=Paper=
{{Paper
|id=Vol-1682/CoSeCiVi16_paper_1
|storemode=property
|title=Platform-Driven Design for Serious Games, Collaboration and Multilayer methodology
|pdfUrl=https://ceur-ws.org/Vol-1682/CoSeCiVi16_paper_1.pdf
|volume=Vol-1682
|authors=Abdelali Slimani,Mateu Sbert,Fatiha Elouaai,Mohammed Bouhorma
|dblpUrl=https://dblp.org/rec/conf/cosecivi/SlimaniSEB16
}}
==Platform-Driven Design for Serious Games, Collaboration and Multilayer methodology==
https://ceur-ws.org/Vol-1682/CoSeCiVi16_paper_1.pdf
Platform-Driven Design for serious games,
Collaboration and Multilayer methodology
Abdelali Slimani1,*, Mateu Sbert2, Fatiha Elouaai3 and Mohammed Bouhorma4
1,3,4
Computer science, systems and telecommunication Laboratory (LIST)
Faculty of sciences and technologies, University Abdelmalek Essaadi, Tangier,
Morocco {slimani.abdelali, elouaaif, bouhorma} @gmail.com
2
Institut d’Informàtica i Aplicacions, Universitat de Girona, Spain,
2
School of Computer Science and Technology, Tianjin University,
mateusbert@mac.com
Abstract. The multilayer methodology involves several concepts for serious
game design; it can increase the collaboration between several actors of design,
obtaining a more efficient serious game. Although it requires a specific envi-
ronment to provide an effective assistance and visibility during the development
of serious games, it improves on the combination of learning and entertainment
fields. In this paper, we present the multilayer methodology and how can actors
collaborate to provide an effective design, then, we study the implementation of
the methodology on an online platform. This methodology can make the design
process more structured and improve the collaboration purpose. Finally, we
propose a new environment of serious game design.
Keywords: serious game, design, multilayer methodology, collaboration,
online platform.
1 Introduction
Serious games provide an effective tool to engage participants on active learning pro-
cess, they increase the learner attention and make learning more efficient compared to
traditional methods [1]. Nowadays, serious game industry becomes more popular and
improves their application in several fields such as health, military, economy, and
management. In these issues, recently a big effort has been undertaken to find a coher-
ent model that combines experts of these fields and game designers for the design of
serious games enhanced learning solutions[2].
Multilayer methodology highlighted a new approach to support the collaborative de-
sign on serious games, and engage the domain experts, designers and players to design
and evaluate game prototypes [3]. However, their application requires a practical
environment to facilitate the communication between actors and storing the design
data of the several prototypes achieved. In this perspective, the current study proposes
an online platform dedicated to multilayer methodology to provide a more efficient
serious game. In this paper, we present the multilayer methodology and how can
actors collaborate to provide an effective design, then, we study the implementation of
the methodology on an online platform, this methodology can make the design process
more structured and improve the collaboration purpose. Finally, we propose the new
environment of serious game design.
2 Multilayer methodology
Multi-layer methodology (see-Fig.1) provides an evaluation support to design serious
games, it focus on a collaborative framework to engage concerned experts, designers
and players to promote reflection and efficiency analysis of serious games design [3].
They follow the reflection on design, play, and experience concepts [4] to analyze a
serious game; the actor comes up with the goals for the resulting experience to guide
the design, defining the context that arises when the player uses the game, and specify-
ing mechanics to measure the effectiveness of the design once implemented. The as-
sessment and debriefing layers provides an effective visibility and assistance for the
expert actor during the achievement of the serious game. He can proceed in a more
formative and summary way to make serious game genuinely beneficial.
Fig. 1. Multilayer Framework
The multilayer methodology proposes a practical guideline (see Fig.5) adapted to
each reflection state (design, play, and experience) and design layer (learning, story,
gameplay, experimentation, debriefing and assessment). It involves the approach of a
design on layers to bring together the separated stages and steps of design and analysis
with the purpose to simplify the evaluation issue. It starts by defining the objectives
and pedagogical content of learning, follows by analyzing the integration of pedagogy
through an entertainment story, by describing player interactions and scoring rules on
the gameplay, and by inspecting the engagement of game object in the experimenta-
tion. Then the debriefing layer collects the player results and feedback. Finally, the
assessment layer evaluates each layer result and provides the required evolutions, it
focus on several criteria such as learning content, play rules, motivation, feedback,
and game integration.
The purpose of the evaluation is to reveal the quality, efficacy, efficiency, adapta-
bility and utility of the serious game design. To accomplish this purpose, the evalua-
tion has to be executed carefully and rigorously.
LEARNING STORY GAMEPLAY EXPERIMEN DEBRIEFING
TATION
EXPERIENCE EXPERIENCE EXPERIENCE EXPERIENCE EXPERIENCE
Competence Player story Player emotions Engagement Debriefing goal
PLAY PLAY PLAY PLAY PLAY
-Tasks, subtasks -Scenario (Game -Flow behavior Interactivity (player -Result (Score,
-Didactical intention events, missions, (game attitude, inputs) time, efficient)
-Didactical strategy Game environment) control, player -Mark (Low, high)
-Tools: Hierarchical avatar) -Advices (Replay,
representa- next level, finish)
tion (ISIS)
-Game Structure
DESIGN DESIGN DESIGN DESIGN DESIGN
-Learning condi- -Game story, -Interaction rules -Game objects -Context,
tions (learning -Type of story, (operations, choic- (action, sound, -Player specification
context, play con- -Character, es, challenges, animation, motion, (Reference),
text) -Setting and narra- goals) appearance, imag- -Type (Junior,
-Motivational tive -Game scoring es) senior, expert)
factors, rules -Game theme (art
-Rules, benefits, requirement)
rewards, penalties. Attribute (vital,
-Player style (single, solidity state, mass,
cooperative, com- inventory state)
petitive)
-Pedagogical
objectives and
content.
-Player type (age,
interest)
-Interactional
situations.
Entertainment
ASSESSMENT
LEARNING STORY GAMEPLAY EXPERIMENTATI DEBRIEFIN
Content, Mistakes, Freedom, rules & ON G
Motivation failure & emo- feedback, mistakes, Mistakes, failure Player feed-
(competence, tional aspects, ENTERTAINMENT
failure & emotional & emotional back, Tutor
autonomy, motivation aspects, game inte- aspects, game feedback
relatedness) (autonomy, gration, motivation integration
relatedness) (competence, auton-
omy, relatedness)
Fig. 2. Multilayer methodology
3 Multilayer platform
The multilayer platform provides a specific tool to serious game design; it focuses on
multilayer methodology to support the collaboration between designers, domain ex-
perts, and players. In this perspective, our platform proposes an environment of assis-
tance structured on layers. Fig. 3 provides the database schema implemented to
achieve the multilayer platform.
LearningScore
- revelantContent : double
Debriefing - suitedContent : double
Learning - adaptedContent : double
- satisfactionPlayer : double GamePlayScore
- realizingCompetence : String[] - intrinsicContent : double
- commentPlayer : String
- learnerSpecification : String[] - goals : double - freedom : double
- satisfactionTutor : double
- didacticalPedagogy : String[] - achievements : double - levelControl : double
- commentTutor : String
- learningTasks : String[] - challenge : double - feedback : double
- gameStructure : String[] - strategy : double - rulesAcceptable : double
- playerStyle : String[] - competition : double - rulesClear : double
- contents : String[] - collaboration : double - rulesRevelant : double
- learningConditions : String[] - mistakes : double
- actionFeedback : String[] - feeling : double
- motivationalFactors : String[] - debriefing : double
- interactionalSituation : String[] - goals : double
- level : double
- choices : double
0..* Story - strategy : double
- competition : double
- playerstory : String - rewards : double
- gameEnvironment : String - collaboration : double
Layer Assessment
- personage : String
0..*
- event : String - id : int - id : int
- mission : String - lable : String 1..1 - layer : string StroyScore
- gameStory : String - result : double
- projectiveIdentity : double
- typeStory : String
- humor : double
- characters : String
- gameEnvironmentAttractive : double
- personageView : String
- gameEnvironmentAttractiveUserFriendly : double
- avatar : String
- fantasy : double
0..* Gameplay
- playerEmotions : String ExperimentationScore
- behaviors : String
0..1 - projectiveIdentity : double
0..1 - control : String
Experimentation - beginningGame : double
- levelsPlay : String
KnowledgeBase 0..1 - endGame : double
- interactionRules : String - engagement : String
- id : int - scoreRules : String - interactiveTools : String
0..*
- label : String 0..1
- objectModelingView : String
- value : int - log : String
0..*
Fig. 3. Multilayer database schema
Learning overview provides the domain-specific knowledge and learning outcomes
achieved through the serious game. Following the multilayer platform, the expert
selects on the experience box the learner targets and the learning outcomes, and then
he focuses on play box to specify pedagogical concepts and tasks involved to achieve
the final goals, finally the design box highlights the learner preferences and the learn-
ing conditions to support the learning process on serious game.
Story interface helps the designer to define the correlation between the pedagogy and
game play, the serious game scenario combines pedagogy and entertainment that at-
tracts the learner attention to play more, and learn while he plays. The designer de-
fines on the platform the player story experience, then he presents on the play box the
global scenario view specifying the flow chart, which relates events, missions, and
story environment, finally the design box provides the specification of designer story
that produces the game scenario.
The gameplay form provides the game and scoring roles that support the flow experi-
ence of the player. In this layer, the designer stresses in “experience” the final player
emotions experienced, then he defines on “play” box the game behavior, control com-
ponents, and the play levels. Finally, the “design” highlights the interaction and scor-
ing rules, choices and challenges.
The experimentation provides technical specifications of user interface represented on
the game. In this layer, the designer interacts on the multi-layer platform to define
player engagement on the “experience” box, and then, he specifies the interactive
tools on the “play” box, finally the “design” box provides the game objects, modeling
view, and the player log.
The debriefing on multilayer platform refers to the real evaluation of the game product
on learning room, the players interacting with the serious game and the teacher col-
lecting the scores and player feedback. Our platform provides a debriefing form to fill
the real feedback of player and tutor.
Our platform involves an evaluation form related to the multilayer framework and
helps the expert to provide feedback on the serious game. It provides an adapted eval-
uation for each layer of design: (1) learning, (2) story, (3) gameplay and (4) experi-
mentation. The purpose of this proposal is to assess the mechanism quality, efficacy,
efficiency, adaptability and utility.
4 User interface
The user interface provides an online tool to interact with the multilayer methodology
and make a collaboration design for serious game. Fig. 4 and Fig .5 highlight an over-
view of the multilayer platform.
Fig. 4. Learning layer
Fig. 5. Learning assessment.
5 Conclusion
The multilayer platform provides a powerful tool to support collaborative design
through serious games; it focuses on multilayer methodology to engage several actors
of design on the platform. In the future, we expect to highlight an expert system to
assist designers and experts to provide a good analysis and evaluation for their serious
game design
References
[1] A. H. Maslow and R. Frager, Motivation and personality. Harper and Row, 1987.
[2] B. Schmitz, A. Czauderna, R. Klemke, and M. Specht, “Game Based Learning for Com-
puter Science Education,” in Proceedings of Computer Science Education Research Con-
ference, Heerlen, The Netherlands, 2011, pp. 81–88.
[3] A. Slimani, O. Bakkali, F. Elouaai, and M. Bouhorma, “Toward a design approach for
serious games,” presented at the International Workshop on E-Learning & Innovative
Pedagogies, 2015.
[4] I. Marfisi-Schottman, A. Sghaier, S. George, F. Tarpin-Bernard, and P. Prévôt, “Towards
industrialized conception and production of serious games,” ArXiv Prepr.
ArXiv09114262, 2009.