Ángel del Blanco

A framework to improve evaluation in educational games

The evaluation process is key for educators acceptance of any educational action. The evaluation is challenging in most cases but especially when educational games are used. In educational games if in-game evaluation exist it is usually based on a series of simple goals and whether these goals are achieved (i.e. assessment). But we consider that evaluation can be improved by taking advantage of in-game interaction, such as the user behavior during the game and the type and number of interactions performed by the user while playing. In this paper, we propose an evaluation framework for educational games based on in-game interaction data. We discuss how user interaction data is collected in the most automatic and seamless way possible, how to analyze the data to extract relevant information, and how to present this information in a usable way to educators so they achieve the maximum benefit from the experience. The evaluation framework is implemented as part of the eAdventure educational platform, where it can be used both to improve upon traditional basic assessment methods (i.e. goals, scores & reports) and to provide information to help improve interaction with games (e.g. discovery strategies).

A visual language for the creation of narrative educational games

This paper presents a DSVL that simplifies educational video game development for educators, who do not have programming backgrounds. Other solutions that reduce the cost and complexity of educational video game development have been proposed, but simple to use approaches tailored to the specific needs of educators are still needed. We use a multidisciplinary approach based on visual language and narrative theory concepts to create an easy to understand and maintain description of games. This language specifically targets games of the adventure point-and-click genre. The resulting DVSL uses an explicit flow representation to help educational game authors (i.e. educators) to design the story-flow of adventure games, while providing specific features for the integration of educational characteristics (e.g. student assessment and content adaptation). These highly visual descriptions can then be automatically transformed into playable educational video games.

A narrative metaphor to facilitate educational game authoring

In this paper we present WEEV (Writing Environment for Educational Video games), a methodology for educational point-and-click adventure game authoring. Our approach aims to allow educators to actively collaborate in the educational game development process, using a narrative-based representation. WEEV is based on a pragmatic reinterpretation of previous works on narrativity and video games, enhanced by the use of a novel visual language to represent the flow of the story or narrative. The WEEV methodology has been implemented into an actual tool based on the already established platform for educational games. This tool was improved with feedback gathered from formative evaluation, end-users testing (i.e. educators), and actual use in the development of an educational game. The system, still under development, presents some user-interaction problems along with a need for the educational effectiveness of the resulting games to be further analyzed. However, this paper highlights that, according to the qualitative results of evaluations, WEEV can indeed be successfully applied to simplify the game creation process and that by using representations of games that educators can understand, WEEV can help provide educational value to games.

Implementing accessibility in educational videogames with

Web-based distance education (often identified as e-learning) is being reinvented to include richer content, with multimedia and interactive experiences that engage the students, thus increasing their motivation. However, the richer the content, the more difficult it becomes to maintain accessibility for people with special needs. Multimedia contents in general and educational games in particular present accessibility challenges that must be addressed to maintain e-learning inclusivity. Usually the accessibility of multimedia content in courses is addressed with the definition of simpler but more accessible content that diminishes the benefits of the richer content. Hence we need new, accessible multimedia technologies that guarantee that the learning experience is motivating and engaging to all students. We will focus our work on educational games, trying to leverage their engaging narratives to produce educational experiences that are attractive to all students, including people with special needs. Nonetheless the development of accessible games is a major challenge, due mostly to the additional development cost it involves. In this paper we present how the game platform facilitates the development of educational videogames for e-learning, simplifying the introduction of accessibility from the design stage of the game development process.

Using e-learning standards in educational video games

The integration of educational video games in Virtual Learning Environments (VLEs) is a challenging task in need of standardization to improve interoperability and to safeguard investment. The generalized use of VLEs has fostered the emergence of rich contents, and different standards exist to improve their interoperability and reusability. This work describes a proposal of how existing e-learning standards can be used to improve the integration of educational games in VLEs, while introducing a set of models that take into account the features of the selected standards. A specific implementation of this approach in the eAdventure game platform is also presented.

Designing serious games for adult students with cognitive disabilities

Digital games have a great potential to improve education of people with cognitive disabilities. However, this target audience has attracted little attention from industry and academia, compared to other segments of the population. As a consequence, there is little knowledge available about how to design games that are usable and enjoyable by people with cognitive disabilities. In this paper we discuss how the eAdventure game platform can support their special needs. This tool has been used to develop two games to improve professional education of people with cognitive disabilities. Lessons learnt from these experiences are presented to serve as a first step to support further research in this field.

A General Architecture for the Integration of Educational Videogames in Standards-compliant Virtual Learning Environments

Although Virtual Learning Environments have become popular educational tools, they remain a very active research topic. Two important aspects being discussed for next-generation VLEs are how to track the performance of the students for assessment and how to provide personalized learning experiences (i.e. adaptive learning). In this line, educational videogames could contribute thanks to their highly interactive nature. However the combination of VLEs and educational games requires solving diverse conceptual and practical challenges. In this paper we present a general architecture to integrate games in VLEs with special emphasis on how to abstract the communication between the videogames and the VLEs for assessment and adaptation purposes.

Development of Game-Like Simulations for Procedural Knowledge in Healthcare Education

We present EGDA, an educational game development approach focused on the teaching of procedural knowledge using a cost-effective approach. EGDA proposes four tasks: analysis, design, implementation, and quality assurance that are subdivided in a total of 12 subtasks. One of the benefits of EGDA is that anyone can apply it to develop a game since it keeps development as simple as possible and uses tools for modeling and implementation that do not require a highly technical profile. EGDA has been applied to the creation of seven educational games in healthcare, and has been iteratively refined after each experience. EGDA is evaluated on two aspects. First, the effort and cost needed for creating these games is estimated and compared to current industry standards. Second, impact on knowledge acquisition and a student acceptance are discussed. Results suggest that EGDA can make game development more affordable, which is critical for increased adoption and scalability of game-based learning (GBL), while assuring a high educational value of the resulting games.

Serious games as edX MOOC activities

Massive Online Open Courses are in the process of radically changing the use of technology in education, as measured both by the number of enrolled students and the level of academic excellence of the institutions that are driving their adoption. Typically, online learning management systems have relied on simple questionnaires for feedback and evaluation. On the other hand, MOOC platforms such as EDX have, from the onset, provided a great flexibility in this regard, providing peer grading and several examples of highly interactive activities such as hands-on simulations. This paper explores the integration of serious games as a new type of MOOC activity, providing increased engagement and a valuable source of learning analytics. The inclusion of serious games has implications for both courses and games. Due to the diversity of existing serious game and MOOC platforms, we focus on the specific case of integrating EADVENTURE games into EDX.

Integrating Domain Experts in Educational Game Authoring: A Case Study

Authoring educational games introduces difficult problems because it is the product of multidisciplinary work, integrating very different experts with different backgrounds that use different terminology. In this paper we discuses how a team composed of computer science experts, an education expert and two medical experts successfully tacked the problem of designing and implementing an educational video game. An approach consisting of different tools and strategies was used to ensure educational value, correctness and completeness of the knowledge represented in the game. The games goal is to teach basic medical first response procedures to young students (12-15 year old) by using photo realistic representations of the situations and videos with correct realization of the procedures. The game was successfully completed and is currently available online and being tested with real students.