A game based approach to improve traders' decision-making

Purpose: The development of a game based approach to improving the decision-making capabilities of financial traders through attention to improving the regulation of emotions during trading. Design/methodology/approach: The project used a design-based research approach to integrate the contributions of a highly inter-disciplinary team. The approach was underpinned by considerable stakeholder engagement to understand the ‘ecology of practices’ in which this learning approach should be embedded. Findings: Taken together, our 35 laboratory, field and evaluation studies provide much support for the validity of our game based learning approach, the learning elements which make it up, and the value of designing game-based learning to fit within an ecology of existing practices. Originality/value: The novelty of the work described in the paper comes from the focus in this research project of combining knowledge and skills from multiple disciplines informed by a deep understanding of the context of application to achieve the successful development of a Learning Pathway, which addresses the transfer of learning to the practice environment Key words: Design-based research, emotion-regulation, disposition–effect, financial traders, serious games, sensor-based game

The Planning and Implementation of Computer-based Games for Project Risk Management Education: A Preliminary Case Study

This paper reports the preliminary stages of an action research project for the design, development and assessment of a computer-based game for student learning about project risk management. A computer game was created through the use of systems dynamic software (Simsoft) incorporating a land development project. The game was played by final year undergraduate construction management students who had to make decisions in identifying, assessing and managing project risks. A survey of their experience found: that most students had not experienced this form of online educational game previously in their studies despite the ubiquity of information technology for learning purposes in the university sector; there was no strong support for the idea that the acquisition of knowledge was better compared to conventional learning through lectures and books; the computer-based experience was enjoyable thus indicating it drew them into the learning environment; and student testing found they had gained understanding of the project risk management process

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

LEVERAGING LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE AND ENVIRONMENTAL STORYTELLING FOR NEXT-GENERATION GAMING EXPERIENCES: A Holistic Approach to Virtual World Design

Designing a virtual environment within a digital game occupies a large part of the design procedure, requiring holistic attention and a broad arrangement of the game constituents. Considering other design disciplines, they occupy a unified design methodology; however, a comprehensive literature review reveals the lack of the intended design methodology in the digital game domain's virtual environment development, despite a currently proposed theoretical methodology trying to dissolve the issue. Hence, this research aims to determine the industry's requirements and provide a set of assets included in current digital games as an initial step of providing such a design methodology for the domain. In this regard, the researchers reverse-engineered ten selected digital games, understanding the current condition of digital games via adopting the mentioned currently available design methodology. This dataset reveals a lack in the assets of the story layer in the recent digital games, despite their focus on being story-based. This dilemma leads to long text or speech conversations between game characters, disrupting the players while following the game. The current design focuses on environmental resources only, however, as a virtual landscape, the story needs to be reinforced to be a balanced and well-designed game. Hence, increasing the ratio of the assets in this layer will advance the games' interactivity. Also, as future work, this data set could pave the way for a digital game industry design tool regarding the virtual environment

Game engine wizardry for programming mischief

Programming grants individuals the capability to design, create, and bring ideas to life. To improve their skills, programmers require powerful languages and programming environments for understanding the impact of gradual code changes. We investigate how modern game engine technology can be leveraged for creating visual input and feedback mechanisms that drive exploratory and live programming. In this paper, we report experiences on creating a visual programming environment for Machinations, a domain-specific language for game design. We share initial findings on how to automate the development of graph- and tree- based editors in Godot, an open source game engine. Our results show that today’s game engine technology provides a solid foundation for future programming language research

The influence of organizational environment on mobile game development team effectiveness – A single case study

The mobile gaming industry is a fast-growing and lucrative market, which has surpassed the money generated by consoles and PC games, and the market is going to grow continuously. Games are produced by teams that need to have diverse technical and creative skills and competences as well as good understanding of customer expectations. Nonetheless, there is limited literature on mobile game development teams, and particularly on the management practices and organizational structures that support their functioning. Therefore, this research sets out to discover how organizational environment affects the effectiveness of game development teams. Since this study only focuses on the influence of organizational environment, the team effectiveness model introduced by McShane and Von Glinow was adopted. The thesis divides organizational environment into organizational structure and leadership styles for further study. Literature about team design and team processes is also discussed in this study from in the context of mobile game development. Finally, a theoretical framework was drawn based on the reviewed literature. The empirical part of this research was conducted as a single case study. Empirical data was collected through interviews in the case company with top management and team leaders, who are involved in game development and decision-making process. The case company's games have occupied the top positions in top grossing list in AppStore, which makes it interesting for the empirical investigation. The findings of this thesis explain that organizational environment affects team design gradually. It is like a pyramid where the foundation is a flat organization which helps the company with team composition. In the middle of the pyramid is the stable organizational environment which helps with team stability. On top of the pyramid, the organic organizational structure and servant leadership, which is built upon flat and stable organizational environment, helps development teams to be autonomous. Right members in teams, high extent of team stability and team autonomy altogether have positive effects on team processes and in turn increase team effectiveness.In addition, a balance between autonomy and control is a critical issue for managers to consider. In this study, some practicalities learned from the case study were provided. Thus, this study provides implications for mobile gaming companies by investigating teams' functioning responsive for development of successfully games

Design of a game-based training environment to enhance mental health care professionals' skills in using e-mental health:Multiple methods user requirements analysis

Background: A major factor hampering the adoption of technology in mental health care is a lack of knowledge and skills. Serious gaming offers a potentially effective strategy to enhance the skills needed through experiencing and learning-by-doing in a playful way. However, serious gaming solutions are not widely available for mental health care. Therefore, the development of a game-based training environment in mental health care was pursued in a design project. The first step in such a design project is to identify user requirements that should be met. Objective: This study aims to deliver user requirements that inform the design of a game-based training environment for mental health care professionals. This environment aims to support mental health care professionals’ knowledge and skill enhancement regarding the use of e–mental health (eMH); for example, video calling, mobile apps, web-based treatment modules, and techniques such as virtual or augmented reality. Methods: We used an exploratory multiple methods design consisting of a web-based questionnaire, co-design sessions, and interviews. To ensure a good representation of the target user group, professionals from various disciplines within mental health care were included in the research. The multiple methods design facilitates a broad view of user needs and in-depth knowledge of specific design requirements. We describe the protocol for this research project in a protocol paper published in the JMIR Research Protocols in February 2021. Results: The user requirements analysis revealed three types of users for the envisioned game-based training environment: mental health care professionals who want to learn about the basic possibilities of eMH, mental health care professionals who want to develop their eMH skills to the next level, and mental health care professionals who want to experiment with new technologies. This reflects the diversity of needs that were identified, as well as the need to develop a diversity of suitable scenarios in the environment. User requirements analysis shows that the focus of a training environment should be on increasing knowledge about the possibilities of eMH, focusing on experiencing the benefits in particular situations, and building confidence in using eMH in a therapeutic setting. This requires careful consideration of the suitable game characteristics. Conclusions: Improvement of mental health care professionals’ skills in eMH requires an environment that is user driven and flexible, and simultaneously incorporates contextual factors that are relevant for its implementation in practice. This user requirements analysis contributes to the understanding of the issues that should be considered in the development of a game-based training environment. This shows that there are multiple and diverse learning needs among mental health care professionals. Various client populations, services, and situations demand various options for training. International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID): RR2-102196/1881

In The Game : An Exploration of the Concept of Immersion in Video-Games and its Usage in Game Design

This thesis outlines a research project whose aim was to develop a design taxonomy for the creation of immersion in video-games. These guidelines can then be used in-sync with different stages in video-game design and development to ensure an immersive experience. Integral to this is the \u27suspension of disbelief\u27 the end user experiences when fully immersed in a video-game (Holland, 2002; Mediacollage.com, 2006). A review of the literature has identified the major contributing theory to the concept of immersion as flow (Csikszentmihalyi, 1991). Flow embodies cognitive elements of involvement such as concentration on a task, completing a challenge, having control over the environment and so on. This cognitive flow is also integrated with affective components such as the loss of self consciousness and sense of \u27oneness\u27 with the environment. A model of immersion has been proposed that embraces the cognitive aspects of flow through the gameplay elements that have been integrated as well as the affective dimension of identification which can be achieved through the integration of narrative elements. Immersive gameplay is framed within the nature of the challenges the user faces. These vary, such as the psychomotor challenges inherent in platform games and shooters through cognitive challenges of quizzes and tutorials through to social challenges such as multiplayer online environments. The criteria for cognitive flow embrace but also extend on traditional theories of motivation. Concepts such as challenge and control (Astleitner & Weisner, 2004) combine with the relevance and confidence inherent in Keller\u27s ARCS theory of motivation (Rezabek, 1994) to describe the contingent aspects of gameplay. An understanding of these within the context of game goals, challenges, rules, boundaries and feedback can assist designers in applying appropriate criteria to ensure deep cognitive engagement on the part of the end user. Playing a game, however, is also an emotional and aesthetic experience. The term \u27emotioneering\u27 (Freeman, 2003) has been used to describe the ways in which designers create a sense of involvement with the game. These include traditional motivational constructs such as curiosity/attention, satisfaction and fantasy, and can be disaggregated to a range of criteria that may be used to guide the development of the affective aspects of gaming including player enacted narrative and role·play, the affective and the range of \u27interesting\u27 and \u27deepening\u27 techniques that can add emotional depth and complexity to the game world (Freeman, 2003) through visual and narrative design elements. The criteria developed from the immersion model are proposed as a lens to assist designers in understanding this state-of-mind. These criteria have been applied through the analysis of the use of existing games in a study on undergraduate students in game design and culture to ascertain their validity, and with the goal of providing guidelines for the future design of entertainment as well as serious games

Serious Games on the Lived Experience of Dementia as Learning Tools in Pharmacy Education

Dementia is a stigmatized and often ‘invisible’ condition which requires clinicians to have a nuanced understanding of the lived experience to build trust and provide better quality of care. Pharmacists are at the frontline of care for patients who may have dementia and there is a need for effective and engaging learning opportunities to prepare them for caring for patients living with dementia. Serious games have gained popularity for their potential in facilitating safe and engaging learning opportunities. However, there are limited applications of serious games in clinical education on the topic of dementia and little transparency on the development process. The thesis work outlined in this project intends to explore how serious games can best facilitate a learning experience for senior pharmacy students to better their understanding of the lived experience of dementia. The primary objective was to develop a serious game with multi-stakeholder input. The secondary objective was to provide game design recommendations for development of serious games on this topic based on end-user play-testing experiences. During both the development and user-testing, qualitative methods were used to gather thorough feedback and understand individual play experiences, namely semi-structured interviews and the think-aloud protocol. To develop a serious game, the game design framework for medical education was adapted in this project, which involved three stages: preparation and design, development, and formative evaluation. In the first stage, a clinician and a systems design expert were consulted to develop the first prototype. In the development stage, the prototype was reviewed by stakeholders including clinicians, people with lived experiences of dementia or care partners, and serious game researchers through semi-structured interviews, resulting in iterative improvements. Stakeholder feedback culminated in the development of a serious game with the goal of helping pharmacy students better understand the lived experience of dementia, in a digital, non-linear story format. During the final formative evaluation stage of game design, 11 senior pharmacy students, a pharmacy educator, and a social worker with expertise in dementia care tested the game. Their learning and play experiences were gauged through the semi-structured interview and think-aloud protocols. The qualitative data was analyzed using the framework method of analysis. Three factors were necessary for creating an engaging learning experience about dementia for senior pharmacy students. The first was facilitating understanding of dementia through an experiential approach using a realistic environment and authentic storytelling. The second was providing a problem-oriented experience by providing meaningful player interaction opportunities and creative freedom. Finally, novelty in the game format was necessary for an engaging experience. Future directions include recruiting more stakeholders and student participants with experiences relating to dementia, and utilizing these recommendations to improve on the game and assessing its impact on student empathy and confidence in caring for patients who have dementia

An Object-Oriented Programming Environment for Parallel Genetic Algorithms

This thesis investigates an object-oriented programming environment for building parallel applications based on genetic algorithms (GAs). It describes the design of the Genetic Algorithms Manipulation Environment (GAME), which focuses on three major software development requirements: flexibility, expandability and portability. Flexibility is provided by GAME through a set of libraries containing pre-defined and parameterised components such as genetic operators and algorithms. Expandability is offered by GAME'S object-oriented design. It allows applications, algorithms and genetic operators to be easily modified and adapted to satisfy diverse problem's requirements. Lastly, portability is achieved through the use of the standard C++ language, and by isolating machine and operating system dependencies into low-level modules, which are hidden from the application developer by GAME'S application programming interfaces. The development of GAME is central to the Programming Environment for Applications of PArallel GENetic Algorithms project (PAPAGENA). This is the principal European Community (ESPRIT III) funded parallel genetic algorithms project. It has two main goals: to provide a general-purpose tool kit, supporting the development and analysis of large-scale parallel genetic algorithms (PGAs) applications, and to demonstrate the potential of applying evolutionary computing in diverse problem domains. The research reported in this thesis is divided in two parts: i) the analysis of GA models and the study of existing GA programming environments from an application developer perspective; ii) the description of a general-purpose programming environment designed to help with the development of GA and PGA-based computer programs. The studies carried out in the first part provide the necessary understanding of GAs' structure and operation to outline the requirements for the development of complex computer programs. The second part presents GAME as the result of combining development requirements, relevant features of existing environments and innovative ideas, into a powerful programming environment. The system is described in terms of its abstract data structures and sub-systems that allow the representation of problems independently of any particular GA model. GAME's programming model is also presented as general-purpose object-oriented framework for programming coarse-grained parallel applications. GAME has a modular architecture comprising five modules: the Virtual Machine, the Parallel Execution Module, the Genetic Libraries, the Monitoring Control Module, and the Graphic User Interface. GAME's genetic-oriented abstract data structures, and the Virtual Machine, isolates genetic operators and algorithms from low-level operations such as memory management, exception handling, etc. The Parallel Execution Module supports GAME's object- oriented parallel programming model. It defines an application programming interface and a runtime library that allow the same parallel application, created within the environment, to run on different hardware and operating system platforms. The Genetic Libraries outline a hierarchy of components implemented as parameterised versions of standard and custom genetic operators, algorithms and applications. The Monitoring Control Module supports dynamic control and monitoring of simulations, whereas the Graphic User Interface defines a basic framework and graphic 'widgets' for displaying and entering data. This thesis describes the design philosophy and rationale behind these modules, covering in more detail the Virtual Machine, the Parallel Execution Module and the Genetic Libraries. The assessment discusses the system's ability to satisfy the main requirements of GA and PGA software development, as well as the features that distinguish GAME from other programming environments