Serious game design: Motivating students through a balance of fun and learning

Christopher Franzwa, Ying Tang, Aaron Johnson

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contribution

34 Scopus citations

Abstract

Stagnating growth in our educational systems has piqued interests in alternative teaching methods such as the inclusion of "serious games" into curricula. In response to those needs, a series of educational games have been developed in accordance with pre-engineering programs such as Project Lead the Way (PLTW). The focus of development is in creating an engaging, educational environment by balancing fun and learning whilst meeting the standards of commercial-level games. In this paper, we present methods, and the implementation of those methods, for serious game design that accommodates the integration of game mechanics with learning. The focuses on narrative-learning synthesis, supplementing the player's actions with feedback, and the development of a sufficient guidance system without compromising the entertainment or education aspects of a game are presented. Student-based evaluations of the game realism and the utility and usability of the learning tools in promoting students' interests and learning are also presented based on game deployment in both in- and out-of- school settings

Original languageEnglish (US)
Title of host publication2013 5th International Conference on Games and Virtual Worlds for Serious Applications, VS-GAMES 2013
DOIs
StatePublished - 2013
Externally publishedYes
Event2013 5th International Conference on Games and Virtual Worlds for Serious Applications, VS-GAMES 2013 - Bournemouth, Dorset, United Kingdom
Duration: Sep 11 2013Sep 13 2013

Publication series

Name2013 5th International Conference on Games and Virtual Worlds for Serious Applications, VS-GAMES 2013

Other

Other2013 5th International Conference on Games and Virtual Worlds for Serious Applications, VS-GAMES 2013
Country/TerritoryUnited Kingdom
CityBournemouth, Dorset
Period9/11/139/13/13

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Computer Graphics and Computer-Aided Design
  • Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition
  • Computer Science Applications

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