Smart Services for Managing the Design of Personalized Educational Video Games

Smart services extend the level of human-computer interaction (HCI) by automating service' personalization and adaptation, based on end-user profiling, analytics, and context of use. On the other hand, the design of adaptable solutions such as educational video games is a challenging and demanding task. By adopting smart services functionality on a game design platform, we want to support teachers and educational experts to create and implement adaptable educational maze video games. The present research aims to conceptualize a maze video game platform functionality based on smart services. Starting with smart services overview, the paper focuses on the APOGEE maze video game platform, its software architecture and modules. Then, the assistive and analytics services of the APOGEE platform are explored, along with the workflow of the maze video game design process presenting how the assistive services take decisions based on outcomes provided by the learning and gaming analytics. Together with the platform overview, the workflow explanation determines the main platform features. The defined process flow aims to support teachers and education professionals to design and build adaptable and personalized video games and apply them for their educational practices.

[1]  Milen Petrov,et al.  Playing styles based on experiential learning theory , 2018, Comput. Hum. Behav..

[2]  Yavor Dankov,et al.  General Architectural Framework for Business Visual Analytics , 2018, BMSD.

[3]  Boris Otto,et al.  Design Principles for Industrie 4.0 Scenarios , 2016, 2016 49th Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences (HICSS).

[4]  Ivan Naydenov,et al.  ADAPTIVE VIDEO GAMES BASED ON COGNITIVE ABILITIES AND SKILLS OF THE PLAYER , 2019, INTED2019 Proceedings.

[5]  Andrew Gilbert.  Using an Action Maze to Develop Problem-Solving Skills in Family Law , 2010 .

[6]  W. Watson,et al.  Games in schools: teachers’ perceptions of barriers to game-based learning , 2016 .

[7]  Marquardt Katrin,et al.  Smart services – characteristics, challenges, opportunities and business models , 2017 .

[8]  Michael Rosen,et al.  Applied SOA: Service-Oriented Architecture and Design Strategies , 2008 .

[9]  Boyan Bontchev,et al.  Affect-based adaptation of an applied video game for educational purposes , 2017, Interact. Technol. Smart Educ..

[10]  Katrin Marquardt,et al.  Smart services – characteristics, challenges, opportunities and business models , 2017 .

[11]  Aroutis Foster,et al.  The Play Curricular Activity Reflection Discussion Model for Game-Based Learning , 2015 .

[12]  Riccardo Berta,et al.  Designing serious games for education: From pedagogical principles to game mechanisms , 2011 .

[13]  Boyan Bontchev.  RICH ЕDUCATIONAL VIDEO MAZES AS A VISUAL ENVIRONMENT FOR GAME-BASED LEARNING , 2019 .

[14]  Walter Ganz,et al.  An Integrated Approach for Measuring and Managing Quality of Smart Senior Care Services , 2017 .