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Digitalisering har haft allt större inverkan på samhället sedan millennieskiftet vilket har lett till omformning av metoder och vanor inom olika områden där utbildning inte är ett undantag. Den nya generationen studenters sätt att lära har påverkats av digitalisering vilket har lett till nya trender i forskning som fokuserar på användning av spel som en alternativ undervisningsmetod. Detta arbete syftar till att utforska hur ett mobilt spel med fokus på datastrukturer och algoritmer emottas av studenter på datavetenskapliga program. Studien genomfördes med forskningsstrategin Design Science med fokus på utveckling och utvärdering av en spelprototyp. Spelprototypen utvecklades med spelmotorn Unity och integrerar animering av algoritmer, interaktion med datastrukturer, återkoppling och metafor för att göra abstrakta begrepp lättare att förstå. Hur dessa integrationer påverkar studenternas attityder till inlärning analyserades genom en enkätundersökning med öppna frågor och tillämpning av en tematisk analys. Resultatet visar positiva trender i studenternas attityder till inlärning via spelet med animerad demonstration, interaktion och återkoppling. Dock är deras inställning till metaforiska spel för inlärning något skeptisk, vilket pekar på vidare undersökning av denna aspekt. Baserat på insikterna från respondenternas svar erbjuder resultatet potentialen att utveckla en förbättrad prototyp i flera iterativa cykler. Studien avslutas med att lägga fram förslag på fokus i framtida iterationer för att förfina prototypen. / Digitalization has increasingly been impacting society since the turn of the millennium, reshaping methods, and habits in various fields, including education. The learning methods of the new generation’s students have been influenced by digitalization, leading to new research trends that focus on using games as alternative teaching methods. This study aims to explore how students in computer science programs engage with a mobile game focusing on data structures and algorithms. The study was conducted using a Design Science approach focusing on the development and evaluation of a game prototype. The prototype was developed using the Unity game engine and integrates animation of algorithms, interaction with datastructures, feedback, and a metaphor to make abstract concepts easier to understand. The impact of these integrations on students' attitudes to learning was analyzed with an open-ended survey using thematic analysis. The results of the study show positive trends in students' attitudes towards learning through the game with animated demonstration, interaction, and feedback. However, their attitudes towards metaphorical games for learning are somewhat skeptical, which suggests further investigation of this aspect. Based on the insights from the respondents' answers, the result offers the potential to develop an improved prototype in several iterative cycles. The study concludes with suggestions for future iterations to refine the prototype.

Development of a game in the form of software for game-based learning poses significant technical challenges for educators, researchers, game designers, and software engineers. The game development consists of a set of complex processes requiring multi-faceted knowledge in multiple disciplines such as digital graphic design, education, gaming, instructional design, modeling and simulation, psychology, software engineering, visual arts, and the learning subject area. Planning and managing such a complex multidisciplinary development project require unifying methodologies for development and software quality evaluation and should not be performed in an ad hoc manner. This dissertation presents such methodologies named: GAMED (diGital educAtional gaMe dEvelopment methoDology) and IDEALLY (dIgital eDucational gamE softwAre quaLity evaLuation methodologY). GAMED consists of a body of methods, rules, and postulates and is embedded within a digital educational game life cycle. The life cycle describes a framework for organization of the phases, processes, work products, quality assurance activities, and project management activities required to develop, use, maintain, and evolve a digital educational game from birth to retirement. GAMED provides a modular structured approach for overcoming the development complexity and guides the developers throughout the entire life cycle. IDEALLY provides a hierarchy of 111 indicators consisting of 21 branch and 90 leaf indicators in the form of an acyclic graph for the measurement and evaluation of digital educational game software quality. We developed the GAMED and IDEALLY methodologies based on the experiences and knowledge we have gained in creating and publishing four digital educational games that run on the iOS (iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch) mobile devices: CandyFactory, CandySpan, CandyDepot, and CandyBot. The two methodologies provide a quality-centered structured approach for development of digital educational games and are essential for accomplishing demanding goals of game-based learning. Moreover, classifications provided in the literature are inadequate for the game designers, engineers and practitioners. To that end, we present a taxonomy of games that focuses on the characterization of games. / Ph. D.

In recent years, educators have become increasingly interested in improving methods in order to engage students and enrich their learning experiences. With technology's continual advancement, educators are recognizing the effectiveness of Game-Based Learning in enhancing student learning. This paper aims to identify and highlight the key role-playing elements that foster student engagement in the classroom, proposing strategies to enhance educational games through these elements. A qualitative research study was made with a semi-systematic literature review and the use of the Minequest game prototype, which includes 9 of 10 RPG elements identified in this paper. Thirteen students have participated in this study and overall results show that they have found the game prototype engaging, but not educational enough only by itself. Therefore, it could be better if similar educational games with role-playing elements were used as a complement to conventional teaching methods.

Virtuelle Lernumgebungen eröffnen weitreichende Möglichkeiten der Vermittlung von Wissen. Vorteile wie Skalierbarkeit sind gerade in Zeiten reduzierter Bildungskapazitäten bei gleichzeitig steigender Nachfrage nach gut ausgebildeten Fachkräften ausschlaggebend. Trotzdem können sie alleinstehend auch einen negativen Einfluss auf das Lernverhalten ausüben. Als mögliche positive Determinanten, gerade im digitalen Kontext, können spielerische Charakteristiken aufgeführt werden. So indizieren bisherige Studien eine grundsätzlich positive Wirkung des Faktors ”Spiel“ auf Lernerfolg und Motivation. Die bisherige Forschungslage ist jedoch nicht eindeutig und lässt nur wenig Rückschlüsse in der weiteren Differenzierung und Begründung dieser Einflussnahme zu. Deshalb fokussiert sich die vorliegende Arbeit auf die Konzeption und Entwicklung eines entsprechenden Evaluationsframeworks sowie auf die nachfolgende empirische Untersuchung multipler Effektparameter von Spielelementen. Damit erfolgt eine Prüfung der modifizierenden spielinnervierenden Charakteristiken als mögliche Werkzeuge der Optimierung von Lernprozessen hinsichtlich quantifizierbarer objektiver Parameter als auch der wahrgenommenen subjektiven Lernqualität im digitalen Raum.:1. Motivation und Relevanz 2. Betrachtung von Lernprozessen und spielinnervierter Simulation 3. Herleitung und Gestaltung der notwendigen Systemarchitektur 4. Empirische Reflektion implementierter Charakteristiken 5. Zusammenfassung und Ausblick Anhang

People often have very little knowledge about the impact of unsustainable human population growth on the environment and social well-being especially in developing countries. Therefore, an efficient method should be explored in order to educate, and if possible, to convince the members of the public to realize the environmental and social problems caused by the unsustainable population growth. Digital Game-Based Learning (DGBL) has been highlighted by some studies as an innovative tool for learning enhancement. While only a handful of studies have scientifically evaluated the impact of DGBL on knowledge outcomes, the approach is an attractive tool to increase knowledge and motivate engagement with environmental issues surrounding population growth because of its potential to improve learners’ motivation and engagement thereby compared to traditional learning approaches. Therefore, the three primary research questions for this study are: 1) "Can a single-player digital game be an appropriate and attractive learning application for the players to gain insight about the relationship between the growing human population and the environmental issues?" 2) "How can we design environmental games for the players to gain insights about the relationship between the growing human population and the environmental issues via playing a game?" and 3) "What are the obstacles preventing the players from adapting environmental knowledge obtained from the learning mediums into the real-life?" To inform the development of an efficacious DGBL game to impact learning outcomes, critical reviews of environmental issues related to population growth as well as critical reviews of commercial and serious environmental games in terms of their educational and motivational values were undertaken in this study. The results of these critical reviews informed the development of a Guideline for Environmental Games (or GEG). The GEG was developed by combining the engaging game technology with environmental learning and persuasion theories. The GEG was then used to inform the development of a prototype game called THE GROWTH; a single-player, quiz-based, city-management game targeting young adolescents and adults. Multiple evaluation methods of the game were used to answer the three key research questions mentioned earlier. These methods included: 1) The Randomized Controlled Trial approach (RCT) where the participants were systematically divided into the experimental and the control group respectively and their knowledge scores (quantitative data) compared and analyzed, 2) The participants’ abilities to recall and describe the environmental and well-being issues were collected and analyzed qualitatively using The Content Analysis method (CA) and, 3) The participants’ overall feedback on the learning mediums was collected and analyzed to evaluate the motivational values of THE GROWTH itself. To this end, THE GROWTH was evaluated with 82 Thai-nationality participants (70 males and 12 females). The results showed that participants assigned to play THE GROWTH demonstrated greater environmental and social-well-being knowledge related to population growth (F(1,40) = 43.86, p = .006) compared to the control group participants assigned to a non-interactive reading activity (consistent with material presented in THE GROWTH). Furthermore, participants who played THE GROWTH recalled on average more content presented in the game when compared to participants who were presented with similar content in the reading material (t (59) = 3.35, p = .001). In terms of level of engagement, the study suggested that participants assigned to the game were more engaging with their learning medium on average when compared to participants assigned to the non-interactive reading activity. This is evidenced by the longer time participants spent on the task, the activity observed from participants’ recorded gameplay, and their positive responses in the survey. The semi-structured interviews used in this study highlighted the participants’ attitudes towards the environmental, social, and technological issues. Although the participants’ perceived behavioural intention towards the environmental commitments were not statistically differed between the two study group, their responses still provide some evidences that leaps may occur from the learning mediums to the real-world context. Furthermore, these responses can be valuable evidences for the policy makers and for the future development of environmental serious games. Overall, the results suggested that digital environmental games such as THE GROWTH might be an effective and motivational tool in promote the learning about sustainable population size, the environment, and the social well-being. The game’s ability to convince the participants to change towards sustainable lifestyles, however, might be subjected to the future research and other real-world circumstances such as the governmental and public supports. In summary, the research in this thesis makes the following contributions to knowledge: • The Guideline for Environmental Games (GEG) contributes to knowledge about making theoretically-based environmental games. It has particular significance because the guideline was validated by demonstrating learning improvements in a systematic randomized controlled trial. • The use of Multi-Strategy Study Design where multiple systematic evaluation methods were used in conjunction to provide conclusive findings about the efficacy of DGBL to impact outcomes. • THE GROWTH itself is a contribution to applied research as an example of an effective DGBL learning tool.

based learning, grammar schools, teacher's guide, migration, The master theses deals with the "Syrious Escape from Syria" board game and its known teacher's guides for this topics. The fundamental part of the theses outlines the "Syrious Escape from Syria" board game by describing it collected data the theses developes teacher's guide for using this board game and in research should guide the authors of the "Syrious Escape from Syria" board game

The traditional history educational methods mainly consists of and are focused on memory, reading, repetition and writing skills, however this paper aims to give an overview of research regarding “Game-based learning”, it’s uses in education of history, and if it can be used as a way to complement the traditional education and give history teachers the tools to make their teaching more diverse. Useful materials were found in the databases: EBSCO, IEEE Xplore och Science Direct. Each of the 3 practical and 3 informational studies has been carefully selected by their subject relevance and the quality of the study’s gathering, use and compilation of data. The results in this overview are both positive and negative. The studies found on the subject show that the students not only learn historical facts when using game-based learning but also become very engaged in the lesson and achieve a deeper historical perspective where they can understand the historical events in the historical context and relate to people of that point in time. However, the drawbacks are that some students have been reported to have missed some facts altogether, and that would have been avoided in traditional education (Erhel & Jamet, 2013). Another drawback that has been noted is that Game Based learning is incredibly time consuming and if it is not used correctly it risks creating a dilemma for the history teacher where the teacher has to choose Game-based learning or traditional education of history (Watson & Mong & Harris, 2010). But if it is used correctly, studies have also shown that they can be combined (Erhel & Jamet, 2013; Kuran & Tozoglu & Tavernari, 2018).

Impersonal, non-face-to-face contact and text-based interfaces, in the e-Learning segment, present major problems that are encountered by learners, since they are out on vital personal interactions and useful feedback messages, as well as on real-time information about their learning performance. This research programme suggests a multimodal, combined with an edutainment approach, which is expected to improve the communications between users and e-Learning systems. This thesis empirically investigates users’ effectiveness; efficiency and satisfaction, in order to determine the influence of edutainment, (e.g. amusing speech and facial expressions), combined with multimodal metaphors, (e.g. speech, earcon, avatar, etc.), within e-Learning environments. Besides text, speech, visual, and earcon modalities, avatars are incorporated to offer a visual and listening realm, in online learning. The methodology used for this research project comprises a literature review, as well as three experimental platforms. The initial experiment serves as a first step towards investigating the feasibility of completing all the tasks and objectives in the research project, outlined above. The remaining two experiments explore, further, the role of edutainment in enhancing e-Learning user interfaces. The overall challenge is to enhance user-interface usability; to improve the presentation of learning, in e-Learning systems; to improve user enjoyment; to enhance interactivity and learning performance; and, also, to contribute in developing guidelines for multimodal involvement, in the context of edutainment. The results of the experiments presented in this thesis show an improvement in user enjoyment, through satisfaction measurements. In the first experiment, the enjoyment level increased by 11%, in the Edutainment (E) platform, compared to the Non-edutainment (NE) interface. In the second experiment, the Game-Based Learning (GBL) interface obtained 14% greater enhancement than the Virtual Class (VC) interface and 20.85% more than the Storytelling interface; whereas, the percentage obtained by the game incorporated with avatars increased by an extra 3%, compared with the other platforms, in the third experiment. In addition, improvement in both user performance and learning retention were detected through effective and efficiency measurements. In the first experiment, there was no significant difference between mean values of time, for both conditions (E) & (NE) which were not found to be significant, when tested using T-test. In the second experiment, the time spent in condition (GBL) was higher by 7-10 seconds, than in the other conditions. In the third experiment, the mean values of the time taken by the users, in all conditions, were comparable, with an average of 22.8%. With regards to effectiveness, the findings of the first experiment showed, generally, that the mean correct answer for condition (E) was higher by 20%, than the mean for condition (NE). Users in condition (GBL) performed better than the users in the other conditions, in the second experiment. The percentage of correct answers, in the second experiment, was higher by 20% and by 34.7%, in condition (GBL), than in the (VC) and (ST), respectively. Finally, a set of empirically derived guidelines was produced for the design of usable multimodal e-Learning and edutainment interfaces.