Erik D. van der Spek

Adapting the Complexity Level of a Serious Game to the Proficiency of Players

As games are continuously assessing the player, this assessment can be used to adapt the complexity of a game to the proficiency of the player in real time. We performed an experiment to examine the role of dynamic adaptation. In one condition, participants played a version of our serious game for triage training that automatically adapted the complexity level of the presented cases to how well the participant scored previously. Participants in the control condition played a version of the game with no adaptation. The adapted version was significantly more efficient and resulted in higher learning gains per instructional case, but did not lead to a difference in engagement. Adapting games to the proficiency of the player could make serious games more efficient learning tools.

Designing Kinect games to train motor skills for mixed ability players

Children who have special needs when it comes to motor skill development, for instance as a result of developmental coordination disorder or cerebral palsy, need to undergo long bouts of physical therapy. This can often be considered boring, to the detriment of the efficacy of the therapy. One way to improve the engagement of physical therapy is to embed it into a video game, e.g. with the aid of Kinect. However, very little is known scientifically on how to design these serious games for mixed abilities in order to be both fun and efficacious in terms of motor skills development or attitude change. In addition, contemporary entertainment games often revolve around competition based on mastery of skills to be engaging, something special needs children feel left out in. In this position paper we survey the field and propose a number of ways to approach mixed ability game design.

Towards designing for competence and engagement in serious games

Through a series of game design experiments evidence was found signifying the importance of feeling competence as a driver for engagement during gameplay. Engagement during gameplay is important both as a motivation to play games, as well as for serious games to improve cognitive interest and thereby the learning efficacy of the game. Consequently, a number of design guidelines are proposed, both on the local and global level of the game, to enhance the feeling of competence and thereby engagement of the game.

A Study on the Validity of a Computer-Based Game to Assess Cognitive Processes, Reward Mechanisms, and Time Perception in Children Aged 4-8 Years

Background A computer-based game, named Timo’s Adventure, was developed to assess specific cognitive functions (eg, attention, planning, and working memory), time perception, and reward mechanisms in young school-aged children. The game consists of 6 mini-games embedded in a story line and includes fantasy elements to enhance motivation. Objective The aim of this study was to investigate the validity of Timo’s Adventure in normally developing children and in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Methods A total of 96 normally developing children aged 4-8 years and 40 children with ADHD were assessed using the game. Clinical validity was investigated by examining the effects of age on performances within the normally developing children, as well as performance differences between the healthy controls and the ADHD group. Results Our analyses in the normally developing children showed developmental effects; that is, older children made fewer inhibition mistakes (r=−.33, P=.001), had faster (and therefore better) reaction times (r=−.49, P<.001), and were able to produce time intervals more accurately than younger children (ρ=.35, P<.001). Discriminant analysis showed that Timo’s Adventure was accurate in most classifications whether a child belonged to the ADHD group or the normally developing group: 78% (76/97) of the children were correctly classified as having ADHD or as being in the normally developing group. The classification results showed that 72% (41/57) children in the control group were correctly classified, and 88% (35/40) of the children in the ADHD group were correctly classified as having ADHD. Sensitivity (0.89) and specificity (0.69) of Timo’s Adventure were satisfying. Conclusions Computer-based games seem to be a valid tool to assess specific strengths and weaknesses in young children with ADHD.

A diagnostic tool on time perception of children with ADHD

ADHD is among the most common childhood developmental disorder which may affect the school achievements. Children with ADHD may show symptoms of time perception problems. Although ADHD is a clinical diagnosis with several approaches, no diagnostic tool has been designed to detect the symptoms of time perception problems in ADHD children. A computer game can be a powerful tool to be used as part of the psychological assessment and yield better accuracy in ADHD diagnosis. In this paper, we present our concept of a diagnostic tool on time perception for children with ADHD-symptoms.

The Effect of Familiar and Fantasy Aesthetics on Learning and Experience of Serious Games

Serious games have shown potential as learning material, but are not very engaging. One reason why games are considered to be fun is their ability to provide us with an interesting fantasy world to explore and play in, but this seems at odds with the more serious nature of formal training. In this study, a two by two (familiar versus unfamiliar visual setting and familiar versus unfamiliar story setting) single-blind experiment (N=60) was performed, testing the effect of the familiarity of aesthetics on game experience and learning. Significant effects of story condition on learning and game experience was found, with a familiar story setting leading to better learning, but subdued game experience. Other effects were not significant.

See Me Roar: On the Over-Positive, Cross-Cultural Response on an AR Game for Math Learning

Today’s children spend a lot of time playing digital games, but may be less interested in their schoolwork, especially for subjects they find difficult and are subsequently not willing to spend much time on it, such as mathematics. Serious games can be an effective method to improve the motivation and learning performance of children in math learning. However, current serious games have limitations in classroom applicability. Augmented Reality provides the opportunity for children to immediately visualize the assignment and can be designed to create a fantasy environment that can engage children to delve deeper into the subject. However, it is less well studied how children from different cultures react to the game design of AR learning games. Therefore, in this study, we have designed the base prototype of an AR game, called See Me Roar, aiming to improve children’s learning experience. To investigate the effect of our current base game on children’s learning motivation compared to the effect of a more traditional paper exercise, two user studies were conducted, one in China and one in an international school in the Netherlands. The results have shown that compared to a traditional paper exercise, the AR game significantly improved a number of motivational correlates, i.e. likability, enjoyment, the desire to do the exercise in free time, recommendation to others, and in general making math more fun. Both Chinese and international children prefer the game over the paper exercise. Insights regarding Self-Determination theory for the development of future versions of the game are subsequently discussed.

Shaping Attitudes Across Realities. Exploring Strategies for the Design of Persuasive Virtual, Augmented and Mixed Reality Games

Virtual, Augmented and Mixed Reality technologies are embraced by designers, scholars and charities alike, some primarily for their entertaining properties, others also for the opportunities in education, motivation or persuasion. Applications with the latter objective, that of persuasion, are designed not only to be entertaining, but are also designed (or framed) to shape how players think and feel about issues in reality. However, despite the growing interest in the persuasive opportunities of these immersive technologies, we still lack the design strategies and best-practices that could support in the design of these ‘immersive persuasive games’. To address this still-unexplored and fragmented design space, we organize a design-oriented workshop that brings together academia and industry. The workshop is informed by a Research through Design approach in which the primary focus is to generate knowledge through designing. Participants design and evaluate ideas on-the-spot in an iterative manner using low-fidelity, life-size, prototyping and role-playing techniques, thereby mimicking an embodied interactive immersive environment. By reflecting on design practices and player experiences, we construct a body of knowledge, built exemplar work and distil best-practices to formulate design strategies for the design of immersive persuasive games.

Augmented Reality Games for Learning: A Literature Review

This study presents a literature review of previous studies of Augmented Reality (AR) games for learning. We classified learner groups, learning subjects, and learning environments mentioned in the literature. From this we conclude that AR games for learning generally have positive effects. We found that the most reported effects for AR learning games were the enhancement of learning performance and the learning experience in terms of fun, interest, and enjoyment. The most commonly used measurements for learning achievements were pre-test and post-test regarding knowledge content, while observations, questionnaires, and interviews were all frequently used to determine motivation. We also found that social interactions were encouraged by AR learning games, especially collaboration among students. The most commonly used game elements included quizzes and goal-setting. Extra instructional materials, 3D models, and face-to-face interactions were most frequently used for AR features. In addition, we came up with five suggestions for the design of AR learning games based on reviewed studies. In conclusion, six interesting findings were discussed in detail in the review, and suggestions for future study were offered to fill the research gaps.

Designing a Serious Game as a Diagnostic Tool

Serious games offer the potential to not only entertain and educate, but can also operate as a diagnostic tool. While designing a game with the goal of a diagnostic tool, we faced many challenges. In this paper, we share our experiences in dealing with these challenges in the iterations of designing, implementing, and evaluating such a tool.