Enhancing education and training through data-driven adaptable games in flipped classrooms

The Flipped Classroom (FC) is a set of pedagogical approaches that move the information transmission out of class and exploit class time for active and/or peer learning activities. In this context, students are required to engage with pre- and/or post-class activities in order to prepare themselves for class work. The FC instruction method has already been used in conjunction with other learning strategies. This theoretical paper presents the first developmental steps of a research project, which aims at building the FC through a fully bespoke and personalized experience, by using data-driven adaptable games and problem-based learning elements to improve the learning experience. The project will develop a gaming platform that will support the whole FC in a cyclical perspective, and aims to use the resources of gamification in a more significant manner that could go beyond score tracking and badges. Moreover, the problem-based learning approach will be used to better frame the learning activities included in FCs, while learning analytics features will provide adaptable learning pathways. The potential of this approach is to build a better FC experience for all the stakeholders. Students will be given more agency to calibrate their learning experience, while educators can monitor the students’ progress more effectively and adjust their learning activities accordingly. Finally, researchers will get better insight into the FC learning process, and the mechanics, which contribute to optimize the learning experience

Collaborative Game Design for Learning: The Challenges of Adaptive Game-Based Learning for the Flipped Classroom

In recent years, game-based learning and gamification have increasingly been used within flipped classroom approaches. Many research showed that both approaches were efficient in conjunction in an active learning perspective. However, we observe that few games have been designed with use in the flipped classroom in mind, and there is therefore potential to improve the flipped classroom experience by approaching the development and integration of games with a more holistic and adaptive experience in mind. For that purpose, a focus group of educators was assembled for a pilot project and their educational practices, objectives and gaming experience analyzed. Following this investigation, co-constructed game design choices were made to try and develop a game that could support a variety of subjects and learning experience in the FC. Although the focus group answers showed that a fully adaptive gaming experience needed, for reasons of flexibility, to lean towards a gamified platform, the final design solution can have the potential to support fully the flipped classroom experience for any subject or class desired

Παιχνίδια σοβαρού σκοπού για την εκμάθηση και τη διδασκαλία του προγραμματισμού Η/Υ: σχεδίαση, ανάπτυξη και αξιολόγηση ενός προσαρμόσιμου, εκπαιδευτικού μαζικά πολυχρηστικού διαδικτυακού παιχνιδιών ρόλων

Computer programming has for decades posed several difficulties for students of all educational levels. A number of teaching approaches have been proposed over the years but none seems to fulfil the needs of students nowadays. On the other hand, students use computers mainly for playing games and using the Internet, and as quite a few researchers state, this aspect of computers should be taken into account in the way we educate young people. Towards this direction, in this thesis we aimed to initially investigate the educational games developed for and used in the computer programming domain and review to which level they address the aforementioned difficulties. Related work includes a number of games that have been developed towards this goal. However, even though they seem promising examples, they lack features that would allow them to successfully underpin computer programming learning by facing the majority of the identified problems. To this end, we propose a new, advanced Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game (MMORPG) named CMX that includes the facilitating and positive features identified in existing solutions and incorporates missing elements that will bring forth a new generation of educational games for computer programming. The thesis proceeds to elaborate on the educational features of CMX as well as present a design framework that was devised taking into account previous work in designing educational games. Furthermore, a framework is constructed and presented that will guide the incorporation of learning analytics mechanisms in computer programming education. Moreover, since MMORPGs require significant amounts of resources, such as bandwidth, RAM and CPU capacity to support learning, a new methodology is proposed to achieve monitoring and optimization of the load balancing, so that the essential resources for the proper execution of an educational MMORPG for computer programming can be foreseen and bestowed without overloading the system. Finally, the effects of CMX on teaching and learning computer programming are assessed through a study with undergraduate students. Students evaluated various aspects of CMX by filling in a questionnaire that was based on an evaluation framework, which was devised in accordance with the design framework of CMX. The results show that the majority of the students increased their performance in computer programming, were entertained by playing the game while learning, and felt motivated to continue based on the game’s scenario due to the variety of activities included. Furthermore, students stated they had a positive attitude in regards to re-using CMX in the future in order to learn additional programming concepts. The positive results of this study pave the way for CMX being used in the classroom and expanding the game’s functionalities that will further increase students’ performance and support teachers in delivering the required knowledge. Moreover, the work reported offers game designers and teachers methodological and empirical results for game based learning in such a difficult domain as is computer programming. What is more, the design and evaluation frameworks presented are general enough that they can be easily adjusted and/or extended for designing and assessing educational games in other domains as well.Η εκμάθηση του προγραμματισμού Η/Υ έχει δημιουργήσει διαχρονικά πολλές δυσκολίες στους μαθητές όλων των εκπαιδευτικών βαθμίδων. Πολλές εκπαιδευτικές προσεγγίσεις έχουν προταθεί στο πέρασμα των ετών, αλλά καμία δε φαίνεται να καλύπτει τις σύγχρονες εκπαιδευτικές ανάγκες και τάσεις. Από την άλλη πλευρά, οι μαθητές της νέας γενιάς χρησιμοποιούν τους υπολογιστές ολοένα και περισσότερο για να παίζουν παιχνίδια και να πλοηγούνται στο διαδίκτυο. Με βάση αυτήν την τάση ορισμένοι ερευνητές αναφέρουν πως αυτή η οπτική χρήσης των υπολογιστών πρέπει να ληφθεί σοβαρά υπόψη για τον τρόπο εκπαίδευσης των νέων μαθητών. Προς αυτήν την κατεύθυνση, στοχεύουμε σε αυτήν τη διατριβή να ερευνήσουμε τα εκπαιδευτικά παιχνίδια που αναπτύχθηκαν και χρησιμοποιήθηκαν στον τομέα του προγραμματισμού Η/Υ και να αξιολογήσουμε σε ποιο βαθμό αντιμετωπίζουν τις προαναφερθείσες δυσκολίες. Οι σχετικές εργασίες που περιγράφονται αναλυτικά στη διατριβή περιλαμβάνουν ένα πλήθος παιχνιδιών που έχουν αναπτυχθεί για την εκπλήρωση αυτών των στόχων. Ωστόσο, αν και φαίνονται ιδιαίτερα αξιόλογα παραδείγματα, υστερούν σε χαρακτηριστικά που επιτρέπουν την πετυχημένη υποστήριξη της εκμάθησης του προγραμματισμού, αδυνατώντας να αντιμετωπίσουν την πλειονότητα των προβλημάτων. Για αυτό το σκοπό, προτείνουμε ένα νέο Μαζικά Πολυχρηστικό Διαδικτυακό Παιχνίδι Ρόλων (MMORPG) με την ονομασία CMX, που περιλαμβάνει τα θετικά χαρακτηριστικά των αντίστοιχων εκπαιδευτικών παιχνιδιών και ενσωματώνει στοιχεία που απουσιάζουν στα υφιστάμενα παιχνίδια, φέρνοντας στο προσκήνιο μία νέα γενιά εκπαιδευτικών παιχνιδιών. Στη συνέχεια της διατριβής γίνεται ανάλυση των εκπαιδευτικών και λειτουργικών χαρακτηριστικών του CMX και παρουσιάζεται ένα νέο πλαίσιο σχεδίασης, λαμβάνοντας υπόψη και αντίστοιχα πλαίσια για την σχεδίαση εκπαιδευτικών παιχνιδιών. Επιπρόσθετα, έχει δημιουργηθεί και παρουσιάζεται ένα πλαίσιο για την ανάλυση των εκπαιδευτικών δεδομένων που παράγονται κατά τη διδασκαλία και την εκμάθηση του προγραμματισμού. Δεδομένου ότι τα παιχνίδια που ανήκουν στην κατηγορία των MMORPG απαιτούν σημαντικές ποσότητες υπολογιστικών πόρων, όπως το εύρος ζώνης, μνήμη RAM και την ικανότητα της CPU για την υποστήριξη της μάθησης, μια νέα μεθοδολογία προτείνεται για την εποπτεία και τη βελτιστοποίηση της εξισορρόπησης φόρτου και της διαχείρισης πόρων, έτσι ώστε να προβλέπονται οι απαραίτητοι πόροι που θα δεσμευτούν για την ορθή εκτέλεση και λειτουργία του εκπαιδευτικού MMORPG. Τέλος, η αποτελεσματικότητα του CMX ως εκπαιδευτικό εργαλείο για τη διδασκαλία και την εκμάθηση του προγραμματισμού αξιολογήθηκε μέσα από έρευνες με προπτυχιακούς φοιτητές. Οι φοιτητές αξιολόγησαν διάφορες πτυχές του CMX συμπληρώνοντας ένα ερωτηματολόγιο βασισμένο στο πλαίσιο αξιολόγησης το οποίο ήταν σύμφωνο με τους στόχους του αρχικού πλαισίου σχεδίασης. Τα αποτελέσματα έδειξαν πως η πλειοψηφία των φοιτητών βελτίωσαν τις επιδόσεις τους στον προγραμματισμό, ψυχαγωγήθηκαν παίζοντας το παιχνίδι ενώ παράλληλα μάθαιναν και αισθάνθηκαν ότι είχαν κίνητρο να συνεχίσουν βασισμένοι στο σενάριο του παιχνιδιού και στην ποικιλία των δραστηριοτήτων που περιλαμβάνονται. Οι μαθητές δήλωσαν επίσης πως θα επιθυμούσαν να ξαναχρησιμοποιήσουν το CMX στο μέλλον για να μάθουν πρόσθετες έννοιες του προγραμματισμού. Τα θετικά αποτελέσματα αυτών των ερευνών ανοίγουν το δρόμο για να χρησιμοποιηθεί το CMX ως εκπαιδευτικό εργαλείο και να επεκταθούν οι λειτουργίες του παιχνιδιού προκειμένου να αυξήσουν περαιτέρω τις επιδόσεις τους οι μαθητές και να υποστηριχτούν οι καθηγητές στη διαδικασία της διδασκαλίας. Η εργασία, επίσης, προσφέρει στους σχεδιαστές παιχνιδιών και τους εκπαιδευτικούς μεθοδολογικά και εμπειρικά αποτελέσματα για τη μάθηση που είναι βασισμένη στο παιχνίδι σε έναν δύσκολο τομέα, όπως είναι η εκμάθηση του προγραμματισμού. Το πλαίσιο σχεδίασης και το πλαίσιο αξιολόγησης που παρουσιάζονται βασίζονται σε γενικές αρχές προκειμένου να μπορούν εύκολα να προσαρμοστούν και να επεκταθούν για τη σχεδίαση και την αξιολόγηση εκπαιδευτικών παιχνιδιών σε άλλους τομείς

Can you Escape from Dr. Tom Cat’s Lab? Educational Escape Rooms with Scientists, Riddles and Serious Games as Learning Tools

Imagine parents not asking their children “Did you study today?” but instead asking “Did you play today? If you didn't, please go and start playing right now!”. This is the general revolutionary idea of game-based learning. This is the ideal experience for every child, to learn by playing, and for parents to see their children loving to learn as they love to play, and finally for teachers to receive major excitement from their students about learning. If serious games are applied in lessons, then teachers stop going to their classrooms telling their students the theoretical part of their lesson and then solve exercises on repeat; Instead they could go to their classroom and say to their students that “today is a special day, as you will get to solve some great riddles in order to escape from Dr. Tom Cat's lab”.  This paper will discuss how game-based learning and especially escape rooms could be a great learning toolkit for teachers and how these games can foster motivation and help students achieve their educational goals. The paper will describe the story of Dr. Tom Cat, a (great and maybe a little mad) scientist that has a special lab where each room is dedicated to one of the greatest scientists in Mathematics, Physics and Informatics like Alan Turing, Ada Lovelace, Kurt Gödel and Grace Hopper. This way, students learn about these very important scientists' lives, but also, they are required to solve a similar riddle to the problems each scientist had to tackle in their respective lives. Finally, the paper will present how an Augmented Reality application has brought this story and escape room game to life, and how this application helped impress the students more and store learning analytics about which riddle was solved by whom. The results of this experimental launch will be finally presented and analyzed

Andragogy and E.M.O.T.I.O.N. : 7 key factors of successful serious games

Digital games have the potential to create active and engaging learning environments, supporting problem-solving, and learning through practice. As educators struggle to motivate the learners in their classroom, games provide a great opportunity to enrich the education curriculum. Students nowadays are characterized as the “Nintendo Generation”, because they spend significant amounts of their everyday lives from a very young age interacting with the computers by playing games. However, using games for learning requires a rethinking of the learning objectives, another  model for ownership of tasks, complex structures for support of students, new ways of assessing students, and a host of technological integration issues that have to be undertaken. So, how might one create effective learning games? Digital games are a deviation from the normal pedagogy.  They are instead embedded within the field of Andragogy. The main principle follows that the educational digital games encourage self-directness and independency.  Moreover, the Andragogy of educational digital games provides substance to the learning process through active experimentation. Taking the above into consideration, this paper aims to introduce and elaborate on a holistic framework based on 7 key factors that should be considered in creating a successful serious game. This framework is named “E.M.O.T.I.O.N” and stands for “Engaging game”, “Motivation”, “Opportunity of mastery”, “Theme and story”, “Intriguing learning”, “Objectives” and “Natural flow between learning and fun”. “E.M.O.T.I.O.N” is a framework that underlines the necessity of not disassociating instructional content from emotional context. In other words, we should not create sterile bulleted lists of rules. We should not assume players make decisions about adhering to policy based on rational algorithms and not normal human emotions. We should not strip learning modules of humanity and replace it with policy, terminology, and models, but fill a player with emotions ranging from frustration to elation, from sadness to anger to enthusiastic happiness. Serious games should embrace and encourage human emotion. It would be a breath of fresh air if our learning modules borrowed from games and put the critical element of emotion back into learning. The main message of this paper is that humans are quite adept at recalling learning when the learning is tied to strong emotions

Game-Based Learning for Learning to Program : From Learning Through Play to Learning Through Game Development

This research is approaching game-based learning as a creative act. Furthermore, creativity receives a holistic interpretation and is regarded as a three-dimensional term. Consequently, the authors will debate the research topic of game-based learning from three perspectives: teacher, student and learning process. On the other hand, computer programming is still hard to learn; as many researchers show that students fail vastly in programming courses, game-based learning seems to be a motivational solution that overcomes the basic difficulties that students face in this field. In the emerging field of game-based learning, there are several approaches that have been tested in programming courses at university level. Three of them are a) Learning to program by playing games, b) Learning programming through game development and c) Learning to program by the development of games for learning programming. This study has been carried out as a comparative analysis of these three approaches. Data has been collected from course evaluation questionnaires, online discussion fora and from discussions with students and teachers involved in programming courses at three different universities. Findings show that all three approaches seem to have a promising potential but there are also some identified minor problems. The recommendation is to blend these approaches and to combine them with traditional instructional design for programming education. The outcome of the study is the design of a model of learning for students in programming educatio

Game-Based Learning for Learning to Program : From Learning Through Play to Learning Through Game Development

This research is approaching game-based learning as a creative act. Furthermore, creativity receives a holistic interpretation and is regarded as a three-dimensional term. Consequently, the authors will debate the research topic of game-based learning from three perspectives: teacher, student and learning process. On the other hand, computer programming is still hard to learn; as many researchers show that students fail vastly in programming courses, game-based learning seems to be a motivational solution that overcomes the basic difficulties that students face in this field. In the emerging field of game-based learning, there are several approaches that have been tested in programming courses at university level. Three of them are a) Learning to program by playing games, b) Learning programming through game development and c) Learning to program by the development of games for learning programming. This study has been carried out as a comparative analysis of these three approaches. Data has been collected from course evaluation questionnaires, online discussion fora and from discussions with students and teachers involved in programming courses at three different universities. Findings show that all three approaches seem to have a promising potential but there are also some identified minor problems. The recommendation is to blend these approaches and to combine them with traditional instructional design for programming education. The outcome of the study is the design of a model of learning for students in programming educatio

Utilizing a serious game via Open Sim standalone server and Scratch4OS for introductory programming courses in Secondary education: Their effect on student engagement

This study suggests a constructionist-learning framework to amplify students’ engagement in introductory programming courses via a serious game that was held in Open Sim standalone server integrated with Scratch4OS. Fifty five (n=55) voluntary students from three different High schools have participated and experienced in Co.Co.I.A., a 3D mind-trap puzzle game. The empirical study findings indicated that behavioral engagement (attention, retention and energy expenditure for activity completion) does not only have a linear correlation with cognitive engagement (learning strategies for the construction of the knowledge domain), but it also has a positive nexus with emotional engagement (positive emotions and achievement orientation) in collaborative learning tasks, causing the reinforcement of the other two factors too