Towards User-generated Microgames for Supporting Learning: An Investigative Exploration

Imam Fitri Rahmadi; Zsolt Lavicza; Tony Houghton

doi:10.30935/cedtech/10785

Imam Fitri Rahmadi ¹ ^* , Zsolt Lavicza ², Tony Houghton ²

More Detail

CONT ED TECHNOLOGY, Volume 13, Issue 3, Article No: ep299

https://doi.org/10.30935/cedtech/10785

Submitted: 08 September 2020, Published Online: 18 March 2021

OPEN ACCESS 2638 Views 1515 Downloads

Download Full Text (PDF)

Abstract

Educational games have great potential for learning, however the potential of user-generated microgames for supporting learning is still not completely understood. The present study reviews the design quality of user-generated microgames based on microgame design fundamentals and explores the potential of the games for facilitating learning from the perspective of elementary teachers in terms of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. This is exploratory research organised within the GeoGebra application and with the participation of elementary teachers in Indonesia. The study found that the games met the microgame design fundamentals but the mechanics and aesthetics were in need of some improvements. The major strength of the games is simplicity for learning, however their user interfaces are their major weakness. Learning resources and environments in Indonesian elementary schools are relatively supportive of games integration into learning processes whilst senior teachers and rural areas are less so. These findings suggest users should pay more attention to audios, visuals and special effects as well as winning conditions when creating microgames in open platforms. It is of pivotal importance to provide playing instructions and games that fit to mobile screens. Furthermore, teachers have to carefully select the games and consider the context before utilising user-generated microgames for assisting learning.

Keywords: user-generated microgames, microgame-based learning, microgame design fundamentals, exploratory study

References

About GeoGebra. (2020, January 14). GeoGebra. Retrieved from https://www.geogebra.org/about
Ahmad, M. (2020). Categorizing Game Design Elements into Educational Game Design Fundamentals. In I. Deliyannis (Ed.), Game Design and Intelligent Interaction (pp. 1-17). IntechOpen. https://doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.89971
Ahmad, S., Bouras, C., Hamzaoui, R., Papazois, A., Perelman, E., Shani, A., Simon, G., & Tsichritzis, G. (2010). The community network game project: Enriching online gamers experience with user generated content. CONTENT 2010: Second International Conference on Creative Content Technologies, 2, 1-6. Retrieved from https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00632788
Bellotti, F., Berta, R., De Gloria, A., Ferretti, E., & Margarone, M. (2004). Microgames for a compelling interaction with the cultural heritage. Archives & Museum Informatics, 2, 1-16.
Boyce, A., Campbell, A., Pickford, S., Culler, D., & Barnes, T. (2012). Maximizing learning and guiding behavior in free play user generated content environments. Proceedings of the 17th ACM Annual Conference on Innovation and Technology in Computer Science Education, 17, 10-15. https://doi.org/10.1145/2325296.2325303
Boyce, A., Doran, K., Campbell, A., Pickford, S., Culler, D., & Barnes, T. (2011). Social user generated content’s effect on creativity in educational games. Proceedings of the 8th ACM Conference on Creativity and Cognition, 8, 317-318. https://doi.org/10.1145/2069618.2069675
Brom, C., Levčík, D., Buchtová, M., & Klement, D. (2015). Playing educational micro-games at high schools: Individually or collectively? Computers in Human Behavior, 48, 682-694. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2015.02.025
Brom, C., Preuss, M., & Klement, D. (2011). Are educational computer micro-games engaging and effective for knowledge acquisition at high-schools? A quasi-experimental study. Computers & Education, 57(3), 1971-1988. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2011.04.007
Casey, S., Kirman, B., & Rowland, D. (2007). The gopher game: A social, mobile, locative game with user generated content and peer review. Proceedings of the International Conference on Advances in Computer Entertainment Technology, 7, 9-16. https://doi.org/10.1145/1255047.1255050
Chen, C.-H. (2008). Why Do Teachers Not Practice What They Believe Regarding Technology Integration? The Journal of Educational Research, 102(1), 65-75. https://doi.org/10.3200/JOER.102.1.65-75
Connolly, T. M., Boyle, E. A., MacArthur, E., Hainey, T., & Boyle, J. M. (2012). A systematic literature review of empirical evidence on computer games and serious games. Computers & Education, 59(2), 661-686. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2012.03.004
Daugherty, T., Eastin, M. S., & Bright, L. (2008). Exploring Consumer Motivations for Creating User-Generated Content. Journal of Interactive Advertising, 8(2), 16-25. https://doi.org/10.1080/15252019.2008.10722139
de Freitas, S. I. (2006). Using games and simulations for supporting learning. Learning, Media and Technology, 31(4), 343-358. https://doi.org/10.1080/17439880601021967
de Freitas, S., & Liarokapis, F. (2011). Serious games: A new paradigm for education? In Serious games and edutainment applications (pp. 9-23). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4471-2161-9_2
Deliyannis, I. (Ed.). (2020). Game Design and Intelligent Interaction. IntechOpen. https://doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.77403
Dörner, R., Göbel, S., Effelsberg, W., & Wiemeyer, J. (2016). Introduction. In R. Dörner, S. Göbel, W. Effelsberg, & J. Wiemeyer (Eds.), Serious Games (pp. 1-34). Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-40612-1_1
Erhel, S., & Jamet, E. (2016). The effects of goal-oriented instructions in digital game-based learning. Interactive Learning Environments, 24(8), 1744-1757. https://doi.org/10.1080/10494820.2015.1041409
Garris, R., Ahlers, R., & Driskell, J. E. (2002). Games, Motivation, and Learning: A Research and Practice Model. Simulation & Gaming, 33(4), 441-467. https://doi.org/10.1177/1046878102238607
Glaser, B. G. (2016). Open coding descriptions. Grounded Theory Review, 15(2), 108-110.
Goos, M., & Bennison, A. (2008). Surveying the technology landscape: Teachers’ use of technology in secondary mathematics classrooms. Mathematics Education Research Journal, 20(3), 102-130. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03217532
Hicks, A. (2012). Creation, evaluation, and presentation of user-generated content in community game-based tutors. Proceedings of the International Conference on the Foundations of Digital Games, 12, 276-278. https://doi.org/10.1145/2282338.2282397
Hicks, A., Cateté, V., & Barnes, T. (2014). Part of the game: Changing level creation to identify and filter low quality user-generated levels. Proceedings of the 9th International Conference on the Foundations of Digital Games, 9, 1-8.
Hicks, D., Liu, Z., Eagle, M., & Barnes, T. (2016). Measuring Gameplay Affordances of User-Generated Content in an Educational Game. Proceedings of the 9th International Conference on Educational Data Mining, 9, 78-85. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED592703
Holcomb, Z. (2016). Fundamentals of Descriptive Statistics. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315266510
Hug, T. (2005). Micro Learning and Narration. The Proceedings of Fourth Media in Transition Conference, 1-13.
Hug, T., & Friesen, N. (2007). Outline of a microlearning agenda. Didactics of Microlearning. Concepts, Discourses and Examples, 15-31.
Kalmpourtzis, G. (2018). Educational Game Design Fundamentals: A journey to creating intrinsically motivating learning experiences. CRC Press. https://doi.org/10.1201/9781315208794
Kaplan, A. M., & Haenlein, M. (2010). Users of the world, unite! The challenges and opportunities of Social Media. Business Horizons, 53(1), 59-68. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bushor.2009.09.003
Kapp, K., & DeFelice, R. (2019). Microlearning: Short and sweet. ATD Press.
Kemp, S. (2020). Digital 2020: Indonesia. DataReportal - Global Digital Insights. Retrieved from https://datareportal.com/reports/digital-2020-indonesia
Ketelhut, D. J., & Schifter, C. C. (2011). Teachers and game-based learning: Improving understanding of how to increase efficacy of adoption. Computers & Education, 56(2), 539-546. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2010.10.002
Klopfer, E., Osterweil, S., & Salen, K. (2009a). Moving learning games forward. Cambridge, MA: The Education Arcade.
Klopfer, E., Osterweil, S., & Salen, K. (2009b). Moving learning games forward. The Education Arcade. Retrieved from https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00593085
Krumm, J., Davies, N., & Narayanaswami, C. (2008). User-Generated Content. IEEE Pervasive Computing, 7(4), 10-11. https://doi.org/10.1109/MPRV.2008.85
Kurniawan, A., & Wartika, E. (2012). Evaluation of access technology to speed-up Internet penetration in remote areas, case study: Community access point in Regency of Garut, West Java, Indonesia. 2012 7th International Conference on Telecommunication Systems, Services, and Applications (TSSA), 351-355. https://doi.org/10.1109/TSSA.2012.6366081
Lukosch, H., Kurapati, S., Groen, D., & Verbraeck, A. (2016). Microgames for Situated Learning: A Case Study in Interdependent Planning. Simulation & Gaming, 47(3), 346-367. https://doi.org/10.1177/1046878116635468
Mayer, R. E. (2014). Computer games for learning: An evidence-based approach. The MIT Press. https://doi.org/10.7551/mitpress/9427.001.0001
Michael, D. R., & Chen, S. L. (2005). Serious games: Games that educate, train, and inform. Muska & Lipman/Premier-Trade.
Mildner, P., & ‘Floyd’ Mueller, F. (2016). Design of Serious Games. In R. Dörner, S. Göbel, W. Effelsberg, & J. Wiemeyer (Eds.), Serious Games (pp. 57-82). Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-40612-1_3
Naugle, K. E., Carey, C., Ohlman, T., Godza, M., Mikesky, A., & Naugle, K. M. (2019). Improving Active Gamingʼs Energy Expenditure in Healthy Adults Using Structured Playing Instructions for the Nintendo Wii and Xbox Kinect: Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 33(2), 549-558. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0000000000002997
Pintrich, P. R. (2000). The Role of Goal Orientation in Self-Regulated Learning. In M. Boekaerts, P. R. Pintrich, & M. Zeidner (Eds.), Handbook of Self-Regulation: Theory, Research, and Applications (pp. 451-502). Academic Press. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-012109890-2/50043-3
Retnawati, H., Hadi, S., Nugraha, A. C., Arlinwibowo, J., Sulistyaningsih, E., Djidu, H., & Apino, E. (2017). Implementing the computer-based national examination in Indonesian schools: The challenges and strategies. Problems of Education in the 21st Century, 75(6), 612-633. https://doi.org/10.33225/pec/17.75.612
Rice, J. W. (2007). New media resistance: Barriers to implementation of computer video games in the classroom. Journal of Educational Multimedia and Hypermedia, 16(3), 249-261.
Richey, R. (Ed.). (2013). Encyclopedia of terminology for educational communications and technology. Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-6573-7
Schell, J. (2008). The art of game design: A book of lenses. Elsevier/Morgan Kaufmann. https://doi.org/10.1201/9780080919171
Smith, A. N., Fischer, E., & Yongjian, C. (2012). How Does Brand-related User-generated Content Differ across YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter? Journal of Interactive Marketing, 26(2), 102-113. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.intmar.2012.01.002
Stebbins, R. A. (2001). Exploratory research in the social sciences. SAGE. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781412984249
Susi, T., Johannesson, M., & Backlund, P. (2007). Serious Games: An Overview (IKI Technical Reports). Institutionen för kommunikation och information. Retrieved from http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:his:diva-1279
Suyanto, S. (2018). The Implementation of the Scientific Approach through 5Ms of The New Curriculum of 2013 in Indonesia. Jurnal Cakrawala Pendidikan, 37(1), Article 1. https://doi.org/10.21831/cp.v37i1.18719
Toffler, A. (1980). The third wave: The classic study of tomorrow. Bantam Books.
van Dijck, J. (2009). Users like you? Theorizing agency in user-generated content. Media, Culture & Society, 31(1), 41-58. https://doi.org/10.1177/0163443708098245
Van Rosmalen, P., Boyle, E. A., Van der Baaren, J., Kärki, A. I., & del Blanco Aguado, Á. (2014). A case study on the design and development of minigames for research methods and statistics. EAI Endorsed Transactions on Serious Games, 1(3), 1-9. https://doi.org/10.4108/sg.1.3.e5
Watson, W., & Yang, S. (2016). Games in schools: Teachers’ perceptions of barriers to game-based learning. Journal of Interactive Learning Research, 27(2), 153-170.

Citation

Rahmadi, I. F., Lavicza, Z., & Houghton, T. (2021). Towards User-generated Microgames for Supporting Learning: An Investigative Exploration. Contemporary Educational Technology, 13(3), ep299. https://doi.org/10.30935/cedtech/10785

Rahmadi, I. F., Lavicza, Z., and Houghton, T. (2021). Towards User-generated Microgames for Supporting Learning: An Investigative Exploration. Contemporary Educational Technology, 13(3), ep299. https://doi.org/10.30935/cedtech/10785

Rahmadi IF, Lavicza Z, Houghton T. Towards User-generated Microgames for Supporting Learning: An Investigative Exploration. CONT ED TECHNOLOGY. 2021;13(3), ep299. https://doi.org/10.30935/cedtech/10785

Rahmadi, Imam Fitri, Zsolt Lavicza, and Tony Houghton. "Towards User-generated Microgames for Supporting Learning: An Investigative Exploration". Contemporary Educational Technology 2021 13 no. 3 (2021): ep299. https://doi.org/10.30935/cedtech/10785

Rahmadi, Imam Fitri et al. "Towards User-generated Microgames for Supporting Learning: An Investigative Exploration". Contemporary Educational Technology, vol. 13, no. 3, 2021, ep299. https://doi.org/10.30935/cedtech/10785

Rahmadi IF, Lavicza Z, Houghton T. Towards User-generated Microgames for Supporting Learning: An Investigative Exploration. CONT ED TECHNOLOGY. 2021;13(3):ep299. https://doi.org/10.30935/cedtech/10785