Playing an educational game featuring procedural content generation: which attributes impact players’ curiosity?

Understanding which and how attributes impact player experience can contribute to designing more tailored tools, providing concerns on how to improve these. However, there is a gap in the understanding of what impacts learners’ experience when interacting with Educational Games (EG) featuring Procedural Content generation (PCG) as these have been scantly used together. This article presents an empirical study on which attributes impact both math’s and game’s curiosity of players when interacting with an EG that uses PCG. The results show the attributes that led to higher or lower curiosity, as well aswhich of them are associated with it. Hence, advancing the understanding of what drives players’ curiosity, contributing to the design of EG that feature PCG

Wellbeing experienced by digital players: Comparing real-life and gaming perspectives

The on-growing consumption of digital games has worried many. Recent barometers show that 75% of Finnish citizens and 67% of Australians play video games. Earlier studies suggest many adverse effects on gaming. Digital games are nevertheless largely used, and thus understanding the positive experiences of gaming is important. To better understand why gaming is so popular, this research examined the positive subjective experience of gaming. The gaming preferences of players and the subjective experiences of digital gaming were examined by a web survey (N=513) distributed to Finnish and Australian gaming forums. The respondents were players from Australia and Finland, who played on average 20.16 hours per week. The players’ specific preferences for game dynamics were examined with an upgraded version of the Game Dynamics Preferences Questionnaire (Vahlo, Kaakinen, Holm & Koponen, 2017) consisting of 50 items. Using exploratory factor analysis, these game dynamics were grouped into core dynamics. A cluster analysis based on the factor scores of the questionnaire answers was then used to divide the gamers to different profiles. The survey also contained four psychological scales: self-efficacy, curiosity, subjective vitality and psychological empowerment. There were two versions of each of these scales: first participants responded to the scales from real-life perspective, then from gaming perspective. By comparing the responses given in real-life vs. gaming perspective, the positive subjective experience of gaming could be calculated. This study conducted six core dynamics: Assault and Coordinate; Manage; Affect, Aesthetics and Expression; Explore and Develop the Gameworld; Interact; and Logic and Problem Solving. Based on the dynamics, the players divided into five gaming profiles: the Wise Adventurer, the Looter­Adventurer, the Explorer, the Commander and the Companion. The profiles consisting of heavy gamers had more positive subjective experiences of gaming, compared to light gamers. All of the different gaming profiles experienced significantly more curiosity when gaming, compared to real-life. The results suggest that heavy gamers have positive subjective experiences during gaming. In the future these subjective experiences should be further examined by controlled intervention studies. KEYWORDS: Digital gaming, player profiles, gamer’s wellbein

Capillarity: A Theory Of Mlearning And Its Application In Emerging Markets

The theory of capillarity is an organic metaphor invoked to explore the role of network communications as a vehicle for education in a healthy society. Capillarity is offered as a theory in two parts: a mechanism for distribution and a method for engagement. Capillarity seeks to build an architecture that reflects radical humanism\u27s emphasis on access and inclusion as a vehicle for classical humanism\u27s emphasis on the individual expansion of potential and consciousness. The technical instrument whereby this program of humanist education may be deployed is mLearnin

School Has a Bad Storyline: Gamification in Educational Environments

School often has low engagement and frustrating or absent options for the kind of agency the Federal Government\u27s 2016 National Education Technology Plan now recommends educators include in their curriculum. Video games offer opportunities for people to participate in critical problem solving through creative projects. From balancing character statistics, to collaborating with other players, to making ethical and tactical decisions that can change the outcome of the story, successful games draw on the player\u27s interest in learning and analyzing numbers, locations, visual clues, narrative elements, people, and more. One useful example may be found in visual novels (VNs), a medium that pulls from narrative structures found in Choose Your Own Adventure Novels. These interactive narratives are a largely untapped resource (for educational uses) of guided critical thinking. My ongoing research explores the efficacy of implementing VNs into digital pedagogies to encourage the development of creatigational skills. This term is a response to the problematic wording already in use for skills such as creative thinking and collaborative abilities, skills encouraged by and developed through interactive activities, such as gaming and many of the arts. Current terminology labels them soft or non-cognitive skills, which are clear misnomers that passively diminish the importance of creative thought. This research explores how gaming, specifically so-called narrative gaming, of which VNs are one example, might contribute to the development of creatigational skills in students. Through the creation of VNs for this study, I examine both the ability of this genre to engage and encourage imaginative thought, as well as the practicality of designing and developing VNs for classroom use

Let There Be Dragons! Towards Designing an Engaging Quest that Enhances Curiosity and Learning About Genetics

This study implemented a convergent parallel mixed methods approach to investigate game-based learning within an educational game compared to a modified entertainment game. Participants (N=31) were recruited from public middle and high schools as well as home school groups. Comparative data of participants’ perceptions, preferences and learning outcomes were investigated to inform better educational game design. This study also considers player personality to determine how dispositional curiosity influences an individual’s approach, acceptance, and interaction with novel learning environments, specifically games. Findings show a statistically significant gain in genetics academic knowledge after the game-based learning intervention. The difference in knowledge gained for the two games was not statistically significant. All dimensions of engagement, motivation and curiosity were statistically significantly higher for the modified entertainment game. Increases in scientific curiosity was statistically significantly higher for the modified entertainment game while scientific curiosity statistically significantly decreased after playing the educational game. Qualitative analysis revealed five themes and provided deeper understanding of game design features that enhance learning, curiosity and engagement from the player’s perception. Integration of quantitative and qualitative results suggest overall convergence and enhanced understanding of theoretical and practical implications of this research and identifies key relationships between game design, player perceptions and learning outcomes to inform better educational game design and implementation

The role of the writer in creating narrative-driven digital educational games

&nbsp;The two interlocking studies within this inquiry were undertaken to discover how the writers of narrative-driven digital educational games can improve these games&rsquo; potential effectiveness, using action and textual elements. This was achieved by conducting a critical analysis of the literature, analysing best practice games and interviewing their writers.<br /

Games and bereavement: how video games represent attachment, loss, and grief

How can videogames portray love and loss? Games and Bereavement answers this question by looking at five videogames and carrying out a participatory design study with grievers. Sabine Harrer highlights possible connections between grief and videogames, arguing that game design may help make difficult personal feelings tangible. After a brief literary review of grief concepts and videogame theory, the book deep-dives into examples of tragic inter-character relationships from videogame history. Building on these examples, the book presents a case study on pregnancy loss as a potential grief experience that can be validated through game design dialogue

Design Inspiration for Motivating Uncertainty in Games using Stage Magic Principles

Uncertainty is widely acknowledged as an engaging player experience. Practice and research have proposed various types of game uncertainty, yet there is little work explaining when and why they motivate, especially with respect to ‘micro-level’, moment-to-moment gameplay. Moreover, there is little insight into designing for motivating uncertainty in games. In response, this research aims to answer (1) what constitutes motivating moment-to-moment uncertainty and (2) how to elicit it through game design, taking inspiration from stage magic. We survey player motivation, player experience and related literature in psychology, exposing underrepresentation of epistemic emotions in games. We showcase the motivating role of uncertainty in moment-to-moment gameplay, proving its link to curiosity and other epistemic emotions. We present this with a grounded theory taxonomy of seven types of engaging gameplay uncertainty emerging from three sources - game, player, and outcome. For inspiration, we survey the field of stage magic to find design principles used to elicit epistemic emotions. We identify equivoque, an important forcing technique, to create the illusion of choice and thus engaging decision uncertainty in games. We empirically test the efficacy of equivoque through three studies: (1) using playing cards; (2) in a narrative game to create decision uncertainty; (3) repeating the trick four times consecutively in an extended version of the game. Overall, our work exposes gaps in player motivation research, especially regarding empirical work on epistemic emotions in games. It provides a taxonomy of motivating uncertainty types. It establishes magic as a promising source of game design inspiration, and zeroes down on equivoque for evoking uncertainty. Furthermore, it provides empirical evidence that equivoque can be used in narrative games to elicit decision uncertainty. Finally, it provides insights into translational work between creative fields and from theory to design

Development and empirical testing of a game engagement scale : case r/Stopgaming

The thesis conceptualises gaming from leisurely and labour-like starting points and both measures and develops this perspective by pioneering a concept of game engagement. Putting forth this perspective is grounded by appeals to burnout in and out of professional contexts in the videogame industry, ludology and research on player experiences. These views coming together prompted a need to verify whether games are to be normatively held as engaging in only popular belief, or verifiably so in actuality. In so doing, both methodological and theoretical insight is provided. The engagement construct was adapted from the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale -9 (short form) and a survey study was conducted. Data was analysed using ordinal logistic regression and exploratory factor analysis. Results showed those not holding games dear to them may require substantial investment increases to reap adequate increases in engagement, if playtime is low, while a committed orientation towards gaming (in terms of subjective gamerhood and hours played) showed marked differences in engagement per incremental increase in playtime. These results are considered descriptive, rather than predictive. Future directions for game studies are suggested to uncover how players become disengaged and how rationalisation affects the gaming experience

“I would rather contemplate big questions” : Imagining contemporary religion in digital games and among gamers from actor-centred and game-immanent perspectives

In this thesis, I investigate the representations and encounters of religion, or the religion-like aspects that digital games and culture afford today. The thesis asks how contemporary intersections with video games and gamer narratives enter into a confluence with religion and non-religion, using two distinct approaches. The key research questions studied in the framework of digital game studies, popular culture studies, and the study of religion are: How is religion constructed and represented in recent mainstream digital games from a game-immanent frame, and how do players encounter religion or religion-like aspects in recent mainstream digital games from an actor-centred frame? The research questions are applied through mapping new cultural occurrences and employing a theoretical sociological approach towards contemporary popular culture and religion. What notions do these approaches bring forth when discussing how meaningfulness or meaning-making occurs in popular culture today? The empirical part of the thesis consists of four sub-studies published in separate articles. 1 Video Games Facilitating Discussions of Good and Bad Religion 2 Disenchanting Faith—Religion and Authority in the Dishonored Universe 3 “How video games changed my life”: Life-Changing Testimonies and The Last of Us 4 Non-religious Players Asking Big Questions: Video game worlds affording affinities of meaningful encounters Each sub-study utilizes different datasets and methodology. However, they adhere to a shared epistemology and twofold approach of enquiry, focusing on content and reception. A game-immanent and actor-centred approach divides the two distinct viewpoints of focusing on study data, which consists of video games and player narratives. Based on these approaches, it is found that religion and religion-like aspects are encountered in digital games as conversational cues for potential religion criticism, however games that are considered meaningful by players provide an immense amount of support in difficult life events, bring together emerging communities, and aid in contemplations on life’s big questions. The thesis presents novel findings in reading and examining video games, critically commenting on a Western scheme of representations of imagined organized religions. I interpret the observed critical views that digital games represent as contemporary cultural discussions and re-negotiations of the societal place of religion. The data brings forth discourses on categorical discussions on research on religion, and non-religion in contemporary meaningful communities. In addition, the thesis reveals new observations on contemporary religious landscapes that speak of a post-religious environment relating to research on non-religion, existential cultures, and meaningmaking, which has also been supported by previous research on meaningful video game player encounters. Games challenge institutional religion, but simultaneously do not shy away using and imagining religion as one way to contemplate life’s deep and big questions. Games themselves, whether their stories have religion representations or not, afford reflective thought in players on big questions. In addition, the aim of the thesis is to increase awareness of experienced meaningful encounters with popular culture as an important and paramount part of constructing life worlds and post-secular thought. One result of contemporary meaning-making is what the thesis headline suggests: “I would rather contemplate big questions”, than religions.Tässä tutkimuksessa tarkastelen esityksiä ja kohtaamisia liittyen uskontoon ja uskonnonkaltaisiin näkökulmiin, joita digitaalista peleistä ja kulttuurista voi löytää tänä päivänä. Väitöskirja selvittää miten nykypäivän videopelit ja pelaajien kokemukset liittyvät uskontoon ja uskonnottomiin yhteyksiin ja merkityksiin, käyttäen kahta lähestymistapaa: peliin keskittyvää ja pelaajan toimijuuteen keskittyvää näkökulmaa. Päätutkimuskysymys, jota lähestytään digitaalisten pelien tutkimuksesta, populaarikulttuurin tutkimuksesta ja uskontotieteelliseltä tulokulmalta, kuuluu: Miten uskontoa rakennetaan ja esitetään viimeaikaisissa valtavirran digitaalisissa peleissä käyttäen pelikeskeistä lähestymistapaa, ja miten pelaajat kohtaavat uskontoa tai uskonnonkaltaisia piirteitä, kun käytetään toimijakeskeisestä lähestymistapaa? Näitä kahta lähestymistapaa tarkastellaan sosiologiselta, kulttuuriin ja yhteiskuntaan, liitetyltä näkökulmalta, kun katsotaan nykypäivän populaarikulttuuria ja uskontoa. Mitä huomioita lähestymistavat nostavat esiin, kun puhutaan merkityksellisyydestä tai merkityshakuisuudesta nykypopulaarikulttuurin kehyksessä? Väitöskirjan empiirinen osa koostuu neljästä osatutkimuksesta, jotka ovat julkaistu erillisinä tutkimusartikkeleina englanniksi (alla otsikkojen suomennokset). 1. Videopelit fasilitoivat hyvän ja pahan uskonnon keskusteluja 2. Epälumoava usko – uskonto ja auktoriteetti Dishonored universumissa 3. ”Miten videopelit muuttivat elämäni”: Elämänmuutos testimoniaalit ja The Last of Us 4. Uskonnottomat pelaajat kysyvät suuria kysymyksiä: videopelimaailmat tarjoavat merkityksellisiä kohtaamisia Jokainen osatutkimus käyttää eri materiaaleja ja menetelmiä. Ne liittyvät kuitenkin tutkimuskysymyksestä nousevaan yhteiseen kaksitahoiseen lähestymistapaan, jossa keskitytään sisältöön ja vastaanottoon. Pelikeskeinen ja toimijakeskeinen lähestymistapa jakavat kahtia sen, miten keskitytään materiaaliin, joka koostuu videopeleistä, ja kokemuksiin, jotka nousevat pelaajien kerronnasta. Näihin lähestymistapoihin perustuen, yhtenä tutkimustuloksena on se, että uskontoa ja uskonnonkaltaisia seikkoja kohdataan digitaalisissa peleissä refleksiivisinä keskustelun markkereina, jotka johtavat potentiaalisesti uskontokritiikin äärelle. Tämän lisäksi pelejä, joita pidetään merkityksellisinä pelaajien toimesta, tarjoavat suurta tukea vaikeissa elämäntilanteissa, tuovat yhteen uusia yhteisöjä, ja auttavat pohtimaan elämän suuria kysymyksiä. Tämän lisäksi tutkimus tuo esiin uusia huomioita nykypäivän uskonnollisista ympäristöistä, jotka kielivät nousevista eksistentiaalisista kulttuureista, ja merkityshakuisuudesta, jota aikaisempi tutkimus videopelikokemusten eri merkityksistä myös tukee. Tarkastellut pelit haastavat institutionaalisen uskontokuvan, mutta samaan aikaan eivät kainostele käyttää ja kuvitella uskontoa yhtenä tapana pohtia elämän syviä ja suuria kysymyksiä. Pelit itsessään, mikäli tarinat sisältävät uskontoesityksiä tai ei, kuljettavat vastavuoroistesti pelaajan suurten kysymysten äärelle. Tämän lisäksi, väitöskirjan tavoite on lisätä tietoisuutta katsomusmaailmojen moninaisuudesta nostamalla populaarikulttuurin kohtaamiset yhtenä tärkeänä ja merkittävänä osana sitä, mikä rakentaa tämän päivän elinympäristöjä ja post-sekulaaria ajattelua. Yksi keskeinen työn huomio, joka nousee tämän päivän katsomusmaisemista on, kuten väitöskirjan otsikko maalaa: ”Pohtisin mieluummin suuria kysymyksiä”, kuin uskontoja