Avatar design types and user engagement in digital educational games during evaluation phase

Avatar design types can range from human representations to abstract representations. In digital educational games (DEGs), avatars are frequently used to encourage users to play the game. However, the role of avatar design types and their engagement in digital games are still unclear and empirically under research. Therefore, a bespoke digital educational game in geography was developed and validated by six expert users. Then forty-five users participated in the evaluation phase to investigate engagement and avatar types on digital educational games using the user engagement scale (UES). The results reported aesthetics and satisfaction factors somehow influenced the avatar design types, but none of the UES subscales was influenced by preferred avatar design types. Moreover, the human-cartoon avatar, which was not entirely human and cartoonish, was the most popular avatar design type among young adults. Other issues discussed for future developers and research included incorporating more avatar design selections into the study, integrating social interaction features into the game, using the same drawing style for avatars and provide easy access to the bespoke game during data collection

Avatar design types and user engagement in digital educational games during evaluation phase

Avatar design types can range from human representations to abstract representations. In digital educational games (DEGs), avatars are frequently used to encourage users to play the game. However, the role of avatar design types and their engagement in digital games are still unclear and empirically under research. Therefore, a bespoke digital educational game in geography was developed and validated by six expert users. Then forty-five users participated in the evaluation phase to investigate engagement and avatar types on digital educational games using the user engagement scale (UES). The results reported aesthetics and satisfaction factors somehow influenced the avatar design types, but none of the UES subscales was influenced by preferred avatar design types. Moreover, the human-cartoon avatar, which was not entirely human and cartoonish, was the most popular avatar design type among young adults. Other issues discussed for future developers and research included incorporating more avatar design selections into the study, integrating social interaction features into the game, using the same drawing style for avatars and provide easy access to the bespoke game during data collection

Game development software engineering: digital educational game promoting algorithmic thinking

The purpose of this study is to create a digital educational game that promotes algorithmic thinking for elementary school students. However, the processes of game development differ from traditional software development which cannot guarantee its effectiveness in terms of human-machine interfaces. In this article, we propose a new Game Development Software Engineering (GDSE) as a model for game development. This new model aims to complement and mitigate the shortcomings of traditional software development. The principles of human-computer interaction are now incorporated in the new model. The GDSE includes design, development, usability inspection, game experience evaluation, educational value evaluation and release. It was used as a research method to develop a game that promotes algorithmic thinking for children. The results of this study are not only a digital educational game that promotes algorithmic thinking for children but also a new game development life cycle that guarantees the performance of digital games in terms of usability enhancement, game experience and educational value