Research in the digital game-based learning domain has so far shown mixed results as to the use of narrative in educational games. The aim of this thesis is to help to answer the question of whether and to which extent it is reasonable to employ the narrative feature in educational games for young children. In addition to a literature review, the thesis presents an experimental study comparing two versions of a maths game that are the same except for for the richness of the game's story (a value-added study). The participating children (N = 67) from school year 2 and 3 (mean = 8.67 years, SD = 0.4 years) were given the opportunity to play a game for two weeks on touch devices: a game version with a simple narrative frame, or a game version with a rich story narrated through an interactive voiced comic, or a "placebo" game (control group). No significant effect of the rich narrative on the children's engagement, as reported by parents, was found (d = 0.45, p = .245). Furthermore, the two narrative condition groups did not differ in terms of in-game progress (Cliff's δ = 0.01), and the difference was neither significant for the number of solved game tasks (d = 0.08, p = .857), nor the learning gains (d = -0.25, p = .691) measured using a near-transfer maths skill test (pre-post design). Both narrative...

I detta kandidatarbete har vi utforskat huruvida teater som ett medium för upplevelser skulle kunna översättas till ett digitalt spelmedium. Då ‘upplevelse’ som begrepp är mycket stort har vi valt att fokusera främst på känslan av exklusivitet vid liveföreställningar, och använt ett flertal metoder för att utforska detta, bland annat designperspektivet ‘simulering’ med vilket vi ämnat att simulera den agens en skådespelare har vid varje föreställning. Vi har dokumenterat designprocessen, från idégenerering och konceptplanering till vår arbetsprocess, samt gestaltningen av vår undersökning. Slutligen har vi kritiskt granskat resultatet av detta, och har därför kunnat fastställa att vår frågeställning inte har ett konkret svar utan snarare är en pågående process, i vilken fler nyanser av ‘upplevelse’ skulle behöva utforskas för att skapa en tydligare bild av vad en upplevelse faktiskt är. / In this Bachelor Thesis, we have explored whether theater as a medium for experiences could be translated into a digital game medium. Since 'experience' as a concept is very large, we have chosen to focus mainly on the feeling of exclusivity in live performances, and used a number of methods to explore this, including the design perspective ‘simulation’ with which we intended to simulate the agency the actor has in every performance. We have documented the design process, from idea generation and concept planning to our work process, as well as the product of our research. Finally, we have critically examined the result of this, and have therefore been able to determine that our question does not have a concrete answer but rather is an ongoing process in which more nuances of 'experience' would need to be explored to create a clearer picture of what an experience actually is.

Orientador: Juliano Maurício de Carvalho / Resumo: A tese analisa o fenômeno dos hubs criativos e seus efeitos no desenvolvimento da Indústria de Jogos Digitais (IJD). O procedimento metodológico é a construção de teorias através de estudos de caso. A coleta de dados se faz por meio de pesquisa documental em websites e relatórios públicos dos 69 hubs criativos da IJD mapeados em todo o mundo. A coleta também envolve entrevistas semiestruturadas on-line e presenciais com gestores dos hubs, e pesquisa de campo com observações diretas. O estudo descreve a estrutura global da IJD e analisa suas implicações nos clusters criativos locais. Mapeia e sistematiza os hubs criativos da IJD, descreve e classifica as ações realizadas por esses hubs. Estuda o caso do hub Dutch Game Garden como exemplo destas iniciativas. A partir dos dados levantados e sistematizados, são formuladas hipóteses, analisadas à luz da literatura. Como resultado, é construída uma série de premissas teóricas a respeito dos hubs criativos da IJD. São elas: os hubs criativos podem ampliar a proximidade entre os agentes de um cluster; a colaboração é essencial para o sucesso de um hub criativo; a eficiência das ações realizadas pelo hub criativo está relacionada ao grau de maturidade do cluster em que ele está localizado; os hubs criativos ocupam o papel de intermediários nas cidades criativas; e as ações dos hubs são capazes de catalisar o desenvolvimento de clusters criativos da Indústria de Jogos Digitais. / Abstract: The thesis analyzes the phenomenon of creative hubs and their effects on the development of the Digital Games Industry (DGI). The methodological procedure is the construction of theories through case studies. Data collection was done through documentary research on websites and public reports of 69 creative DGI hubs mapped around the world. The collection also involves semi-structured online and in-person interviews with managers of the hubs, and field research with direct observations. The study describes the global structure of the DGI and analyzes its implications for local ecosystems. Maps and systematizes DGI's creative hubs, describes and classifies the actions carried out by these hubs. It studies the case of the Dutch Game Garden hub as an example of these initiatives. Based on the data collected and systematized, hypotheses are formulated and analyzed in the light of the literature. As a result, a series of theoretical assumptions are made about DGI's creative hubs. They are: creative hubs can expand the proximity between agents in a cluster; collaboration is essential to the success of a creative hub; the efficiency of the actions carried out by the creative hub is related to the degree of maturity of the cluster in which it is located; creative hubs play the role of intermediaries in creative cities; and the actions of the hubs are able to catalyze the development of creative clusters in the Digital Games Industry. / Doutor

In a digitalized world, learners from the 21st century prefer game-like lessons instead of traditional methods that are preferred by teachers according to previous studies. Creating a fun and engaging environment in the classroom is not an easy task for the teachers. In this study, primary school teachers’ attitudes toward game-based learning are investigated together with the challenges and barriers they encounter when using digital games when teaching English as a second language in a Swedish classroom. A mixed method was used in this study. 30 teachers participated in the online survey and three pre-service teachersfrom public and private primary schools participated in the semi-structured interview in Sweden. The results of this study agree with the findings of previous studies. Teachers are generally very positive to implementing digital games into English language learning and admit the positive effect digital games contribute to the students’ engagement and motivation of learning English. However, due to the challenges teachers encounter with digital games, such as lack of time, knowledge, suitable games, and costs, teachers find it difficult to implement digital game-based learning in their English language teaching.

The aim of this empirical study is to examine if, and which digital games active teachers experience develop pupils' knowledge in mathematics and how the pupils' development can be visible to the teachers. This has been broken down to two sub-questions. To examine this a survey has been designed and sent to active teachers at six different schools in Skåne. The survey includes both qualitative and quantitative data. The results show that there are three digital games which are a bit more preferred in mathematical education, these are Bingel, Qnoddarnas värld and Skolplus. Two of these games are based on rewards for the pupils, and one is an adaptive game. In addition, the results show that active teachers most often use digital games in mathematical education to let their pupils practice skills, and not learn new knowledge. Given that digitalization is increasing in society, this subject was considered interesting and relevant. The survey, however, is too small to generalize for all teachers in Sweden.

Consumer grade Virtual Reality (VR)-headsets are on the rise, and with them comes an increasing number of digital games which support VR. How players perceive the gameplay and how well they perform at the games tasks can be key factors to designing new games. This master’s thesis aims to evaluate if a user can performa game task, specifically a target practice, in less time and/or more accurately when using a VR-headset as opposed to a computer screen and mouse. To gather statistics and measure the differences, an experiment was conducted using a test application developed alongside this report. The experiment recorded accuracy scores and time taken in tests performed by 35 test participants using both a VR-headset and computer screen. The resulting data sets are presented in the results chapter of this report. A Kolmogorov-Smirnov Normality Test and Student’s paired samples t-test was performed on the data to establish its statistical significance. After analysis, the results are reviewed, discussed and conclusions are made. This study concludes that when performing the experiment, the use of a VR-headset decreased the users accuracy and to a lesser extent also increased the time the user took to hit all targets. An argument was made that the longer previous experience with computer screen and mouse of most users gave this method an unfair advantage. With equally long training, VR use might score similar results. / Kommersiella VR-headset är en växande marknad, och med dem kommer allt fler digitala spel med stöd för VR. Hur spelare uppfattar spelmekaniken och hur väl de presterar i spelets uppgifter kan vara nyckelfaktorer för att designa nya spel. Syftet med detta examensarbete är att utvärdera om en användare kan utföra en speluppgift, specifikt prickskytte av måltavlor, snabbare och/eller mer noggrant när ett VR-headset används än jämför med datorskärm och mus. För att samla statistik och mäta skillnader, utfördes ett experiment med en testapplikation utvecklad jämsides med denna uppsats. Experimentet mätte hur noggrant och hur lång tid det tog 35 testpersoner att utföra testet, när de använde både VR och datorskärm. Den resulterande datan presenteras i resultatskapitlet i denna uppsats. Ett Kolmogorov-Smirnov normalitetstest och Student’s paired samples t-test utfördes på datan för att avgöra dess statistiska signifikans. Efter analysen gicks resultaten igenom, diskuterades och slutsatser drogs. Denna studie avgjorde att när experimentet genomfördes med VR-headset sänktes användarens pricksäkerhet och tiden det tog att träffa alla måltavlor ökade något. Ett argument fördes för att den långa föregående erfarenheten många har när det gäller datorskärm och mus gav metoden en orättvis fördel. Med lika lång träning i båda metoderna bör VR-metoden potentiellt kunna gelikvärdiga resultat.

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In light of the growing concern about the psychological impact of computer, console and handheld electronic games (digital games), this research explores the thoughts and thinking strategies of game players (gamers) during gameplay. It attempts to achieve this goal by means of using a form of verbal analysis based on the 'think out loud' method of Protocol Analysis. The recordings of gamers engaged in the 'think out loud' exercise during gameplay at a gaming networking session were transcribed and analyzed. These gamers participated in two different genres of games. The fist was a First-Person Shooter (FPS) and the second a Real Time Strategy (RTS). The content of the different transcripts were categorized using cognitive models and theories. From this process a nine category classification framework was developed. By dividing identified thought segments into these different categories, a quantitative frequency analysis was possible. This supplemented the overall qualitative exploration of gamers’ thoughts and thinking strategies. The results of this study indicate that different genres of games stimulate different concentrations of different types of thoughts. Overall these concentrations numerically classify gaming as an activity in terms of perception, cognition, emotion, and self immersion. It also indicated that each genre has its own unique influence and that each player is uniquely engaged. Besides providing insight into gamers’ thoughts and thinking strategies, this study also provides evidence that an adapted form of verbal analysis is suitable in exploring a visually absorbing activity such as gaming. / Dissertation (MA)--University of Pretoria, 2006. / Psychology / unrestricted

This master thesis researches parallel digital world design in computer games in the setting of An Ended World. The main focus of the research is the touchpoints between two or more worlds and how the inputs from a designer can influence the type of experience received by the player.The overall research takes inspiration from both game and interaction design and follows a very user-centric approach with numerous play sessions and a workshop. The final outcome is presented in the form of attributes and a prototype built as a modification for an existing game.

Interest in the use of digital games in education has been increasing over the past few decades. Advocates argue that digital games are powerful learning tools with the potential to support increased motivational, cognitive, behavioural, affective, physiological and social outcomes. However, empirical evidence for their effectiveness is mixed. Research has focused primarily on measuring the effect of games on learning in researcher-controlled experiments, whilst relatively less attention has been paid to the role of teachers. The thesis addresses the research gap by investigating how teachers in Swedish compulsory and upper secondary schools use digital games on their own initiative and how they develop their competencies. It also considers the challenges they face. Data from in-depth qualitative interviews and a mixed method survey are used to investigate the research questions. Both the data collection and analysis have been informed by activity theory. This is also used to problematise the adaptation of digital games as teaching and learning tools. In addition, the analysis explores teachers´ self-reported activities in relation to their disposition towards digital games. The findings show that a diversity of digital games and gamification tools have found a foothold in Swedish classrooms. The participating teachers are interested in introducing and further developing digital game-based approaches, though there are limitations in their use of gaming resources and the extent to which they can leverage these to achieve educational outcomes. The research identifies and discusses four general categories of teachers: non-game users, sceptics, curious adopters and advanced adopters. Results indicate that the more positive disposition of game-using teachers tends to be related to a higher level of pedagogical integration, a greater variety of game use, and a wider range of educational outcomes, as well as an interest in professional development. Digital game-based learning is often understood as the use of gamification tools in the form of quizzes, whereas complex games and longer gameplay are less typical. Whilst most teachers agree on the motivational benefits of digital games, not as many perceive them as effective in teaching new knowledge and cognitive skills. The introduction of digital games is hampered by the lack of access to relevant and good-quality products, financial resources, preparation time and adequate technology, as well as contextualised and flexible forms of professional development. These challenges hint at deeper issues with preexisting education structures. Future research should have a twofold focus: the development of adequate game resources that can support collaborative forms of learning and higher-level skills, and flexible and contextualised competence-development solutions for teachers which are relevant to their needs. The thesis contributes to the current literature by mapping the landscape of digital game-based learning in Swedish compulsory and upper secondary schools. It provides a nuanced understanding of the perspectives of teachers on digital game use and the opportunities and challenges presented by digital game-based learning.