Key factors and network model for location-based cultural mobile game design

The use of smart devices as media for digital learning constitutes a new-generation digital learning paradigm. Therefore, context-aware game-based learning has attracted considerable attention. Location-based games have not only positive effects on learning but also pronounced effects on culture and history. Accordingly, focusing on railway cultural heritages, we attempted to assess interdependent relationships between key factors crucial for the design of a location-based mobile game for cultural heritages. We adopted the analytic network process (ANP) for our assessment. We initially performed a literature review to generalize relevant criteria and elements and developed a questionnaire based on the fuzzy delphi method (FDM); which lead to the selection of key factors, namely 3 criteria and 15 elements. We also applied an online ANP-based questionnaire; on the basis of the experts' opinions, we established a network model and determined the priority order of the key factors. The results revealed that experts considered “culture learning” to be of the highest importance, with the most important three elements being “prior knowledge,” “challenge levels,” and “cultural narrative.” Moreover, culture learning exhibited a strong interaction with content design. In addition, each element had a considerable influence on the remaining elements that could provide references for the construction of location-based cultural mobile games in the future

A Phenomenological Examination of Virtual Game Developers\u27 Experiences Using Jacob\u27s Ladder Pre-Production Design Tactic

Edutainment refers to curriculum and instruction designed with a clear educational purpose, including multi-faceted virtual learning game design. Tools such as the Jacob\u27s Ladder pre-production design tactic have been developed to ensure that voices of both engineers and educators are heard. However, it is unclear how development team members experience and perceive their collaborative work while designing a virtual game using such tactics. This phenomenological study examined the experiences of agile software team members using Jacob\u27s Ladder pre-production design as an interdisciplinary collaboration tool while designing a virtual learning game. Seven design team members (3 educators and 4 engineers) participated in semi-structured interviews and transcripts were analyzed via an inductive coding process that led to the development of key themes. Findings indicated that using Jacob\u27s Ladder design tactic influenced the experience of the team by keeping the team focused on common goals and learner needs, organizing the team work, supporting interdisciplinary collaboration, and promoting shared understandings of the software platform limitations. Individuals played various roles, appreciated diverse views, recognized prior experience and idea sharing, and felt the design tactic supported flexibility for interdisciplinary collaboration. By linking integration strategies to interdisciplinary collaboration, findings from this study may be used by organizational leaders to consider best practices in team building for virtual learning game design, which will further support the development of effective games and growth of the edutainment industry

An Immersive Learning Model

Our overarching goal is to provide children with immersive game-based learning environments to support Arabic linguistic skills acquisition. We postulate that immersion in- creases learning. To investigate this hypothesis, we developed a model and built an implementation of an educational virtual environment (EVE) that supports immersion and thus, induces effective learning. Experimental results confirm our hypothesis. Our model integrates learning content, learning activities, immersion and gameplay. Based on our analysis of various curricula, specifically the United Arab Emirates grade one curriculum, we identified the nature of the learning content in order to satisfy the curriculum requirements. This content is conceptually structured to support gradual and independent learning. Acquiring knowledge from the learning content involves a learning process that we operationalize as a set of well-defined cognitive activities, which are categorized as perception, recognition, association, composition and recall. Accordingly, gameplay events and actions are designed to afford and instantiate these activities to engage the learner. Besides gameplay, engagement is explicitly addressed by modeling immersion using three different dimensions (sensory, imaginative and challenge-based). Our implementation is a 3D virtual reality game that captures various learning environments, each of which provides adventure, exploration, and learning. The gameplay engages players into learning activities that stimulate their senses, challenges them, and keep them absorbed in their quests. The implemented system runs on PC’s with Oculus and on smart phones with virtual glasses. These configurations were used in experiments in the lab- oratory, at a primary school, and in informal settings to measure immersion and learning. Results show that our model contributes effectively to immersion and learning

Game Design Patterns for Learning

Kelle, S. (2012). Game Design Patterns for Learning. November, 9, 2012, Heerlen, The Netherlands: Open Universiteit in the Netherlands, CELSTEC. Aachen: Shaker Verlag.What do learning games consist of? How to design learning games and what to keep in mind? How to balance educational objectives with good gameplay? What to do if you are a game designer and you want to use e-learning standards for your game? And what to do if you are an instructional designer and you are in desperate need to gamify your content? This publication aims at illuminating these questions, presenting results from a 4 year long PhD project run at CELSTEC, the Center of Learning Sciences and Technologies at the Open University of The Netherlands. Sebastian Kelle is a multidisciplinary researcher, currently building up a new center for higher education didactics at Stuttgart Media University.EU ICOPER Projec