scholarly journals Realizing a Mobile Multimodal Platform for Serious Games Analytics

2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 19-48
Author(s):  
Laila Shoukry ◽  
Stefan Göbel
Keyword(s):  
Game Design ◽  
Serious Games ◽  
Sensor Data ◽  
Educational Game ◽  
Evaluation Procedure ◽  
Multimodal Data ◽  
Design Elements ◽  
Implementation Challenges ◽  
Cognitive States ◽  
Game Developers

This paper presents the design and development of "StoryPlay Multimodal", a mobile multimodal analytics platform for the evaluation of Serious Games. It is intended to serve researchers, teachers and educational game developers as a means to assess their Serious Game Design. This is done by capturing, pre-processing, synchronizing and visualizing multimodal serious games analytics and mobile sensor data from playtesting sessions. By linking log data with multimodal data, it is possible to uncover relations between design elements, gameplay interactions, context parameters and affective and cognitive states. This is crucial for gaining full insight into the session, even if not present with the player at the same location. After discussing design requirements, the architecture of the software, the different modules, additional features, implementation challenges and solutions are presented. The testing settings, participants and results are also discussed to demonstrate how the evaluation procedure can be applied to deliver valuable outcomes for Serious Games Research.

scholarly journals Integrating Health Behavior Theory and Design Elements in Serious Games

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Colleen Cheek ◽  
Theresa Fleming ◽  
Mathijs FG Lucassen ◽  
Heather Bridgman ◽  
Karolina Stasiak ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Behavior ◽  
Behavior Change ◽  
Game Design ◽  
Serious Games ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Health Behavior Change ◽  
Serious Game ◽  
User Perceptions ◽  
Design Elements ◽  
User Centered

Background Internet interventions for improving health and well-being have the potential to reach many people and fill gaps in service provision. Serious gaming interfaces provide opportunities to optimize user adherence and impact. Health interventions based in theory and evidence and tailored to psychological constructs have been found to be more effective to promote behavior change. Defining the design elements which engage users and help them to meet their goals can contribute to better informed serious games. Objective To elucidate design elements important in SPARX, a serious game for adolescents with depression, from a user-centered perspective. Methods We proposed a model based on an established theory of health behavior change and practical features of serious game design to organize ideas and rationale. We analyzed data from 5 studies comprising a total of 22 focus groups and 66 semistructured interviews conducted with youth and families in New Zealand and Australia who had viewed or used SPARX. User perceptions of the game were applied to this framework. Results A coherent framework was established using the three constructs of self-determination theory (SDT), autonomy, competence, and relatedness, to organize user perceptions and design elements within four areas important in design: computer game, accessibility, working alliance, and learning in immersion. User perceptions mapped well to the framework, which may assist developers in understanding the context of user needs. By mapping these elements against the constructs of SDT, we were able to propose a sound theoretical base for the model. Conclusions This study’s method allowed for the articulation of design elements in a serious game from a user-centered perspective within a coherent overarching framework. The framework can be used to deliberately incorporate serious game design elements that support a user’s sense of autonomy, competence, and relatedness, key constructs which have been found to mediate motivation at all stages of the change process. The resulting model introduces promising avenues for future exploration. Involving users in program design remains an imperative if serious games are to be fit for purpose.

scholarly journals Assistive HCI-Serious Games Co-design Insights: The Case Study of i-PROGNOSIS Personalized Game Suite for Parkinson’s Disease

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sofia Balula Dias ◽  
José Alves Diniz ◽  
Evdokimos Konstantinidis ◽  
Theodore Savvidis ◽  
Vicky Zilidou ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Parkinson’S Disease ◽  
Parkinson's Disease ◽  
Health Status ◽  
Game Design ◽  
Serious Games ◽  
Linear Regression Analysis ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Design Parameters ◽  
Online Questionnaire ◽  
Design Elements

Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) and games set a new domain in understanding people’s motivations in gaming, behavioral implications of game play, game adaptation to player preferences and needs for increased engaging experiences in the context of HCI serious games (HCI-SGs). When the latter relate with people’s health status, they can become a part of their daily life as assistive health status monitoring/enhancement systems. Co-designing HCI-SGs can be seen as a combination of art and science that involves a meticulous collaborative process. The design elements in assistive HCI-SGs for Parkinson’s Disease (PD) patients, in particular, are explored in the present work. Within this context, the Game-Based Learning (GBL) design framework is adopted here and its main game-design parameters are explored for the Exergames, Dietarygames, Emotional games, Handwriting games, and Voice games design, drawn from the PD-related i-PROGNOSIS Personalized Game Suite (PGS) (www.i-prognosis.eu) holistic approach. Two main data sources were involved in the study. In particular, the first one includes qualitative data from semi-structured interviews, involving 10 PD patients and four clinicians in the co-creation process of the game design, whereas the second one relates with data from an online questionnaire addressed by 104 participants spanning the whole related spectrum, i.e., PD patients, physicians, software/game developers. Linear regression analysis was employed to identify an adapted GBL framework with the most significant game-design parameters, which efficiently predict the transferability of the PGS beneficial effect to real-life, addressing functional PD symptoms. The findings of this work can assist HCI-SG designers for designing PD-related HCI-SGs, as the most significant game-design factors were identified, in terms of adding value to the role of HCI-SGs in increasing PD patients’ quality of life, optimizing the interaction with personalized HCI-SGs and, hence, fostering a collaborative human-computer symbiosis.

scholarly journals Integrating Health Behavior Theory and Design Elements in Serious Games

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Colleen Cheek ◽  
Theresa Fleming ◽  
Mathijs FG Lucassen ◽  
Heather Bridgman ◽  
Karolina Stasiak ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Behavior ◽  
Behavior Change ◽  
Game Design ◽  
Serious Games ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Health Behavior Change ◽  
Serious Game ◽  
User Perceptions ◽  
Design Elements ◽  
User Centered

Background Internet interventions for improving health and well-being have the potential to reach many people and fill gaps in service provision. Serious gaming interfaces provide opportunities to optimize user adherence and impact. Health interventions based in theory and evidence and tailored to psychological constructs have been found to be more effective to promote behavior change. Defining the design elements which engage users and help them to meet their goals can contribute to better informed serious games. Objective To elucidate design elements important in SPARX, a serious game for adolescents with depression, from a user-centered perspective. Methods We proposed a model based on an established theory of health behavior change and practical features of serious game design to organize ideas and rationale. We analyzed data from 5 studies comprising a total of 22 focus groups and 66 semistructured interviews conducted with youth and families in New Zealand and Australia who had viewed or used SPARX. User perceptions of the game were applied to this framework. Results A coherent framework was established using the three constructs of self-determination theory (SDT), autonomy, competence, and relatedness, to organize user perceptions and design elements within four areas important in design: computer game, accessibility, working alliance, and learning in immersion. User perceptions mapped well to the framework, which may assist developers in understanding the context of user needs. By mapping these elements against the constructs of SDT, we were able to propose a sound theoretical base for the model. Conclusions This study’s method allowed for the articulation of design elements in a serious game from a user-centered perspective within a coherent overarching framework. The framework can be used to deliberately incorporate serious game design elements that support a user’s sense of autonomy, competence, and relatedness, key constructs which have been found to mediate motivation at all stages of the change process. The resulting model introduces promising avenues for future exploration. Involving users in program design remains an imperative if serious games are to be fit for purpose.

scholarly journals Serious Game Design to Support Children Struggling with School Refusal

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 109-128
Author(s):  
Marikken Høiseth ◽  
Ole Andreas Alsos ◽  
Sindre Holme ◽  
Sondre Ek ◽  
Charlotte Tendenes Gabrielsen
Keyword(s):  
Game Design ◽  
Serious Games ◽  
Well Being ◽  
School Refusal ◽  
Serious Game ◽  
Digital Tools ◽  
Human Centered Design ◽  
Design Elements ◽  
Number Of Children ◽  
Computer Interaction

A significant number of children worldwide struggle with school refusal. Games and digital tools represent a novel take on how to address this phenomenon. Our research aims to support children who are at risk or in an early phase of developing school refusal through serious games. In this paper we present current work, grounded in human-centered design, involving the application of a game design framework to elaborate on design elements and empirical evaluations of a serious game called Gnist (English: Spark). Based on this we discuss some implications for game design and key takeaways for researchers and practitioners working to design technologies for supporting children's well-being in attending school. We contribute to position serious games in a new context and anticipate our findings to be valuable to the Human-Computer Interaction community in general and specifically to the Child-Computer Interaction community.

scholarly journals Challenges of Games Virtualization Applied to Educational

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wilk Oliveira Dos Santos ◽  
Clovis Gomes Da Silva Junior
Keyword(s):  
Game Design ◽  
Professional Training ◽  
Educational Games ◽  
Educational Game ◽  
Design Elements

Game Virtualization is a process of digital versions creation for traditional/physical games. In education, this process aims to create digital versions for traditional/ physical educational games, keeping psychological and pedagogical concepts from traditional version, as well as associate these concepts to contemporary game design elements. In this sense, this paper presents five challenges for Game Virtualization Applied to Educational Games: (i) design of methodologies for educational games virtualization, (i.i) design of methodologies for educational game evaluation, (i.ii) recommendation of resources for Educational Games Virtualization, (ii) multidisciplinary of Educational Games Virtualization, and (iii) professional training to Educational Games Virtualization.

A Brief Review of Game Engines for Educational and Serious Games Development

2020 ◽  
pp. 447-469
Author(s):  
Humberto Marin-Vega ◽  
Giner Alor-Hernández ◽  
Ramon Zatarain-Cabada ◽  
Maria Lucia Barron-Estrada ◽  
Jorge Luis García-Alcaraz
Keyword(s):  
Learning Process ◽  
Game Design ◽  
Serious Games ◽  
Information Technologies ◽  
Educational Games ◽  
Design Elements ◽  
Game Activity ◽  
Game Engines ◽  
Teaching Learning ◽  
Games Development

Gamification is the use of game design elements to enhance the teaching-learning process and turn a regular, non-game activity into a fun, engaging game. Simultaneously, serious games are proposed as an efficient and enjoyable way of conducting cognitive assessment, as they combine a serious intention with game rules and targets. In this scenario, game engines have emerged as information technologies for serious games and educational games development; however, this development has usually been performed without a guide to identifying game attributes to be present in the game. To address this gap, we present an analysis of the most used game engines to identify game and learning attributes supported for serious and educational games development. Findings from this analysis provide a guide of the most popular game engines that offer the largest support for game attributes, which were also classified by game categories.

scholarly journals Using the SGDA Framework to Design and Evaluate Research Games

2018 ◽  
Vol 50 (3) ◽  
pp. 272-301 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Geerts ◽  
Marije Nouwen ◽  
Evert van Beek ◽  
Karin Slegers ◽  
Fernanda Chocron Miranda ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Design Process ◽  
Game Design ◽  
Serious Games ◽  
Hospital Staff ◽  
Wearable Technology ◽  
User Experiences ◽  
Dual Purpose ◽  
Design Assessment ◽  
Design Elements ◽  
New Research

Background. Several HCI researchers have started to use game design elements in their research to create playful methods for involving end-users in design. Similar to serious games, such research games serve a dual purpose: 1) to create an enjoyable experience for research participants, and 2) to collect user insights to inform the design process. Aim. We propose that the Serious Game Design Assessment (SGDA) Framework, that evaluates both a game’s enjoyable purposes and its serious purposes, may be a valuable tool in assessing and developing research games. In this article, we apply the SGDA Framework to three existing research games, one involving train passengers in assessing potential future user experiences, one involving hospital staff in ideation for wearable technology, and one involving TV viewers in ideation for future video watching scenarios. Conclusion. The assessment of the three research games suggests that the framework is indeed applicable to research games and may, as such, provide HCI researchers with clear guidance when creating new research games.

scholarly journals A Generic, Adaptive and Systemic Methodology for the Collaborative Design of Serious Games: Development of the co.LAB Framework (Preprint)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dominique Jaccard ◽  
Laurent Suppan ◽  
Eric Sanchez ◽  
Audrey Hugenin ◽  
Maxence Laurent
Keyword(s):  
Game Design ◽  
Serious Games ◽  
Building Blocks ◽  
Serious Game ◽  
Learning Design ◽  
Design Framework ◽  
Design And Development ◽  
Design Elements ◽  
Generic Design ◽  
Web Platform

BACKGROUND Serious games offer teachers the opportunity to create meaningful learning scenarios and are increasingly used at all levels of education. Designing efficient and engaging serious games is a difficult process which requires a collaborative approach. Many design frameworks have been described, most of which are dedicated to the development of specific types of serious games. OBJECTIVE Our aim was to create a general serious game design framework which could be adapted to all kinds of serious games and implemented in a collaborative web platform. METHODS We combined the results of a literature review with our experience in serious game development to determine the basic building blocks of a design framework. We then organized these building blocks into categories and determined the features that a generic design framework should include. Finally, based on the paradigm of complex systems and systemic modelling, we created the co.LAB generic design framework and specifications to allow its implementation in a collaborative web platform. RESULTS Based on a total of 10 existing design methodologies or frameworks, 23 building blocks were identified and represent the foundation of the co.LAB framework. These blocks were organized into five categories: "context and objectives", "game design", "mechanics", "learning design" and "assessment". The arrangement by categories provides a structure which can be visualized in multiple and complementary ways. The classical view links game and learning design while other views offer project, systemic and process visualizations. For the implementation of the co.LAB framework in a web platform, we propose to convert the building blocks into “cards”. Each card would constitute a collaborative working space for the design of the corresponding block. To make the framework adaptive, cards could be added, adapted or removed according to the kind of serious game intended. Enhancing the visualization of relationships between cards should support a systemic implementation of the framework. CONCLUSIONS By offering a structured view of the fundamental design elements required to create serious games, the co.LAB framework can facilitate the design and development of such games by virtue of a collaborative, adaptive and systemic approach. The different visualizations of the building blocks should allow for a shared understanding and a consistent approach throughout the design and development process. The implementation of the co.LAB framework in a collaborative web platform should now be performed and its actual usability and effectiveness tested.

scholarly journals State of the Art in Educational Games Virtualization

RENOTE ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Wilk Oliveira dos Santos ◽  
Clovis Gomes da Silva Junior
Keyword(s):  
Game Design ◽  
State Of The Art ◽  
Educational Games ◽  
Educational Game ◽  
Design Elements

Game Virtualization is a process of digital versions creation for traditional/ physical games. In education, this process aims to create digital versions for traditional/ physical educational games, keeping psychological and pedagogical concepts from traditional version, as well as associate these concepts to contemporary game design elements. In the last years, a series of studies and efforts have been done in this field, making room to important discussions regarding the results obtained and perspectives to future works. In this sense, this paper presents a state of the art in Educational Game Virtualization, as well as some discussions, challenges and directions to new studies in this field.

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