Educational Games

Call for Papers:  Representation of race, ethnicity and culture in digital games

Asia Pacific Media Educator (Volume 26:1, June 2016) will explore the issues of race, cultural diversity, cross-cultural representations and inter-cultural dynamics in digital games.  This thematic issue will address three topic areas:
1) Representation in digital games:
Games like the Global Conflict series have been used to simulate the media’s role in fostering understanding and awareness of racial and ethnic conflicts.  One such example is Global Palestine in which Israeli students play as Palestinians, and Palestinian students play as Israelis.  What is the future of such games that deliberate on issues of political conflicts driven by race and ethnicity? Can games be used to foster cross-cultural understanding and enhance tolerance/acceptance of diversity in race and religion?  How do digital games incite racial hatred?  Besides entertainment, what other functions do games play in contemporary multicultural societies?

2) Discourse on race and culture in teaching journalism:
How can media academics recognise and respond to the discourse about race, religion, ethnicity and politics in digital games? What are the educational trends in teaching about multiculturalism in games? How are the issues of cultural diversity in digital games discussed in media studies and journalism courses?  What are the innovative practices in teaching cultural diversity with digital games?

3) Development of multicultural digital games
While the majority of high-profile titles are developed and distributed from the US and Japan,  the drive to reduce production costs has meant that development is frequently outsourced to countries  such as Indonesia, India, Vietnam, Poland, the Czech Republic and Russia. However, while game development is increasingly becoming a global enterprise, questions remain over the extent to which this diversity of production is reflected in the game content.

Commentaries and Q&As
This thematic issue also welcomes commentaries and book reviews, which take the form of Q&As with the book authors.  Book reviewers should inform the guest editors the books to be reviewed and whether the book authors are contactable for a Q&A. 

Deadlines are as follows:
Abstract for consideration:  30 September 2015
Paper for double blind peer review: 30 November 2015
Peer review period: November – December 2015
Submission of final paper:  15 January 2016

The word lengths for full papers are:
• Commentaries (3000 – 3500 words)
• Research papers (6000 words max including references)
• Book reviews (Q&A with book author) (1500 words max)

This issue will be guest edited by Dr Mark Finn (Swinburne University of Technology) and Dr Wajeehah Aayeshah (Charles Sturt University). 
Please email abstracts and paper to [email protected], and copy to the Editor-in-Chief, Dr Eric Loo (University of Wollongong) at:  [email protected]

sürecin etkili ve eğlenceli hale getirilmesi, öğrenenlerin dikkatinin çekilmesi, öğrenmeye karşı motivasyonlarının arttırılması, görselleştirme ve problem çözme yeteneklerinin geliştirilmesi açısından da güçlü bir öğrenme aracı olarak karşımızaçıkmaktadır. Eğitsel bilgisayar oyunları öğrenenlerin 21. yy. becerilerini kazanmaları için eğlenirken öğrenmelerini sağlayan yeninesil öğrenme ortamları olarak da düşünülebilir. Bununla birlikte öğrenenlerin psikomotor, bilişsel, psiko-sosyal gelişiminde deoyunların önemli bir yeri olduğu söylenebilir. Dijital oyun geliştirmek isteyenlerin bu oyunları kullanıcıların kullanabileceği hâle getirebilmesi için genellikle öğrenmesi zor ve zaman alan programlama dilleri ve tasarım araçlarının kullanılması gerekmektedir.Öte yandan özellikle eğitim alanında kullanılacak olan dijital oyunların tasarlanması sürecinde, programlama bilgisinin yanı sıraödül mekanizması, güdüleme, dönüt, etkileşim vb. farklı eğitsel oyun bileşenlerinin de pedagojik olarak ele alınması gerekmektedir. Bu yüzden eğitsel bir oyun tasarımı gündeme geldiğinde gelişmiş bir programlama becerisi ile beraber eğitseloyun tasarımının temellerini oluşturan bileşenlerin etkili bir pedagoji ile yapılandırılabilmesi de gündeme gelmektedir. Eğitseloyun geliştirmek amacıyla kullanılabilecek çok sayıda platform bulunmaktadır. Bu platformların birçoğu nesneye dayalıprogramlama becerisini öğretebilmek amacıyla eğitsel bağlamda kullanılırken, bazıları da programlama bilgisi gerektirmeksizindaha iyi oyun tasarımları yapılabilmesine yardımcı olmaktadır. Bu kapsamda bu çalışmada eğitsel oyun geliştirme sürecindedoğru stratejilerin uygulanması amacıyla Akgün vd. (2011) tarafından geliştirilen “Sarmal Eğitsel Oyun Tasarımı Modeline” göredijital bir oyun geliştirilmesi amaçlanmaktadır. Bu çalışma çerçevesinde <e-Adventure> isimli oyun tasarım motoru ile “SarmalEğitsel Oyun Tasarımı Modeline” göre oyun geliştirme sürecine yer verilmiştir. Geliştirilen oyun ile öğrencilere bilgisayımsaldüşünme ve programlama mantığının öğretilmesi ve öğrenenlerin problem çözme becerilerinin geliştirilmesi amaçlanmaktadır.Çalışmada tasarlanan oyun ile ilgili analiz, tasarım, geliştirme ve uygulama ve değerlendirme boyutlarında gelişim süreçlerineyer verilmiştir.

The field of game design for educational content lacks a focus on methodologies that merge gameplay and learning. Existing methodologies typically fall short in three ways: they neglect the unfolding of gameplay through players' actions over a short period of time as a significant unit of analysis; they lack a common consideration of game and learning mechanics; and they falsely separate the acts of playing and learning. This paper suggests the Gameplay Loop Methodology as a valuable tool for the design of game-based learning, because it addresses these major shortcomings. A case study of the design and production phases of Antura and the Letters, a literacy game for Arabic refugee children, illustrates the uses of the Gameplay Loop Methodology. 1. Educational game design: A merging of game and instructional design The design of educational games is a complex endeavor because educational games are expected to fulfil two requirements, which at first seem contradictory: educational games should be as appealing as commercial, off-the-shelf games designed solely for entertainment, and they should provide their players with a learning experience related to educational domains beyond the game itself. Consequently, the design of educational games must be informed by two different disciplines – game design and instructional design – that bring different histories and approaches to the table (Becker, 2016). In our opinion, the successful design of educational games presupposes a significant merging of both disciplines, in other words, a formal approach combining game and instructional design (see Buchanan, Wolanczyk and Zinghini, 2011). In response to the aforementioned requirement as well as to massive growth in serious game production in general and educational game production in particular, ideas from game design and instructional design were synthesized to form a new field, more specifically, (inter)discipline that is usually called " Serious Game Design " or " Educational Game Design " 1. Lameras et al (2017) describe serious game design as " a relatively new discipline that couples learning design with game features " and state that " [a] key characteristic of this approach is grounded in educational need and theory, rather than a focus purely on entertainment ". In this field, it is undisputed that serious game design poses different challenges from entertainment game design and requires a unique methodology that addresses both instructional strategies and learning theories 2. Accordingly, in recent years, many authors have suggested formal design patterns and methodologies to offer guidelines for the design of serious games. As most of these methodologies were developed in academia (which is closely connected to the relatively small serious game industry), many are more abstract and less practical than traditional game design methodologies, which were developed inside the gaming industry and are thus more strongly influenced by its market-driven logic of immediate application. Despite major achievements inside the academic field of serious game design, for example Arnab and Clarke (2017), assessing the theory and practice of serious game design, still assume the following: " The development of these games does not normally follow a specific set of guidelines or process, which makes them more bespoke and less replicable. Moreover, existing frameworks or guidelines are often high-level and/or theoretical design models that provide general design considerations rather than a prescribed development process. " 1 In this paper, we are concerned with the design of educational games in particular instead of serious games in general. However, we are aware that the majority of available literature relevant for our research and development project employs the broader term " serious games " in reference to " educational games ". Therefore, we will use the term " serious games " whenever we refer to this literature, as well as too the broader category. 2 See eg Gunter, Kenny and Vick (2006): " The goal of serious game design is similar in nature to that of entertainment games, but is more complex, in that not only must one maintain intellectual control of the design elements that lead to a fun and engaging game, but one must also plan instructional elements that lead to a fun, engaging, and educational game experience. To be sure, instructional strategies and learning theories must be included in these formal methods. " 154

Der Artikel behandelt den möglichen Bildungswert von Computerspielen. Hierbei wird auf John Dewey zurückgegriffen, um offene von geschlossenen Spielerfahrungen zu differenzieren. Es wird argumentiert, dass für diese Unterscheidung nur teilweise das Game selbst entscheidend ist, denn es kommt zentral – analog zu anderen Kunstformen und speziell bei Games – auf die aktive Rezeption des Werkes an. Jedoch sind sowohl die Instrumente der Analyse als auch eingewöhnte rituelle Praktiken der gemeinsamen aktiven Rezeption von Games noch wenig verbreitet. Trotz bedingt nützlicher Lernspiele und Serious Games wird deswegen der Bildungswert von Games noch wenig genutzt. Der Artikel plädiert für die Kultivierung der aktiven Rezeption und Öffnung von Games im Kontext von Familie und Schule, auch und gerade bei scheinbar „pädagogisch wertlosen“ Games.

The article deals with the possible educational value of computer games. Drawing on John Dewey, a distinction is proposed between open and closed gameplay
experience. It is argued that this distinction is only in part dependent on the game at hand, but foremost the active and social reception of the work is crucial, like in any form of art and especially regarding games. However, tools of analysis and ritual practices of common active reception of games not yet widespread. So despite the availability of serious games, which are useful to a certain extent, the educational and cultural value of games in general is still little used. The article argues for the habitualization of active reception of games in the context of family and school, also and especially regarding seemingly "educationally worthless" games.

Educational set of ions (ESI) is a card game that can be played with a group of 4. The reason why this game is designed is teaching names and formulas of anions and cations that would form a basis to write and term chemical formulas of the compounds which it is one of the most important subjects of chemistry. This game is prepared for students who study in different grades of education considering the subject on chemical compounds involving anion and cation teaching within the scope of chemistry lesson at high school and university. The game is discusses in 3 steps and these are " contents of the game set, playing the game and rules, and evaluation of the game results ". Pilot scheme conducted in development step of the game was performed with 49 students in total who studied in Science Teaching, Chemical Engineering, Food Engineering, Pharmacy and took lesson of General Chemistry. As a result of the pilot scheme, ESI was put into final form by making arrangements as regards decreasing amount of students in the group, having students sitting in a round, designing answer sheets as reusable in press printed to prevent paper wastage and playing the game by gathering the cards couldn't be written by students.

This paper describes the design and the implementation of an educational escape room with an Odyssey theme, in accordance with the content gamification model. Escape rooms are part of the gamification strategies adopted in education, so that students get actively engaged and at the same time achieve cognitive or pedagogical goals effortlessly. The specific escape room was developed as a playful alternative to the standard revision stage of the Odyssey, but also included interdisciplinary elements (Geography and Mathematics). The research methodology was exploratory, as a minimum foundation for further research, and quantitative. Escape room's main goal was to fight students' boredom and engage them in an entertaining learning process. The main research question was: do the vulnerable students (with low school performance) profit from this procedure and cultivate a positive attitude towards learning? According to the results, the escape room enhanced engagement, collaboration, communication, and creativity, and mitigated stress through collaboration, which subsequently fosters resilience in the school context. It was also welcomed as beneficial pedagogical activity and caused, to an overwhelming extent, the enthusiasm of the participants. The (male) gender and the earlier experience of an escape room contributed to the more positive reception of the activity. Low-performance students expressed their satisfaction and fervent approval of the experience and outscored those of high performance in almost all variables measured, proving the pedagogical value of the escape room's use.

The narratives embedded in the world of video games is becoming increasingly common and significant. Especially as the playful experience of the player, in order to increase their engagement with the game. Frequently and reciprocally, a story that appears in a video game extends to other narrative media, including the cinema. However, this trend is still little explored in educational games, where the narrative, and enhance the retention of information can increase the involvement of the player to educational content. Given this context, how to develop an educational game capable of providing meaningful experiences to explore the use of narrative together with the educational content? Through an analytical survey of exploratory and descriptive objective was gathered studies on features and design principles for the development of educational games, the game as a meaningful narrative playful interaction and the elements that compose a screenplay within the universe in film and digital storytelling. From a comparative analysis of related studies, we designed a screenplay model for educational games narratives able to guide the development of a game through narrative structures that can provide significant recreational experience and freedom as the experience of playing. So, with that, the game developed through this screenplay can promote more learning fun and contribute effectively with the assimilation of educational content.

The pandemic brought new norms and techniques of pedagogical strategies in formal education. The synchronous/ asynchronous video streaming brought an emphasis on virtual and augmented realities, which are rapidly replacing textbooks as the main medium for learning and teaching. This transformation requires more extensive online and interactive content with simpler user interfaces. The aim of this study is to report on the design, implementation, and testing of a game based on low-cost and user-friendly content for digital cultural heritage. In this project, a game aimed at inclusive and equitable education was developed using 360° images of the targeted architectural heritage geographically distributed in a pilot site. We promote lifelong learning opportunities for all, following the SDG4, aiming for quality education with the easy-to-use online platform and easy access to immersive education through mobile platforms. Towards a post-carbon future without the need for travel, computational design methods such as using 360° videos and images in combination with virtual reality (VR) headsets allow a low-cost approach to remotely experiencing cultural heritage. We propose developing and testing a GIS-based educational game using a low-cost 360° virtual tour of architectural heritage, more specifically, caravanserais of Anatolia.

A utilização de jogos como ferramenta didática em sala de aula não é exatamente uma novidade no período atual, sendo tal recurso alvo de reflexões já há décadas por educadores e educadoras. O RPG, por sua vez, tem ocupado mais recentemente a mente daqueles preocupados em construir formas mais dinâmicas e lúdicas de abordar conteúdos das mais diversas áreas, incluindo a história. Mas antes de qualquer coisa, uma série de perguntas e questionamentos pode pipocar na cabeça dos leitores e das leitoras desse pequeno manual: afinal, o que é o RPG? Do que se trata? Como funciona? Como utilizá-lo em sala de aula? Como a metodologia que propomos funciona na prática? Essa e muitas outras perguntas serão respondidas nesta cartilha, e esperamos que, após esta curta viagem por suas páginas, nossos leitores e nossas leitoras sintam a motivação e a empolgação necessárias para arriscar adentrar no incrível mundo do RPG como ferramenta didática. Boa leitura!