Serious Game Design by Unified Block Interactions to Support Educational Transformations

Abstract

This paper introduces a generalized structure for the optimal development of an adventure serious game. Present pandemic conditions induce transformations in educational methods, of which games are an attractive option. A serious game is an interdisciplinary team project for which our structure allows all members to interact irrespective of computer science proficiency. A method of interaction between unified blocks is proposed, consisting of five blocks that cover all the characteristics necessary to describe a serious game. The unified blocks are: rules, characters, scenarios, communication and score. The blocks are divided into sub-blocks that detail the characteristics of the game. The “luck” sub-block allows the real-life non-predictability dimension to be included in the game. During the interaction of the sub-blocks the different contexts of the game are created. Each context has a specific educational content goal that the player must go through. The interactions between sub-blocks are described in an XML file, common working environment for all the interdisciplinary members of the design team involves graphic designers, programmers, game designers and experts in the content to be transmitted. The principle of unified blocks is applied to the fifteen contexts of an existing game, JUSEGU, for which five new contexts are included and implemented in this paper to increase its educational content.

SCHEMA: A Process for the Creation and Evaluation of Serious Games—A Systematic Review towards Sustainability

“…In their research, Carvalho et al [48] develop a model for conceptual design, sticking only to a first phase. Others, such as Ledezma and Simini [49], limit to the design stage, while the evaluation of educational video games is the stage that is least addressed in the literature and which, as some authors point out, needs to be investigated [50]. Another of the characteristics that researchers underline as necessary in this type of video game is the balance between entertaining and pedagogical content.…”