The field of education is constantly evolving, and digital technology in the classroom is commonplace and includes the utilization of films, internet, computer aided instruction, educational video games, presentation software, edutainment, digital photography, cinematography, and computer aided drafting. As technology has advanced, so have the opportunities for its use in the classroom. This is particularly the case with serious games.<p> Serious games are generally defined as games whose primary intent is training or learning with definable learning goals, instead of being primarily intended for entertainment (Hartz & Stern, 2008). Closely related to educational video games and often used synonymously, serious games commonly incorporate simulations and role play. The design and focus of serious games are being recognized by a widening array of audiences including educators of primary and secondary education.<p> Much of the past research on serious games has focused largely on supporting the use of digital games in education. Little research has been done not only on why and how the games are effective, but also on how to incorporate the games into the curriculum (Becker, 2007). As the availability of serious games increases, it is important to build studies around specific games, exposing their potential and usability for specific curricular areas.<p> This case study utilizes the serious game <i>Building Homes of Our Own</i>, which has been created to educate students on the processes of planning, building, and selling a house. The study involved 18 Grade eleven students who were enrolled in Practical and Applied Arts (P.A.A.) and were engaged in the construction portion of their course. Three methods of data collection were used to explore four basic research questions: 1) How well does the game teach curriculum objectives? 2) How well does the game facilitate higher-order thinking? 3) What kind of environment is created by serious gaming in teaching construction? and, 4) What do students think about using serious games in the classroom? Research methods included the administration and evaluation of pre- and post-tests, administration and evaluation of critical thinking questions, direct observation of the serious gaming learning environment, and the utilization of a focus group interview.<p> Findings in the study provide important information that serves to answer the main question addressed by this study, namely, what is the potential of serious games for teaching high-school construction technologies? The findings report how effectively the serious game <i>Building Homes of Our Own </i>supports Saskatchewans construction curriculum objectives. Findings also include relevant information on a variety of critical-thinking skills learned as a result of playing this particular serious game. The researcher and his assistant made significant observations of the learning environment created by this serious game, and, finally, the students provided important information regarding the strengths and weaknesses of using <i>Building Homes of Our Own</i> and serious games in general, for learning in the context of P.A.A.

The purpose of this study is to provide a simple user interface with which everyone can design his/her own game, and play it on Game Boy Advance console. This project helps people develop games without having programming knowledge. Everything is done by means of a user interface and without any programming knowledge. It is magic, isn’t it? Game Boy Advance is a game console developed by Nintendo. In order to market their products, they must also develop games running on their products. Every time they develop a game for the Game Boy Advance console, they have to implement a low level C++ application over and over again. This makes things more complicated. However, if this software is used, everything becomes easier. This project can be seen as an interpreter that interprets the designed game, which is very high level, and converts it to a Game Boy Advance game. If this project is finished successfully, game design for Game Boy Advance will experience a revolution in its history. In brief, it is required to develop a visual, GUI‐based system that allows people to develop games for the Game Boy Advance console. This GUI system is required to implement and use the API (Game Engine) developed by Lypson.

The field of education is constantly evolving, and digital technology in the classroom is commonplace and includes the utilization of films, internet, computer aided instruction, educational video games, presentation software, edutainment, digital photography, cinematography, and computer aided drafting. As technology has advanced, so have the opportunities for its use in the classroom. This is particularly the case with serious games.<p> Serious games are generally defined as games whose primary intent is training or learning with definable learning goals, instead of being primarily intended for entertainment (Hartz & Stern, 2008). Closely related to educational video games and often used synonymously, serious games commonly incorporate simulations and role play. The design and focus of serious games are being recognized by a widening array of audiences including educators of primary and secondary education.<p> Much of the past research on serious games has focused largely on supporting the use of digital games in education. Little research has been done not only on why and how the games are effective, but also on how to incorporate the games into the curriculum (Becker, 2007). As the availability of serious games increases, it is important to build studies around specific games, exposing their potential and usability for specific curricular areas.<p> This case study utilizes the serious game <i>Building Homes of Our Own</i>, which has been created to educate students on the processes of planning, building, and selling a house. The study involved 18 Grade eleven students who were enrolled in Practical and Applied Arts (P.A.A.) and were engaged in the construction portion of their course. Three methods of data collection were used to explore four basic research questions: 1) How well does the game teach curriculum objectives? 2) How well does the game facilitate higher-order thinking? 3) What kind of environment is created by serious gaming in teaching construction? and, 4) What do students think about using serious games in the classroom? Research methods included the administration and evaluation of pre- and post-tests, administration and evaluation of critical thinking questions, direct observation of the serious gaming learning environment, and the utilization of a focus group interview.<p> Findings in the study provide important information that serves to answer the main question addressed by this study, namely, what is the potential of serious games for teaching high-school construction technologies? The findings report how effectively the serious game <i>Building Homes of Our Own </i>supports Saskatchewans construction curriculum objectives. Findings also include relevant information on a variety of critical-thinking skills learned as a result of playing this particular serious game. The researcher and his assistant made significant observations of the learning environment created by this serious game, and, finally, the students provided important information regarding the strengths and weaknesses of using <i>Building Homes of Our Own</i> and serious games in general, for learning in the context of P.A.A.

What social practices are people involved when staying in a game café? What kind of social setting is the game café? What are the attitudes towards playing computer games at home and in public among parents? What are the media representations of co-located game playing in public? What are the sensory experiences of playing co-located game play in public? This dissertation gives a descriptive and analytical account of the contexts and meanings of playing co-located computer games in public settings such as game cafés and LAN parties. The overall aim with the dissertation is to describe and investigate the social and cultural meanings and contexts of playing computer games in a game café. The research questions have been investigated in four empirical studies. The dissertation shows that people are involved in various social practices and activities aimed at supporting and maintaining social relationships among friends and peers. The game café can be seen as a third place, as it used by players for recreation and an escape from the pressure of home and school, a place which feels like home, is familiar and welcoming. However the game café is a limited third place used by young men who likes to play online and network games. The dissertation also shows how the social environment provides for specific sensory experiences. These sensory experiences involve sitting together side by side slapping each other’s shoulders and legs, eating candies and drinking sodas, listening to music. The representations of co-located game playing in public reproduce traditional gender roles where professional gamers are represented by men and causal gamers are represented by women (and men) as well as construct youth as party lovers. The study also suggests that parents’ attitudes towards their children playing games in public draw on traditional values and ideas about children’s play and social relationships. / <p>At the time of the doctoral defense, the following paper was unpublished and had a status as follows: Paper 4: Submitted. </p>

Literature and teaching books about how to make art for games have been accessible but thearea lacked covering of genre-specific game art. Game genres require different solutions forthe art in order to aid playability of the final product. My game project, called DOMAINS was made with an outside team. The project together withmy first art guide about the cinematic platformer genre provided materials for the writing ofthe next game art guide. The old art guide was used as a template for the new guide, whichfocused on the strategy game genre. This report contains the description of the process of making my second art guide, and thewhole The Strategy Game Art Guide itself. It reviews both the successful and less successful implements in the game and will walk thereader through how the prior decisions were made and the consequences. It targets beginnersin the game development world.

We first present a non-cooperative auction game to solve the bandwidth allocation problem for non-cooperative channel access in a wireless network. The Nash equilibrium is obtained as a solution of the game. To address this problem of bandwidth sharing under unknown information, we further develop a Bayesian auction game model and then Bayesian Nash equilibrium is then obtained. Next, we present a framework based on coalitional game for cooperative channel access for carry-and-forward-based data delivery. Each mobile node helps others to carry and then forward their data. A coalitional game is proposed to find a stable coalition structure for this cooperative data delivery. We next present static and dynamic coalitional games for carry-and-forward-based data delivery when the behavior of each mobile node is unknown by others. In the dynamic game, each mobile node can update its beliefs about other mobile nodes’ types when the static coalitional game is played repeatedly.

Toxic Behaviour, the phenomena where a person behaves in a way meant to intimidate or belittle another person, is an influential issue spreading across the virtual spaces that is online gaming communities. In this thesis we explore the possible correlations between Toxic Behaviour and game mechanics in online multi-player games by analyzing League of Legends (Riot Games, 2009), one of the most prominent online games currently dominating the market (Statista, 2014). We have analysed the game using a contemporary design framework used in the game industry accompanied by an ethnographical field study of the regular player base of League of Legends we have determined the most common reasons behind why these players tend to engage in Toxic Behaviour and if those reasons are connected to the game’s mechanics. Finally, we conceptualize plausible solutions based on our findings that hypothetically could decrease the amount of toxic player’s continuing engagement in Toxic Behaviour.

We first present a non-cooperative auction game to solve the bandwidth allocation problem for non-cooperative channel access in a wireless network. The Nash equilibrium is obtained as a solution of the game. To address this problem of bandwidth sharing under unknown information, we further develop a Bayesian auction game model and then Bayesian Nash equilibrium is then obtained. Next, we present a framework based on coalitional game for cooperative channel access for carry-and-forward-based data delivery. Each mobile node helps others to carry and then forward their data. A coalitional game is proposed to find a stable coalition structure for this cooperative data delivery. We next present static and dynamic coalitional games for carry-and-forward-based data delivery when the behavior of each mobile node is unknown by others. In the dynamic game, each mobile node can update its beliefs about other mobile nodes’ types when the static coalitional game is played repeatedly.

This study aimed to explore which philosophies and opinions professionals within the Chinese indie game industry hold in relation to the indie concept. Indie is a short form of the word "independence”, and is used to describe certain products and creative practices within media such as video games. The term’s exact definition is however subject to discussion. This study aims to include Chinese game professionals in this discussion. The study was carried out in China through Game Hub Scandinavia (Game Hub Scandinavia, 2018) and in cooperation with Indienova. The participants that were interviewed in this study were all professionals within the Chinese game industry. The research tools developed for these interviews were two playable demos and a survey. The answers provided constituted as basis for the study’s concluding analysis. The data indicated that the Chinese indie developers define indie as a creative endeavour which products and underlying ambitions contrasts the commercially motivated game industry in China. / <p>2018-08-23 14:25, G203, svenska</p><p>Högskolevägen 1, 541 28, Skövde</p>

Submitted by Irene Nascimento (irene.kessia@ufpe.br) on 2016-11-08T18:31:42Z No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 1232 bytes, checksum: 66e71c371cc565284e70f40736c94386 (MD5) UFPE_Thesis_Banca - Versao CD.pdf: 2366448 bytes, checksum: a4140d14e1e225bd5040d825447a2a1b (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-11-08T18:31:42Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 1232 bytes, checksum: 66e71c371cc565284e70f40736c94386 (MD5) UFPE_Thesis_Banca - Versao CD.pdf: 2366448 bytes, checksum: a4140d14e1e225bd5040d825447a2a1b (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015-07-30 / Diversos estudos mostram que o modelo educacional atual está bastante defasado: as escolas enfrentam concorrência com vários dispositivos eletrônicos; o índice de evasão escolar é bastante elevado; os alunos não conseguem se identificar como sendo parte do ambiente escolar; o aprendizado é limitado pelo ambiente dentro da sala de aula e não inclui possibilidades de aprendizado fora dela. Estes fatores, entre diversos outros, se tornam decisivos para que os jovens alunos se sintam desmotivados em aprender dentro da sala de aula, um fato que vem aumentando muito nos últimos anos. Algumas linhas de pesquisa afirmam que a escola deveria possuir um modelo curricular mais atraente, para isto, propõem várias propostas de reforma educacional, entre os quais uma em que a escola possa aproveitar as características dos jogos para funcionar de uma forma em que o aluno se sinta participando de um jogo, aumentando assim o engajamento do mesmo. Para que se faça bom uso destas características, é necessário um melhor entendimento de como elas influenciam positivamente no processo de ensino. O presente trabalho tem por objetivo analisar as características dos jogos que visam tornar o modelo de ensino mais eficaz, demonstrando suas qualidades mais importantes e como elas podem ser utilizadas para tornar o aprendizado mais atraente e envolvente para os alunos / Several studies shows that the actual educational model is obsolete: schools face competition with various electronic devices; the dropout rate is quite high; students cannot identify as being part of the school environment; learning is limited by the environment within the classroom and does not include learning opportunities elsewhere. These factors, among many others, become decisive for the young students feel motivated to learn in the classroom, a fact that has grown rapidly in recent years. Some lines of research argue that the school should have a more attractive curriculum model for this, propose several proposals for educational reform, including one in which the school can take advantage of the features of the games to work in a way that the student feel playing a game, thus increasing the engagement of the same. In order to make good use of these features, you need a better understanding of how they influence positively in the teaching process. This study aims to analyze the characteristics of games that aim to make the most effective teaching model, demonstrating its most important qualities and how they can be used to make the more attractive and engaging learning for students