La collaboration est de plus en plus distribuée et influencée par les technologies impliquées dans l'espace de travail. Les mondes virtuels 3D (VWs) sont des outils de collaboration riches, interactifs et prometteurs offrant une dimension visuelle plus réaliste dans la représentation de l'environnement de travail et ayant une capacité grandissante de simulation. Grâce aux avatars (représentation des utilisateurs), ils peuvent réinventer la notion de co-présence (le "being together") et de fournir des riches interactions sociales. Plusieurs chercheurs et praticiens sont particulièrement intéressés par le potentiel de ces nouveaux média pour soutenir les pratiques collaboratives. Cependant, la littérature ne fournit pas de réponses satisfaisantes et précises pour les entreprises sur l'impact de l'utilisation de ces technologies sur la performance de l'équipe. Les chercheurs ont étudié quelques facteurs spécifiques qui influent sur la collaboration. Un modèle de recherche contenant des déterminants de trois catégories différentes (technologique, individuelle et collective) influençant la performance de l'équipe n'a jamais été proposé. Cette recherche tente de combler cette lacune et regarde cet effet de plus près. D'un point de vue méthodologique, notre méthodologie est basée sur Framework de la recherche en système d'information de Hevner et ses collègues (2004) combinant la science du comportement et la science de conception. Du côté de la science du comportement, des études qualitatives et quantitatives ont été réalisées. Une étude qualitative vise à explorer la collaboration en équipe dans les mondes virtuels, nous a permis d'identifier une liste de facteurs pertinents qui seront utiles pour réussir les études empiriques. Nous avons conçu deux modèles de recherche contenant des déterminants influençant collaboration de l'équipe. Le premier vise à comparer l'impact de l'utilisation de Skype et de Second Life sur la co-présence, l'absorption cognitive virtuelle et, finalement, la performance d'équipe. La seconde étude est spécifique aux environnements virtuels 3D, elle permet d'étudier l'impact de l'utilisation des VW et la paresse sociale. Ces scénarios sont intégrés dans un jeu sérieux collaboratif. Ce dernier vise à varier différentes situations collaboratives pour apporter une expérience d'apprentissage par la pratique aux utilisateurs. Ce jeu permet d'explorer les spécificités de la collaboration en équipe dans les mondes virtuels 3D. / Collaboration is increasingly distributed and influenced by the technologies involved in the workspace. 3D Virtual worlds (VWs) are rich, highly interactive and promising collaboration tools providing a more realistic visual dimension in representing work environment and a growing capacity of simulation. Thanks to avatars (representation of their users), they may reinvent the notion of co-presence (the being together) and provide rich social interactions. Several researchers and practitioners are particularly interested in the potential of these new media to support collaborative practices. However, the literature does not provide yet satisfactory and accurate response to companies about impacts of these technologies’ use on team performance. Existent researchers studied specific factors influencing collaboration. A research model gathering determinants of three different categories (technological, individual and collective) impacting team performance has never been proposed. This research attempts to address this gap and looks at this effect more closely. From a methodological point of view, our methodology is based on the Hevner’s and colleagues (2004) IS research framework combining behavioral science and design science. From the behavioral science side, qualitative and quantitative studies have been conducted. We report on the impacts of a set of important determinants that influence team performance. This research describes inner IT dynamics distinguishing these new media. It research highlighted determinants that are fostering collaboration such knowledge sharing, knowledge application, cognitive absorption, virtual co-presence, VW technology usage, customization, and object manipulation. Others determinants are found to inhibit collaboration in 3D VWs such as social loafing and density. From a design science side, we designed a serious game focusing on the determinants mentioned above and could be useful to vary collaborative scenarios in the aim to deepen the study of collaboration in 3D VWs and enhance team performance. This game aims at bringing a learning-by-doing experience to explore the specificities of team collaboration in VWs. This research argues that successful collaboration is possible in VWs with the respect of a set of best practices.

An emerging issue that has been made visible is the unequal opportunities for digitization among different sizes of museums. This extends also to when using virtual museums as a pedagogical tool or displaying a museum’s collection. Virtual museums as a tool are less likely to be used by smaller sized museums since they have less ability to adapt to digitization and can’t outsource production. The apparent democratic issue is then that local culture can’t compete in this environment. This thesis goal was to address the problem by developing a virtual museum creation tool with availability in mind. The design was made to enable museums to themselves create, update, and maintain their own virtual museums using game technology. The thesis evaluated the tool using a design science research method were a sample of exhibition producers from several museums participated in testing of the tool and later interviewed. The results from this study showed that the design used by the tool was successful withall the participants. The interviews gave information about what features a full version of the tool would need and described the interviewed museums own readiness to themselves produce virtual museums.

This paper examines how the video game Life Is Strange balances the aims of an entertainment game with themes that are more typically found in serious games. Drawing from scholars like Belman, Flanagan and Bogost, the paper explores the capability for entertainment games to foster empathy within players. Finally, the paper attempts to reinforce frameworks for analyzing entertainment games.

A thesis report that investigates if there is a connection between the gamification attribute called Assessment and the learning outcome called Motivation. Furthermore, we investigate the existing research to find out what is the best way to go when you are putting togeather a Serious Game. This along with explainations of some common terms and concepts makes up the bulk of the report.

The Swedish healthcare industry has been in a crisis and suffered from a lack of staff and high burnout rate for many years. In this thesis we explore the possibility of bringing this to everyones’ attention by developing a serious game, where the player can experience and learn about the issues from within a hospital. Our goal is to provide a way for the player to increase their knowledge on the issues and inspire a desire to participate in the ongoing healthcare debate. Although the ability to promote engagement appears bleak, the results suggest that serious games do have the potential to educate, both on this matter and in general.

The push to further the use of technology in learning has broadened the attempts of many to find innovated ways to aid the new, technologically savvy generation of learners, in acquiring the knowledge needed for their education and training. A critical component to the success of these initiatives is the proper application of the science of learning (Cannon-Bowers and Bowers, 2009). One technological initiative that can benefit from this application is the use of synthetic learning environments (SLEs). SLEs are instructional systems embedded within virtual worlds. These worlds can be simulations of some task, for instance a simulation that may be completed as part of a military training to mimic specific situations, or they could be in the form of a video game, for example, a game designed to maintain the attention of school children while teaching mathematics. The important components to SLEs are a connection to the underlying task being trained and a set of goals for which to strive toward. SLEs have many unique characteristics which separate them from other forms of education. Two of the most salient characteristics are the instructorless nature of SLEs (most of the learning from SLEs happens without instructor interaction) and the fact that in many cases SLEs are actually fun and engaging, thus motivating the learner to participate more and allowing them to experience a more immersive interaction. Incorporating the latter of these characteristics into a model originally introduced by Davis (1989) and adapted by Yi and Hwang (2003) for use with web applications, an expanded model to predict the effects of enjoyment, goal orientation, ease of use, and several other factors on the overall use of SLEs has been created. Adapting the Davis and Yi and Hwang models for the specific use of SLEs provides a basis understanding how each of the critical input variables effect the use and thus effectiveness of learning tools based on SLEs. In particular, performance goal orientation has been added to the existing models to more accurately reflect the performance characteristics present in games. Results of this study have shown that, in fact, performance goal orientation is a significant factor in the SLE Use and Learning model. However, within the model it is important to distinguish that the two varieties of performance goal orientation (prove and avoid) play different roles. Prove performance goal orientation has been shown to have significant relationships with several other critical factors while avoid performance goal orientation is only accounted for in its significant correlation with prove performance goal orientation. With this understanding, training developers can now have a better understanding of where their resources should be spent to promote more efficient and effective learning. The results of this study allow developers to move forward with confidence in the fact that their new learning environments will be effective in a number of realms, not only limited to classroom, business, or military training.

How can activists and scholars design serious game projects that attract and engage people, that are inviting for many types of players, and that empower players to create positive change? My hypothesis was that the Activist-Casual Game Design Framework I published in 2021 could facilitate this work. I took a design-based research approach to answer my research question by way of demonstration and self-reflection through a creative case study of the production of an activist-casual game called Climate Somnia. Chapter 1 explains the literature review and synthesis behind the creation of the original framework, and Chapter 2 reviews the first four major iterations of my prototype and the lessons I learned from the experience of making them. Chapter 3 details additional theoretical research that went deeper than my original review and synthesis, providing me with nuanced understandings of the meaning and importance of player agency, inclusivity, and optimism in the context of activist game design. That chapter then proceeds to describe the design and development of the "core game loop" prototype for my game, and the learnings from that experience informed the subsequent design of Climate Somnia version 0.6, the creative case study at the heart of my design-based research method and the subject of Chapter 4. Chapter 5 begins by revisiting the framework I published in 2021 to critique the text of its ten hybrid design principles in light of the experience I gained in the years since. After that critique, I present my revision — the Activist-Casual Framework for Game Design, Planning, and Development — and explain its reorganized design principles as well as the "descent-ascent" planning model that goes with it. I also propose a direction for future research, in light of the revolutionary advances in publicly available artificial intelligence tools that have happened during my dissertation work.

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För att nå bra inlärningsresultat visar tidigare forskning på vikten av internaliserad motivation. När det kommer till att använda spel som inlärningsverktyg kommer detta huvudsakligen i två former. Antingen genom fullskaliga spel – serious games – eller genom traditionella läromedel som förgylls med spelelement – gamification. För att ta reda på vilket tillvägagångssätt som har bättre möjlighet att fostra internaliserad motivation och därav leda till mer effektiv inlärning gjordes en undersökning där två artefakter jämfördes. Artefakterna ämnade att lära ut samma instruktionsmaterial. Resultaten visar att artefakten som använde sig av gamification fostrade mer internaliserad motivation. Den andra artefakten ledde dock till bättre inlärningsresultat. / <p>Det finns övrigt digitalt material (t.ex. film-, bild- eller ljudfiler) eller modeller/artefakter tillhörande examensarbetet som ska skickas till arkivet.</p>

Games for change are games which allow players to learn and interact with real world issues through play in order to motivate participants to better the world. The research of this thesis presents the use of serious fames and casual games to measure and observe how awareness on children's poverty is achieved with game elements.