Universities world wide do efforts to integrate education on climate change in the educational programs, but teaching about climate change is challenging: the climate system is complex, future prognoses include difficult terms of likeliness and the topic as such awakes emotions. Simulations and games are sometimes used to address climate change matters, and along with an increasing number of available interactive online simulations there is an on-going revolution in how online-material is used to provide students with information in higher education. Some practitioners move parts of the informative course material online in order to get more time for active learning – learning processes in which the student is participating more actively than just listening. This master thesis investigates if active learning can support students when learning about climate change in higher technical education. Data for the research was collected through three case studies of interactive seminars, in climate related courses at the Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden, and at the University of Graz, Austria. The active learning was facilitated through gaming sessions with a climate board game, with exercises in vocabulary and discussions as well as explanations of the physical science basis. One student group was provided with a series of lectures prior to the board gaming session, whereas the other two groups were participating in a single seminar with the flipped classroom approach: students followed a study instruction with online material as well as reading of scientific papers on Earth’s climate system and climate change before the interactive gaming seminar took place. Analysis of survey responds (n=102), mind-map reflections (n=14) and interviews (n=5) led to the development of three key findings: (1) students’ attitudes toward learning about climate change involves emotions, (2) the active gaming seminar increased the students’ understanding of climate change and (3) students’ confidence - in their own understanding as well as in their ability to explain climate change – increased through the participation in the active learning seminar. Moreover, a reflection drawn from the results in this study indicates that universities could play an important role in climate communication; if a university provides an introduction to climate change, the students can be “pushed over a threshold”, so that future participation in discussions on the topic may become less distant. Using games as an active learning tool in the introduction can increase student understanding and confidence in the topic of climate change - and doing so in a supportive and enjoyable manner. / Universitet världen över gör ansträngningar för att integrera undervisning av klimatförändringarna i sina utbildningsprogram, men klimatförändringarna är ett utmanande ämne: klimatsystemet är komplext, framtidsprognoser innefattar svårtolkade sannolikhetstermer och ämnet som sådant väcker många känslor. Simulationer och spel att en lärandemetod för att beröra ämnet, och samtidigt som det finns ett allt större utbud av undervisningsmaterial om klimatförändringarna på internet, sker en snabb förändring i hur online-material används för att förse studenter med information i den högre utbildningen. I vissa kurser flyttas en del av det informativa kursmaterialet till online-plattformar för att frigöra mer tid för aktivt lärande – lärande, i vilket studenten är mer aktiv än att enbart lyssna. I den här masteruppsatsen utreds huruvida aktivt lärande kan stödja studenter i lärandet om klimatförändringarna i högre teknisk utbildning. Data till studien samlades från tre studentgrupper som deltog i interaktiva klimatseminarier på Kungliga Tekniska Högskolan, KTH, och på Universitetet i Graz. För att uppnå aktivt lärande användes ett klimatbrädspel, med övningar i begrepp, vokabulär och diskussioner samt bearbetning av vetenskapliga förklaringar kring klimatförändringarna. En studentgrupp lyssnade till en föreläsningsserie före deltagandet i spelseminariet, de andra två grupperna deltog däremot enbart i ett seminarium med flipped classroom metoden: studenterna följde en instuderingsinstruktion med online-material och vetenskapliga skrifter innan de kom till spelseminariet. Analys av enkätsvar (n=102), mind-map-reflektioner (n=14) och intervjuer (n=5) ledde till tre huvudsakliga slutsatser: (1) studenternas attityder kring lärandet av klimatförändringarna påverkas av känslor, (2) studiens spelseminarier ökade studenternas förståelse av klimatförändringarna och (3) efter den aktiva lärandemetoden var studenterna mer bekväma med att förklara klimatförändringarna samt fick större förtroende till sin kunskap i ämnet. Vidare kan resultaten i den här studien tolkas som att klimatundervisning i högre utbildning kan utgöra en viktig roll för mottagandet av klimatkommunikation; om ett universitet förser studenter med en introduktion till vetenskap om klimatförändringarna kan studenterna ”tvingas över en tröskel”, så att framtida deltagande i diskussioner i ämnet kan bli mindre avlägsna. Studenterna i studien upplevde nämligen en brist på trovärdig information om klimatförändringarna i det dagliga nyhetsflödet, därför uppskattade de att ta del av vetenskaplig information och komplexa diskussioner under spelseminariet. Att använda utbildande brädspel som en aktivt-lärande-metod kan öka studenters självsäkerhet och förståelse av klimatförändringarna – på ett stödjande och glädjefyllt sätt.

Die Technische Mechanik (TM) ist ein Grundlagenfach vieler Ingenieurstudiengänge. Lern- und Verständnisschwierigkeiten in diesem Bereich führen jedoch verstärkt zu schlechten Prüfungsergebnissen und Problemen im weiteren Studienverlauf (Dammann, 2016). Von Studierenden häufig benannte Hürden sind v.a. den richtigen Lösungsansatz zu finden, mangelnde Vorstellungskraft, der hohe Lernaufwand, mathematische Grundlagen, unklare Aufgabenstellung, die Komplexität des Lernstoffs sowie nachträgliches (meist selbstständiges) Aufarbeiten (Seidel, Weidle, Flagmeier, Börner & Vossler, 2019). Game-based Learning (GBL) bietet eine Möglichkeit, Studierende und Lehrende bei der Bewältigung dieser Hürden zu unterstützen. In einem spielerisch gestalteten Lernszenario können Lernprozesse auf Grundlage vorher definierter Lernziele durch narrativ-immersive, adaptive, kompetitive und/oder kooperative Elemente unterstützt werden (Le, Weber & Ebner, 2013). Der Einsatz von GBL kann sich zudem positiv auf affektive, motivationale, kognitive und sozio-kulturelle Faktoren auswirken (Plass, Homer & Kinzer, 2015). Im Kontext des Ingenieurwesens erhofft sich das hier vorgestellte Learn&Play Projekt durch die geeignete Auswahl und Gestaltung von Spielelementen eine Ansprache dieser Faktoren, sodass eine Hinwendung zum Theorie geprägten Lerninhalt und schließlich auch zum Lernen selbst stattfindet. Dabei steht die aktive Auseinandersetzung und praktische Selbsterfahrung mit den Inhalten der TM im Vordergrund, was auch zu einer Verringerung der Komplexität führen soll. [... aus der Einführung]

Thesis was developed as a model specification for a design of historical simulation applied in formal education. The text is divided into two main parts: The theoretical part summarizes findings about the role of new media in e-learning and its potential enrichment for gamification elements. Also mentions computer game as a research subject and points to the game mechanics that can be used in formal education to a successful application DGBL - Digital Game-Based Learning in this process. Practical part presents case study of a model specification that is based on the real project: 'Stories from the History of Czechoslovakia: Research and experimental development of software simulations to teach the history of the Czech lands in the 20th Century", solved by Faculty of Arts and Facility of Mathematics and Physics of Charles University and Institute of Contemporary History of Academy of Sciences of Czech Republic in Prague in 2011- 2014. In this section are addressed by specific examples of model applications of gamification elements with a view to achieving the educational goals of teaching simulation.

The diploma thesis is concerned with the subject of video game education. The goal of this thesis is to confirm or to disprove the following research hypothesis: "Using new media in formal education has positive or at least neutral impact on student's motivation for learning in comparsion to conventional educative methods" by using both qualitative and quantitative empirical methods. For practical research within the thesis I have chosen Czech educational digital game Europe 2045. The theoretical part introduces current use of new media in education, interactive learning and digital game-based learning and theories of motivations for learning as well as analysis of current digital game-based learning research.

In recent times, companies have been motivated to transition towards sustainable development. This motivation is driven by several external and internal factors such as awareness about limited resources, environmental degradation, economic profitability, changes in regulations, etc. Transitioning towards sustainability is not an easy task. There can be several challenges such as the multi-dimensional aspect of sustainable development, changes in workflow , investing in/inventing new technology , etc. T o tackle these challenges, a strategic transition is required. In order to help organizations strategically move towards sustainable development, Göran Broman and Karl- Henrik Robèrt have provided a framework through their research. It can be an overwhelming task for a company to understand and implement this framework. The thesis addresses this challenge by designing a board game around the operational procedure provided by the framework. To develop the game, Evensen et al.’s model was leveraged which utilized different inputs such as literature review, Broman and Robèrt’s framework, and thematic analysis of interviews as inputs for game development. The interviewing process included semi-structured interviews of eight employees (sustainability-related positions) from different companies to understand how their companies are perceiving sustainable development, implementing sustainable practices, and what are the needs and challenges faced. This thesis contributes to academia in two ways. First, it extends the Framework for Strategic Sustainable Development (FSSD) by providing an application-based learning tool. After studying the theoretical side of the framework, the developed game can enhance the understanding of the framework. Second, it modifies the game design model by substituting generative research with a framework (FSSD) as an input and further discusses the benefits of having FSSD as an input element. From a practical perspective, apart from providing a better understanding of sustainability and educating companies about FSSD, the board game session enables the employees to think about how to implement FSSD for their specific scenario. Additionally, it also provides companies a controlled environment to think about risks and foresee the consequences of their future actions. Hence, providing a safety net before the initiation of the implementation process.

Zero-days are vulnerabilities that the software vendor does not know about and thus cannot provide a patch for. Their value has caused markets to develop, divided by the purchase intention. This thesis focuses on the white and grey markets, that is those buying to patch and those buying to exploit. While states generally have an interest in both, they currently spend money to exploit zerodays, keeping software insecure. The lack of knowledge and awareness surrounding this practice is the problem targeted in this thesis. Serious games, aiming to be both entertaining and educational, represent one opportunity to create awareness. They fit our circumstances particularly well because understanding the problem space requires adversarial thinking and lots of different concepts. Our research goal has thus been to create a serious game that accurately illuminates the dilemma experienced by states. Design science was the research strategy employed to reach the stated goal. Our main contribution is Minimator, a multiplayer, web-based game in which players, acting as states, have to protect their infrastructure and deal with zero-day markets. Additionally, we present a formal model of states’ treatment of zero-day markets developed using game theory and shown to resemble the n-players prisoners’ dilemma. An expert evaluation was conducted, delivering promising results in terms of gameplay appeal, and accuracy. A naturalistic evaluation remains, but is suggested in detail for future endeavours. Minimator is original as, to our knowledge, no similar artefact exists. It provides value by potentially creating a starting point for and encouraging an informed, public debate about the trade-off between national and infrastructure security, which is inherently political.

Game design is a rigorous practice rife with complexity. The design of learning games is similarly complex to the design of their entertainment-based relatives. This complexity is partially due to the many interacting components that comprise games. The impacts of these individual components are not well understood. Advancing the understanding of how such component parts contribute to the formed game will inform decisions related to their inclusion and subsequent design within games. Achievements and narrative are two such components. They have been examined within gamified systems, but little research has studied them within the context of a serious game. The interactions between such elements and other game elements could produce results that diverge from the results of their use in isolation of a complete gaming framework. This dissertation selectively incorporates or excludes narrative and achievements within a two-dimensional platformer serious game to understand their impact on learning, flow, engagement, narrative transportation, and intrinsic motivation. Conditions are examined individually as well as in a combined condition. A control condition is maintained for comparison. Results indicate that narrative and achievements were not effective in improving the effectiveness of the game. Potential causes are discussed in tandem with the implications for the design and integration within a gaming framework. While the manipulations did not improve effectiveness, the game was responsible for substantially increased knowledge acquisition, as determined by pre and posttest results.

The thesis takes a research through design approach to identify the potential of a storytelling board game concept to raise awareness about societal challenges. Knowledge of existing serious game examples illustrating the social issues, designing a board game prototype iteratively, and evaluating with co-creation sessions helped to comprehend the potential of the subject. The thesis, with an iterative process, focuses on one case study, designing a board game called “Can you survive?”. The game uses storytelling to relay stories about refugees’ hardships caused by language and communication barriers to its players. The research process was supported by several co-creation workshops, including game playing and focus group sessions, to advance the board game in terms of making it more impactful and evolving the rules while gathering insights about the game and the players’ thoughts about the game topic. As a result of the research process, the final version of the board game was designed. The study demonstrates that a board game using narrative elements can be a cooperative tool to communicate societal issues with the goal of raising awareness. The results show the players agree that the game drives them to understand the challenges based on the subject and develop different points of view. Even if the case study focuses only on the experience of the ups and downs of the language barrier refugees deal with, it may also be applicable to some other social issues. The study also shows that co-creation sessions to test the prototype with the target groups brought unconsidered perspectives that advance the game mechanics and help to make it more impactful. Having a limited amount of research and design about storytelling game concepts illustrating the serious topics by using board games, this thesis offers that serious game design researchers should consider the storytelling board games aimed at raising attention on societal issues since it helps players to engage, motivate and create empathy. Moreover, it stresses the possibility of serious game design concepts to be used to promote awareness of social problems, not only for training or education purposes.

This paper discusses the design, implementation, and evaluation of a serious game intended to reinforce applied behavior analysis (ABA) techniques used with children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) by providing a low cost and easily accessible supplement to traditional methods. Past and recent research strongly supports the use of computer assisted instruction in the education of individuals with ASD (Moore & Calvert, 2000; Noor, Shahbodin, & Pee, 2012). Computer games have been shown to boost confidence and provide calming mechanisms (Griffiths, 2003) while being a safe environment for social exploration and learning (Moore, Cheng, McGrath, & Powell, 2005). Games increase children's motivation and thus increase the rate of learning in computer mediated environments (Moore & Calvert, 2000). Furthermore, children with ASD are able to understand basic emotions and facial expressions in avatars more easily than in real-world interactions (Moore, Cheng, McGrath, & Powell, 2005). Perspective-taking (also known as role-taking) has been shown to be a crucial component and antecedent to empathy (Gomez-Becerra, Martin, Chavez-Brown, & Greer, 2007; Peng, Lee, & Heeter, 2010). Though symptoms vary across children with ASD, perspective-taking and empathy are abilities that have been shown to be limited across a wide spectrum of individuals with ASD and Asperger's disorder (Gomez-Becerra, Martin, Chavez-Brown, & Greer, 2007). A game called WUBeeS was developed to aid young children with ASD in perspective taking and empathy by placing the player in the role of a caregiver to a virtual avatar. It is hypothesized that through the playing of this game over a series of trials, children with ASD will show an iv increase in the ability to discriminate emotions, provide appropriate responses to basic needs (e.g. feeding the avatar when it is hungry), and be able to communicate more clearly about emotions.

A major challenge that faces most families is effectively anticipating how ready to start school a given child is. Traditional tests are not very effective as they depend on the skills of the expert conducting the test. It is argued that automated tools are more attractive especially when they are extended with games capabilities that would be the most attractive for the children to be seriously involved in the test. The first part of this thesis reviews the school readiness approaches applied in various countries. This motivated the development of the sophisticated system described in the thesis. Extensive research was conducted to enrich the system with features that consider machine learning and social network aspects. A modified genetic algorithm was integrated into a web-based stealth assessment tool for school readiness. The research goal is to create a web-based stealth assessment tool that can learn the user's skills and adjust the assessment tests accordingly. The user plays various sessions from various games, while the Genetic Algorithm (GA) selects the upcoming session or group of sessions to be presented to the user according to his/her skills and status. The modified GA and the learning procedure were described. A penalizing system and a fitness heuristic for best choice selection were integrated into the GA. Two methods for learning were presented, namely a memory system and a no-memory system. Several methods were presented for the improvement of the speed of learning. In addition, learning mechanisms were introduced in the social network aspect to address further usage of stealth assessment automation. The effect of the relatives and friends on the readiness of the child was studied by investigating the social communities to which the child belongs and how the trend in these communities will reflect on to the child under investigation. The plan is to develop this framework further by incorporating more information related to social network construction and analysis. Also, it is planned to turn the framework into a self adaptive one by utilizing the feedback from the usage patterns to learn and adjust the evaluation process accordingly.