Publication: Un modelo conceptual para el diseño de videojuegos educativos
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2014-12
Defense date
2014-12-10
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Abstract
La presente tesis doctoral se enmarca dentro del conjunto de trabajos relacionados con procesos de enseñanza-aprendizaje asistido por ordenador, y más concretamente en aquellos que hacen uso de videojuegos como medio y soporte para alcanzar las metas didácticas propuestas. A pesar de que distintos estudios sugieren que el uso de juegos de ordenador dentro de los procesos de aprendizaje puede reportar importantes beneficios en términos de motivación del alumno e incrementar el interés de los alumnos por el tema de estudio; la adopción de esta tecnología en el ámbito educativo se ha visto obstaculizada por la falta de modelos, métodos y herramientas que ayuden a reducir los elevados costes tradicionalmente asociados con la creación de este tipo de artefactos y la dificultad de obtener elementos que asocien de manera adecuada el propósito educativo y lúdico del juego.
El diseño de un videojuego educativo exitoso es una tarea que requiere de conocimientos técnicos y una variedad de habilidades en los diferentes aspectos que implica su diseño, y que aumenta con el tiempo debido a la complejidad y sofisticación de los actuales videojuegos. El objetivo final de esta tesis es asistir a educadores en el proceso de diseño de videojuegos que puedan dar soporte a actividades educativas. Con este fin, se propone un modelo conceptual para videojuegos educativos que permita especificar diseños de este tipo de artefactos de software que sean fácilmente adaptables y reusables. Un modelo de estas características servirá de soporte a la tarea de diseño del videojuego al permitir acelerar su definición a través de la reutilización de partes y componentes de diseños previos. El modelo propuesto toma en consideración los aspectos de un videojuego educativo considerados como más significativos en la literatura para conseguir una experiencia de juego educativa y lúdica, y define para cada uno de ellos, un conjunto de entidades de diseño a través de los cuales el educador puede describir un determinado diseño. Por otra parte, la organización de los elementos del modelo facilita la reutilización de las piezas de diseño previos de videojuegos educativos, lo que hará posible la rápida reproducción de nuevas variantes del mismo juego, que se pueden utilizar para que coincidan con diferentes propósitos de aprendizaje o dominios.
La completitud del modelo y la capacidad de reutilización y adaptación de los diseños especificados en términos de sus elementos, ha sido demostrada a través de un caso de estudio consistente en el diseño de un conjunto de videojuegos educativos para la preparación de niños en los procedimientos de respuesta a situaciones de emergencia. La validez del modelo y su capacidad para permitir la especificación de videojuegos que sirven a su propósito lúdico y educacional fue constatada a través de un segundo caso de estudio en el que estudiantes y alumnos de un colegio de primaria de Madrid hicieron uso de varios videojuegos implementados a partir de los diseños desarrollados en el primer caso.
El modelo propuesto podrá servir como punto de partida para el desarrollo de métodos de diseño y herramientas que den soporte de una manera más directa a educadores y diseñadores no solo durante la fase inicial de diseño, sino también a lo largo de la fase de producción, a través de herramientas de autoría, motores y plataformas de juego que puedan interpretar diseños especificados en términos de los elementos del modelo.
This thesis falls within the set of works related to processes of computer-assisted learning, and more specifically within those that make use of video games to achieve educational goals, also known as educational or serious games. Although various studies suggest that the use of computer based educational games can bring significant benefits in terms of student motivation and interest, the broad adoption of this technology in the field of education has been hampered by the lack of models, methods and tools that help to reduce the high costs traditionally associated with the creation of this type of artifacts and the difficulty of obtaining elements that combine properly the educational and recreational purpose of the game. The design of a successful educational videogame is a task that requires technical knowledge and a variety of skills in the different aspects involved in the design of videogames, which increases over time due to the complexity and sophistication of current technologies. The ultimate goal of this thesis is to assist educators in the design of videogames that can support educational activities. To this end, this thesis proposes a conceptual model for educational videogames that allows to specify designs that are easily customizable and reusable. A model with these characteristics will serve as support for the videogame design speeding up its definition through the reuse of parts and components of previous designs. The proposed model takes into consideration educational videogame aspects recognized frequently in the literature as fundamental to get an educational and entertaining gaming experience, and defines a set of entities of design through which the educator can describe a particular design for each of them. Moreover, the organization of the elements of the model facilitates the reuse of design parts of other educational videogames, what will make it possible the generation of new variants of the same game, used to match different learning purposes or domains. The completeness of the model and the ability to reuse and adapt the designs have been demonstrated through a case study consisting of the design of a set of educational videogames for the preparation of children in home and school risks. The validity of the model and its ability to allow the specification of videogames that serve its ludic and educational purpose was confirmed through a second case of study in which students and teachers of a primary school of Madrid made use of several video games, implemented from designs developed in the first case. The model proposed could serve as a base for the further development of design methods and tools that could support educators and designs during the production phase, for example by means of tools and platforms to create and interpret game designs specified in terms of the elements of the model.
This thesis falls within the set of works related to processes of computer-assisted learning, and more specifically within those that make use of video games to achieve educational goals, also known as educational or serious games. Although various studies suggest that the use of computer based educational games can bring significant benefits in terms of student motivation and interest, the broad adoption of this technology in the field of education has been hampered by the lack of models, methods and tools that help to reduce the high costs traditionally associated with the creation of this type of artifacts and the difficulty of obtaining elements that combine properly the educational and recreational purpose of the game. The design of a successful educational videogame is a task that requires technical knowledge and a variety of skills in the different aspects involved in the design of videogames, which increases over time due to the complexity and sophistication of current technologies. The ultimate goal of this thesis is to assist educators in the design of videogames that can support educational activities. To this end, this thesis proposes a conceptual model for educational videogames that allows to specify designs that are easily customizable and reusable. A model with these characteristics will serve as support for the videogame design speeding up its definition through the reuse of parts and components of previous designs. The proposed model takes into consideration educational videogame aspects recognized frequently in the literature as fundamental to get an educational and entertaining gaming experience, and defines a set of entities of design through which the educator can describe a particular design for each of them. Moreover, the organization of the elements of the model facilitates the reuse of design parts of other educational videogames, what will make it possible the generation of new variants of the same game, used to match different learning purposes or domains. The completeness of the model and the ability to reuse and adapt the designs have been demonstrated through a case study consisting of the design of a set of educational videogames for the preparation of children in home and school risks. The validity of the model and its ability to allow the specification of videogames that serve its ludic and educational purpose was confirmed through a second case of study in which students and teachers of a primary school of Madrid made use of several video games, implemented from designs developed in the first case. The model proposed could serve as a base for the further development of design methods and tools that could support educators and designs during the production phase, for example by means of tools and platforms to create and interpret game designs specified in terms of the elements of the model.
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Keywords
Enseñanza asistida por ordenador, Aprendizaje asistido por ordenador, Tecnología educativa, Videojuegos educativos