Digital Games can be effective as learning tools, in applications that can be designated as Serious Games (SG), Games for Learning (GL) or Games-based learning (GBL). SG provide challenges in accordance with the intended learning objectives and can adapt and/or repeat (by allowing error recovering) them according to the learner's level. In training, this aspect is decisive in the acquisition of knowledge, experience and professional skills. The effectiveness of games-based training is directly related to the success on how the challenges promote the acquisition of skills, for which there is no optimal design methodology. This paper presents how a study that identifies the most appropriate game genres to develop specific skills and competences can be used to provide initial solutions to serious games design methodologies. The Triadic Certification model combines the competences defined for each training plan with the challenges designed for the serious games on a matrix that matches the needs and levels.
This document describes a model for the design of game strategies. This proposal is based on related works in the field of gamification and its applications. The proposed model is composed of three components: A game environment process, a game environment and a component for measurement and evaluation. This proposition seeks to offer a methodological tool for the design of game strategies in the field of gamification, applied to knowledge management. This document makes an analysis between gamification and knowledge management, with the goal of determining motivation's relationship with properties such as participation, collaboration and contribution, in the implementation of knowledge management processes, particularly in academic software development scenarios. The aforementioned properties are used for the evaluation of three validation scenarios.
Task-specific training in virtual environments (VEs) can provide practice for skills that are transferred to real-world settings. The present study examined skill acquisition and retention of a non-injured population performing a sensorimotor navigation task in the Computer Assisted Rehabilitation Environment (CAREN). Seventeen subjects participated twice weekly for 6 weeks, with follow-up visits at 3-month intervals for one year. Subjects performed a navigation task, where they drove a virtual boat through a scene using weight shifting and body movement. Subjects improved over time on all outcome measures. A significant effect was observed for visit number on total score, time to complete the task, number of buoys navigated successfully, and number of penalties incurred. No differences were observed between the last training visit and any follow-up visit. Task-specific training in immersive VEs may be effective for warfighter operational skills training and rehabilitation of wounded warriors, by utilizing tasks that lead to long-term retention.
This paper explores how gamification can provide the platform for integrating Building Information Modeling (BIM) together with the emergent Internet of Things (IoT). The goal of the research is to foster the creation of a testable and persistent virtual building via gaming technology that combines both BIM and IoT. The author discusses the features of each subject area in brief, and points towards the advantages and challenges of integration via gaming technology. Hospitals are the specific architectural typology discussed in the paper, as hospitals have particular properties which make them good candidates for study.
A number of serious games have been developed for energy systems that act as an educational tool and help energy consumers to better understand concepts such as resource allocation, electricity prices and grid sustainability. In such gamified environments, players use technology to solve environmental problems including greener environment, optimised energy and water infrastructure, sustainable resources and reduced energy use. Social Mpower game is a representation of an autonomous energy community for local power generation and distribution in which the participants have to avoid a collective blackout by individually reducing their energy consumption by synchronising and coordinating their actions. Our experimental hypothesis is that collective awareness can be enhanced by appropriate features of the game interface, and therefore to increase the opportunities and prospects for successful collective action (e.g to avoid a blackout).
The ageing process is naturally accompanied by changes in people’s cognitive processes. The European population ageing is a challenge for the European social policy and for the mental health professionals. New technologies can play an important role in the neurocognitive stimulation area as they possess characteristics that might reduce the anxiety levels of patients participating in neurocognitive stimulation or assessment programs. In particular, serious games provide a setting that can be explored to improve the easy access to neurocognitive stimulation and assessment, regardless of place and time, at a lower cost then traditional approaches. This paper presents a serious game aiming to analyse neurocognitive deficits and stimulate the players’ deficitary neurocognitive processes. This game is built on top of sound neurocognitive psychotherapy for adults, mainly addressing the cognitive processes of attention and memory. The game will simulate real world scenarios, allowing a better generalization process due to ecological validity.
The ludic, the pervasive and the educational aspects of pervasive games based learning systems (PGBLSs) have huge impact on understanding, developing, validating, reasoning and managing requirements. We propose in this paper a computation independent model (CIM) driven requirements engineering process in order to improve the development of PGBLSs. This model is based on an ontology of requirements (RO). RO addresses the development of an ontology of requirements (RO) as a powerful formalism to assist requirements' analysts in order to fulfill changing requirements in the PGBLSs dynamic context.
The paper aims to investigate the correlation between the challenges associated with older people, their existing engagement with digital gaming, the andragogical perspectives and existing game design attributes. A pilot study was performed with 14 participants aged 55 and above. Data was collected from their interactions with and experiences of digital gaming. Questionnaires and group discussions were performed to collect feedback and perspectives on the experience. Preliminary results demonstrated that older people's initial perspectives and perceptions towards digital gaming and gameplay were influenced by perceived or assumed difficulties, relevance and benefits. Furthermore, the participants' perspectives and attitudes changed once they have broken the confidence barrier associated to engaging with new technologies and experienced the enjoyment from the social aspects of the engagement. They have also demonstrated renewed interest in digital games, and understanding of the potential of using digital games for achieving serious purposes, such as promoting a healthy lifestyle.
Educational Games are increasingly popular in teaching as they have proven to be effective learning tools. Educational videogames are beneficial for all kind of students but we think they are especially suited for users with intellectual disabilities due to the opportunity of tailoring the content to their in-game performance. Adapting the game experience to the cognitive and learning abilities to this type of students also make videogames a powerful source of learning data. In this paper we introduce the GLAID (Game Learning Analytics for Intellectual Disabilities) Model, a theoretical adaptation of a more general analytics framework. It describes how to collect, process and analyze videogame interaction data in order to provide an overview of the user learning experience, from an individualized assessment to a collective perspective. But to obtain these goals it is necessary to take into account the restrictions and special needs of users with intellectual disabilities both in the learning design and in translating them into game mechanics and the corresponding observables that will be collected for the subsequent data analysis. We conclude with a discussion and considerations about the model and future steps to follow in our investigation.
There are several research initiatives that tackle gesture recognition. Nevertheless the interaction between the input devices and an application level is still a hard task that has to be accomplished each time a new system is being developed. The objective of this research work is to facilitate that endeavor by introducing a new generic software layer between the gesture capture device and the application level. This layer will provide the introduction of a gesture library and a set of functionalities both to feed this library and pursue gesture recognition afterwards. The objective is to hinder lower-level software/ hardware details from a developer towards letting him or her to focus directly at the Application Level. This article presents the created architecture for this new layer. The validation was made using the Leap Motion, at the Sensor Level, and creating a Serious Game devoted to Sign Language exercising, at the Application Level.
Games have a great potential as learning tools, in particular, because they provide means for players to safely explore and fail, and because they promote personal emotional experiences. To be successful, games must present a good coverage and fidelity of the interaction experience regarding the target learning goals. In the case of learning of social skills, which is one prominent area of application of games, the use of AI characters with socio-emotional agency has great potential value. These characters may increase the range of social situations that players can explore (coverage). However, in order to achieve that the AI characters need to be able to present good social behaviour (fidelity). Although, several examples of computational models to achieve this can be found, developing these models remains a challenging research question.
This paper introduces ClueKing, a children's pervasive game which encompasses context-aware and parents mediation to create an informal learning environment. In this paper we review related theories of inquiry-based learning and parent involvement, the basic pedagogical model, and mobile learning and pervasive games as the technological framework. The basic concept of ClueKing defines an interactive environment where teachers define the learning goals and challenges and parents mediate their application on the home setting, the children schedule and how to promote their engagement. The system's architecture is also presented, as well as the workflows for the development of ClueKing. Since this is work in progress the paper concludes with the next steps and future work to be carried out.
LabRint provides intelligence analysts with a set of learning experiences The game focuses on three stages of intelligence analysis: information collection and structuring, inference schemes development, and determination of inferences about the issue under scrutiny. To that end LabRint innovative approach implements two methodologies: the W4HW information structuring, and the association of two graphical models for inference determination: Graphs of Deterrence and Bayesian Networks.
A Developmental Coordination Disorder can be identified when children show motor skills either below the expected levels considered adequate to their physical age or the opportunities provided for their learning. This problem affects four to six percent of school-age children, meaning that, from a very early stage of their life, they have several difficulties to adapt to the daily needs. In order to reduce the impact caused by this disorder, a team of therapists from “Centro DIFERENÇAS – Centro de Desenvolvimento Infantil” collected a wide range of exercises that allow the stimulus of several motor areas, including both the Gross and Fine Motor Skills. However, the application of this therapeutics is restricted to regular appointments. Since the motor stimulus, in order to be effective, need continuous application, it was found to be necessary to have a tool that in a practical and affordable way, fulfill this need. Therefore, the proposal presented in this article describes the creation of a systematic collection of such exercises in a friendly user manner for the children to be able to exercise elsewhere.
Software developers usually work as a team and in order to improve the team organization and performance several companies use agile methodologies. The efficiency of this methodologies can be improved by the use of project management tools. Several software developers are difficult to motivate on the usage of these tools, as they often claim being disruptive to their workflow. This paper presents the use of gamification to incite software developers to use this kind of tools with the necessary regularity. The main focus of this work is on the tasks completion and the regular use of the project management tool, while insuring the respect of the values proposed by the agile manifesto to software development. The gamification process is described in detail, followed by an application the project management software SCRAIM.
Computers and technology can play a key role in supporting learning, namely for students with special educational needs. Nevertheless, despite the emphasis the society puts on the use of technology and its fast proliferation in the area of education, few initiatives focus on the specific needs of children with disabilities. Motivated by this gap, this research work proposes a computer assisted education application that targets to teach talking and reading through games. The work described herein was carried out in close cooperation with Centro Diferenças - Centro de Desenvolvimento Infantil, a child-care institution that works with children with distinct growth disorders, namely the Down syndrome.
A Game Based Learning System (GBLS) constitutes an interesting learning environment. However, many problems are facing the general adoption of learning approaches based on this system. For instance, complexity of GBLS design process and problems of integrating learning outcomes with fun aspects constitute the major challenges. Therefore, novice game designer have not only to acquire specific skills and expertise but also to acquire them in an efficient and active pedagogical manner. For that aim, extraction and representation of knowledge related to GBLSs design become necessary to render possible accessibility and transfer of that knowledge to novice actors and further to meet aforementioned challenges. In this context the use of learning ontology techniques based on semantic annotation of gameplay description seems promising as it facilitates knowledge extraction, elicitation process, and grants more formal knowledge representation which allows answering to growing needs of sharing data within and across organizations and actors.
There is a need to harness the potential of a hybrid space in teaching and learning as digital and physical experiences are merging and it is essential that the experience empowers the minds and practices, bridges formal and informal contexts and deepens the learning process. This paper elaborates on the playful nature of the use of games and gamification in creating contexts to a pervasive learning process including the Horizon 2020 Beaconing project as an example.
The EMPLOY project addresses the development of digital skills among young learners with the objective of enhancing their future employment opportunities in innovation-related sectors that are expected by policy makers to drive economic growth. Digital skills are considered among the basic and transversal competencies that are necessary in wide economic sectors and as such must be developed among individuals with diverse professional and career aspirations, independently of area. It also promotes the strategic deployment of ICT in education as a learning tool, and the development of ICT applications for learning and the integration of digital tools as complementary educational content within wider, blended learning and teaching processes. The integration of proposed technology and pedagogies offer broad learning benefits to both students and teachers by enhancing motivation, promoting long-term engagement with the learning process, providing timely and constructive feedback, and promoting critical and entrepreneurial thinking mind sets.
Games have been used by teachers as a support tool to engage students in learning tasks. As they often record student's performance as learning progresses, it interesting and useful to discuss how that information can be used to assess learning and to improve the learning experience. For instance, teachers can use that information to give personalized attention in classes. In computer programming learning, games can provide an alternative way to introduce concepts and, mainly, to practice them. This paper proposes a model to identify the students' progress considering their performance in programming tasks. The model is demonstrated by an implementation in a casual computer programming serious game.
