From Learning to Assessment. Utilizing Blockchain Technologies in Gaming Environments to Secure Learning Outcomes and Test Results

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 172-192 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Black ◽  
Lloyd Donelan ◽  
Trevor Higgins ◽  
Nikolaus Koenig ◽  
Brenton Lenzen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Learning Outcomes ◽  
Design Process ◽  
Serious Games ◽  
Digital Games ◽  
Serious Game ◽  
Test Results ◽  
Iterative Design ◽  
Category System ◽  
Secure Learning

This study, pursues the following three goals, namely the introduction and discussion regarding Blockchain technologies in education in general and serious games in particular; a definition and proposal of a category system for digital games with the aim not only to teach but also to assess; and a description of the serious game Gallery Defender, one of the very first games which maps grades/certificates for the player/learner as well as further information for the teacher on Blockchain. This game is currently in the middle of an iterative design process and the authors describe the used Blockchain approach of the first iteration of the game to inspire further developments in this direction, especially for the Maltese audience, as Malta is perceived as the leading EU country in the field of Blockchain regulation.

scholarly journals Practical Methodology for the Design of Educational Serious Games

Information ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frutuoso G. M. Silva
Keyword(s):  
Design Process ◽  
User Experience ◽  
Serious Games ◽  
Digital Games ◽  
Serious Game ◽  
Learning Mechanisms ◽  
Topic Choice

Educational serious games are primarily intended to teach about or train on a subject. However, a serious game must also be catchy for the player to want to play it multiple times and thus learn while playing. The design of educational serious games includes game experts and pedagogical experts that must be able to efficiently communicate to produce a product that is both educationally efficient and fun to play. Although there are some design frameworks to help with this communication, they are usually more conceptual and do not distinguish the fun factor from the learning contents well, making communication difficult. In this paper, a new practical methodology is presented to support the design process of this kind of digital games. This methodology is more all-encompassing because it identifies all the main steps that are needed to define the learning mechanisms in an educational serious game, from topic choice to user experience. It also separates the game’s learning contents from other mechanics used to keep the game fun to play. Finally, some practical examples are shown, illustrating the use of this methodology.

scholarly journals The Development of a Virtual Escape Room to Trigger Social Interaction and Communication between High-Functioning Children with Autism and their Peers: An Iterative Design Approach (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gijs Terlouw ◽  
Derek Kuipers ◽  
Job van 't Veer ◽  
Jelle T Prins ◽  
Jean Pierre E N Pierie
Keyword(s):  
Social Interaction ◽  
Design Process ◽  
Design Research ◽  
Children With Autism ◽  
Serious Game ◽  
Boundary Object ◽  
High Functioning ◽  
Iterative Design ◽  
Children With Asd ◽  
The Right

BACKGROUND Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have social deficits that affect social interaction, communication, and relationships with peers. Many interventions focus mainly on improving social skills in a clinical setting. However, developed social skills are not necessarily applied to children's daily life at school, and children with ASD face challenges in forming and maintaining relationships with peers. In addition to the direct-instruction-based programs, more activity-based programs could be of added value, especially to bridge the relational gap between children with ASD and their peers. OBJECTIVE This paper describes an iterative design process of the development of a virtual escape room as an activity-based serious game and describes the development of a game as a boundary object. The purpose of the serious game is to facilitate and trigger direct communication between high-functioning children with ASD and their peers. During the design research process, we examined in small steps whether the developed prototypes are feasible and whether they have the potential to achieve the objective of the serious game. METHODS This study is structured around the Design Research Framework to develop the escape room through an iterative-incremental process. Three playful test sessions (n=12; n=21; n=12) with different prototypes were initiated to eventually develop a beta-prototype. The beta-prototype was subsequently tested with children (n=12) and experts (n=12). RESULTS By testing various prototypes, including a paper prototype and an augmented reality prototype, different insights were found to get the design right. Insights were gathered to find the right theme, content, practical constraints, and shape of the serious game. Eventually, a multiplayer virtual escape room, AScapeD, was developed. Three children can play the serious game together in the same room on tablet devices. The first tests show that the game triggers social interaction and communication between the children. CONCLUSIONS This paper presented the iterative design process of AScapeD. AScapeD triggers social interaction and connection in a playful way between children with ASD and their peers. The conceptual structure of an escape room contributes to the natural emergence of communication and cooperation. The iterative design process has been beneficial to finding the right design, getting the design right, and contributed to the design of a serious game as a boundary object which mediates the various objectives of different stakeholders. The developed prototype is feasible and has the potential to achieve the aim of the serious game.

Serious Efforts at Bias Reduction

2018 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
pp. 16-28 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adrienne Shaw ◽  
Kate Kenski ◽  
Jennifer Stromer-Galley ◽  
Rosa Mikeal Martey ◽  
Benjamin A. Clegg ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Learning Outcomes ◽  
Cognitive Processes ◽  
Serious Games ◽  
Cognitive Biases ◽  
Digital Games ◽  
Blind Spot ◽  
Bias Reduction ◽  
Effective Learning ◽  
Training Video ◽  
Bias Blind Spot

Abstract. As research on serious games continues to grow, we investigate the efficacy of digital games to train enhanced decision making through understanding cognitive biases. This study investigates the ability of a 30-minute digital game as compared with a 30-minute video to teach people how to recognize and mitigate three cognitive biases: fundamental attribution error, confirmation bias, and bias blind spot. We investigate the effects of character customization on learning outcomes as compared with an assigned character. We use interviews to understand the qualitative differences between the conditions. Experimental results suggest that the game was more effective at teaching and mitigating cognitive biases than was the training video. Although interviews suggest players liked avatar customization, results of the experiment indicate that avatar customization had no significant effect on learning outcomes. This research provides information future designers can use to choose the best medium and affordances for the most effective learning outcomes on cognitive processes.

The Effects of Fully and Partially In-Game Guidance on Players' Declarative and Procedural Knowledge With a Disaster Preparedness Serious Game

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 23-37
Author(s):  
Ting Zhou ◽  
Christian S. Loh
Keyword(s):  
Learning Outcomes ◽  
Prior Knowledge ◽  
Disaster Preparedness ◽  
Serious Games ◽  
Procedural Knowledge ◽  
Declarative Knowledge ◽  
Serious Game ◽  
Moderator Effect ◽  
Interaction Term ◽  
The Relationship

Studies suggest that serious games are useful tools for disaster preparedness training, but few have examined if instructional factors differentially affect the learning outcomes. This study investigated the effects of players' gaming frequency, prior knowledge, and in-game guidance received on their declarative and procedural knowledge in a disaster preparedness serious game. Findings showed that gaming frequency was not a significant predictor for learning outcomes. By contrast, players' prior knowledge, the types of in-game guidance received, and the interaction between the two were all significant predictors for the acquisition of declarative knowledge and development of procedural knowledge. The interaction term revealed a moderator effect, indicating that the relationship between a player's prior knowledge and learning outcomes was affected by the type of in-game (full or partial) guidance received.

Distinctions Between Games and Learning

2011 ◽  
pp. 75-107
Author(s):  
Katrin Becker
Keyword(s):  
Serious Games ◽  
Formal Education ◽  
Educational Games ◽  
Digital Games ◽  
Learning Objects ◽  
Serious Game ◽  
Educational Context ◽  
Current State ◽  
Specific Focus ◽  
Games And Learning

Serious games are digital games designed for purposes other than pure entertainment. This category includes educational games but it also includes a great deal more. A field that was unheard of until Ben Sawyer referred to it as Serious Games in late 2002 (Sawyer, 2003) has already grown so large that one can only hope to keep track of a very small part of it. The time is rapidly coming to an end when literature surveys of even one branch of Serious Games can be considered comprehensive. This chapter will examine the current state of the part of the serious games discipline that intersects with formal education, with a particular focus on design. The chapter begins broadly by looking at games in order to define the term serious game but then narrows to a specific focus on games for education. In this way, it provides an educational context for games as learning objects, distinguishes between traditional, (i.e. non-digital; Murray, 1998) and digital games, and classifies games for education as a subcategory of serious games while at the same time still being part of a larger group of interactive digital applications.

scholarly journals The Development of an Escape Room–Based Serious Game to Trigger Social Interaction and Communication Between High-Functioning Children With Autism and Their Peers: Iterative Design Approach

10.2196/19765 ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. e19765
Author(s):  
Gijs Terlouw ◽  
Derek Kuipers ◽  
Job van 't Veer ◽  
Jelle T Prins ◽  
Jean Pierre E N Pierie
Keyword(s):  
Social Skills ◽  
Design Process ◽  
Design Research ◽  
Children With Autism ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Serious Game ◽  
Boundary Object ◽  
High Functioning ◽  
Iterative Design ◽  
Children With Asd

Background Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have social deficits that affect social interactions, communication, and relationships with peers. Many existing interventions focus mainly on improving social skills in clinical settings. In addition to the direct instruction–based programs, activity-based programs could be of added value, especially to bridge the relational gap between children with ASD and their peers. Objective The aim of this study is to describe an iterative design process for the development of an escape room–based serious game as a boundary object. The purpose of the serious game is to facilitate direct communication between high-functioning children with ASD and their peers, for the development of social skills on the one hand and strengthening relationships with peers through a fun and engaging activity on the other hand. Methods This study is structured around the Design Research Framework to develop an escape room through an iterative-incremental process. With a pool of 37 children, including 23 children diagnosed with ASD (5 girls) and 14 children (7 girls) attending special primary education for other additional needs, 4 testing sessions around different prototypes were conducted. The beta prototype was subsequently reviewed by experts (n=12). During the design research process, we examined in small steps whether the developed prototypes are feasible and whether they have the potential to achieve the formulated goals of different stakeholders. Results By testing various prototypes, several insights were found and used to improve the design. Insights were gained in finding a fitting and appealing theme for the children, composing the content, and addressing different constraints in applying the goals from the children’s and therapeutic perspectives. Eventually, a multiplayer virtual escape room, AScapeD, was developed. Three children can play the serious game in the same room on tablets. The first test shows that the game enacts equal cooperation and communication among the children. Conclusions This paper presents an iterative design process for AScapeD. AScapeD enacts equal cooperation and communication in a playful way between children with ASD and their peers. The conceptual structure of an escape room contributes to the natural emergence of communication and cooperation. The iterative design process has been beneficial for finding a constructive game structure to address all formulated goals, and it contributed to the design of a serious game as a boundary object that mediates the various objectives of different stakeholders. We present 5 lessons learned from the design process. The developed prototype is feasible and has the potential to achieve the goals of the serious game.

scholarly journals Factors driving and influencing the development of serious games

2016 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Louise Møller ◽  
Poul Kyvsgaard Hansen
Keyword(s):  
Serious Games ◽  
Development Process ◽  
Digital Games ◽  
Serious Game ◽  
Business Strategies ◽  
General Level ◽  
Learning Tools ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
The Us ◽  
Game Developers

There are a large variety of serious games aimed at infusing knowledge into both teams and organizations. Some games aims at supporting the team in a given project or development process, whereas others aim at widening the knowledge, skills and competences in an organization on a more general level. In the serious game literature most focus and attention is given to the design and development of digital games. However in Denmark, at least, there has been a growing industry of analogue serious games and serious game facilitation, which give evidence to the fact that not all development in the area of serious games happens in terms of the digital versions. This paper investigate these new analog serious games and learning tools in the Danish market with focus on the drivers and influencing factors during their development and the effort of making a business out of the serious games. Empirically, the paper is based on close interaction and semi-structured interviews with some of the key serious game developers in Denmark (plus one in the US), some of them with a portfolio of up to ten serious games. Besides from uncovering some of the basic motivations to design and develop serious games, the paper will show, how the game developers’ interaction with the end-users and their different business strategies, influences the way the game is developed.

scholarly journals Assessment-driven Learning through Serious Games: Guidance and Effective Outcomes

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (5) ◽  
pp. 3304
Author(s):  
Othman Bakkali Yedri ◽  
Lotfi El Aachak ◽  
Mohamed Bouhorma
Keyword(s):  
Learning Outcomes ◽  
Learning Process ◽  
Serious Games ◽  
Serious Game ◽  
Assessment Design ◽  
Detailed Assessment

<p>Evaluation in serious games is an important aspect; it aims to evaluate the good transmission of pedagogical objectives, the performance of student in relation to these objectives defined in the pedagogical scenario, the content of the course and the predefined criteria. However, the effectiveness of learning is under-studied due to the complexity involved to gamify the assessment concept, particularly when it comes to intangible measures related to the progression of learning outcomes, which is among the most important aspects of evaluation in serious games. This paper reviews the literature regarding assessment due to their importance in the learning process with a detailed assessment plan applied on serious game. Then, it presents a framework used to facilitate the assessment design integrated in serious games. Finally, a significant example of how the proposed framework proved successful with corresponding results will conclude the paper.</p>

Distinctions Between Games and Learning

2010 ◽  
pp. 22-54 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katrin Becker
Keyword(s):  
Serious Games ◽  
Formal Education ◽  
Educational Games ◽  
Digital Games ◽  
Learning Objects ◽  
Serious Game ◽  
Educational Context ◽  
Current State ◽  
Specific Focus ◽  
Games And Learning

Serious games are digital games designed for purposes other than pure entertainment. This category includes educational games but it also includes a great deal more. A field that was unheard of until Ben Sawyer referred to it as Serious Games in late 2002 (Sawyer, 2003) has already grown so large that one can only hope to keep track of a very small part of it. The time is rapidly coming to an end when literature surveys of even one branch of Serious Games can be considered comprehensive. This chapter will examine the current state of the part of the serious games discipline that intersects with formal education, with a particular focus on design. The chapter begins broadly by looking at games in order to define the term serious game but then narrows to a specific focus on games for education. In this way, it provides an educational context for games as learning objects, distinguishes between traditional, (i.e. non-digital; Murray, 1998) and digital games, and classifies games for education as a subcategory of serious games while at the same time still being part of a larger group of interactive digital applications.

The Use of Digital Games to Stimulate Behaviors

2012 ◽  
pp. 1145-1159
Author(s):  
Paulo David da Silva Simões ◽  
Cláudio Gabriel Inácio Ferreira
Keyword(s):  
Department Of Defense ◽  
Serious Games ◽  
Digital Games ◽  
Serious Game ◽  
Online Game ◽  
Interactive Environment ◽  
Regular Army ◽  
Personal Fulfillment ◽  
The U.S ◽  
As If

Videogames already have their own space on people’s lives (as well as films, music, etc.). Serious games are able to provide players an interactive environment where they can have a new personal fulfillment, and try to achieve certain proposes as if they were real. The U.S. Department of Defense has, since the year 2002, a new tool for promotion and recruitment of civilians into the army. This is an online game in which the user is invited to experience the life of a soldier of the regular army: The America’s Army game, considered the first combat serious game. Due to its popularity and purpose, this chapter analyzes the extent to which the use of the game influences the behavior of its users.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document