Problem Based Game Design: Engaging Students by Innovation

Proceedings of the …, 2008

This session will explore different approaches to the use of computer game design in formal/informal learning environments. Game design is becoming a popular strategy for enhancing young people's interest and skills with computer technology, and for purposes ranging from deepening their understanding of scientific principles to fostering critical media literacy. The participants will present research findings that highlight similarities and differences in tools, pedagogies, purposes, and outcomes of game design activities. Game design is often presumed to be appealing to learners who ordinarily might not be motivated to learn through traditional instruction, and we will give particular attention to the significance of race, class, and gender in student engagement and learning through design.

This article considers game design research in educational settings. Its focus is on how undergraduate students – particularly engineering students – learn computer game design. From observations conducted during our game design courses we have developed a model of expanded game design space. It encapsulates the entire development process from the first ideas to the final game with emphasis on game design thinking. Our model of expanded game design space consists of four separate – yet interconnected – layers in the process of game development. The first layer addresses the importance of framing, providing a clear game design assignment that involves the formulation of intended player experience and a description of game mechanics. The second layer focuses on game design thinking from six different aspects of game design chosen in relation to the framing of the game design assignment. The third layer establishes correspondence between formal elements of computer games and the structure of problem-based creativity. It addresses how game design challenges should be formulated and how creative solutions can be measured. The fourth and final layer demonstrates how clear framing can act as a guideline for evaluating game design thinking and for measuring solutions made in the development process. To strengthen our model of expanded design space, we will present examples from our game design courses.

Revista Lusofona de Educação, 2018

The mindset, behavior, and attitude of students in game development, project-based learning (PBL) B.Sc.'s towards the creative processes has proven to be a barrier with regards to the need to increase of the creativity of the student's project proposals. While it is true that a systematic use of Design Thinking (DT) throughout the curriculum would certainly improve the situation, a different approach is clearly needed, most likely an approach that combines DT with gamification, and that makes optimal use of project-based learning (PBL) using agile methods. In order to refine and clarify our possible contribution on the conjunction of such perspectives, we conducted an initial literature review that validated our objectives. Complementarily, we also defined a roadmap to transform such intentions into practical actions towards the creation of a new game development model based on DT principles. This whole definition is based on IDEAS(R)EVOLUTION methodology, which gives structure for the research on the long run.

2017

This investigation examined how to support students in creating learning designs for specific learning goals in analogue and digital games as a means of learning. The study also explored the learning trajectories that emerged in the digital games created by the student learning-game designers. The DBR study was developed through three iterations over two years, involving teachers and students in co-design processes. Together with the teachers, an overall learning design supported the learning process for students by inviting them to be their own learning designers as they designed digital learning games for specific learning goals in cross-disciplinary subject matters. The findings were that the students succeeded in developing and implementing specific learning goals in their games. The students also developed learning trajectories through the games by designing various learning and evaluation opportunities for the player/learner playing the game.

International Journal of Computational Vision and Robotics, 2016

This paper depicts the production of a game for learning theory of inventive problem solving or TRIZ. The theory is meant for resolving engineering contradiction and forecasting trends and evolution of technologies. Despite being an effective invention tool, TRIZ has been criticised for its steep learning curve by people who have no engineering background. Beginning learners commonly face difficulties to comprehend TRIZ principles, not to mention using them to solve problems. To resolve this issue, a ten-level puzzle game was designed and developed. A key challenge was confronted by the production team as the game designers were trying to ensure transfer of knowledge, from solving in-game puzzles to understanding of the usage of each principle. This paper illustrates how the challenge was overcome in the gamification process. The insight might benefit content experts in other fields of study who intend to design and develop games for teaching and learning purposes.

In a time when massive online courses are providing stereotypic learning content with auto‐ assessment the need to stimulate creative learning is stronger than ever. If all assignments are of the closed typed with solutions that fit auto‐correction students will never use their creativity. The stimulating use of games and game‐based learning in educational contexts has been widely discussed in research during the last decade. There are also studies indicating that excessive playing might be a passivating obstacle for students. The aim of this study is to describe and discuss how game‐based learning might be used as a catalyst for creative learning with open ended project assignments with constructionism as the didactic idea. The research setup is a case study strategy consisting of three separate units. Each unit is a programming course where the author is the subject matter expert, course designer and the main teacher. Data has been collected in a combination of evaluation questionnaires, group discussions and analyses of games created by students in the three courses. Most ideas presented in this paper have also been discussed with teaching assistants and research colleagues. Findings indicate that open ended assignments where students design, implement and test digital games could kick‐start creativity at the same time as students will increase their programming skills. However, the recommendation is not to go for open ended assignments only, but rather a mix with some introductory exercises where games, or other software solutions, are built with more strict and formal instructions. From a teachers' perspective it is not necessary to build games in each and every course, what is important is rather to stimulate and encourage creativity in course assignments.

Problem solving is often discussed as one of the benefits of games and game-based learning (e.g., Gee, 2007a, Van Eck 2006a), yet little empirical research exists to support this assertion. It will be critical to establish and validate models of problem solving in games (Van Eck, 2007), but this will be difficult if not impossible without a better understanding of problem solving than currently exists in the field of serious games. While games can be used to teach a variety of content across multiple domains (Van Eck, 2006b, 2008), the ability of games to promote problem solving may be more important to the field of serious games because problem solving skills cross all domains and are among the most difficult learning outcomes to achieve. This may be particularly important in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM), which is why serious game researchers are building games to promote problem solving in science (e.g., Gaydos & Squire, this volume; Van Eck, Hung, Bowman, & Love, 2009). This is perhaps why serious game researchers are building games to promote problem solving in science Current research and design theory in serious games are insufficient to explain the relationship between problem solving and games, nor do they support the design of educational games intended to promote problem solving. Problem solving and problem-based learning (PBL) have been studied intensely in both Europe and the United States for more than 75 years, and while the focus of that study and conceptualization of problem solving have evolved during that time, there is a tremendous body of knowledge to draw from. Most recently, researchers (e.g.