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Educational computer games have been recognized as being a promising approach for motivating students to learn. Nevertheless, previous studies have shown that without proper learning strategies or supportive models, the learning achievement of students might not be as good as expected. In this study, a knowledge engineering approach is proposed for developing educational computer games to help students learn about the knowledge for differentiating a set of learning targets in an interesting and meaningful way. Based on the proposed approach, an educational computer game has been developed for an elementary school natural science course. The experimental results show that the proposed approach significantly improved the students' learning achievement as well as their learning attitude and motivation. Background and objectivesWith the advancement and popularity of computer and network environments, researchers are deeply aware of the importance and trend of technology-enhanced learning. A great deal of effort has been put into research related to the development of learning with computer technology. Among various technology-enhanced learning approaches, educational computer games have been recognized as being a promising approach for motivating students to learn (Yun, Jiang & Li, 2010). In the past decade, many educational computer games have been developed. For example, Kiili (2007) developed a business simulation game based on a problem-based gaming model; in the meantime, Connolly, Stansfield and Hainey (2007) developed an educational computer game for a software engineering course. Recently, Yien, Hung, Hwang and Lin (2011) proposed a game-based learning approach for a nutrition course.Many studies concerning educational computer games have shown the effectiveness of such an approach in engaging students in learning (Prensky, 2001). For example, Inal and Cagiltay (2007) indicated that games had more effect than clear feedback on the flow experiences of the children in their study. On the other hand, several studies have pointed out that without incorporating any educational theory or providing supportive tools, the effectiveness of educational