Many striking examples of highly motivating activities are introduced in computer games which illustrate many ways to use the unique capabilities of computers in creating motivating environments (Winn, 2008). This type of games adopts familiar game genres such as role play games where learning content is integrated into the structure of the game. Designers of such games motivate active problem-solving and support context-specific learning objectives by letting players explore the space of the game and employ their knowledge to satisfy game challenges.
Over recent years, a growing body of literature has emphasised the increasingly significant role serious games have across a range of educational contexts. After his math game, Harris (2008) concluded that a goal-oriented gameplay had boosted team interactions among students. Another example is “ASTRA EAGLE” serious game, that showed improved performance among groups playing the game compared to non-gaming groups. Another study made by Annetta et al. (2009), inspected the use of serious games on learning outcomes of genetics and emphasized its effectiveness. However, developing an effective serious game is not that easy. The optimization of the potential for experiential learning in serious games is very hard and challenging. The reason lies back the difficulty in developing an “authentic” learning environment that replicates a real-world experience and that gives students the chance to participate in situations that may be inaccessible in the real life (Barab et al., 2000).
Another challenge is keeping the balance between challenge and simplicity. The cognitive overload is undesirable in serious games and the simplicity is required for more learning and engaging game (Kiili, 2007). The meta-analysis conducted by Baptista and colleagues (2019) emphasizes the strong impact of ease of use on enjoyment. At the same time, the game should keep a suitable level of challenge for the learners (Csikszentmihalyi, 1990) as many studies stressed that lack of challenge is a typical reason for disengagement (Shernoff, 2010;2013). Furthermore, to make a game entertaining and engage players, games should be pleasantly frustrating, challenging without being boring or unmanageable (J. P. Gee, 2007), (Girard et al., 2013). In computer learning environments, boring content has negative impacts on learning and problem behaviour (Baker, 2010). Obtaining this balance between challenge and simplicity; challenge and boredom is too far from simple.
Another challenge results from the difficulty of attaining a balance between gameplay and pedagogy that is considered as the key of an effective serious game. Newbery (2016) states that Serious games are those that are not developed for entertainment purposes but exclusively for educational purposes. Designers Michael and Chen (2006) underline the significance of education in serious games in their definition: “a serious game is a game in which education (in its various forms) is the primary goal, rather than entertainment”. Zyda (2005) states that pedagogy is the element that differentiate a serious game form a video game that consists of story, art, and software. While pedagogy is vital for considering serious games as a learning tool, equally important is the attainment of player engagement. Zyda (2005) stressed “pedagogy must be subordinated to the scenario of the game” to emphasize the importance of strengthening the compromise between playfulness and educational aspect in a serious game.
Published by: Fatma Alrifi (10.06.2020)
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