Description of the course
The course focuses on the design and development of serious games. It provides theoretical background and practice related to the understanding, analysis, design, development, testing, and evaluation of games and serious games. Upon completion of the course, students are able to
In the end students are able to understand and implement concepts, methods, and processes for game idealization, design, and development, understand, identify and compare concepts, methods, and processes for serious game idealization, design, and development, select, use, and evaluate specific environments and tools for game and serious game development, conceive, design, implement, test, and evaluate a serious game, evaluate the acquired knowledge and learned processes in an R&D perspective. As a result of the ICT-INOV project, the course has been updated to include design thinking principles. Students deploy design thinking to introduce discuss potential problems in the area that might be solved using programming.
Description of the participants
The course is part of the 1st year of studies at the Master’s of Computer Engineering of the Porto Polytechnic. The ICT-INOV methodology was deployed in the 2nd semester of the 2022 – 2023 academic year. A total of 31 students were involved in the process.
Description of gamified design thinking activities
Students were required to conceive, design, and develop a serious game related to climatic changes. Design thinking was used to support this process. Specifically, the design thinking steps used in the course included understanding and refining the problem and generating a solution. Subsequently, students used an agile development process to create a prototype and test it, iteratively.
Step 1: Problem identification and empathy.
Students engaged in research towards identifying and understanding the problem. They collected information and published it on the ICT-INOV digital learning platform.
Step 2: Problem refinement and ideation.
Students selected a problem using the information gathered in the previous step. They discussed and brainstormed potential solutions using the ICT-INOV digital learning platform.
Step 3: Forming groups.
Students were divided in teams of 2 individuals and were encouraged to select a team name and a logo for team building purposes. This activity provided teams with a sense of identity and affiliation. It also helped them express their interest and goals.
Step 4: Point of view.
Students were challenged to redefine their original problem, considering the results of their research in the previous steps, which helped them develop an understanding of the problem from the user’s point of view.
Step 5: Prototyping and testing.
Students were challenged to design a solution to the problem, posting their ideas on the ICT-INOV digital learning platform. They presented their solutions for the benefit of their fellow students.
