1. The role of “mechanics” in the serious game design process.
Dr. Nick Degens

2. Associate Professor User-Centered Design
Dr. Nick Degens
Associate Professor User-Centered Design
Hanze University of Applied Sciences
Professorship User-Centered Design

3. Underground, 2015
Jumpy Car ADHD, 2014
Ludomedic, 2011

5. Schell, 2008

7. Three-Dimensional Model
Degens, Bril, Braad, 2014

8. Open-Ended Questions
Can we identify a number of salient dimensions of educational game design?
Can we use these dimensions to define important patterns in the interaction of users with the game and associated learning goals?
Can we improve and further formalise the design of educational games using these patterns?

9. Game vs. User Important questions:
What (kind of games) is the user interested in?
Is interaction a core aspect of the gameplay (vs. instrumental)?
How is the player motivated to continue playing the game?
Challenge?
Story?

10. Game vs. User
Progenitor-X, 2012

11. Game vs. User
Mario Teaches Typing, 1991

12. User vs. Learning Important questions:
What kind of feedback does the user receive (right type, place, time)?
Does the educational content align with the knowledge/skills of the user?
How does the educational content relate to real world activities?

13. Europa Universalis 4, 2013

14. Wally Bear and the NO! Gang, 1992

15. Game vs. Learning Important questions:
How are the game mechanics and the learning objectives aligned (are they even aligned)?
What is the balance between the entertainment and educational aspects of the game?

16. Rex Ronan: Experimental Surgeon, 1994

17. I.M. Meen, 1995

18. Code of Everand, 2009

19. Three Dimensions of Educational Game Design
There is a need to:
Explicitly formalise the learning objectives and the process in which users acquire new knowledge or skills
Explicitly formalise the core game mechanics
Explicitly formalise the capabilities of the user
and understand how these aspect relate to each other.

20. Analysis of Grand Prix Multiplication

21. Grand Prix Multiplication

22. Grand Prix Multiplication

23. Grand Prix Multiplication

24. Grand Prix Multiplication

25. Grand Prix Multiplication

26. Grand Prix Multiplication
What if the user does not know these rules?

27. Grand Prix Multiplication
Is this enough to motivate the player?

28. Grand Prix Multiplication
Does the user have enough time to reflect?

29. Analysis of Zombie Division

30. Analysis of Zombie Division

31. Analysis of Zombie Division

32. Analysis of Zombie Division

33. Analysis of Zombie Division

34. Analysis of Zombie Division

35. Analysis of Zombie Division
What if they don’t know the tables?

36. Analysis of Zombie Division
What if they don’t see the feedback (no time…)

37. Future steps

38. Future steps
How do we (automatically) adapt educational games to match the knowledge and skills of learners?

39. Future steps
How do we ensure that the gameplay mechanics ‘match’ the learning goals?

40. Take-home message
In addition to validating games ‘as a whole’ (which is expensive and time-consuming)…
… we should better understand the impact of game mechanics on different types of learning outcomes…
… so it will be easier to select new game mechanics for similar problems in the future.

41. Dr. Nick Degens Associate Professor User-Centered Design d. m
Dr. Nick Degens Associate Professor User-Centered Design