Choosing a Serious Game for the Classroom: An Adoption Model for Educators

Educators eager to integrate serious games into the curriculum, but who are not trained or funded for game development, must choose an off-the-shelf or online game. These educators face a special set of questions. Current instructional design models do not address how a educator should conduct formative evaluation prior to the integration of online serious games or off the shelf games that are not specifically designed for their course. A team comprised of educators developed and tested an approach on evaluation and implementation of commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) video games. The RCIPR model consists of five components for initial adoption of a game. This adoption model for evaluating COTS harnesses the power of player and instructor evaluation to achieve a comprehensive grasp of the deep learning made possible by playing a well-chosen video game. Additionally it emphasizes researching the game, working with IT personnel, piloting the game and documentation.