Learning in chemistry laboratories has long been challenging due to the complex nature of the learning environment and tasks that students engage with. Therefore, it is important to develop useful tools for prelab and follow-up activities besides the hands-on lab time for better management of the learners' cognitive load. In this paper, we…

Recent years have seen an emergence of social emotional computer games for individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). These games are heterogeneous in design with few underpinned by theoretically informed approaches to computer-based interventions. Guided by the serious game framework outlined by Whyte et al. (Journal of Autism and…

Digital games can be used as allies to support and motivate the learning process. Many researchers focus their studies on the so-called Serious Games (SG), which are games whose primary objective is not solely entertainment. What happens, however, is that these games end up being far from children´s expectations, especially when compared to…

Developer-friendly professional authoring tools have greatly simplified entertainment videogame development. However, this simplification had a limited impact on serious games, which require the active collaboration of developers with educators and other stakeholders. To address this issue, we present uAdventure, an easy-to-use game development…

Game-based learning environments typically elicit a variety of emotions; however, the influence of emotions on game-based learning is basically underemphasized. This study sought to investigate how emotions are related to science learning in a gaming context. "Humunology," an educational game for learning about the human immune system,…

Serious games are designed to improve learning instead of providing only entertainment. Serious games analytics can be used for understanding and enhancing the quality of learning with serious games. One challenge in developing the computerized support for learning is that learning of skills varies between players. Appropriate algorithms are…

Design thinking is an important concept presented in entrepreneurship education. However, the cognitive aspect of design thinking has been neglected by business teaching and learning practices. The aim of this paper is to present a game-based pedagogy to support the cognitive aspect of design thinking and to promote this approach as an alternative…

Serious games for learning have received increased attention in recent years. However, empirical studies on students' gaming experiences throughout the developmental process of serious games and discussions regarding game design are missing. The aims of the present study were to analyze students' gaming experiences while playing four consecutive…

The present article attempts to reinterpret the findings of most recent studies investigating effect of using games for teaching purposes. A methodological approach combining a meta-analysis of quantitative data with qualitative ones was adopted in order to present the broadest picture of the current research on educational use of games. To this…

Regular contributors James and Toby Russo return with a sixth principle for educationally-rich mathematical games--almost all mathematical games have the potential to be transformed into an investigation. This article builds on their earlier piece with Leicha A Bragg (APMC 23(3), 30-34). [For "Five Principles of Educationally Rich…

This study examines the impact of a mobile game app on science museum visitors' level of engagement with exhibit content, compared to a non game-based version of the same app. Ask Dr. Discovery (Dr. D) is a question-asking app containing two versions: a Game Mode employing casual game mechanics and an Ask Mode providing a baseline version. We…

The current study investigated predictors of shallow versus deep learning within a serious game known as Operation ARA. This game uses a myriad of pedagogical features including multiple-choice tests, adaptive natural language tutorial conversations, case-based reasoning, and an E-text to engage students. The game teaches 11 topics in research…

Learners in the higher education context who engage with computer-based gamified learning systems often experience the novelty effect: a pattern of high activity during the gamified system's introduction followed by a drop in activity a few weeks later, once its novelty has worn off. We applied a two-tiered motivational, online gamified learning…

Lost & Found is a tabletop-to-mobile game series designed for teaching medieval religious legal systems. The long-term goals of the project are to change the discourse around religious laws, such as foregrounding the prosocial aspects of religious law such as collaboration, cooperation, and communal sustainability. This design case focuses on…

21st Century Standards and the Deeper Learning movement emphasize the ability to think critically and solve complex problems, to work well in teams, and to communicate effectively. While traditional classroom activities can meet these objectives, digital games and simulations provide unique affordances. When designed to incorporate formative…