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. 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