Serious Games
2015-2016 - IMT6231 - 5 ECTS

Expected learning outcomes

On completion of this course the students will be able to conduct research in the use of game technology in traditional academic disciplines

The specific learning objectives are that the student should be able to:

Skills

• Critically appraise legal and ethical aspects of recording and storing personal data gathered in conjunction with gaming activity
• Evaluate user interface design, and to conduct rigorous analysis of human-computer interactions presented by such designs
• Evaluate and judge the effects of video games both in general and for specialised domains

Knowledge

• Have an in-depth understanding of the psychophysiology and psychometrics underlying serious game design
• Understand the range of game mechanics used in games to engage the user
• Understand the effects of games on player behaviour
• Identify and critically examine primary literature in the area of serious games

General Competence

• Ability to understand, analysis and contribute to academics discourse.
• Presentation of research in written and oral form
• Communication of academic research to the general public

Topic(s)

• Ethical considerations of using games to change behaviour
• Game interfaces
• Universal design
• Research methodologies for game interactions
• Game telemetry
• Game metrics
• AI evaluation techniques for "big data" from game telemetry
• Evaluation techniques for games research
• Ontological and Taxonomy development

Teaching Methods

Lectures
Group works
Net Support Learning
Meeting(s)/Seminar(s)

Teaching Methods (additional text)

Students will be able to participate in this course using distance learning and remote collaboration tools.

Form(s) of Assessment

Portfolio Assessment
Oral exam, individually

Form(s) of Assessment (additional text)

The student will present the results of the research review in a specific area of serious games. The oral presentation will count toward the final grade. The portfolio is the written report that accompanies the presentation. This could include implementation, demonstration, interactive experimentation in addition to the traditional written report. All parts of the assessment must be passed to pass the course

Grading Scale

Pass/Failure

External/internal examiner

Two internal examiners, one of them is replaced by an external examiner every third year. External examiner next time in 2017.

Re-sit examination

Ordinary re-sit regulations.

Examination support

None

Coursework Requirements

None

Teaching Materials

• Rules of Play: Game Design Fundamentals, Katie Salen, Eric Zimmerman
• What Video Games Have to Teach Us About Learning and Literacy. Second Edition, James Paul Gee Recent research:
• Affective Ludology: Scientific Measurement of User Experience in Interactive Entertainment, Ph.D. Thesis, Lennart E. Nacke (2009)