Design and Instantiation of an Interactive Multidimensional Ontology for Game Design Elements – a Design and Behavioral Approach

While games and play are commonly perceived as leisure tools, focus on the strategic implementation of isolated gameful elements outside of games has risen in recent years under the term gamification. Given their ease of implementation and impact in competitive games, a small set of game design elements, namely points, badges, and leaderboards, initially dominated research and practice. However, these elements reflect only a small group of components that game designers use to achieve positive outcomes in their systems. Current research has shifted towards focusing on the game design process instead of the isolated implementation of single elements under the term gameful design. But the problem of a tendency toward a monocultural selection of prominent design elements persists in-game and gameful design, preventing the method from reaching its full potential. This dissertation addresses this problem by designing and developing a digital, interactive game design element ontology that scholars and practitioners can use to make more informed and inspired decisions in creating gameful solutions to their problems. The first part of this work is concerned with the collation and development of the digital ontology. First, two datasets were collated from game design and gamification literature (game design elements and playing motivations). Next, four explorative studies were conducted to add user-relevant metadata and connect their items into an ontological structure. The first two studies use card sorting to assess game theory frameworks regarding their suitability as foundational categories for the game design element dataset and to gain an overview of different viewpoints from which categorizations can be derived. The second set of studies builds on an explorative method of matching dataset entries via their descriptive keywords to arrive at a connected graph. The first of these studies connects items of the playing motivations dataset with themselves, while the second connects them with an additional dataset of human needs. The first part closes with the documentation of the design and development of the tool Kubun, reporting on the outcome of its evaluation via iterative expert interviews and a field study. The results suggest that the tool serves its preset goals of affording intuitive browsing for dedicated searches and serendipitous findings. While the first part of this work reports on the top-down development process of the ontology and related navigation tool, the second part presents an in-depth research of specific learning-oriented game design elements to complement the overall research goal through a complementary bottom-up approach. Therein, two studies on learning-oriented game design elements are reported regarding their effect on performance, long-term learning outcome, and knowledge transfer. The studies are conducted with a game dedicated to teaching correct waste sorting. The first study focuses on a reward-based game design element in terms of its motivatory effect on perfect play. The second study evaluates two learning-enhancing game design elements, repeat, and look-up, in terms of their contribution to a long-term learning outcome. The comprehensive insights gained through the in-depth research manifest in the design of a module dedicated to reporting research outcomes in the ontology. The dissertation concludes with a discussion on the studies’ varying limitations and an outlook on pathways for future research

Definición de mecánicas de juego a partir de la evaluación de técnicas centradas en la experiencia de usuario

El artículo se basa en la continuación de trabajos previos que nos permiten obtener una primera aproximación respecto a la clasificación y validación de las mecánicas de juego más utilizadas, según la perspectiva de los propios expertos en gamificación. Dado que los resultados obtenidos hasta el momento, muestran un grado de dispersión muy elevado, proponemos un nuevo estudio más profundo con el objetivo de confirmar y precisar lo que se considera mecánica de juego. Se deciden y se destacan las más relevantes para poder poner en valor el término. Para ello, se ha realizado un análisis mediante una técnica de experiencia de usuario, a expertos en gamificación y actualmente en activo. El resultado del test permite establecer una base de incorporación de parámetros de gamificación, que pueden adaptarse a metodologías de otras disciplinas

Qualitative Assessment of Effective Gamification Design Processes Using Motivators to Identify Game Mechanics

This research focuses on the study and qualitative assessment of the relationships between motivators and game mechanics per the ratings of expert gamification consultants. By taking this approach, it is intended that during the design phase of a gamified system, decisions can be made about the design of the system based on the motivators of each of the profiles. These motivators can be determined from the information provided by the potential players themselves. The research presented starts from a previous analysis in which, based on the three most used gamification frameworks and through a card sorting technique that allows the user to organize and classify the content, a set of mechanics are determined. In the present study, each of the mechanics is analyzed, and a more precise motive is decided. As a result, a higher level of personalization is achieved and, consequently, approximates a higher level of gamification effectiveness. The main conclusions are implemented in the development of the Game4City 3.0 project, which addresses gamified and interactive strategies to visualize urban environments in 3D at an educational and social level

Gamification in knowledge management: How to score intrinsically in the game of motivation

Gamification is an increasingly common motivational tool, and knowledge management is rising to become an important part of strategies in knowledge intensive organizations. The academic infancy of gamification and the relatively young field of knowledge management provide ample opportunities for novel research. This thesis attempts to understand what needs to be considered when designing a practical application of gamification to increase motivation for knowledge management in a knowledge-intense organization. Abductive action research was carried out at Ericsson AB to answer the question, where the researchers where embedded in a knowledge management transformation team. Empirics primarily gathered from interviews, together with a theoretical framework was used to synthesize a set of guidelines. These guidelines served to help with the development of a gamified application for knowledge management. Finally, a plausible concept of an application based on the guidelines and theory is presented, together with recommendations of how to proceed with the development of the concept

Low-cost methodologies and devices applied to measure, model and self-regulate emotions for Human-Computer Interaction

En aquesta tesi s'exploren les diferents metodologies d'anàlisi de l'experiència UX des d'una visió centrada en usuari. Aquestes metodologies clàssiques i fonamentades només permeten extreure dades cognitives, és a dir les dades que l'usuari és capaç de comunicar de manera conscient. L'objectiu de la tesi és proposar un model basat en l'extracció de dades biomètriques per complementar amb dades emotives (i formals) la informació cognitiva abans esmentada. Aquesta tesi no és només teòrica, ja que juntament amb el model proposat (i la seva evolució) es mostren les diferents proves, validacions i investigacions en què s'han aplicat, sovint en conjunt amb grups de recerca d'altres àrees amb èxit.En esta tesis se exploran las diferentes metodologías de análisis de la experiencia UX desde una visión centrada en usuario. Estas metodologías clásicas y fundamentadas solamente permiten extraer datos cognitivos, es decir los datos que el usuario es capaz de comunicar de manera consciente. El objetivo de la tesis es proponer un modelo basado en la extracción de datos biométricos para complementar con datos emotivos (y formales) la información cognitiva antes mencionada. Esta tesis no es solamente teórica, ya que junto con el modelo propuesto (y su evolución) se muestran las diferentes pruebas, validaciones e investigaciones en la que se han aplicado, a menudo en conjunto con grupos de investigación de otras áreas con éxito.In this thesis, the different methodologies for analyzing the UX experience are explored from a user-centered perspective. These classical and well-founded methodologies only allow the extraction of cognitive data, that is, the data that the user is capable of consciously communicating. The objective of this thesis is to propose a methodology that uses the extraction of biometric data to complement the aforementioned cognitive information with emotional (and formal) data. This thesis is not only theoretical, since the proposed model (and its evolution) is complemented with the different tests, validations and investigations in which they have been applied, often in conjunction with research groups from other areas with success

Public Engagement Technology for Bioacoustic Citizen Science

Inexpensive mobile devices offer new capabilities for non-specialist use in the field for the purpose of conservation. This thesis explores the potential for such devices to be used by citizen scientists interacting with bioacoustic data such as birdsong. This thesis describes design research and field evaluation, in collaboration with conservationists and educators, and technological artefacts implemented as mobile applications for interactive educational gaming and creative composition. This thesis considers, from a participant-centric collaborative design approach, conservationists' demand for interactive artefacts to motivate engagement in citizen science through gameful and playful interactions. Drawing on theories of motivation, frequently applied to the study of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), and on approaches to designing for motivational engagement, this thesis introduces a novel pair of frameworks for the analysis of technological artefacts and for assessing participant engagement with bioacoustic citizen science from both game interaction design and citizen science project participation perspectives. This thesis reviews current theories of playful and gameful interaction developed for collaborative learning, data analysis, and ground-truth development, describes a process for design and analysis of motivational mobile games and toys, and explores the affordances of various game elements and mechanics for engaging participation in bioacoustic citizen science. This thesis proposes research into progressions for scaffolding engagement with citizen science projects where participants interact with data collection and analysis artefacts. The research process includes the development of multiple designs, analyses of which explore the efficacy of game interactions to motivate engagement through interaction progressions, given proposed analysis frameworks. This thesis presents analysed results of experiments examining the usability of, and data-quality from, several prototypes and software artefacts, in both laboratory conditions and the field. This thesis culminates with an assessment of the efficacy of proposed design analysis frameworks, an analysis of designed artefacts, and a discussion of how these designs increase intrinsic and extrinsic motivation for participant engagement and affect resultant bioacoustic citizen science data quantity and quality.Non

Metodología I’M IN. Metodología de experiencia de usuario basada en el paradigma de la gamificación para la mejora de la experiencia subjetiva

L'evolució de les metodologies d'experiència d'usuari està orientada a la importància de tenir en compte el comportament emocional de l'usuari durant la sessió de test, fent les avaluacions dinàmiques i participatives. Aquest estudi basa el seu principal objectiu en la qualitat dels resultats de test. Es té en compte la conjunció de les tècniques d'experiència d'usuari com a disciplina d'avaluació, les mecàniques de joc com a elements motivadors i el coneixement previ dels perfils d'usuari mitjançant un qüestionari d'avaluació psicològica com a base prèvia davant el procediment. A partir d'aquesta Tesi Doctoral, s'ha procedit a crear una nova metodologia, un sistema anomenat I’M IN, que serveix com a base de disseny d'una sessió amb usuaris i de les eines necessàries per a dur a terme un estudi reeixit. La metodologia de treball s'ha basat en la creació d'un nou sistema, el FED (Fun Experience Design), que permet la unificació de les disciplines de gamificació i les tècniques d'avaluació d'experiència d'usuari. Aquest procediment, permet aplicar diverses tècniques com per exemple: entrevistes, enquestes, test d'ordenació de targetes, aplicació en casos d'ús amb una avaluació contextual, qüestionaris de valoració emocional, i així tenir en compte en tot moment les perspectives, els requisits i els motivadors dels futurs usuaris del sistema i per tant, realitzar un disseny centrat en l'usuari. Els resultats obtinguts han estat positius i han permès acostar el sistema als motivadors dels usuaris, permetent dissenyar una sessió de forma efectiva i enfocada a cadascun dels perfils de forma individual i col·lectiva. En conclusió, el sistema permet realitzar sessions de treball amb usuaris potencials de projectes, mitjançant la utilització d'un protocol d'experiència d'usuari, unes mecàniques de joc adaptades a cada situació i un coneixement previ dels motivadors dels participants proposats. Aquesta recerca, els seus procediments i resultats aporta un nou enfocament a la pràctica tant educativa com professional de tota mena de consultors, tant experts com no experts, sent l'aportació principal de la tesi.La evolución de las metodologías de experiencia de usuario está orientada hacia la importancia de tener en cuenta el comportamiento emocional del usuario durante la sesión de test, haciendo las evaluaciones dinámicas y participativas. Este estudio basa su principal objetivo en la calidad de los resultados de test. Se tiene en cuenta la conjunción de las técnicas de experiencia de usuario como disciplina de evaluación, las mecánicas de juego como elementos motivadores y el conocimiento previo de los perfiles de usuario mediante un cuestionario de evaluación psicológica como base previa ante el procedimiento. A partir de esta Tesis Doctoral, se ha procedido a crear una nueva metodología, un sistema llamado I’M IN, que sirve como base de diseño de una sesión con usuarios y de las herramientas necesarias para llevar a cabo un estudio exitoso. La metodología de trabajo se ha basado en la creación de un nuevo sistema, el FED (Fun Experience Design), que permite la unificación de las disciplinas de gamificación y las técnicas de evaluación de experiencia de usuario. Este procedimiento, permite aplicar diversas técnicas como por ejemplo: entrevistas, encuestas, test de ordenación de tarjetas, aplicación en casos de uso con una evaluación contextual, cuestionarios de valoración emocional, y así tener en cuenta en todo momento las perspectivas, los requisitos y los motivadores de los futuros usuarios del sistema y por lo tanto, realizar un diseño centrado en el usuario. Los resultados obtenidos han sido positivos y han permitido acercar el sistema a los motivadores de los usuarios, permitiendo diseñar una sesión de forma efectiva y enfocada a cada uno de los perfiles de forma individual y colectiva. En conclusión, el sistema permite realizar sesiones de trabajo con usuarios potenciales de proyectos, mediante la utilización de un protocolo de experiencia de usuario, unas mecánicas de juego adaptadas a cada situación y un conocimiento previo de los motivadores de los participantes propuestos. Esta investigación, sus procedimientos y resultados aporta un nuevo enfoque a la práctica tanto educativa como profesional de todo tipo de consultores, tanto expertos como no expertos, siendo el aporte principal de la tesis.The evolution of user experience methodologies is oriented towards the importance of taking into account the user's emotional behavior during the test session, making dynamic and participatory evaluations. This study bases its main objective on the quality of the test results. The combination of user experience techniques as an evaluation discipline, game mechanics as motivating elements and prior knowledge of user profiles through a psychological evaluation questionnaire as a prior basis before the procedure is taken into account. From this Doctoral Thesis, a new methodology has been created, a system called I’M IN, which serves as the basis for designing a session with users and the tools necessary to carry out a successful study. The work methodology has been based on the creation of a new system, the FED (Fun Experience Design), which allows the unification of gamification disciplines and user experience evaluation techniques. This procedure allows to apply various techniques such as: interviews, surveys, card sorting test, application in cases of use with a contextual evaluation, emotional assessment questionnaires, and thus take into account at all times the perspectives, requirements and the motivators of the future users of the system and therefore, carry out a user-centered design. The results obtained have been positive and have allowed the system to be brought closer to the users motivators, allowing the design of a session in an effective and focused way to each of the profiles individually and collectively. In conclusion, the system allows working sessions with potential users of projects, through the use of a user experience protocol, game mechanics adapted to each situation and prior knowledge of the motivators of the proposed participants. This research, its procedures and results brings a new approach to the educational and professional practice of all types of consultants, both experts and non-experts, being the main contribution of the thesis

Team Igniter: an adaptive toolkit to guide and leverage collaboration in teams seeking to problem-solve and innovate

Even though interdisciplinarity has been constantly debated and supported during faculty meetings at RIT, still, academic programs confine themselves into silos, hampering student integration. The struggle to effectively collaborate becomes evident in the existent on campus initiatives that challenge students from different disciplines to work together. The consequence is the under-utilization of the students\u27 potential which leads to mediocre outcomes. This thesis investigated main collaboration problems typical of groups seeking to problem-solve such as groupthink, production blocking, social loafing and social anxiety. These issues were studied in the academic context through a user-centered methodology that involved observations and interviews with college students. The proposed solution integrated user experience (UX) methods with social psychology’s research findings and game design dynamics into a toolkit constituted of both digital and tangible components that complemented each other to offer an interactive and immersive experience. The purpose of the toolkit was to provide a fluid framework to guide teams seeking innovation in order to leverage student collaborations and thus promote a truly academic synergy that is likely to lead to more innovative ideas and solutions

Projekt.ID: investigating how game elements and mechanics can be aligned to players preferences

Existing research in personality and motivation psychology has developed many theories and player typologies to explain an individual’s behaviour. Many of these theories and typologies have used similar approaches to personality types to understand how and why individuals play, through finding traits, and in-turn types to categorise players based on their behaviour. Many of the typologies have also been context specific, causing concern with their practicality of use in contexts outside of their conception. To date, no research exists that categorises players based on their preferences for game elements and mechanics (GEMs). Embracing the possibility of developing such a framework based on players preferences for GEMs, would afford game designers an opportunity to design experiences regardless of context. Therefore, the aim of this research is understanding how to map a player’s preferences for GEMs and how this information can be used during the game design process. To this end, I describe the design and method of four studies. The first three studies are surveys (n=279, n=231, n=162) that assess players Australian Personality Inventory (API) type, preferences for game elements, and mechanics (surveys 2 and 3), and the Basic Psychological Needs of Satisfaction (BPNS) score (surveys 2 and 3). The data from these surveys were analysed using exploratory factor analysis (EFA) to identify any existing relationships between the data; stepwise linear regression to determine if API and/or BPNS could be used to predict factors; bi-variate correlations to observe if relationships existed between the factors and API and/or BPNS types. EFA revealed that GEMs are preferred by players in three unique factors groups for game elements and four factor groups for game mechanics. In addition, stepwise linear regression and bi-variate correlation revealed that both API type and BPNS did not affect a player’s preferences for GEMs (including their factors) and were not a suitable assessment for mapping a player’s preferences for GEMs on. Following these three surveys, the GEM Framework was developed, which included a separate model for each GEM factor group. The GEM Framework was then adapted to an existing game design tool titled Gamicards. The fourth study was a workshop (n = 47) that assesses the practical use of the GEM framework and Gamicards. The results of the workshop revealed that both the GEM Framework and its adaption to Gamicards provided game designers from various skill levels a useful resource during the game design process and would likely use it again during their next game design session. Through these four studies, this work contributes to the current literature in the following manner. Firstly, this work extends the current understanding the impact personality and motivation types have on a player’s preferences for GEMs, via the data from the surveys. As such, this work explores three areas: personality, motivation, and game design to develop a novel framework. Secondly, this thesis discusses practical implications of using the GEM framework through Gamicards. To conclude, this work encourages game academics to look at player typologies through the lens of the GEMs of games itself and not through psychometric assessment

Encoding Through Procedure: Unexpected Meaning in Serious Game Design

Encoding Through Procedure explores the creation and transmission of ideas through game design. My primary argument is that rules have an agency that complicates current models of procedural rhetoric. In Chapter 1, drawing from Stuart Hall’s Encoding/Decoding model, I prepare a methodological foundation to demonstrate the unique possibilities and difficulties that game rules offer as a communicative medium. Using Kim Sawchuck and Owen Chapman’s work on research-creation, I deploy a game-design-based method of research. The last methodological step explores Bruno Latour’s Actor Network-Theory both as a method of design and critique. In Chapter 2, I present a literature review of serious games and gamification. Here the field produces avenues for exploration, given the inconsistent positions it holds on serious games. In addressing these, I argue for the benefits of distinguishing gamification from serious games. Chapter 3 explores an additional set of literature interested in emergence and algorithmic representation. The argument here focuses on a lacuna in the field’s conception of procedural rhetoric. I agree with pre-existing literature, that emergent results can lead to convincing arguments. That said, there is no method to date for considering how designers might produce a work which reliably creates emergent results. Instead, I argue the field focuses on post-hoc readings of games successfully communicating authorial ideas. In Chapter 4, to address these concerns, I present my own design practices. I offer three examples of serious games I completed during my doctoral work. These demonstrate the various forces which alter the process of communicating across games. Each provides distinctly different moments of my own practice conflicting with the agency of my games’ rules