Serious Game Design by Unified Block Interactions to Support Educational Transformations

This paper introduces a generalized structure for the optimal development of an adventure serious game. Present pandemic conditions induce transformations in educational methods, of which games are an attractive option. A serious game is an interdisciplinary team project for which our structure allows all members to interact irrespective of computer science proficiency. A method of interaction between unified blocks is proposed, consisting of five blocks that cover all the characteristics necessary to describe a serious game. The unified blocks are: rules, characters, scenarios, communication and score. The blocks are divided into sub-blocks that detail the characteristics of the game. The “luck” sub-block allows the real-life non-predictability dimension to be included in the game. During the interaction of the sub-blocks the different contexts of the game are created. Each context has a specific educational content goal that the player must go through. The interactions between sub-blocks are described in an XML file, common working environment for all the interdisciplinary members of the design team involves graphic designers, programmers, game designers and experts in the content to be transmitted. The principle of unified blocks is applied to the fifteen contexts of an existing game, JUSEGU, for which five new contexts are included and implemented in this paper to increase its educational content.

A Novel Approach to Professional Development in Middle School Science: Instructional Coaching by University Professors to Improve the Instructional Core

The current study was constructed based on the recommendations of a previous study (McHenry & Borger, 2013).Though inquiry-based teaching has long been touted as an effective pedagogy, its application by middle schoolscience teachers has been problematic. Using tools developed from the previous study in conjunction withprofessional development grounded in instructional coaching, the program attempted to support middle schoolteachers in making informed instructional decisions that enhance classroom practices to support students in reachingfull science proficiency. Over the two and one-half year span of the program, researchers found that middle schoolteachers were able to embrace major facets of the 5E model of inquiry. While their view of the nature of scienceexpanded slightly, they still struggle with ideas related to argumentation and theory building. The impediments thatinfluenced the success and continuation of the program were three-fold. There was a lack of administrativepartnership due to a change in upper-level district leadership. The decision to adopt new curricular materials wascounter to the goals of the inquiry-based teaching model and was adopted without discussion with the universitycoaches. There was inadequate time allotted to the program in the last year. Though administrative difficulties led tothe discontinuation of the program, the enthusiasm exhibited by the middle level teachers speaks to the need for aninstructional coaching partnership that provides this type of sustained, reform-based, transformational professionaldevelopment that enhances the instructional core.