The development of a serious game design framework for educational tabletop games with digital components

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4 A SERIOUS GAME DESIGN FRAMEWORK FOR

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6) Commercial game identifiers: In most commercial games, the reward system is seen as a critical inclusion (Geerts et al., 2019), and the same is applicable to serious game design. Students feel accomplished and satisfied if acknowledged through rewards.

7) Digital components: Games are balanced around how players use technology and how their interactions and actions are influenced by the design. When interpreting a game for these considerations, lecturers should take pervasive skill development into account, which recognizes the interaction between student (player) and technology (Ulrich & Helms, 2017).

8) Engagement in curriculum, pedagogy and real-life skills (real-life engagement):

Lecturers can elaborate real-life details by designing learning environments that incorporate as many different forms of experience as possible (e.g., social, cultural, physical, and psychological) in working toward the desired learning outcomes (Almeida, Bolaert, Dowdall, Lourenço, & Milczarski, 2015). Lecturers can thus create a workplace and real-life experience through the design or outlay of the overall game.

9) Engagement in the game world (game engagement): Engagement is a vital part of a successful serious game because the players are motivated to continue the game experience and it enhances their sense of immersion (Tsikinas & Xinogalos, 2020).

10) Fiction and narrative: The storyline is focused on achieving a long-term goal or an end purpose is embedded throughout the entire game, and the player is able to engage in purposeful interactions with game characters (J. S. Tang, Chen, Falkmer, Bӧlte, &

Girdler, 2019). Consequently, the long-term game goal can be merged with curriculum outcomes through providing a workplace and real-life narrative.

11) Fun and fantasy: To promote fun in a serious manner, designers create game content that is appropriate for the learning objectives, such as real-life experience and content that is suitable for the target audience (i.e., learners; (Tsikinas & Xinogalos, 2020);

furthermore, a game must have characteristics that make players want to return to play it (Dele-Ajayi et al., 2016).

12) Game flow: When players are present, engaged, and motivated to continue playing, they reach a state of flow (Annetta, 2010). Flow is created from the start to the end of the game through linking the game characteristics (as seen in Tables 6–9) with one another to form the essence of the game.

13) Game purpose: Each outcome of a serious game is created based on the combination of the specific capability to be achieved by the student (e.g., skill development) as well as specific instructional content arranged in the curriculum. These outcomes are decomposed into different activities within the design of the serious game.

Decomposition is based on the overall instructional contents to be learned by the students (Khowaja & Salim, 2020).

14) Game rules: The formal rules of the game are instantiated at playtime and influenced by the player’s input, creating an experience for the player (Silva, 2020). Furthermore,

61 the rules must be explicit so that learning can increase and become more complex as the player proceeds through the game environment (Annetta, 2010).

15) Graphics and overall design: Some researchers posit that graphics that relate to learning outcomes can create an enjoyable experience (Silva, 2020).

16) In-game feedback and debriefing: Feedback and debriefing allow students not only to obtain information on their progress but also to collect tangible rewards to sustain their motivation for continued play (J. S. Tang et al., 2019). Furthermore, feedback and debriefing provide a review of the learning outcomes incorporated into the design of the game (Khowaja & Salim, 2020).

17) Knowledge: Feedback and debriefing are merged with learning outcomes (e.g., knowledge application and skill development). Knowledge application can be facilitated through the game mechanics (Ulrich & Helms, 2017) usually seen in the narrative of the game.

18) Motivation: Games have the capacity to attract reluctant learners toward particular subjects and motivate them in ways that traditional methods cannot (Dele-Ajayi et al., 2016). However, a close link must exist between action and feedback, which will motivate students to continue playing the game (Almeida et al., 2015).

19) Pedagogical skills: Pedagogical considerations such as promoting repetition, gaining experience, and ensuring interaction and facilitation must be incorporated to support learning (Ulrich & Helms, 2017). Serious games can therefore provide kinesthetic learning (Grammatikopoulou et al., 2019), which links to pervasive skills development.

20)Pervasive skills: A study suggested that serious games improve innovation, leadership, strategic thinking, problem-solving, business launch, and risk management (Chandross & DeCourcy, 2018). Serious games replicate what the student would face in a real-life situation. Thus, serious games provide authenticity, allowing students to experience situations and assume roles that may be inaccessible in the real world (Rooney, 2012).

21) Playability and progress: Playability and progress are achieved through clear rules, continuous challenge and competition, clear goals and objectives, direct and instant feedback, and an immersive storyline (Rooney, 2012).

22) Player actions and control: The actions of the player are usually repetitive and serve to explore the environment and its objects (Annetta, 2010). Therefore, when a player performs a certain action within a specific condition, an event will be triggered and an objective may be achieved, and according to the achieved objective and the triggered event, the player will be rewarded (Hamiye, Said, & Serhan, 2019).

23) Player development and behavioral momentum: Some researcher suggest that lecturers can incorporate this characteristic into the design of the game through allowing students to evaluate their performance on the basis of questions and answers (e.g., using game cards, playing cards, or digital components such as a quiz app) as it encourages students to persist to complete the tasks (Silva, 2020).

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24) Rewards and pay-offs: Having a variety of rewards allows for an engaging experience (Dele-Ajayi et al., 2016).

25) Scaffolding in terms of content: Learning outcomes are incorporated into serious game design through activities within the game. An activity can be decomposed into a series of actions. Actions are directed at a goal and can be further decomposed to lower-level units, such as reading text, changing focus, drawing cards, and clicking buttons (Katsantonis, Kotini, Fouliras, & Mavridis, 2019).

26) Scaffolding in terms of levels: Effective games often have multiple levels, and connecting levels in a game provides a platform for increasing complexity of concepts and content (Annetta, 2010).

27) Serious game identifiers: Some scholars posit that there is no single way to develop an educational serious game because it depends on several factors, such as the target audience, teaching topic, and game genre (Silva, 2020); however, some serious game identifiers available from research studies include references to the instruction method, instructional strategies, modalities, reflection, learning activities, game genre, game mechanics, game dynamics, game story, storytelling, narratives, nonplayer characters, and game-based learning attributes (Khowaja & Salim, 2020).

28) Overall teaching and learning experience and outcomes: Researchers are usually careful in explicitly explaining how learning content can be inserted into a game (Silva, 2020). This is because a combined learning theory approach with gaming requirements is required to ensure that games meet the learning outcomes (Tan &

Zary, 2019).

The application and incorporation of these 28 key codes (also referred to as serious game characteristics in this study) are descried in Figure 4.

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KEY COMPONENT SYNERGY

SERIOUS GAME DESIGN FRAMEWORK

Curriculum: The sequenced program of teaching and learning activities and experiences organised around defined content areas, topics, and resources, the objectives of which are assessed in various ways including examinations and various types of assignments, laboratory sessions, and other practical activities. Game elements: Game elements are building blocks needed for creating the game experience. Any element that can be found in the game is a game element. Game mechanics: Mechanics influence the player during gameplay and are regulated through the game rules. Game dynamics: Game dynamics define the patterns of how the game and the players will evolve over playtime. Curriculum: The goal of the game must be akin to the curriculum goal. Allow scaffolding of content to link with different levels of play. Facilitation of learning should be congruent to skill development requirements and prior student knowledge. Assessment can be built into the different layers of the game, which, in turn, allows for different difficulty levels within the game. Situate communication and interaction between students as this also allows skill development. Outcomes merged with real life and game world storyline.

Game elements: Rewards and pay-offs situate student recognition and achievement. Levels of play allow challenge, complexity, and competition within the overall flow of the gameplay. Game objectives should balance the use of technology with game engagement and the feeling of time (immersion). Fun is created by aesthetics, graphics, and multiplayer use.

Game mechanics: Conjoin pedagogical and learning outcomes with game goals to allow skill development. Pedagogical content can be integrated through narrative and storytelling. Include both commercial and serious game identifiers. Set clear game rules to link back to curriculum and game outcomes.

Game dynamics: In-game feedback allows for playability, progress, replay value, motivation, game momentum and player development. Creativity in avatar design allows for fun and fantasy as well as player identity and control. Creativity in the overall game design for player actions, engagement, and a real-life feel.

Theoretical simplification •An overlap is possible between the different game attributes. •The overlaps are seen as synergy and balance between attributes. •Synergy achieves a connective outcome and a nexus between game attributes is established. •Balance allows for absorption of commercial game identifiers and serious game identifiers. The utilisation of DSR is promulgated as method for designing a serious game as it embodies the awareness of an existing problem, and therefore the reason for creating a serious game and guides the process of developing the serious game. Furthermore, DSR allows for identifying gaps in literature and knowledge contribution through abduction, deduction, and reflection.

Problem awareness/Comprehension through literature reviewIdentification of game TEACHING AND LEARNING NEXUS Both curriculum and game elements are addressed within the composition of the 21st-century classroom and 4IR skill requirements. Scaffolding learning content allows for challenge and immersion while engagement with real-life scenarios is made possible. DESIGN EVALUATION

ARTEFICER AND DESIGN NEXUS Game rules should influence game play, but it also needs to accommodate the player’s own ability and skills evolution. An example hereof is the incorporation of digital components into the design of the game. The game does not have to be an online/video game only, but it can be amixture between digital components (smartphone utilisation) and old school table-top game characteristics that speak to the needs of both lecturer and student. SIMBIOSES A symbiosis exists between commercial game identifiers and serious game identifiers. Students recognise commercial game characteristics (e.g. purpose is fun and entertainment) and students recognise serious game characteristics (e.g. purpose is education). The design of the game needs to maintain a fine balance between these two identifiers to motivate students to replay the game. When students are motivated to replay the game, repetition of play helps with information retention and skill development.

Ser ious gam e r eco mm end atio n, us e a nd p urpo se:

D esi gnin g a gam e fo r e duc atio nal u se t o fill t he gap bet wee n th e c lassr oom and

the boa rdr oom

CONCLUSION Play-testing and use of game in classroom setting. Different role-players: curriculum experts and game design experts take hands with inexperienced lecturers. Pedagogical directives, curriculum outcomes and the process of serious game design are discussed. The phases of development are set out and planned. Figure 4. Serious game design framework for education tabletop games with digital components

DEVELOPMENT & DESIGN

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