Developing a best practice approach to the design process of game-based learning and gamification applications

Abstract

This critical overview brings together both written and practical applications of Serious Games (SGs) and Gamification examples that were developed and published between the time period of 2011 to 2019, covering the researcher’s time working as a serious games’ designer and researcher at Coventry University. The critical overview presents the overall theory, processes and components that have made up the principle methodology (Trans-disciplinary Model) behind the design and development of these pieces of work. It provides a focused discussion as to the essential systems that have surfaced as best design and development approaches through a critical analysis of the creation process behind these examples. A further in-depth analysis of the process of understanding behind these essential systems is provided, alongside a discussion of why they were selected and adapted and how they were brought together to create a new trans-disciplinary design process that is developed and explained in Output 1 & 2 of the Prima Facie to provide guidance for other developers and researchers in the field. The critical overview goes on to present a digital game example (Output 3) that utilises the design approach of the Trans-disciplinary model and discusses how SimAULA was used to trial the adaptation of the LM-GM (learning mechanics to game mechanics mapping) approach into the LO-GO (learning objective to game objective mapping) to emphasise the learning process to game mapping process as one of the best practice methods to undertake in the design process.

Date of Award	Jul 2020
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	Coventry University
Supervisor	Sylvester Arnab (Supervisor)