Los “serious games” como herramienta docente para el fomento del emprendimiento:concurso e-mprende UPV/EHU

La sociedad está sometida a un proceso de cambio constante y las metodologías docentes deben adaptarse también a estos cambios. Hemos decidido realizar el presente Trabajo de Fin de Grado con el fin de poner en valor la utilidad de las metodologías docentes más innovadoras que consigan adaptar la docencia a la sociedad moderna. Así pues, explicamos lo que son los Serious Games y los usos que pueden tener en la docencia desde el punto de vista del emprendimiento empresarial. Como ejemplo más cercano de Serious Game, utilizamos el simulador del concurso E-mprende, un concurso diseñado para estudiantes que enfrenta a los usuarios a través de un Simulador empresarial. Se trata de un Business Game desarrollado entre otros por la Universidad del País Vasco que intenta enseñar a los jugadores lo que es dirigir una empresa de nueva creación dándoles el control virtual de la misma a través de una plataforma web donde deberán tomar una serie de rondas de decisiones. Para comenzar, realizamos un análisis bibliográfico con el fin de dar una correcta explicación de lo que son los juegos, los Serious Games y los Business Games. Básicamente, un Serious Game se diferencia de un Juego ordinario en su finalidad. Mientras que un juego ordinario se ha diseñado con el único fin de divertir, el Juego Serio también tiene el objetivo de formar, entrenar o educar. Por su parte, Un Business Game es un Serious Game diseñado para el ámbito de los negocios en el que se pretende formar al jugador en materia de empresas. Realizando ese análisis bibliográfico, obtenemos una serie de conclusiones que podremos contrastar utilizando como ejemplo el simulador del concurso emprende. Para conseguir datos totalmente verídicos, elaboramos un cuestionario a medida destinado a los participantes del concurso que se entregó al finalizar el concurso. Dado que este Trabajo de Fin de Grado se enmarca en el ámbito del emprendimiento, lo que nos interesa contrastar por encima de todo es si el hecho de participar en un Business Game como el del concurso E-mprende ayuda a fomentar el espíritu emprendedor en el alumno más allá de complementar conocimientos teóricos y prácticos, lo cual no deja de ser importante.

Performance assessment in serious games: Compensating for the effects of randomness

This paper is about performance assessment in serious games. We conceive serious gaming as a process of player-lead decision taking. Starting from combinatorics and item-response theory we provide an analytical model that makes explicit to what extent observed player performances (decisions) are blurred by chance processes (guessing behaviors). We found large effects both theoretically and practically. In two existing serious games random guess scores were found to explain up to 41% of total scores. Monte Carlo simulation of random game play confirmed the substantial impact of randomness on performance. For valid performance assessments, be it in-game or post-game, the effects of randomness should be included to produce re-calibrated scores that can reasonably be interpreted as the players´ achievements.

Evaluation of Serious Games: A Holistic Approach

Digital games constitute a major emerging technology that is expected to enter mainstream educational use within a few years. The highly engaging and motivating character of such games bears great potential to support immersive, meaningful, and situated learning experiences. To seize this potential, meaningful quality and impact measurements are indispensible. Although there is a growing body of evidence on the efficacy of games for learning, evaluation is often poorly designed, incomplete, biased, if not entirely absent. Well-designed evaluations demonstrating the educational effect as well as the return on investment of serious games may foster broader adoption by educational institutions and training providers, and support the development of the serious game industry. The European project RAGE introduces a comprehensive and multi-perspective framework for serious game evaluation, which is presented in this paper.

Design guidelines for developing customised serious games for parkinson's disease rehabilitation using bespoke game sensors

The research presented in this paper proposes a set of design guidelines in the context of a Parkinson's Disease (PD) rehabilitation design framework for the development of serious games for the physical therapy of people with PD. The game design guidelines provided in the paper are informed by the study of the literature review and lessons learned from the pilot testing of serious games designed to suit the requirements of rehabilitation of patients with Parkinson's Disease. The proposed PD rehabilitation design framework employed for the games pilot testing utilises a low-cost, customized and off-the-shelf motion capture system (employing commercial game controllers) developed to cater for the unique requirement of the physical therapy of people with PD. Although design guidelines have been proposed before for the design of serious games in health, this is the first research paper to present guidelines for the design of serious games specifically for PD motor rehabilitation.

Human Computer Interaction using gestures for mobile devices and serious games: A review

The Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) with interfaces is an active challenge field in the industry over the past decades and has opened the way to communicate with the means of verbal, hand and body gestures using the latest technologies for a variety of different applications in areas such as video games, training and simulation. However, accurate recognition of gestures is still a challenge. In this paper, we review the basic principles and current methodologies used for collecting the raw gesture data from the user for recognize actions the users perform and the technologies currently used for gesture-HCI in games enterprise. In addition, we present a set of projects from various applications in games industry that are using gestural interaction.

Digital serious games and simulation games - comparison of two approaches to lean training

In an increasingly competitive and globalized world, companies need effective training methodologies and tools for their employees. However, selecting the most suitable ones is not an easy task. It depends on the requirements of the target group (namely time restrictions), on the specificities of the contents, etc. This is typically the case for training in Lean, the waste elimination manufacturing philosophy. This paper presents and compares two different approaches to lean training methodologies and tools: a simulation game based on a single realistic manufacturing platform, involving production and assembly operations that allows learning by playing; and a digital game that helps understand lean tools. This paper shows that both tools have advantages in terms of trainee motivation and knowledge acquisition. Furthermore, they can be used in a complementary way, reinforcing the acquired knowledge.

A mobile robot platform for open learning based on serious games and remote laboratories

Within the pedagogical community, Serious Games have arisen as a viable alternative to traditional course-based learning materials. Until now, they have been based strictly on software solutions. Meanwhile, research into Remote Laboratories has shown that they are a viable, low-cost solution for experimentation in an engineering context, providing uninterrupted access, low-maintenance requirements, and a heightened sense of reality when compared to simulations. This paper will propose a solution where both approaches are combined to deliver a Remote Laboratory-based Serious Game for use in engineering and school education. The platform for this system is the WebLab-Deusto Framework, already well-tested within the remote laboratory context, and based on open standards. The laboratory allows users to control a mobile robot in a labyrinth environment and take part in an interactive game where they must locate and correctly answer several questions, the subject of which can be adapted to educators' needs. It also integrates the Google Blockly graphical programming language, allowing students to learn basic programming and logic principles without needing to understand complex syntax.

Serious Games para el desarrollo de las competencias del siglo XXI

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Combining qualitative and quantitative methods to analyze serious games outcomes: A pilot study for a new cognitive screening tool

Computer games for a serious purpose - so called serious games can provide additional information for the screening and diagnosis of cognitive impairment. Moreover, they have the advantage of being an ecological tool by involving daily living tasks. However, there is a need for better comprehensive designs regarding the acceptance of this technology, as the target population is older adults that are not used to interact with novel technologies. Moreover given the complexity of the diagnosis and the need for precise assessment, an evaluation of the best approach to analyze the performance data is required. The present study examines the usability of a new screening tool and proposes several new outlines for data analysis.

Assessing fun in serious games: Formative evaluation of games from two diabetes prevention interventions

Purpose. To determine the usability of two video games to prevent type 2 diabetes and obesity among youth through analysis of data collected during alpha-testing. ^ Subjects. Ten children aged 9 to 12 were selected for three 2-hour alpha testing sessions.^ Methods. "Escape from Diab" and "Nanoswarm" were designed to change dietary and physical inactivity behaviors, based on a theoretical framework of mediating variables obtained from social cognitive theory, self-determination theory, elaboration likelihood model, and behavioral inoculation theory. Thirteen mini-games developed by the software company were divided into 3 groups based on completion date. Children tested 4-5 mini-games in each of three sessions. Observed game play was followed by a scripted interview. Results from observation forms and interview transcripts were tabulated and coded to determine usability. Suggestions for game modifications were delivered to the software design firm, and a follow-up table reports rationale for inclusion or exclusion of such modifications.^ Results. Participants were 50% frequent video game players and 20% non game-players. Most (60%) were female. The mean grade (indicating likeability as a subset of usability) across all games given by children was significantly greater than a neutral grade of 80% (89%, p < 0.01), indicating a positive likeability score. The games on average also received positive ratings for fun, helpfulness of instructions and length compared to neutral values (midpoint on likert scales) (all p < 0.01). Observation notes indicated that participants paid attention to the instructions, did not appear to have much difficulty with the games, and were "not frustrated", "not bored", "very engaged", "not fidgety" and "very calm" (all p < 0.01). The primary issues noted in observations and interviews were unclear instructions and unclear purpose of some games. Player suggestions primarily involved ways to make on screen cues more visible or noticeable, instructions more clear, and games more elaborate or difficult.^ Conclusions. The present study highlights the importance of alpha testing video game components for usability prior to completion to enhance usability and likeability. Results indicate that creating clear instructions, making peripheral screen cues more eye-catching or noticeable, and vigorously stating the purpose of the game to improve understandability are important elements. However, future interventions will each present unique materials and user-interfaces and should therefore also be thoroughly alpha-tested. ^

Panorámica: serious games, gamification y mucho más

La relación entre los videojuegos y el mundo de la educación es y ha sido tormentosa, con amores y odios, con sus altibajos. Pero lo que es indudable es que los videojuegos son una realidad en el mundo actual y una potente industria. Y además, los juegos siempre han jugado un papel fundamental en la educación. Aunque su incorporación a la actividad académica no ha sido todo lo ágil que hubiera sido conveniente, los videojuegos ya forman parte de la universidad. En este artículo vamos a presentar algunas de las iniciativas que hemos llevado a cabo desde que en el año 2002 incorporamos los videojuegos en nuestras actividades académicas, tanto docentes como investigadoras. MadUniversity es un videojuego que dio lugar a varios proyectos final de carrera de la Ingeniería en Informática. Screaming Racers es un videojuego diseñado y desarrollado para ser utilizado como plataforma de experimentación de técnicas en inteligencia artificial basadas en la neuroevolución. The Conference Interpreter (CoIn) es un videojuego para la práctica del inglés desarrollado para apoyar una tesis doctoral. GameLearning es una colección de minijuegos conceptuales para la adquisición de habilidades directivas. ABPgame es la aplicación de la metodología basada en proyectos a varias asignaturas de las titulaciones de Ingeniería en Informática y del Grado en Ingeniería Multimedia que realizan un proyecto común: un videojuego. PLMan es un sistema gamificado que ayuda a desarrollar habilidades de pensamiento lógico, a través del lenguaje Prolog. Nuestro objetivo es mostrar la utilidad de los videojuegos y sus múltiples aplicaciones en el entorno universitario: como objetos de aprendizaje por medio de videojuegos educativos (serious games); como proyectos informáticos complejos para ser desarrollados por nuestros estudiantes; como entorno de experimentación para comprobar la validez de las investigaciones en inteligencia artificial; y finalmente como filosofía a aplicar al campo de la educación, lo que se ha etiquetado como gamificación.

Serious games for energy social science research

This paper proposes a set of criteria for evaluation of serious games (SGs) which are intended as effective methods of engaging energy users and lowering consumption. We discuss opportunities for using SGs in energy research which go beyond existing feedback mechanisms, including use of immersive virtual worlds for learning and testing behaviours, and sparking conversations within households. From a review of existing SG evaluation criteria, we define a tailored set of criteria for energy SG development and evaluation. The criteria emphasise the need for the game to increase energy literacy through applicability to real-life energy use/management; clear, actionable goals and feedback; ways of comparing usage socially and personal relevance. Three existing energy games are evaluated according to this framework. The paper concludes by outlining directions for future development of SGs as an effective tool in social science research, including games which inspire reflection on trade-offs and usage at different scales.