Serious Game Design Using MDA and Bloom’s Taxonomy

The field of Serious Games (SG) studies the use of games as a learning tool and it has been in existence for over forty years. During this period the primary focus of the field has been designing systems to evaluate the educational efficacy of existing games. This translates to a lack of systems designed to aid in the creation of serious games, but this does not have to remain an issue. The rise in popularity of games means that there is no shortage of ideas on how to methodically create them for commercial production which can just as easily be applied to SG creation. However, showing a clear linkage between a game’s components and its learning objectives is a primary difficulty. Created by Hunicke, LeBlanc, and Zubek, the Mechanics Dynamics Aesthetics (MDA) methodology is an understandable and robust construct for creating commercial games using mechanics to produce an intended level of aesthetic appreciation from its consumers. However, an educational Serious Game (SG) must not only be fun, but through experience it must convey the intended learning objectives to its players. This thesis explores utilizing the MDA methodology, with Bloom’s taxonomy, to create and evaluate a game to meet two learning objectives for a Cyber focused class. The created game CyComEx, was designed to teach cyber students to identify tradeoffs between security and mission execution, and to explain how policies can impact cyber mission areas. The game was evaluated to have conveyed these objectives during a playthrough and that it was sufficiently enjoyable to students participating in this case study

Exploring Failure and Engagement in a Complex Digital Training Game: A Multi-method Examination

Digital games are ideal for training complex decision making skills because they allow players to experience decision making processes and consequences. However, training complex skills often results in failure, which may undermine learning engagement. Traditional training methods employing observational learning (e.g., training videos) do not cause learners to fail but forfeit experiential learning that makes training games so engaging. Our exploratory work addresses the trade-off between experiencing and observing failure and explores their effect on the level of training engagement. Building on past engagement research, we argue that learning engagement contains both cognitive and affective facets and that these facets may diverge, especially when individuals experience failure. To test these ideas, we conducted an experiment (N = 156) comparing engagement in game-based training, in which participants experienced failure, and video-based training, in which participants observed failure. We collected cognitive and affective indicators of engagement using physiological and self-report measures. We found game-based experiential learning increased such indicators of engagement as attention and temporal disassociation even though players widely failed to meet game objectives. Players also experienced elevated arousal and decreased positive affect. In addition, we compared physiological measures of engagement with self-reported measures and discuss their merits and limitations

Selecting Serious Games for the Computer Science Class

The aim of this paper was to investigate models to select serious games for use in the computer science class. The lack of a useful framework to select serious games that meet the teaching and learning objectives presented a significant obstacle when serious games where introduced into tertiary education. This paper briefly discusses three frameworks, the RETAIN model, the four-dimensional framework, and the magic bullet model. Lecturers evaluated serious games using the guidelines suggested by each of these models and their perceptions of the models were captured using a short questionnaire. Using descriptive analysis to analyse the data, the results are that lecturers prefer the four-dimensional framework when considering and selecting serious games as a teaching tool in the computer science class. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2014.v5n21p39

A systematic review on the use of serious games in project management education

Project management education is well suited for active learning through serious games, and a lot of research has been published on the use of serious games for project management education. Earlier reviews have focused on the content and features of project management serious games. The objectives for using those serious games have been less reviewed. The aim of this study was to conduct a systematic review to better understand the objectives of using serious games in project management education, with the following research question: Why are project management serious games used in higher education? A systematic review was performed using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). A systematic search enabled us to identify 175 articles, of which forty-three met the eligibility criteria. An inductive content analysis of those articles showed that project management serious games are used mainly for pedagogical and practical reasons. From a pedagogical perspective, serious games are mainly used to develop specific skills that are difficult to acquire in classic ex cathedra lectures, such as practical competencies and soft skills. From a practical perspective, serious games are mainly used for proposing a risk-free trial environment. Based on our analysis, we propose a taxonomy of reasons for using PM games in higher education. Our study also reveals that few studies assess whether serious games meet all their objectives, and that more research is needed on how to implement them into a coherent pedagogical scenario

Overcoming the Impact of Online Games through Literacy for Junior High School Students in South Tangerang City

Background: A form of communication technology widely played today is an online game, which is a type of game that utilizes computer networks. However, this type of game can cause addictive effects in the long run, such as in the case of Islamic Junior High School students Raudlatul Hikmah, thereby leading to decreased learning performance. This research aims to provide online game literacy training, such as the development, characteristics, and forms of online gaming, regulation, ethics, and the effects of online games, and tips on overcoming them. Contribution: This research contributes to students' understanding of the development characteristics and forms of online games, as well as the regulations, ethics, and their effects, to overcome its negative impacts. Method: Methods applied include sharing experiences in using online games, presentations and discussions on its literacy, and  questionnaire and guided group discussions on online game problems. Results: The results showed that on the average, 82% of students understand the development, characteristics, and types of online games. Meanwhile, 96% understand its effects, while 85% have adequate knowledge of the tips needed to overcome the associated adverse effects. Conclusion: In conclusion, the objectives set by this training program can meet the target of providing online game literacy for Islamic Junior High School students Raudlatul Hikma

Validation of Serious Games Attributes Using the Technology Acceptance Model

The paper introduces a conceptual model for the design of serious games and uses the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) for its validation. A specially developed game introduced international students to public transport in Southampton. After completing the game, participants completed a short questionnaire and the data was analysed using structural equation modelling (SEM). The results identified the attributes and combinations of attributes that led the learner to accept and to use the serious game for learning. These findings are relevant in helping game designers and educational practitioners design serious games for effective learning