Study Guide

Objective

After completing the course, the student will be able to:
- Engage in theoretical discussions about games that are not only for entertainment
- Apply known success factors of serious games to the design and development of a serious game
- Describe and implement a serious game as part of a learning environment
- Apply a basic understanding of human motivation to the design of solutions aimed at increased user engagement with underlying business processes
- Build and implement solutions for increased user engagement with underlying business processes
- Evaluate the effectiveness of serious games and gamification solutions

Content

- Serious game development frameworks
- Gamification development frameworks
- The psychology of learning and how this relates to serious game development
- Academic literature that highlights and explains human motivation as the basis for gamification
- Various game design and game development tools
- Evaluation techniques and methodologies for evaluating serious games and gamification solutions

Materials

Due to the ongoing developments in the field of Game Testing, recommended literature and further resources will be provided as part of the lecture material at the appropriate timing. This ensures that students are kept abreast with the latest testing techniques and trends.

Teaching methods

Learning on this course combines instructivist (20-25%), constructivist (50%) and connectivist (25-30%) learning methods, implying that students will receive instruction during contact sessions while also being responsible for their own development in the field of serious games and gamification. Students will complete a practical project, where peer-assisted learning will be encouraged through various e-communication channels.

This course is a collaboration with the University of Turku and we will use the Moodle learning platform.

Students are able to access Moodle using their Haka accounts (TUAS account credentials).

Exam schedules

This course has no formal exam.

International connections

This course leans on CDIO principles and takes a project-based learning approach.

Completion alternatives

Depending on the COVID19 situation and also on the policies of TUAS and UTU regarding COVID19, we have the option to revert to online lecturing, if needed.

Student workload

This course has contact sessions as per your academic calendar scheduling and material will be made available online via the Moodle platform.

This course is 5 ECTS - students are expected to work 135 hours:
- Contact sessions (10 to 20 hours)
- Independent reading and research (25 to 35 hours)
- Practical experiential learning (80 to 100 hours) - this includes time for doing assignments

Content scheduling

This course covers the following topics related to Serious Games and Gamification:
- Theory of Gamification
- Theory of Serious Games
- Theory of learning and motivation
- Workflow of a gamification or serious games project
- UI design for mobile and an overview of mock-up tools
- Player types and their psychology
- Ethics of serious games and gamification
Each topic will be covered in the weekly lectures.
The second session will be dedicated to introducing your customer and customer project that forms the practical work of the course.

Further information

Lab times for practical work and support are scheduled for the same days (but in the afternoons) as your lecture sessions.

Evaluation scale

H-5

Assessment methods and criteria

The assessment for this course relies on the completion of a group gamification or serious game project. There are also several smaller tasks that will monitor participation and progress.
The group project is assessed by:
- Lecturer evaluation of applied serious game or gamification principles;
- Customer evaluation of the practical value of the project result; and
- Peer- and self-assessment

The course grade comprises the average of the three project assessments, whereby individual grades may be influenced by the peer- and self-assessment.

The course progress tasks do not contribute to the final grade, but are mandatory (ALL tasks must be completed). Missing any of the tasks will result in failing the course.

Assessment criteria, fail (0)

No project was demonstrated at the end of the course.
All progress tasks were not completed.