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