Using games as learning tools for design research planning

Designers are required to understand human behavior and people’s needs in order to design solutions. According to Muratovsky (2015), society today demands designers to not only design products and communications, but also a system for living. The definition of design is changing from a craft-oriented profession where the emphasis is on individual creativity and commerce, to a discipline that is robust and committed to conceptualization, configuration, and the implementation of new ideas (Muratovsky, 2015). Therefore, the current demands become the reason cross-disciplinary studies is a required skill for designers (Muratovsky, 2015). In order to broaden their knowledge, designers need to become strategic planners and thinkers who can work across disciplines. In order to meet the current demands for designers to become strategic planners, the designer needs to find a way of improving the design research planning process. Based on the author’s experience and observations, novice designers or design students found difficulties when they plan to design research in professional and academic contexts on their teams. It seems that they often forget the various methods, theories, or tools about design methods that should be used for the research. To solve these issues, games could convey a solution that helps designers to understand the whole process of design research. Games can be used for designers as an activity to learn the planning design research experimenting method by knowing what is a better plan in a particular case. Design games enable design actions to be studied in a manipulable and well-bounded environment that creates situations similar to real-life situations (Habraken & Gross, as cited in Vaajakallio, 2012). Games can be used as a tool or medium in a cross-disciplinary team for having engaging discussion and collaboration process. This thesis explores how to create games that help the designer to plan research in order to guide designers to understand better the design research context. This knowledge can help designers to expand their emphasis based on individual creativity towards conceptualization, configuration, and implementation of new ideas. The outcome of this thesis is games that help designers to plan design research

Mapping the process of product innovation: Contextualising the 'black box' of computer and video games design

The academic literature hitherto has mainly addressed the 'effects' of video games and not their creation. The thesis seeks to gain an understanding of the motivations behind the design choices in creating home computer and video games software in light of this 'gap'. The research sought to understand the process of constructing games by examining: (i) the individual designer's aims and how these were mediated by the contexts of. - (ii) the development team and organisation; (iii) the needs of the audience and their presence in the innovation process and (iv) the impact of the hardware manufacturer's quality assessment upon the game's design. These aims were met by outlining the industry structure operating in the video games' market from the period between the early 1980s to mid-1990s. This was performed with reference to the rise of Sega and Nintendo's hardware and software strategy, covering their diffusion from Japan to the US and UK. This highlighted the context surrounding the creation of three computer games from initial concept to actual commodity that served as the subject of case study analysis. The discussion seeks to explore the implications of the choices made in designing the games and widens the debate to the creation of other games. It is argued that the design of games mirrors aspects similar to the creation of other entertainment media but possess certain problems associated with aesthetic conventions, labour, industry and technical issues unique to this medium. Consequently the thesis outlines certain dimensions that impinge'upon the process of product innovation in entertainment software. From a theoretical perspective the application of a social constructivist approach to the emergence of a leisure technology is a novel one and demonstrates the contingent nature of game design

Aligning business processes and work practices

Current business process modeling methodologies offer little guidance regarding how to keep business process models aligned with their actual execution. This paper describes how to achieve this goal by uncovering and supervising business process models in connection with work practices using BAM. BAM is a methodology for business process modeling, supervision and improvement that works at two dimensions; the dimension of processes and the dimension of work practices. The business modeling component of BAM is illustrated with a case study in an organizational setting

Insight Report: Contexts of use of Learning Design Support Tools

Prepared by Dr Rachel A Harris, Inspire Research Ltd with input from Seb Schmoller, Association for Learning Technology (ALT) December 2011 for The Learning Design Support Environment Project

Research Project as Boundary Object: negotiating the conceptual design of a tool for International Development

This paper reflects on the relationship between who one designs for and what one designs in the unstructured space of designing for political change; in particular, for supporting “International Development” with ICT. We look at an interdisciplinary research project with goals and funding, but no clearly defined beneficiary group at start, and how amorphousness contributed to impact. The reported project researched a bridging tool to connect producers with consumers across global contexts and show players in the supply chain and their circumstances. We explore how both the nature of the research and the tool’s function became contested as work progressed. To tell this tale, we invoke the idea of boundary objects and the value of tacking back and forth between elastic meanings of the project’s artefacts and processes. We examine the project’s role in India, Chile and other arenas to draw out ways that it functioned as a catalyst and how absence of committed design choices acted as an unexpected strength in reaching its goals

Me, us and them: evaluation of cooperation and competition in a location-based serious game design

Introduction Parallel to the growing interest in the deployment of digital games as an instructional tool for educational and social purposes and their theoretical underpinning and viability (Egenfeldt-Nielsen, 2006), the social aspect of gaming itself has also gained interest as in how various forms of human interaction in digital games and game play manifest. For example, Zagal, Nussbaum and Rosas (2002) developed a model for multiplayer game design to support initial steps in the design process of multiplayer games, proposing that social interaction depends on elements of the game (i.e. player(s), rules and goals, and props and tools) and characteristics of a multiplayer game. Moreover, mobile technologies offer new opportunities to embed and exploit multiplayer game and/or game features to various contexts, potentially adding an extra element to the human interaction and digital games, such as the spatial environment in which the digital game is played). For instance, due to GPS integration in mobile devices, game play progression in so called location-based games is based on players’ interaction with certain game features in a predefined physical location. For example, Huizinga, Admiraal, Akkerman and Dam (2009) developed a mobile city game for students from secondary education to acquire historical knowledge and motivation for history. Likewise, Facer et al. (2004) developed a mobile game experience to encourage the development of children’s conceptual understanding of animal behavior in a direct physical interaction with space and with other players. Due to new game formats, new media and technology opportunities, the social aspect of multiplayer digital gaming the complexity of optimizing game design and eventually game play rises. This paper therefore aims to further explore the competition and cooperation elements (Zagal et al, 2002) for a location-based serious game. This study was part of a larger study aimed to design and develop a game-based road safety campaign from a user-centered design perspective using several mixed methods throughout the game development process (Pagulayan, Keeker, Wixon, Romero, & Fuller, 2003). The goal was to develop a serious game to enhance the awareness of road safety and to stimulate safe behavior on the road among adolescents. In the first part of the game development process a literature review, interviews and focus groups with relevant stakeholders resulted in a game design concept. [Reference removed to protect anonymity] involved stakeholders in a co-design sessions to gather input on the perception and needs of the target group on several game mechanics. Insights obtained in part one led to the creation of a beta version of the game ‘City Jam’. The game’s goal is to become the most popular band of the city by collecting virtual items spread throughout the city center and therefore competing against one another in teams (four > team < ten); each team consists of two to four players and players have the option to cooperate given the game mechanics and features. In order to evaluate the results we considered a social hourglass shaped framework as to describe cooperation and competition during game play (see figure 1). Methodology Three field tests were deployed during the game development process of the beta version of the location-based serious game ‘City Jam’ with roughly one and a half month between each test. A total of 43 adolescents from the third cycle of secondary education were recruited from eight schools (see table 1). Field test Game testers (N=41) Number of teams Age range (years) Gender M F 1 18 4 14-18 15 3 2 7 3 14-17 6 1 3 16 5 15-17 8 8 Table 1. demographics of game testers in the iterative testing phase. Each field test consisted of two parts: the game test and a focus group held directly afterwards to evaluate the game play and experience among the target group. In preparation for each field test a checklist with predefined and/or adjusted goals to optimize game experience were established in collaboration with the game developer. Game mechanics throughout the development process were subject to adjustment based on the insights and results obtained in the test phase. In the game test audio and video recordings were gathered with a Go Pro camera with head mount and audio recordings and survey data were collected in focus groups sessions with (a selection of) the game testers. A semi structured list was used as guidance throughout the focus group. Survey field test included game experience. However, given that the full final version of the game was developed after field test three, researchers evaluated the value of the Likert scale survey on its contribution and decided to reduce survey to open questions only: game testers were asked to write down the 3 most positive and 3 most negative experiences during game play. The field tests were held after school time in the low traffic city center. Each game test was approximately two hours and focus group sessions were around one hour. Results Our preliminary results from field test one showed that on the competitive level sabotaging other teams (dropping virtual bombs to steal points) was considered one of the most positive aspects of overall game play. Also, the menu function ‘newsfeed’ was also received positive as to obtain knowledge on the movements and actions of other teams (although not all teams used this function). Although game testers enjoyed the location based game (good concept), they stated that the game was seen as an individual rather than a team game. Discussing strategy, explaining game features was mixed from team to team and testers addressed that they were not always involved in the game given the restriction of game play on one tablet (size, visibility and walking makes cooperation difficult). Additional physical maps with information on items and scores for non-tablet holders for each team were often neglected during game play. Four promo actions (e.g. taking group pictures with virtual fans) were integrated as to promote cooperation and interaction, however, actual interaction with these elements were considered as mildly interactive. When players were asked during the focus group which elements they would add to improve game experience, several suggestions were made to interact with other groups (via chat) and to expand options and scores of sabotaging other teams. Furthermore suggestions were made to improve cooperation (extra tablet or sync with mobile devices). Field test two results strengthened the positive game experience of sabotaging other teams as it was a recurrent topic of discussion in the focus group. In focus groups, teams addressed that city maps were not used during game play although a game element was changed so that pubs were removed from the tablet map and only shown on the physical city map in order to stimulate cooperation within teams. Traffic questions implemented in the game with the purpose to stimulate cooperation and discussion resulted in mixed results; some teams negotiate and in other teams the tablet holder made decisions and proceeded without mentioning or providing team members with information. Some game testers addressed that the game was not that difficult and in another team the switching of tablet was a considerable issue, which influenced negative game experience on an individual level and resulted in minimal cooperation within the team. In field test three, new game mechanics were integrated and introduced to game testers as to improve cooperation (and to a lesser extent competition, hence it was evaluated based on the previous field tests that this game dynamic was working to expectations in line with the expectations and goals of the game). Results showed that sabotaging was again one of the top positively received game mechanics. The role of a bodyguard was implemented to safeguard that the game was played in a safe manner; hence tablet usage can lead to a decrease in situational awareness due to attention shift. However, all game testers were confused on the extra roles implemented in the game, given the initial role of ‘musician on tour’ and traffic participant. Furthermore, go pro results obtained showed that although interaction during game play is obvious, game related cooperation was mild. As in previous field tests, the improvement in theory did not match expectations on cooperation improvement; decisions and strategy for game play were mainly discussed among two players who were directly into contact with the tablet. The other team member(s) were seldom involved and often not aware of their status in the game. Traffic questions were mostly discussed together which influenced cooperation positively and promo actions were received as positive. A full analysis on the extensive audio and video data will be conducted as to evaluate how to optimize cooperation and competition considering the hourglass social framework in a location-based serious game

Facilitating the take-up of new HCI practices: a ‘diffusion of innovations’ perspective

The workshop Made for Sharing: HCI Stories of Transfer, Triumph & Tragedy focuses on collecting cases in which practitioners have used their HCI methods in new contexts. For analyzing the collected body of cases we propose to apply a framework inspired by the Diffusion of Innovations approach which focuses on what facilitates the adoption, re-invention and implementation of new practices in social systems

Knowledge Creation and Sharing in Organisational Contexts: A Motivation-Based Perspective

This paper develops a motivation-based perspective to explore how organisations resolve the social dilemma of knowledge sharing, and the ways in which different motivational mechanisms interact to foster knowledge sharing and creation in different organisational contexts. The core assumption is that the willingness of organisational members to engage in knowledge sharing can be viewed on a continuum from purely opportunistic behaviour regulated by extrinsic incentives to an apparently altruistic stance fostered by social norms and group identity. The analysis builds on a three-category taxonomy of motivation: adding ‘hedonic’ motivation to the traditional dichotomy of extrinsic and intrinsic motivation. Based on an analysis of empirical case studies in the literature, we argue that the interaction and mix of the three different motivators play a key role in regulating and translating potential into actual behaviour, and they underline the complex dynamics of knowledge sharing and creation in different organisational contexts

Learning design in diverse institutional and cultural contexts: suggestions from a participatory workshop with higher education professionals in Africa

Learning design approaches, such as those adopted by the Open University, provide a set of tools and resources for purposefully-designing modules with a focus on student experiences. However, many of the current learning design strategies have been situated within specific institutions in Europe and North America. This means that there are several issues worth considering around if and how established learning design approaches make sense in diverse institutional and cultural contexts. To critically assess the relevance and appropriateness of learning design strategies in new contexts, this article describes an in-depth participatory workshop with 34 education professionals from five African countries. Altogether, 10 suggestions for learning design practices were derived from the consensus of workshop participants, which provide a foundation for the development of learning design practices moving forward