Under observationer av den nuvarande läro-spelsmarknaden upplevde vi att den nuvarande speldesignen som nyttjas inte använder spelmediets potential. Detta gjorde att vi började fundera hur spelmediet kan användas bättre för lärande? Vi fann i David A. Kolbs tankar om upplevelsebaserat lärande att det kan kopplas till speldesign och förståelsen av spel. Frågeställningingen “Vad kan vi skapa för spel med hjälp av spel centrerad design och upplevelsebaserat lärande för att skapa en övergång från konkret matematik till abstrakt matematik för barn i förskolan?” växte fram och för att testa våra tankar skapades prototypen Sushi Panic. Genom tester med förskolebarn och förskolepedagoger testade vi olika varianter och hypoteser. Resultatet var positivt men stora skillnader i hur mycket olika barn förstår förändrade synen på prototypen. Kopplingen mellan upplevelsebaserat lärande och speldesign är något som bör utvecklas vidare då det finns mycket som de kan hämta från varandra. / During observatons of the current educational-games market we felt that the current use of game design did not utilize the full potential that games have for education. That made us wonder how can the media of games be used better for education? David A. Kolb’s thoughts about Experiential learning can be connected to game design and the understanding of games. The question “What game can we create with the help of game centred design and experiential learning to create a transition from physical mathematics to abstract mathematics for children in preschool?” came forth and to test our thoughts the prototype Sushi Panic was created. Through tests with preschoolers and educators we tried varying versions and hypothesises. The results were positive but large differences in the understanding between individual children changed our view of the prototype. The connection between experiential learning and video games is something that should continue to be developed since there still is a lot the fields can learn from each other.

Made available in DSpace on 2017-06-01T18:24:25Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 irenilda.pdf: 655117 bytes, checksum: 12fd913c07c4b99cb6d2416693ab925b (MD5) Previous issue date: 2006-04-19 / Based on an analysis of pupils written production, this work shows that the insertion of play activities in ordinary classroom practices contributes for increasing written language development as well as learning, and to make the teacher/student relationship more pleasant. In this work, the teacher/student relationship carried out through playing activities turns out to be not only a necessary one for a successful educational process, but a stimulus for developing linguistic skills as well. The work shows that pupils attitude with written text changes during the educational process with the development of knowledge and text production, by means of positive responses to playing sessions. The research brings a new form to teaching by calling attention to non-formal aspects and by stimulating the development of critic and analytical sense of higher students with the use of games, playing, music, theater and other activities that enhance the students freedom and expressiveness in the written of texts / Esta pesquisa mostra, através da análise da produção escrita de alunos, que a inserção de atividades lúdicas no cotidiano escolar propicia um maior desenvolvimento da linguagem escrita e amplia as possibilidades de aprendizagem, tornando a relação professor x aluno mais prazerosa. Este trabalho parte da perspectiva de que a relação afetiva instaurada através dos jogos passa a ser elemento indispensável para que o processo educacional ocorra de forma plena e funcione como estímulo para a apropriação das habilidades lingüísticas. Observou-se, durante o processo, a mudança de atitudes do estudante na sua relação com o texto escrito, mostrando novos conhecimentos e habilidades para produzir dissertações, como reações positivas às sessões de recreação. A pesquisa traz um novo enfoque do fazer pedagógico, valorizando os aspectos não formais e estimulando o desenvolvimento do espírito crítico e analítico do estudante secundarista, a partir da inclusão de jogos, brincadeiras, músicas, teatro e outras atividades que possibilitem uma maior liberdade e expressividade na escrita de textos

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Ma thèse comporte deux grandes parties, la première en biophysique et la seconde en science de l’éducation. La première partie présente des travaux à la frontière entre neurobiologie et microfluidique. Le but de ces travaux est de pouvoir reconstruire et étudier des réseaux complexes de neurones in vitro avec une topologie de connections synaptiques bien contrôlées. Une série de micro-structures mécanique et/ou chimique ont été étudiées pour leur capacité à (i) positionner les corps cellulaires des neurones, (ii) orienter la pousse des neurites, et (iii) différencier les axones des dendrites. Un premier réseau comportant trois populations de neurones connectées en série a été reconstruit à l’intérieur d’un circuit microfluidique. Ce réseau qui mime la voie perforante de l’hippocampe pourra être exploité pour des études en physiologie ou en neuro-dégénerescence. Une méthode entièrement optique de stimulation et d’observation de l’activité neuronal a été mise au point. Elle ouvre de nouvelles portes pour étudier des processus cognitifs complexes dans des systèmes simplifiés in vitro. La seconde partie de mon travail a permis le développement et l’étude de jeux pédagogiques pour l’apprentissage de la chimie en licence. Ces jeux, qui peuvent selon les cas remplacer un cours ou une séance d’exercices, donnent des résultats prometteurs pour l’aide à la compréhension et à la mémorisation de concepts tels que la géométrie des molécules ou la réactivité entre molécules organiques. / My PhD is divided in two parts one on biophysic of neuronal networks and one on science of education. The first part present results at the frontier between neurobiology and microfluidic. The overarching goal of this work was to develop tools and methods to build and study complex neuronal networks controlling the topology of synaptic connexions. Micro-patterning techniques with mechanical and/or chemical constraints were explored regarding their capacity to (i) position cell bodies, (ii) orient neurite outgrowth and (iii) polarize neurons. For the first time, a network comprising three different neuronal populations connected in specified directions was reconstructed in a microfluidic device. This network that mimics the perforant pathway of the hippocampus can be used to study physiological rythms or neurodegenerative processes including Alzheimer’s disease. A novel and fully optical method is presented to stimulate and record neuronal activity in vitro. It opens new routes to study complex cognitive processes in simplified in vitro systems. The second part of my work present the development and assessment of educational games in chemistry at the undergraduate level. These games that can either be used to replace courses or exercises, seem promising to improve the understanding and memorization of chemistry concepts og geometries of molecules and organic reactivity.

This paper discusses factors that affect engagement during a museum experience with a focus on applying gamification into a museum application. At the center of this paper, the educative and engaging purposes of a museum visit are situated and analyzed in the form of design research. Following the design thinking methodology, first a background study with relevant literature, theoretical framework, and related studies on existing museum experiences using games and mobile technology is presented. Moreover, in order to narrow down the perspective of the study a case study with an existing museum application is selected. As a result of this research, a prototype of a game within the Visitor Guide application of the Nationalmuseum of Sweden was created and tested in a showroom environment, in a museum exhibition. The aim of this study was to find out if a game within a museum application could engage the visitors while educating them. The findings create space for discussions about several topics, including different factors affecting engagement and how gamification can help to educate the museum visitors in a non-gamified environment.

The aim of the study was to explore preschool teachers and preschool pre-service teachers approaches to gamification, game based learning and digital technology in early childhood education. The theoretical framework in the study is based on Mishra and Koehler's (2006) Technological Pedagogical and Content Knowledge (TPACK) theory. The method for the study was individual interviews and focus group interview. The results show that the area is relatively unknown to the participants in the study, as their focus when using digital technology is on documentation of preschool activities as well as searching for facts about various subject areas. Personal attitudes and values are of great importance for how digital technology is used in early childhood education. The results also show a lack of knowledge in teaching with digital technology, game based learning and gamification. Further research in the area is needed to support active preschool teachers to develop their didactic approach and to find ways to work with digital technology, game based learning and gamification.

From the perspective of educators, games are viewed as a medium in which the younger generation both thrive and excel. Students navigate game environments with ease and regularly solve problems, engage in advanced collaborative efforts, and communicate complex concepts and strategies to one another during their private gaming sessions at home. Games invite the player to form an understanding of intricate systems and mechanics based on participation and experimentation rather than mere observation, and on these merits games are often prophesized as a medium that will significantly change the face of education as we know it. However, while teacher interest in using games is increasing, wide-spread and successful examples of games being implemented in formal educational contexts (e.g. schools and university courses) remain rare. This thesis aims to examine why this is the case and identifies some of the more prevalent obstacles educators and developers both face when embarking on learning game projects as users and creators. In order to examine the situation from both of these perspectives, the research takes a mixed-method approach that entails extensive literature studies coupled with several studies with both educators and developers. Interviews were conducted in order to investigate attitudes and experiences, and more direct researcher participation and case studies were used to examine the processes of implementing and developing learning games as they were carried out. The studied cases and literature have revealed obstacles that indicate that “traditional” entertainment game development is incommensurable with learning game development, and that the use of games in formal educational settings introduces heavy demands on the recipient organization’s infrastructure, culture, and working processes. The conclusion of this research is that learning games embody a unique mixture of utility and game experience, and the formal context which they are to be used in significantly influence the process of developing and using them. Learning games can’t be understood if they’re solely seen as a teaching utility or solely as a game experience and to make them viable both educators and developers need to change their internal processes, their own perceptions of games and teaching, as well as the way they collaborate and communicate with each other. There are also several obstacles that are outside individual institutions and developers’ control, for example the practicalities of the economic constraints that both developers and educators work under that put the sustainability of pursuing learning games for formal education as a business into question. However, the continuous incremental improvements on the infrastructure of educational institutions (e.g. availability of technology and teachers’ familiarity with technology) can likely alleviate many of the obstacles currently inhibiting the impact learning games can potentially have in formal education. / Scandinavian Game Developers

[pt] Neste projeto, inspirados pelas áreas de Pedagogia e Entretenimento, buscamos criar uma plataforma de desenvolvimento de jogos eletrônicos, cujo o objetivo é facilitar a criação de jogos educativos do sub-gênero JRPG (Japanese Role Playing Games), mais interessantes do que a maioria dos jogos educativos disponíveis no momento. O gênero RPG é, por definição, baseado em contação de histórias e interpretação de papéis, identificadas pela literatura como importantes ferramentas cognitivas capazes de estimular a imaginação dos estudantes, envolvê-los emocionalmente e despertar seus interesses por tópicos do currículo escolar tradicional. O sub-gênero JRPG, por sua vez, representa uma categoria especial de RPGs eletrônicos que, herda essas mesmas características educativas, mas possuem delimitações claras acerca de mecânicas de jogo e identidade artística. Tais delimitações são positivas no sentido em que funcionam como uma espécie de guia para que o desenvolvedor se oriente durante o processo de criação de jogos desta natureza. / [en] In this project, inspired by the fields of Pedagogy and Entertainment, we aim to develop a digital games development framework in order to facilitate the creation of educational games of the sub-genre JRPG (Japanese Role-Playing Games), more interesting than the majority of educational games available for now. The RPG genre is, by definition, based in storytelling and role-playing principles, identified by the literature as important tools that stimulates the students imagination, engage them emotionally and arouse their interests for the traditional educational program. The subgenre JRPG, in turn, represents a special category of eletronic RPGs that inherit those same educational principles, but have well defined delimitations in respect of game mechanics and artistic identity. These delimitations are positive in a sense that they work as guidelines for the development process of this kind of games.

This research examines the nature and level of educational computer-based game techniques adoption by Milken Educator Award winning teachers in achieving success in their classrooms. The focus of the research is on their level of acceptance of educational computer-based games and the nature of game usage to increase student performance in the classroom. With Davis' (1985) Technology Acceptance Model (Davis, 1985) as the conceptual framework, the research also examines how teachers' perceptions of educational computer-based games influence their willingness to incorporate these teaching methods in their classroom. The approach utilizes a descriptive survey to develop and evaluate responses from exemplar teachers about the level and nature of their use (or lack thereof) of educational computer-based games and implementation in the classroom. Further, this research seeks to identify successful and unsuccessful techniques in the use of educational computer-based games in the classroom. In addition, data collection and analysis will seek to identify the strength of relationships between content-specific educational computer-based games and subject; educational computer-based games and gender; educational computer-based games and age; etc. A teacher who is exemplary as defined by Milken Educator Awards possesses, "exceptional educational talent as evidenced by effective instructional practices and student learning results in the classroom and school". Survey findings are placed within the Technology Acceptance Model framework developed by Davis.

Stories are the oldest medium to entertain and transfer information. Naturally, storytelling is also a fundamental aspect of digital games. In other words, narratives are the basis or framework of games. This thesis examines and tests two approaches in linear narrative design: the Minimal Linear Approach and the Enriched Linear Approach with the learning goal of fundamentals of cyber-security. The same story is examined with two different narrative designs by how they impact the immersion aspect of the pilot game. Although the two prototypes' main stories are identical, the enriched linear approach with more gaming elements and content is more immersive according to the collected and analyzed data. / <p>There are other digital material (eg film images or audio files) or models/artifacts that belongs to the thesis and need to be archived.</p>