European Conference on Games Based Learning最新文献

{"title":"PIXEL: Challenges of Designing a Professional Board Game for Astronomy Education","authors":"Giannandrea Inchingolo, Rachele Toniolo, Stefania Varano, Andrea Ligabue, Sara Ricciardi","doi":"10.34190/ecgbl.17.1.1481","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.34190/ecgbl.17.1.1481","url":null,"abstract":"PIXEL - Picture (of) the Universe is a board game developed by INAF - Italian National Institute for Astrophysics in collaboration with GAME Science Research Center. The game simulates the astrophysics research environment, particularly emphasising the observation and study of cosmic bodies at different resolutions. ​​Image resolution is a crucial element in astrophysics, but the intrinsic complexity and challenges of making high-resolution images of the distant Universe are not easily and generally perceivable. We envisioned PIXEL driven by this challenge. Games intended to engage students with science either concentrate on the contents to foster the learning process or focus on life skills solicited by scientific practices. Game mechanics are then either a leverage of scientific knowledge or a science-like behavioural model, depending on the expected outcome of the game-based learning process. In addition to that, game-based learning in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) generally is designed by science practitioners and science communication and education experts. The design process of PIXEL has been a novel joint effort between scientists, science communicators, professional game designers, and game-market and award advisors. We produced a game in which the mechanics are the core of scientific learning, implicitly telling about science while making the player experience it. The innovation of this process is to obtain a game that encountered positive feedback both from the community of game experts and the educational context. The final output is a professional board game suitable for STEM education that promotes scientific citizenship in the audience.In this work, we discuss the game design process and describe how we included our scientific educational messages of image resolution and research dynamics as processes within the game mechanics without making them explicit during the gameplay. We also present a preliminary engagement evaluation of PIXEL and its efficacy in delivering implicit scientific messages through its mechanics.","PeriodicalId":406917,"journal":{"name":"European Conference on Games Based Learning","volume":"27 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-09-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135295761","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Need-Based Game Design: Developing a CT Game Based on Educational Needs","authors":"Niklas Humble, Peter Mozelius, Lisa Sällvin","doi":"10.34190/ecgbl.17.1.1489","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.34190/ecgbl.17.1.1489","url":null,"abstract":"According to reports and previous research, present and future society show a high need for citizens with technical skills, such as computer programming. The need for technical competent citizens can however be challenging for higher education institutions to accommodate due to low numbers of students in higher education computer science. But also due to the high drop-out rates and low pass rates in introductory programming courses. With that said, it is important to both recruit new students to computer science and to support those who already study the subject, to meet the demands of the present and the future. An approach that has shown great promise in motivating students while still keeping focus on the learning aspects in education, is game-based learning (GBL). To facilitate support in higher education computer science, more specifically courses in fundamental programming, this study had the aim of identifying important design concepts in the development of a need-based educational game on computational thinking (CT). Skills related to programming have commonly been organized as part of the CT concept. To identify the educational needs, e-mail interviews were conducted with teachers that teach higher education courses on computer programming in Swedish universities. Based in an on-going design science project to create a learning game on computational thinking for higher education, the study discusses and compare the identified needs with design theories, such as affordances, emotional design, and sustainable design. The conclusion is a conceptual design of the educational game with a set of recommendations for a need-based game design in educational context.","PeriodicalId":406917,"journal":{"name":"European Conference on Games Based Learning","volume":"25 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-09-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135295921","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Mathematics and Sign Language Learning with a Tangible Game: An Inclusive Approach for DHH and Hearing Children","authors":"Cátia Casimiro, José Carlos Neves, Carla Sousa","doi":"10.34190/ecgbl.17.1.1411","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.34190/ecgbl.17.1.1411","url":null,"abstract":"The purpose of this study was to investigate the potential of a tangible game, Inclusive Glossary of Mathematical Terms (GIM), to support the teaching of math and Portuguese sign language (Língua Gestual Portuguesa; LGP) to preschool and first-grade children, with an emphasis on inclusive education, knowledge acquisition, and engagement. GIM is composed of physical cards that are complemented by digital videos that run on an interface designed for this game. The game consists of two sets of cards and respective animations. As an inclusive math glossary, it also includes videos where concepts, characters, and objects are identified through images, words, and sign language. During the development process of GIM, it was possible to involve a multidisciplinary team, of which a Deaf sign language teacher and a sign language interpreter were part to ensure the clarity of the sign language and refine the written sentences accompanying the glossary. In order to validate its contents, a focus group of preschool and primary teachers specialized in the teaching of Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH) children was formed. A total of 120 children, aged between three and eight years old (M = 5.61; SD = 0.78), and seven LGP and special education teachers from three Portuguese schools participated in the study. The children used GIM in their classrooms, with the assistance of the participating teachers, who were subsequently interviewed to assess their engagement, interest, and learning outcomes. The interviews were analyzed using content analysis procedures, including descriptive statistics and Pearson correlations. The results indicated that GIM has the potential to effectively support the teaching of mathematics and LGP to preschool and first-grade children, especially in inclusive education contexts. The tangible nature of the game facilitated children's understanding of mathematical concepts and LGP, leading to improved involvement in the teaching-learning process. Moreover, the game promoted awareness of diversity and the principles of inclusive education, making it a valuable tool for promoting social inclusion and understanding. However, the study has reduced sample and context-specific limitations, suggesting a need for further research in this area.","PeriodicalId":406917,"journal":{"name":"European Conference on Games Based Learning","volume":"132 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-09-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135296324","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Multiplayer Serious Games Supporting Programming Learning","authors":"Adam Wynn, Jingyun Wang, Ruisheng Han, Ting-Chia Hsu","doi":"10.34190/ecgbl.17.1.1621","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.34190/ecgbl.17.1.1621","url":null,"abstract":"Computational thinking (CT) is crucial in education for providing a multifaceted approach to problem-solving. However, challenges exist such as supporting teachers' knowledge of CT and students' desire to learn it, particularly for non-technical students. To combat these challenges, Computer Supported Collaborative Learning (CSCL) has been introduced in classrooms and implemented using a variety of technologies, including serious games, which have been adopted across several domains aiming to appeal to various demographics and skill levels. This research focuses on a Collaborative Multiplayer Serious Game (MSG) for CT skill training. The architecture is aimed at young students and is designed to aid in the learning of programming and the development of CT skills. The purpose of this research is to conduct an empirical study to assess the multiplayer game gameplay mechanics for collaborative CT learning. The proposed game leverages a card game structure and contains complex multi-team multi-player processes, allowing students to communicate and absorb sequential and conditional logics as well as graph routing in a 2D environment. A preliminary experiment was conducted with four fourth-graders and eight sixth-graders from a French school in Morocco who have varying levels of understanding of CT. Participants were split into three groups each with two teams and were required to complete a 16-question multiple-choice quiz before and after playing the same game to assess their initial structural programming logics and the effectiveness of the MSG. Questionnaires were collected along with an interview to gather feedback on their gaming experiences and the game’s role in teaching and learning. The results demonstrate that the proposed MSG had a favourable effect on the participants’ test scores as the scores of 4 of the teams increased and 1 remained the same. All students performed well on the sequential and conditional logics, which was significantly better than the achievement of the Bebras test of the graph routing. Furthermore, according to the participants, the game provides an appealing environment that allows players to immerse themselves in the game and the competitive aspect of the game adds to its appeal and helps develop teamwork, coordination, and communication skills.","PeriodicalId":406917,"journal":{"name":"European Conference on Games Based Learning","volume":"20 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-09-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135296448","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Using and facilitating social videogames as warm-ups for embodied design","authors":"Jose Font, Mats Johnsson, Søren Lekbo, Rasmus Vestergaard Andersen, Maximus D. Kaos, Lars Elbæk","doi":"10.34190/ecgbl.17.1.1398","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.34190/ecgbl.17.1.1398","url":null,"abstract":"Warm-ups, as preliminary activities to physical training, are an inherent part of any physical exercise and sports practice. Rooted in the concept of embodied cognition, embodied design is a paradigm that shifts the focus of interaction design from external artefacts and devices to the human body (Svanæs & Barkhuus, 2020). A body-centred design emphasises the importance of having the human body at the centre of the entire design cycle, conveying movement, physical expressivity, feelings, and aesthetics, in a design process that uses the body as both a resource and target. Designing with the body is, therefore, a physically demanding activity that requires a specific set of warm-ups to educate and prepare designers mentally, socially, and physically for the act of embodied design. We propose social videogames as a resourceful framework for creating such a set of warm-up exercises. This paper presents a methodology comprising off-the-shelf commercial videogames whose rules have been adapted for embodied design. Three studies have been executed to validate the game's capacity as warm-up activity and icebreaker for embodied creativity and to study the conditions for an optimal method facilitation to external instructors in preparation for an applied session. The method applied is qualitative and quantitative feedback data gathered from the three studies using questionnaires, tests, observation, and open interviews. The results of the series of studies showed the potential of the proposed methodology as warm-ups for teaching, training, and practising embodied design, as well as giving insights on how to facilitate it. Overall, the game-based warm-ups for embodied design preparation using off-the-shelf movement games have a social and playful nature. The proposed twisted gameplays make them suitable to exert body moves and get ready to think and design with their bodies. The study on facilitation shows the need for a preparation session supported by an experienced person. However, one introductory session is enough for the toolbox to become an easily configurable resource that adapts to the facilitator's needs and goals. We suggest including sample implementation cases along with instruction cards of the embodied games. Further, the warm-up games are customisable using the toolbox's modifier cards.","PeriodicalId":406917,"journal":{"name":"European Conference on Games Based Learning","volume":"43 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-09-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135296459","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Design of an Educational Escape Room by Future Teachers","authors":"Mária Čujdíková, Peter Vankúš","doi":"10.34190/ecgbl.17.1.1624","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.34190/ecgbl.17.1.1624","url":null,"abstract":"As educators seek innovative ways to engage students in the learning process, educational escape rooms have emerged as a promising motivational learning strategy. This paper presents a study on the design and playing of such escape rooms by pre-service secondary mathematics and informatics teachers using online tools. The study involved students collaboratively creating their escape rooms and introducing them to their peers. We gathered data through observation, questionnaires, evaluation cards, and their webpages regarding their opinions on the potential of these rooms as a teaching tool. Results indicate that most students found the educational escape rooms to be highly engaging and useful in promoting collaboration, and problem-solving skills. Therefore, they are open to using educational escape rooms in their future teaching. The study sheds light on the potential of student-led design of educational escape rooms as a means of preparing future teachers to incorporate this motivational tool into their teaching practice, with implications for teacher education programs and classroom practice.","PeriodicalId":406917,"journal":{"name":"European Conference on Games Based Learning","volume":"47 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-09-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135296598","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Exploring Reflective Learning in Digital Game-Based Learning: A User Research","authors":"Anjuman Shaheen, Panagiotis Fotaris","doi":"10.34190/ecgbl.17.1.1640","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.34190/ecgbl.17.1.1640","url":null,"abstract":"Reflective learning has gained popularity as an effective form of education that involves students reflecting on their past experiences to enhance their skills and learning. In recent years, it has been observed that games offer experiential learning and are reflective in nature, making them the ideal medium to integrate reflective learning. With digital games being popular among people of all ages, particularly young adults and children, this study explores the advantages of explicitly incorporating reflective learning into digital game-based learning (GBL) by investigating young adults' perceptions of reflective game design (RGD).
 Research suggests that digital games implicitly promote reflective learning by encouraging critical thinking, self-awareness, problem-solving skills, and motivation. Additionally, reflective learning provides immediate feedback to students, promoting self-directed learning. Allowing students to reflect on their gaming experiences can make digital games more immersive, leading to deeper learning.
 The study was conducted in two phases. In the first phase, a survey was administered to 101 young adults between the ages of 18 and 24. The survey aimed to get participants' perceptions and acceptance of games exhibiting reflective features such as heads-up displays, screen maps, message prompts, and performance comparison charts. The results showed that 86.5% of participants accepted the idea of reflective game design, indicating a high level of interest in this approach to learning. In the second phase, fifteen in-depth interviews were conducted to explore further participants' perceptions and acceptance of reflection in games. The thematic analysis of the interviews revealed common trends in using reflective game practices to design a new GBL approach. Participants noted that reflective game design can foster deeper learning, promote problem-solving skills, and enhance learning motivation.
 This study contributes to developing principles and guidelines for RGD that can assist researchers, educators, and game designers in creating effective educational games. By explicitly incorporating reflective learning into digital GBL, educational games can become more engaging, immersive, and effective in promoting critical thinking, STEM literacy, self-awareness, problem-solving skills, and motivation among students.","PeriodicalId":406917,"journal":{"name":"European Conference on Games Based Learning","volume":"50 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-09-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135294590","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"UnlockArt: Cultural Mediation at the Museum Through an Augmented Reality Escape Room","authors":"Masiar Babazadeh","doi":"10.34190/ecgbl.17.1.1646","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.34190/ecgbl.17.1.1646","url":null,"abstract":"In the context of a museum, cultural mediation facilitates access to the works of art for the visitors which not always share the culture the pieces of art come from. Tools and resources such as catalogs, guided tours, or the work of the curators are all part of the museum's cultural mediation, which highlights and informs the visitors of the works on display. In this case study we present the game design process and results of UnlockArt, a project developed as a cultural mediation tool at the Museo delle Culture (MUSEC) in Lugano, Switzerland. The project studied and applied the educational escape room format to enhance the museum experience for visitors, and to encourage the younger ones to approach the collection through a ludic activity. By the means of the Star Model (Botturi and Babazadeh, 2020), the project designed an educational escape room for the \"JAPAN. Arts and Life. The Montgomery Collection\" exhibition, a collection of Japanese objects from the period between the 12th and the 20th century. Educational escape rooms are a format that works well in class, but may be burdensome to apply in a museum, which intrinsically imposes many constraints. Players should be silent, the escape room should always be ready to be played and easy to be rebooted, and it should not impact the exhibition for visitors that wish not to engage in the experience. For this reason, we opted for an augmented reality educational escape room (AR EER) which can be played on tablets. Such approach only requires QR codes placed around the exhibition, which hide puzzles and hints tied to the works exhibited in the museum, and does not need any rebooting phase as the puzzles are to be solved in augmented reality.","PeriodicalId":406917,"journal":{"name":"European Conference on Games Based Learning","volume":"57 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-09-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135294593","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A Model for Balancing Clarity and Appeal in Serious Game Visuals","authors":"Hua Bai, Björn Berg Marklund, Ulf Wilhelmsson","doi":"10.34190/ecgbl.17.1.1633","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.34190/ecgbl.17.1.1633","url":null,"abstract":"In serious game development, graphic design needs to be eye-catching, while also depicting subject matter content in a responsible, accurate, and clear way. Previous research has shown that abstract and symbolic game visuals seem to be preferable for learning and providing an engaging experience. Our research focuses on describing the challenges involved in creating effective visual communication through game graphics in cross cultures. In particular, we’re interested in examining if certain styles of visual communication are more or less effective between different cultural demographics. To examine this, we have created a serious game which aims to promote healthy food and nutrition habits to teenagers in both Nepalese and Swedish schools and by doing so also motivate behavioral changes toward healthier eating habits. We are currently conducting studies to see whether preferences and image recognition differ between the two demographical spheres. This paper will only discuss the exploratory study done in Nepal. Ultimately, this paper aims to contribute development guidelines that can aid developers in creating more effective visual communication in their serious games, and we primarily focus on exploring what we call the compromise of ‘clarity’ and ‘appeal’ in the creation of game graphics. We present an initial model for choosing at what level in terms of realism/abstraction and taxonomic hierarchy the graphical components of serious games optimally should be produced in order to solve the dilemma of precise, unmistakable, yet appealing visuals in serious games. It all comes down to two primary decisions: defining the taxonomic hierarchy of the items to depict, and choosing the style in which to depict them. With a better understanding of when different game visuals are more or less appropriate, both in terms of style and in which objects are represented, game developers will be able to balance production costs better while also creating something that strikes the compromise between clarity and appeal.","PeriodicalId":406917,"journal":{"name":"European Conference on Games Based Learning","volume":"9 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-09-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135294660","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Unpacking student perceptions of board game mechanics","authors":"Suzaan Hughes","doi":"10.34190/ecgbl.17.1.1757","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.34190/ecgbl.17.1.1757","url":null,"abstract":"The boardroom challenge is a custom developed board game used as a formative assessment in an undergraduate business management course. The course forms part of an Accountancy degree which culminates in the professional designation of members to the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA). Students are required to develop skills and competencies towards future membership of their professions professional body. To this end an industry employer and training company partnered with the University to develop students’ business acumen utilizing gamified learning in the form of a custom developed board game. The boardroom challenge has taken place annually from 2015-2019 and commenced again in 2022 when Covid-19 regulations permitted. On game day students compete in randomly assigned groups of six with an industry game master at each table as a facilitator. Students and facilitators complete questionnaires after the boardroom challenge providing feedback and suggestions. Open ended feedback from 2015-2019 has been thematically analysed to evaluate perceptions on game mechanics. Game mechanics include rolling the dice to determine which scenario students need to address. During the game students have to answer theory questions or address scenarios, depending on what the dice causes their game piece to land on. Correct answers earn currency in the game and students display their new rank in the organisation with each correct answer. Moving up the salary scale tops out at CEO after which students can begin to earn shares. Turn taking is regulated by a timer, to ensure everyone has sufficient turns while industry based game masters make the final call on the appropriateness of answers to open ended scenario type questions. The board game generates great excitement and engagement from students with several preparatory activities scaffolded into tutorials before game day. Students’ perception of the various game elements and mechanics indicate their evaluation is dependent on how they have conceptualized the impact of specific mechanics on their marks. As a mitigating factor, the data was gathered and analysed over many years.","PeriodicalId":406917,"journal":{"name":"European Conference on Games Based Learning","volume":"2 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-09-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135295513","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}