Aesthetics and Design for Game-based Learning provides learning designers with insight into how the different elements that comprise game aesthetics can inform the design of game-based learning. Regardless of the cognitive complexities involved, games are essentially entertainment media, and aesthetics play a large role in how they are experienced. Yet too often the role of aesthetics in the research about game-based learning has been relegated to a surface discussion of graphics or neglected altogether. Aesthetics and Design for Game-based Learning begins by addressing the broad context of game aesthetics, then addresses specific elements with chapters focusing on: player positioning game mechanics narrative design environment design character design. Each chapter includes research and guidelines for design, and a conclusion addresses aesthetics in the research of game-based learning.

This book represents a four-year research and development project. It presents a phenomenological examination and explanation of a functional design framework for games in education. It furnishes a rich description of the experiences and perceptions of performing interdisciplinary collaborative design among experts of very diverse fields, such as learning systems design, architectural design, assessment design, mathematics education, and scientific computing.

Adding visual aesthetics to the standard Computer Science (CS) Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) curriculum, while necessary, is not easy. The core skills are best understood by practitioners with a background in Art and Design, and its subjective nature often makes aesthetics difficult for students to learn. An emerging learning paradigm, commonly known as game-based learning (GBL), has the potential to better support student learning and sustain their motivation within limited instructional time. This thesis aims to study the effectiveness of a modular GBL approach in helping CS students learn about visual aesthetics. In particular, it set out to evaluate students' usage of a bespoke GBL prototype designed for this specific educational context. DELMo, a new visual aesthetics learning module, was firstly designed based on the SOLO taxonomy. It allowed for a systematic and modular approach to structuring the learning content, and became a significant component in the instructional strategy. Drawing on the Design-based Research (DBR) in Education framework, the GBL prototype has been informed by engaging with education literature and iteratively tested and refined in a natural educational setting (HCI course delivery). The prototype consists of a web-based learning environment named Design Eye that incorporates two new serious mini-games and a colouring tool named DEColour. In the summative evaluation, students reported enjoying the GBL activities in Design Eye and felt that they learned from them. This is consistent with the majority of the literature supporting the use of games in a learning delivery method. However, the results also showed a significant decrease in their perception of the importance of the topic. This may suggest that mini-games as an instructional tool carries the risk of making the subject seem trivial for some students. Instructors considering the use of mini-games should therefore consider the trade-off between the level of enjoyment provided by mini-games to engage students with a topic, and the potential long term impact of reducing the perceived importance of that topic. At a micro level, the research contributes to HCI education, namely in the construction (module design) and delivery (via GBL) of the visual aesthetics course material. At a macro level, experience with design, development, implementation and evaluation of this project provides valuable insights for other research efforts in the game-based approach to learning design-related subjects. The iterative-incremental DBR model also contributes to the GBL research domain, particularly in the design, implementation and evaluation of bespoke games in formal educational context.

Can we learn through play? Can we really play while learning? Of course! But how?! We all learn and educate others in our own unique ways. Successful educational games adapt to the particular learning needs of their players and facilitate the learning objectives of their designers. Educational Game Design Fundamentals embarks on a journey to explore the necessary aspects to create games that are both fun and help players learn. This book examines the art of educational game design through various perspectives and presents real examples that will help readers make more informed decisions when creating their own games. In this way, readers can have a better idea of how to prepare for and organize the design of their educational games, as well as evaluate their ideas through several prisms, such as feasibility or learning and intrinsic values. Everybody can become education game designers, no matter what their technical, artistic or pedagogic backgrounds. This book refers to educators and designers of all sorts: from kindergarten to lifelong learning, from corporate training to museum curators and from tabletop or video game designers to theme park creators!

Game-based learning relates to the use of games to enhance the learning experience. Educators have been using games in the classroom for years, and when tied to the curriculum, commercial games are a powerful learning tool because they are highly engaging and relatable for students. Design, Motivation, and Frameworks in Game-Based Learning is a critical scholarly resource that examines the themes of game-based learning. These themes, through a multidisciplinary perspective, juxtapose successful practices. Featuring coverage on a broad range of topics such as educational game design, gamification in education, and game content curation, this book is geared towards academicians, researchers, and students seeking current research on justifying the roles and importance of motivation in making games fun and engaging for game-based learning practice.

Educators around the world acknowledge the fact that we live in the knowledge society and ability to think systematically is one of the necessary skills in order to function effectively in the 21st century. In the past two decades, popular culture introduced digital games as part of leisure activities for children and adults. Today playing computer games is routine activity for children of all ages. Many have agreed that interactive computer games enhance concentration, promote thinking, increase motivation and encourage socialisation. Educators found their way in introducing game-based learning in science education to entice the students in teaching difficult concepts. Simulation games provide authentic learning experience and virtual world excites the students to learn new phenomena and enliven their inquisitive mind. This book presents recent studies in game-based learning and reports continuing attempts to use games as new tool in the classrooms.