Designing Curricular Games

Most teachers only dream of their students spending the amount of motivation, attention, passion, and critical thinking on their classes that some do playing video games. Many teachers have thought “How can I compete with that?” as they confiscate a hand-held gaming device from a student. However, more and more teachers are incorporating video games into their curriculum, instead of banning them. This chapter argues that it is not just video games that can transform teaching, video game techniques can as well. By using video game design principles such as game stories and quests, teachers can restructure their teaching so students do not just learn the curriculum, they experience it. This chapter explores the research on using game-based teaching and learning with the Next Generation including how game-based teaching can be used to achieve 21st century goals as outlined by business leaders within 21st century educational constraints.

EEG in game user analysis: A framework for expertise classification during gameplay

Video games have become a ubiquitous part of demographically diverse cultures. Numerous studies have focused on analyzing the cognitive aspects involved in game playing that could help in providing an optimal gaming experience by improving video game design. To this end, we present a framework for classifying the game player’s expertise level using wearable electroencephalography (EEG) headset. We hypothesize that expert and novice players’ brain activity is different, which can be classified using frequency domain features extracted from EEG signals of the game player. A systematic channel reduction approach is presented using a correlation-based attribute evaluation method. This approach lead us in identifying two significant EEG channels, i.e., AF3 and P7, among fourteen channels available in Emotiv EPOC headset. In particular, features extracted from these two EEG channels contributed the most to the video game player’s expertise level classification. This finding is validated by performing statistical analysis (t-test) over the extracted features. Moreover, among multiple classifiers used, K-nearest neighbor is the best classifier in classifying game player’s expertise level with a classification accuracy of up to 98.04% (without data balancing) and 98.33% (with data balancing).

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

Pay-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.

A Video Game for Brazilian T1D Children about Knowledge of Disease and Self-care: A Methodological Study

Background: Video games are interactive technologies able to support children in health promotion, behavior changes, and chronic disease self-management. The use of health behavior change determinants in video game design can increase its effectiveness. This study describes the process of designing a video game for Brazilian children with T1D clarifying the use of health behavior change determinants that may influence self-management behaviors. Methods: This was a methodological study based on health behavior change theories and the user-centered design approach. The results of a qualitative study conducted with children aged 7 to 12 years identified learning needs about knowledge on diabetes and self-care tasks which contribute to inappropriate behaviors. A Behavioral Diagnosis presented health behavior change determinants, capable of influencing children’s learning needs and behaviors, that were considered to design The Heroes of Diabetes—the power of knowledge. Results: The results presented the process of designing 4 mini games with its description and theory foundation to reach children’s lack of understanding about T1D, insulin’s role, SMBG requirements, food groups and physical activity’s role in glycemic control. Knowledge, goal settings, extrinsic and intrinsic motivation determinants were related with video games design features. Conclusions: The findings support the use of health behavior change determinants into video game design as a guide to achieve children learning needs and that might influence self-management behaviors.

Billy Burkhalter: The Maltese man: a video game for wimps

In October 2003, I received the approval of the Joint Programme in Communication & Culture to fulfill the requirements of the MA project by designing a prototype for a webbased video game which would provide an entertaining venue where players would learn about the mechanics behind the construction of masculinity. This prototype, along with a test scene (which can be played on most Internet-ready computers at www.sphincter.ca). was completed in August 2004. The purpose of this project paper is to elaborate on the project's objectives with a discussion of how theories of communication and culture guided the prototype's artistic direction, how the prototype contributes to the professional practice of video game design, and how the prototype's ultimate objective - to help male wimps achieve a sense of comfort in their masculine identity - was fulfilled.

Billy Burkhalter: The Maltese man: a video game for wimps

In October 2003, I received the approval of the Joint Programme in Communication & Culture to fulfill the requirements of the MA project by designing a prototype for a webbased video game which would provide an entertaining venue where players would learn about the mechanics behind the construction of masculinity. This prototype, along with a test scene (which can be played on most Internet-ready computers at www.sphincter.ca). was completed in August 2004. The purpose of this project paper is to elaborate on the project's objectives with a discussion of how theories of communication and culture guided the prototype's artistic direction, how the prototype contributes to the professional practice of video game design, and how the prototype's ultimate objective - to help male wimps achieve a sense of comfort in their masculine identity - was fulfilled.

Arch play: applications of narrative theory in video game aesthetics

As of 2015, the incumbent international eSports paradigm centers on genre-defining systems and games that were not initially designed for mass spectatorship. As a result, would-be fans are often confronted with a high-friction onboarding process verging on hostility. With global viewership estimated to reach over 238m unique annual viewers by 2017 (Superdata, 2015), leading developers have adapted the designs of new products to prioritize audiences as well as players. The most successful among them have capitalized off of the resulting spectator virality. Lacking is a high-level framework for evaluating games based on aesthetic composition and their resulting viability as a spectator experience. This paper offers critical evaluations of dominant and lesser-known gaming spectator experiences via in-depth analyses of their constituent design affordances relating to a combined, interdisciplinary aesthetic framework centered heavily around narrative-bias. It is asserted throughout that any viewing experience with certain aesthetic factors configured to prioritize a clear and approachable classical narrative design, when evaluated aesthetically, can be considered rich in quality. Conforming to this aesthetic standard also permits games the potential to enjoy mass popularity. This paper is intended to serve as a foundation for an interdisciplinary framework of best practices in video game design.

Arch play: applications of narrative theory in video game aesthetics

As of 2015, the incumbent international eSports paradigm centers on genre-defining systems and games that were not initially designed for mass spectatorship. As a result, would-be fans are often confronted with a high-friction onboarding process verging on hostility. With global viewership estimated to reach over 238m unique annual viewers by 2017 (Superdata, 2015), leading developers have adapted the designs of new products to prioritize audiences as well as players. The most successful among them have capitalized off of the resulting spectator virality. Lacking is a high-level framework for evaluating games based on aesthetic composition and their resulting viability as a spectator experience. This paper offers critical evaluations of dominant and lesser-known gaming spectator experiences via in-depth analyses of their constituent design affordances relating to a combined, interdisciplinary aesthetic framework centered heavily around narrative-bias. It is asserted throughout that any viewing experience with certain aesthetic factors configured to prioritize a clear and approachable classical narrative design, when evaluated aesthetically, can be considered rich in quality. Conforming to this aesthetic standard also permits games the potential to enjoy mass popularity. This paper is intended to serve as a foundation for an interdisciplinary framework of best practices in video game design.

Evaluation of an electronic video game for improvement of balance

<div>Virtual environments have been investigated for</div><div>fitness and medical rehabilitation. In this study, the Sony</div><div>EyeToy (R)and PlayStation 2 (R) were used with the Anti-Grav(TM) game to evaluate their potential for improving</div><div>postural balance. The game required lateral head, body, and</div><div>arm movements. The performance on balance tests of</div><div>subjects who trained for 3 weeks with this game was</div><div>compared to the performance of controls who were not</div><div>trained. Training subjects showed improvement for two of</div><div>the three tests (each testing a different facet of balance),</div><div>suggesting specificity of training, while control subjects did</div><div>not show significant improvement on any test. Simulator</div><div>sickness questionnaire results showed a variety of mild</div><div>symptoms, which decreased over the training sessions.</div><div>Motor learning analysis of the game scores showed that</div><div>mastery had been achieved on the easier level in the game,</div><div>but not on the second level of difficulty. This reflects the</div><div>potential for continued learning and training through</div><div>advanced levels within a game. A model parameter using</div><div>the time constants of game score improvement was developed, which could be used to quantify the difficulty for any video game design. The results suggest that this video game could be used for some aspects of balance training.</div>

Evaluation of an electronic video game for improvement of balance

<div>Virtual environments have been investigated for</div><div>fitness and medical rehabilitation. In this study, the Sony</div><div>EyeToy (R)and PlayStation 2 (R) were used with the Anti-Grav(TM) game to evaluate their potential for improving</div><div>postural balance. The game required lateral head, body, and</div><div>arm movements. The performance on balance tests of</div><div>subjects who trained for 3 weeks with this game was</div><div>compared to the performance of controls who were not</div><div>trained. Training subjects showed improvement for two of</div><div>the three tests (each testing a different facet of balance),</div><div>suggesting specificity of training, while control subjects did</div><div>not show significant improvement on any test. Simulator</div><div>sickness questionnaire results showed a variety of mild</div><div>symptoms, which decreased over the training sessions.</div><div>Motor learning analysis of the game scores showed that</div><div>mastery had been achieved on the easier level in the game,</div><div>but not on the second level of difficulty. This reflects the</div><div>potential for continued learning and training through</div><div>advanced levels within a game. A model parameter using</div><div>the time constants of game score improvement was developed, which could be used to quantify the difficulty for any video game design. The results suggest that this video game could be used for some aspects of balance training.</div>