Mapping Learning and Game Mechanics for Serious Games Analysis in Engineering Education

In a world where students are increasing digitally tethered to powerful, always on mobile devices, new models of engagement and approaches to teaching and learning are required from educators. Serious games (SGs) have proved to have instructional potential, but there is still a lack of methodologies and tools not only for their design but also to support the game analysis and assessment. This paper explores the use of SG to increase student engagement and retention. The development phase of the Circuit Warz game is presented to demonstrate how electronic engineering education can radically be reimagined to create immersive, highly engaging learning experiences that are problem-centered and pedagogically sound. The learning mechanics-game mechanics framework for the SG game analysis is introduced and its practical use in an educational game design scenario is shown as a case study.

[1]  Aaas News,et al.  Book Reviews , 1893, Buffalo Medical and Surgical Journal.

[2]  David Murphy,et al.  JDoc: A Serious Game for Medical Learning , 2008, First International Conference on Advances in Computer-Human Interaction.

[3]  Sven K. Esche,et al.  Review of the state of the art in virtual learning environments based on multi-player computer games , 2009 .

[4]  Timo Lainema,et al.  Foundation for Measuring Engagement in Educational Games , 2008 .

[5]  V. Shute,et al.  Melding the Power of Serious Games and Embedded Assessment to Monitor and Foster Learning: Flow and Grow , 2009 .

[6]  Jane Willis,et al.  A Framework for Task-Based Learning , 1996 .

[7]  K. McCusker,et al.  Engineering Education Island: Teaching Engineering in Virtual Worlds , 2009 .

[8]  Shane Wilson,et al.  Using Game-Based Learning in Virtual Worlds to Teach Electronic and Electrical Engineering , 2013, IEEE Transactions on Industrial Informatics.

[9]  Clark N. Quinn.  Designing educational computer games , 1994, Interactive Multimedia in University Education.

[10]  Baltasar Fernández-Manjón,et al.  Virtual Worlds for Serious Applications ( VS-GAMES ' 12 ) Tracing a little for big Improvements : Application of Learning Analytics and Videogames for Student Assessment , 2013 .

[11]  Mel Slater,et al.  Visual Realism Enhances Realistic Response in an Immersive Virtual Environment , 2009, IEEE Computer Graphics and Applications.

[12]  Rob Nadolski,et al.  Validation of Game scenarios for the assessment of professional competence: Development of a serious game for system managers in training , 2014 .

[13]  Magy Seif El-Nasr,et al.  Game Analytics , 2013, Springer London.

[14]  Theodore Lim,et al.  Engineering design using game-enhanced CAD: The potential to augment the user experience with game elements , 2013, Comput. Aided Des..

[15]  Alessandro De Gloria,et al.  A serious game model for cultural heritage , 2012, JOCCH.

[16]  Bernard P. Veldkamp,et al.  Attention paid to feedback provided by a computer-based assessment for learning on information literacy , 2011, Comput. Educ..

[17]  Michele D. Dickey.  Engaging by design: How engagement strategies in popular computer and video games can inform instructional design , 2005 .

[18]  Scot Osterweil,et al.  The Boom and Bust and Boom of Educational Games , 2013, Trans. Edutainment.

[19]  Riccardo Berta,et al.  Assessment in and of Serious Games: An Overview , 2013, Adv. Hum. Comput. Interact..

[20]  Alessandro De Gloria,et al.  Mapping learning and game mechanics for serious games analysis , 2015, Br. J. Educ. Technol..