  
Mathews Nkhoma ◽  
Nhan Nguyen
Keyword(s):  
Mobile Learning ◽  
Game Design ◽  
Serious Games ◽  
Cognitive Theory ◽  
Target Audience ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Mobile Game ◽  
Design Considerations ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
The Future

Aim/Purpose: How to spread an anti-littering message amongst Vietnamese youth. Background: We outline the design of a mobile game aimed at educating the target audience on the value of not littering. Methodology : We use key theory from the literature to inform the design of the game. Contribution: This paper outlines an approach to education that could provide value in re-conceptualizing mobile learning in future. A unique mobile game, Vietnam Run, was designed and developed for the Vietnamese audience, and its game design considerations outlined. There is a lack of studies conducted in the area of mobile serious games within the context of Vietnam. This paper addresses the existing gap in the present literature from that perspective. The game design considerations outlined in this paper could be adapted and applied to the future development of similar mobile serious games in Vietnam. Findings: Localization as a starting point increases value when a key problem and target audience has been identified. Social cognitive theory and elaboration likelihood model forms the overarching theory that defines game design to sustain player interest and engagement. Recommendations for Practitioners: Academic theory can provide a conceptual starting point for designing educational tools. Recommendation for Researchers: Application of theory in real world applications lends credence and delivers measurable impact in order to demonstrate value of previous work. Impact on Society: It is anticipated that Vietnam Run will have value in spreading positive anti-littering message within Vietnam and provide a starting point for future projects that can expand the aims of this project further. Future Research: The future success of the game will be analyzed through media reach, game downloads and in-game analytics in order to provide a strong conceptual basis for future work in this area.

scholarly journals The shared circuits model (SCM): How control, mirroring, and simulation can enable imitation, deliberation, and mindreading

2008 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-22 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan Hurley
Keyword(s):  
Social Cognition ◽  
Perception And Action ◽  
Action Perception ◽  
Active Perception ◽  
Flexible Control ◽  
Self And Other ◽  
Intentional Actions ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
Phylogenetic Hypotheses ◽  
Prediction And Simulation

AbstractImitation, deliberation, and mindreading are characteristically human sociocognitive skills. Research on imitation and its role in social cognition is flourishing across various disciplines. Imitation is surveyed in this target article under headings of behavior, subpersonal mechanisms, and functions of imitation. A model is then advanced within which many of the developments surveyed can be located and explained. The shared circuits model (SCM) explains how imitation, deliberation, and mindreading can be enabled by subpersonal mechanisms of control, mirroring, and simulation. It is cast at a middle, functional level of description, that is, between the level of neural implementation and the level of conscious perceptions and intentional actions. The SCM connects shared informational dynamics for perception and action with shared informational dynamics for self and other, while also showing how the action/perception, self/other, and actual/possible distinctions can be overlaid on these shared informational dynamics. It avoids the common conception of perception and action as separate and peripheral to central cognition. Rather, it contributes to the situated cognition movement by showing how mechanisms for perceiving action can be built on those for active perception.;>;>The SCM is developed heuristically, in five layers that can be combined in various ways to frame specific ontogenetic or phylogenetic hypotheses. The starting point is dynamic online motor control, whereby an organism is closely attuned to its embedding environment through sensorimotor feedback. Onto this are layered functions of prediction and simulation of feedback, mirroring, simulation of mirroring, monitored inhibition of motor output, and monitored simulation of input. Finally, monitored simulation of input specifying possible actions plus inhibited mirroring of such possible actions can generate information about the possible as opposed to actual instrumental actions of others, and the possible causes and effects of such possible actions, thereby enabling strategic social deliberation. Multiple instances of such shared circuits structures could be linked into a network permitting decomposition and recombination of elements, enabling flexible control, imitative learning, understanding of other agents, and instrumental and strategic deliberation. While more advanced forms of social cognition, which require tracking multiple others and their multiple possible actions, may depend on interpretative theorizing or language, the SCM shows how layered mechanisms of control, mirroring, and simulation can enable distinctively human cognitive capacities for imitation, deliberation, and mindreading.

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