Submitted Successfully!
To reward your contribution, here is a gift for you: A free trial for our video production service.
Thank you for your contribution! You can also upload a video entry or images related to this topic.
Version Summary Created by Modification Content Size Created at Operation
1
Viviana Yarel Rosales-Morales
 -- 2229 2023-10-31 06:47:41 |
2 format change
Peter Tang
 + 7 word(s) 2236 2023-10-31 06:56:26 |

Video Upload Options

Do you have a full video?
Send video materials Upload full video

Confirm

Are you sure to Delete?
Yes No
Cite
If you have any further questions, please contact Encyclopedia Editorial Office.
Silva-Vásquez, P.O.; Rosales-Morales, V.Y.; Benítez-Guerrero, E.; Alor-Hernández, G.; Mezura-Godoy, C.; Montané-Jiménez, L.G. Models and Tools for Developing Serious Games. Encyclopedia. Available online: https://encyclopedia.pub/entry/50955 (accessed on 19 May 2024).
Silva-Vásquez PO, Rosales-Morales VY, Benítez-Guerrero E, Alor-Hernández G, Mezura-Godoy C, Montané-Jiménez LG. Models and Tools for Developing Serious Games. Encyclopedia. Available at: https://encyclopedia.pub/entry/50955. Accessed May 19, 2024.
Silva-Vásquez, Pedro Omar, Viviana Yarel Rosales-Morales, Edgard Benítez-Guerrero, Giner Alor-Hernández, Carmen Mezura-Godoy, Luis Gerardo Montané-Jiménez. "Models and Tools for Developing Serious Games" Encyclopedia, https://encyclopedia.pub/entry/50955 (accessed May 19, 2024).
Silva-Vásquez, P.O., Rosales-Morales, V.Y., Benítez-Guerrero, E., Alor-Hernández, G., Mezura-Godoy, C., & Montané-Jiménez, L.G. (2023, October 31). Models and Tools for Developing Serious Games. In Encyclopedia. https://encyclopedia.pub/entry/50955
Silva-Vásquez, Pedro Omar, et al. "Models and Tools for Developing Serious Games." Encyclopedia. Web. 31 October, 2023.
Models and Tools for Developing Serious Games
Edit
This entry is adapted from the peer-reviewed paper 10.3390/app13085158

Serious games (SG), (video games with an educational purpose), provide teachers with tools to strengthen their students’ knowledge. Developing a SG requires knowledge, time, and effort. As a result, specialized tools to aid in the development process are needed.

semi-automatic code generation serious games model-driven game development

1. Introduction

Serious games (SGs), also known as educational games or learning games, are video games aimed at acquiring new knowledge or training skills, beyond their entertainment value [1]. They serve as alternative tools to transmit knowledge to people [2]. SGs blend pedagogical principles with the engaging features usually present in video games, such as game mechanics, in order to motivate and guide the user in learning tasks [1]. SGs in school classrooms have proliferated over the past decade, with many proven benefits [3], They have been used to cover a wide range of topics, such as science, health, history, and business practices [1].
“Duolingo” is a popular example of a SG: a language learning application that uses a system of rewards and challenges to motivate users to continue practicing and improving their skills. Another example is “Kahoot!”, an educational platform that allows teachers to create and use interactive games in the classroom to teach a variety of subjects. Or even “Minecraft: Education Edition”; a spin-off of the popular video game “Minecraft”, specifically designed to allow students to learn science, math, history, and literature.
SG have proven to be useful tools to reinforce students’ learning in an interactive and motivational way. Through the combination of game elements and learning mechanics, SGs can help students to retain and apply information more effectively. However, according to [4][5][6][7][8], their development is expensive. The production of SGs requires a high level of planning, communication, and organization between multidisciplinary teams, in an effort to avoid costly delays and failures [8]. In general, existing models and methodologies to develop SGs ignore the multidisciplinary nature of the task, requiring the participation of designers, artists, programmers, and testers to mention a few. It is also necessary to consider educators, who serve as domain experts and have the skills to synthesize and manage information intended for prospective students. Yet, expert participation is often ignored [3]. On the other hand, as the development of SGs requires extensive technical knowledge, it is difficult for teachers with little experience in video games to create them [9]. Teachers needing a SG are forced to outsource game development, which requires time and effort. A possible solution is to provide teachers with models and tools that capture pedagogical and technical knowledge to make the development process more accessible.

2. Models for Developing Serious Games

Marchiori et al. [10] presented the DSVL model that simplifies the development of SG for educators who do not have programming skills. It draws on concepts of visual language and narrative theory to create a description of games that is easy to understand and maintain. The DSVL model is limited to adventure games. This model facilitates rapid prototyping to enable early evaluation by customers and users. Despite the efforts to emphasize the narrative processes of the video game, in general, there is a lack of work on the pedagogical part. Marne et al. [11] built a framework composed of six facets of SG design: pedagogical objectives, simulation domain, simulation interactions, problems and progression, decorum, and conditions of use. The final result is an adaptation to the needs of the teachers, allowing them to understand the objectives, means, and methods of game experts. The work presented above focuses on a single type of video game to integrate a unique narrative that is immersive for the user with a dynamic that can change according to the main topic of the SG. Compared to the last proposal of Marne et al. [11], the researchers' model depends on three phases.
Refs. [12][13][14] reported models that are concerned with both the pedagogical and the entertainment part of the generation of a SG.
Ref. [12] presents a conceptual model called activity theory based SGs model (ATMSG), which describes the elements of the video game, helps to identify and understand the functions of each component of the game and the educational objectives of the SG. In [13], the authors focused on a problem that educational game designers have to deal with: the technical complexity of the development. Ref. [13] proposes GREM (game rules scenario model), a game model that uses the features that are most frequently found in the literature. The elements of this model are arranged in two different and independent sub-models: the game rules model and the scenario model.
The learning mechanics–game mechanics (LM-GM) model proposed in [14] includes predefined game mechanics and pedagogical elements that can also be useful for teachers to evaluate the effectiveness of a given game and better understand how to apply it in educational settings. Results with users demonstrate the advantages of this approach.
Some models found are targeted to specific users. In [15], the authors present a model for the design of kind of SGs for hearing-impaired children. The results obtained in the user experience evaluation helped to identify aspects of the game mechanics. The results produced high scores on the questionnaires, indicating success.
For example, in [16], the authors focus on persuasive strategies. Video games were adapted to the personality type of the players. Demonstrating that it improved the effectiveness of the games. Other models were found: pedagogical and entertainment. The authors of [3] presented a model for the development of educational games based on six phases: design of chapters, design of scenes (scenarios, characters, actions, and dialogues), design of educational challenges in the game, design of adaptation, design of emotional experience and design of collaboration.
Other models focus on the immersive part for SG. Ref. [17] proposes a model for SGs, called FRACH, that contemplates a structure of inputs and outputs for interaction in SG. In the end, the game is effective for knowledge acquisition.
In [18], on the choice of game type, a model for developing a video game is proposed. The authors focused on game modes, actions, challenges, goals, rewards/penalties, and a story. The game elements–attributes model (GEAM) proved to be a promising framework.
In the research work of [19], the authors proposed iPlus, a SG design methodology based on a participatory, flexible, and user-centered approach. Not all SG that have been developed have applied appropriate design methodologies that incorporate both the entertainment mechanics and the serious component.
The authors of [20] conducted an analysis of existing models, focusing on model-based software development. They present a latent Dirichlet allocation (LDA) approach for feature localization in software models, models for code generation, and interpreted models for a commercial video game. The analysis helped to better understand and characterize these models.
The proposed model contemplates aspects such as clearly stating the objectives of the game, the challenges, the rewards, and the story that can involve the end user, facilitating the work of designing a video game to teachers or software developers.
Other works propose shortening the development time by giving a list of requirements, such as [21], where the authors report a model-generation approach (EMoGen). Using this approach requires only five hours compared to ten months of developer work. In [22], the authors present a game tool design that supports learning. It was concluded that the tool did not contribute significantly to students’ learning performance, as it is only a support and reinforcement of knowledge.
Compared to previous works, the researchers' proposal has only three phases, while others have six. The rules of the game are implicit in the mechanics of the game, which is a platform game, so the scenario is intended for platform interaction. In the model, the researchers consider a SG as a reinforcement tool, not as a learning tool. The teacher had to teach the subject and direct the students to reinforce the knowledge acquired in the classroom with the help of the SG. In the model, the researchers focused on the widespread use of a video game that many users were familiar with, so the researchers chose a platform-type mechanic in the style of popular games, such as Mario Bros, Cup head, Celeste, or Rayman. In the model, the focus is on the choice of the main character, the story, the selection of the scenarios, and the uploading of the questions to the question bank.
For the model presented in this research, the researchers give a complete video game structure, where the teacher only has to share the educational reinforcement material to be implemented in the platform video game, cutting the development process in the video games, because in the end, he would have a code that can be supervised in a video game engine, such as Gdevelop, which is presented as a friendly and easy to learn interface.

3. Tools for Developing Serious Games

In the search for tools to help developing a SG, the researchers found the proposal of [23], which presents StoryTec, a digital storytelling platform for the creation and experimentation of non-linear interactive stories. The platform focuses on two specific parts: the story editor and the standardized descriptive format for an interactive story. Favorable results were obtained, but there is still work to be done on usability, stability, and scalability. Another proposal is that of [24], where the authors present a system for the creation of platform game levels. It integrates the concepts that can be found in this type of game. They employed some techniques that allow the automatic generation of levels. The system was evaluated with satisfactory results.
In [25], the authors present a level editing tool that allows the human design of levels and testing of automatic generation algorithms. An adapted version of the editor was implemented for semi-automatic level creation, where the designer can simply define the type of content he/she wants in the form of quests and missions and the system creates the corresponding level structure. The tools in [24][25] sought to solve the problem of SG development. In [26], the authors present modding for games as a pedagogical practice in a game design course. In particular, this approach is beneficial, as it allows students to circumvent technological barriers. With two different mods of the same platform game, the authors can allow students to engage in video game design to explore the relationship between mechanics and meaningful play.
The authors of [7] present an authoring tool for developing game designs that can be exported to XML files, and a game engine capable of interpreting such files. This facilitates the work of designers. In evaluations, its feasibility and acceptability by both technical and non-technical users were validated. The authors of [27] presented uAdventure: a SG editor built on top of the Unity game engine that enables the creation of educational adventure games without programming. uAdventure improves the SG lifecycle by reducing authoring and maintenance costs, as it evolves with the unity game engine. Ref. [28] presents a graphical editor that provides high-level models representing the gamification strategy, its deployment, and monitoring. These models contain the definitions of event patterns that are automatically transformed into code. The proposal can be used in learning management systems (LMS), such as Moodle. The framework presented in [29] provided a toolbox to (i) create 2D platform levels, (ii) estimate the difficulty and success probability of single jump actions, and (iii) to evaluate the difficulty using a set of metrics. The results were obtained from developers and players who approved the framework. Educators need software platforms for the automated construction and flexible customization of such games. Ref. [30] presents a platform called Maze Builder, based on Unity 3D, which automatically and easily generates video games of mazes. The results are very positive and encouraging in terms of the use of the Maze Builder platform by specialists who are not computer science professionals. The authors of [31] describe their smart adaptive video games for education (APOGEE) platform for the automated construction of educational video games. The construction process of building process includes three stages: game design, game validation, and game generation. The tool monitors platform data and processes, which will make it easier for platform users to create more adaptable, effective, and efficient video maze games for education.
The tool presented in [32] consist of two components: (i) an interface that allows the user to design the game and capture the motion data, and (ii) a customizable game for learning and training using commercially available motion capture sensors, such as Microsoft Kinect. The game is automatically configured based on the output of the game design interface. The results showed that the use of a game-like application could be efficient, as positive feedback was obtained. Modding is a form of production in which players experiment by developing and conceptualizing the modification of a video game. The study [33] presents modifications to video games. The results show informal learning obtained by the participant’s performance and skill performance, teamwork, or problem solving. The research in [34] presents a level-generation system, which uses a graph structure, the automatic detection of level structures, and graph grammars. Experimental analysis shows that the proposed system can shorten the development and design times of a platform game. The authors of [9] present the authentic role-playing-game quest system (ARQS), a tool to support the implementation of a serious role-playing game (RPG). It was very well accepted in the conducted test. The paper [35] proposes a new process for developing augmented reality SGs (ARSGs), which comprises three phases: analysis, configuration, and generation. It automatically generates the application using augmented reality with the educational elements entered by the teacher. An evaluation was performed with teachers and developers, and the results were positive.

References

  1. Hanes, L.; Stone, R. A model of heritage content to support the design and analysis of video games for history education. J. Comput. Educ. 2019, 6, 587–612.
  2. Catalano, C.E.; Luccini, A.M.; Mortara, M. Guidelines for an effective design of serious games. Int. J. Serious Games 2014, 1.
  3. de Lope, R.P.; López Arcos, J.R.; Medina-Medina, N.; Paderewski, P.; Gutiérrez-Vela, F.L. Design methodology for educational games based on graphical notations: Designing Urano. Entertain. Comput. 2017, 18, 1–14.
  4. González García, C.; Núñez-Valdez, E.R.; Moreno-Ger, P.; González Crespo, R.; Pelayo G-Bustelo, B.C.; Cueva Lovelle, J.M. Agile development of multiplatform educational video games using a Domain-Specific Language. Univers. Access Inf. Soc. 2019, 18, 599–614.
  5. Chamberlin, B.; Trespalacios, J.; Gallagher, R. The learning games design model: Immersion, collaboration, and outcomes-driven development. Int. J. Game-Based Learn. 2012, 2, 87–110.
  6. Mostafa, M.; Faragallah, O.S. Development of Serious Games for Teaching Information Security Courses. IEEE Access 2019, 7, 169293–169305.
  7. Zarraonandia, T.; Diaz, P.; Aedo, I. Using combinatorial creativity to support end-user design of digital games. Multimed. Tools Appl. 2017, 76, 9073–9098.
  8. Aleem, S.; Capretz, L.F.; Ahmed, F. Critical Success Factors to Improve the Game Development Process from a Developer’s Perspective. J. Comput. Sci. Technol. 2016, 31, 925–950.
  9. Ahmad, A.; Law, E.L.C. Educators as Gamemasters: Creating Serious Role Playing Game with “aRQS”. Proc. ACM Hum. Comput. Interact. 2021, 5, 230–259.
  10. Marchiori, E.J.; del Blanco, Á.; Torrente, J.; Martinez-Ortiz, I.; Fernández-Manjón, B. A visual language for the creation of narrative educational games. J. Vis. Lang. Comput. 2011, 22, 443–452.
  11. Marne, B.; Wisdom, J.; Huynh-Kim-Bang, B.; Labat, J.M. The Six Facets of Serious Game Design: A Methodology Enhanced by Our Design Pattern Library. In Proceedings of the European Conference on Technology Enhanced Learning, Saarbrücken, Germany, 18–21 September 2012; pp. 208–221.
  12. Carvalho, M.B.; Bellotti, F.; Berta, R.; De Gloria, A.; Sedano, C.I.; Hauge, J.B.; Hu, J.; Rauterberg, M. An activity theory-based model for serious games analysis and conceptual design. Comput. Educ. 2015, 87, 166–181.
  13. Zarraonandia, T.; Diaz, P.; Aedo, I.; Ruiz, M.R. Designing educational games through a conceptual model based on rules and scenarios. Multimed. Tools Appl. 2015, 74, 4535–4559.
  14. Arnab, S.; Lim, T.; Carvalho, M.B.; Bellotti, F.; De Freitas, S.; Louchart, S.; Suttie, N.; Berta, R.; De Gloria, A. Murdoch Research Repository Mapping Learning and Game Mechanics for Serious Games Analysis. Br. J. Educ. Technol. 2015, 46, 391–411.
  15. Cano, S.; Munoz Arteaga, J.; Collazos, C.A.; Gonzalez, C.S.; Zapata, S. Toward a methodology for serious games design for children with auditory impairments. IEEE Lat. Am. Trans. 2016, 14, 2511–2521.
  16. Orji, R.; Mandryk, R.L.; Vassileva, J. Improving the efficacy of games for change using personalization models. ACM Trans. Comput. Hum. Interact. 2017, 24, 32–54.
  17. Andreoli, R.; Corolla, A.; Faggiano, A.; Malandrino, D.; Pirozzi, D.; Ranaldi, M.; Santangelo, G.; Scarano, V. A framework to design, develop, and evaluate immersive and collaborative serious games in cultural heritage. J. Comput. Cult. Herit. 2017, 11, 4–26.
  18. Heintz, S.; Law, E.L. Digital educational games: Methodologies for evaluating the impact of game type. ACM Trans. Comput. Hum. Interact. 2018, 25, 8–33.
  19. Carrión-Toro, M.; Santorum, M.; Acosta-Vargas, P.; Aguilar, J.; Pérez, M. iPlus a user-centered methodology for serious games design. Appl. Sci. 2020, 10, 9007.
  20. Pérez, F.; Lapeña, R.; Marcén, A.C.; Cetina, C. Topic modeling for feature location in software models: Studying both code generation and interpreted models. Inf. Softw. Technol. 2021, 140, 106676.
  21. Blasco, D.; Font, J.; Zamorano, M.; Cetina, C. An evolutionary approach for generating software models: The case of Kromaia in Game Software Engineering. J. Syst. Softw. 2021, 171, 110804.
  22. Oren, M.; Pedersen, S.; Butler-Purry, K.L. Teaching Digital Circuit Design with a 3-D Video Game: The Impact of Using In-Game Tools on Students’ Performance. IEEE Trans. Educ. 2021, 64, 24–31.
  23. Göbel, S.; Salvatore, L.; Konrad, R. StoryTec: A digital storytelling platform for the authoring and experiencing of interactive and non-linear stories. In Proceedings of the 4th International Conference on Automated Solutions for Cross Media Content and Multi-Channel Distribution, Florence, Italy, 17–19 November 2008; pp. 103–110.
  24. Mourato, F.; Dos Santos, M.P.; Birra, F. Integrated system for automatic platform game level creation with difficulty and content adaptation. Lect. Notes Comput. Sci. 2012, 7522, 409–412.
  25. Mourato, F.J.D.S.V. Enhancing Automatic Level Generation for Platform Videogames. Ph.D. Thesis, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal, 2015.
  26. McArthur, V.; Teather, R.J. Serious mods: A case for modding in serious games pedagogy. In Proceedings of the 2015 IEEE Games Entertainment Media Conference, Toronto, ON, Canada, 14–16 October 2015.
  27. Perez-Colado, I.J.; Perez-Colado, V.M.; Martinez-Ortiz, I.; Freire-Moran, M.; Fernandez-Manjon, B. UAdventure: The eAdventure reboot: Combining the experience of commercial gaming tools and tailored educational tools. IEEE Glob. Eng. Educ. Conf. 2017, 1, 1755–1762.
  28. Calderón, A.; Boubeta-Puig, J.; Ruiz, M. MEdit4CEP-Gam: A model-driven approach for user-friendly gamification design, monitoring and code generation in CEP-based systems. Inf. Softw. Technol. 2018, 95, 238–264.
  29. Aramini, U.; Lanzi, P.; Loiacono, D. An Integrated Framework for AI Assisted Level Design in 2D Platformers. In Proceedings of the 2018 IEEE Games, Entertainment, Media Conference (GEM), Galway, Ireland, 15–17 August 2018.
  30. Bontchev, B.; Panayotova, R. Towards automatic generation of serious maze games for education. Serdica J. Comput. 2018, 11, 249–278.
  31. Bontchev, B.; Vassileva, D.; Dankov, Y. The APOGEE software platform for construction of rich maze video games for education. In Proceedings of the 14th International Conference on Software Technologies (ICSOFT 2019), Prague, Czech Republic, 26–28 July 2019; Volume 1, pp. 491–498.
  32. Grammatikopoulou, A.; Laraba, S.; Sahbenderoglu, O.; Dimitropoulos, K.; Douka, S.; Grammalidis, N. An adaptive framework for the creation of exergames for intangible cultural heritage (ICH) education. J. Comput. Educ. 2019, 6, 417–450.
  33. Contreras-Espinosa, R.S.; Eguia-Gomez, J.L. A Prendizaje Informal Con Mods Para Videojuegos. Educ. Humanidades-Digit.-Aprendiz. Tecnol. Cibercultura 2019, 1, 301–319.
  34. Hauck, E.; Aranha, C. Automatic Generation of Super Mario Levels via Graph Grammars. In Proceedings of the IEEE Conference on Computatonal Intelligence and Games, Osaka, Japan, 24–27 August 2020; pp. 297–304.
  35. Marín-Vega, H.; Alor-Hernández, G.; Colombo-Mendoza, L.O.; Bustos-López, M.; Zataraín-Cabada, R. ZeusAR: A Process and an Architecture to Automate the Development of Augmented Reality Serious Games; Springer: New York, NY, USA, 2022; Volume 81, pp. 2901–2935.
More
© Text is available under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.
Upload a video for this entry
Information
Subjects: Computer Science, Software Engineering
Contributors MDPI registered users' name will be linked to their SciProfiles pages. To register with us, please refer to https://encyclopedia.pub/register :
Pedro Omar Silva-Vásquez
,
Viviana Yarel Rosales-Morales
,
Edgard Benítez-Guerrero
,
Giner Alor-Hernández
,
Carmen Mezura-Godoy
,
Luis Gerardo Montané-Jiménez
View Times: 389
Revisions: 2 times (View History)
Update Date: 31 Oct 2023
Table of Contents
    1000/1000
    Hot Most Recent
    Feedback