Mixed-initiative approaches to on-device mobile game design

Playing casual games is a wildly popular activity on smartphones. However, designing casual games is done by a smaller group of people, usually on desktop computers, using professional development tools. Our goal is to bring these activities closer together, in terms of who does them and how they do them. Our Gamika Technology platform is a 2D physics-based mobile game design environment. It comprises a 284-dimensional parametric design space, and poses mobile game design as the problem of navigating this space. We have built three mobile apps thus far to experiment with on-device, mixed-initiative navigation of the Gamika design space and some of its subspaces. We describe these apps here in terms of the initiatives that go into making a game with them, and how these are split between people and underlying AI software. Our overall goal is to democratise game design, so that anyone and everyone can make casual games directly on their mobile phones or tablets

Characteristics of generatable games

We address the problem of generating complete games, rather than content for existing games. In particular, we try to an- swer the question which types of games it would be realistic or even feasible to generate. To begin to answer the question, we rst list the di erent ways we see that games could be generated, and then try to discuss what characterises games that would be comparatively easy or hard to generate. The discussion is structured according to a subset of the charac- teristics discussed in the book Characteristics of Games by Elias, Gar eld and Gutschera.peer-reviewe

General general game AI

Arguably the grand goal of artificial intelligence research is to produce machines with general intelligence: the capacity to solve multiple problems, not just one. Artificial intelligence (AI) has investigated the general intelligence capacity of machines within the domain of games more than any other domain given the ideal properties of games for that purpose: controlled yet interesting and computationally hard problems. This line of research, however, has so far focused solely on one specific way of which intelligence can be applied to games: playing them. In this paper, we build on the general game-playing paradigm and expand it to cater for all core AI tasks within a game design process. That includes general player experience and behavior modeling, general non-player character behavior, general AI-assisted tools, general level generation and complete game generation. The new scope for general general game AI beyond game-playing broadens the applicability and capacity of AI algorithms and our understanding of intelligence as tested in a creative domain that interweaves problem solving, art, and engineering.peer-reviewe

Responsible research and innovation in science education: insights from evaluating the impact of using digital media and arts-based methods on RRI values

The European Commission policy approach of Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) is gaining momentum in European research planning and development as a strategy to align scientific and technological progress with socially desirable and acceptable ends. One of the RRI agendas is science education, aiming to foster future generations' acquisition of skills and values needed to engage in society responsibly. To this end, it is argued that RRI-based science education can benefit from more interdisciplinary methods such as those based on arts and digital technologies. However, the evidence existing on the impact of science education activities using digital media and arts-based methods on RRI values remains underexplored. This article comparatively reviews previous evidence on the evaluation of these activities, from primary to higher education, to examine whether and how RRI-related learning outcomes are evaluated and how these activities impact on students' learning. Forty academic publications were selected and its content analysed according to five RRI values: creative and critical thinking, engagement, inclusiveness, gender equality and integration of ethical issues. When evaluating the impact of digital and arts-based methods in science education activities, creative and critical thinking, engagement and partly inclusiveness are the RRI values mainly addressed. In contrast, gender equality and ethics integration are neglected. Digital-based methods seem to be more focused on students' questioning and inquiry skills, whereas those using arts often examine imagination, curiosity and autonomy. Differences in the evaluation focus between studies on digital media and those on arts partly explain differences in their impact on RRI values, but also result in non-documented outcomes and undermine their potential. Further developments in interdisciplinary approaches to science education following the RRI policy agenda should reinforce the design of the activities as well as procedural aspects of the evaluation research

Discovering the Pedagogy and Secrets of Gamification and Game-Based Learning Applied to the Music Theory Classroom

This research project aims to establish the credibility of gamification and game-based learning (GBL) in higher education and online education, specifically for applying digital game-based learning (DGBL) to the twenty-first-century music theory classroom. This research project aims to address the current Education Engagement Crisis, the historical need of engaging students, and adapting the music curriculum to the current technological age. This research project will propose an original digital game concept and framework for teaching music theory core skills and other areas of music-related study in higher education as its contribution to the field and research of music education and digital game-based learning. The proposed game, the Universe of Music Theory: Music Masters (UoMT), will be an immersive, engaging, fun, and interactive, online learning-centered game created for the music theory core curricula and designed to address the preferred learning methods of digital natives. This framework may work alongside any music-core program or course as a MIDI lab activity, course-facilitated, or independent supplemental teaching and learning tool. The UoMT will facilitate unique opportunities to teach, reinforce, and assess music theory concepts in a praxial manner that will enable students to practice music-core skills (Music Theory, Keyboard Skills, and Aural Skills) and explore interconnected music-related disciplines (music academia, natural and scientific sound and music phenomena, and psychology of music). What the student learns in class will increase their in-game efficiency and what the student reviews in the game will increase their in-class efficiency

Assessing Student Learning with Technology: A Descriptive Study of Technology-Using Teacher Practice and Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK)

In 2013, a majority of states in the US had adopted Common Core State Standards under the Race to the Top initiative. With this adoption came the opportunity to utilize computer-delivered and computer-adaptive testing. Although the computer-based assessments were intended to assist teachers in designing classroom assessments and using student data to inform instructional practice, teacher-reported data indicated that the areas in which teachers are most unprepared, lack confidence, or are in need of development were assessment (DeLuca, 2012; Wayman et al., 2007) and technology (Brush & Saye, 2009; Kramarski & Michalsky, 2010). The Technology Assessment Practices Survey (TAPS) study was developed based on research in assessment literacy and in the technological pedagogical content knowledge framework. The purpose for developing this mixed-method study was the need to understand better how technology-using teachers assess student learning with technology. Two primary research questions facilitated a description of the assessment literacy and use of technology by 84 technology-using teachers. Participants in the study represented a diverse population of self-identified technology-using teachers. Quantitative and qualitative data were analyzed to provide insight into how technology-using teachers use technology to assess student learning. These data were analyzed for fitness with the TPACK theoretical model of teacher knowledge in order to fill an identified gap in the TPACK research (Cox & Graham, 2010). The TAPS study shows that technology-using teachers who belong to professional-education organizations have higher levels of confidence in both assessment and technology. Quantitative and qualitative data collected in the study also provides insight into the ways in which technology-using teachers think about, design, implement, and use the results of assessments in the classroom. Technology-using teachers exemplify TPACK, including attention to context at the macro, meso, and micro levels (Abbitt, 2011; Doering et al., 2009; Koehler & Mishra, 2009; Mishra & Koehler, 2005, 2006; Porras-Hernandez & Salinas-Amescua, 2013; Voogt et al., 2012). Future qualitative and quantitative research is needed into how preservice and inservice teachers use technology to assess student learning. Stakeholders in national, state, and local educational institutions need to consider how they are supporting the successful use of technology to assess student learning