How ‘serious games’ are helping us learn

A team of researchers is encouraging us to replace textbooks with games, as they advance the application of games in learning, engagement and research.

known as ‘Serious game‘, these games are designed for more than just entertainment. From digital applications to physical board games, they are designed for learning, Problem SolvingIncreasing awareness, research, and stakeholder engagement—with potential in both schools and workplaces. Educating people about sustainable development and climate change will be an important application.

Leading experts in the field from the universities of Warwick, Cardiff, York and Sussex have worked to help implement gaming across a range of sectors for the project, known as GameEngage. They are bringing together serious game researchers, developers and practitioners to explore new opportunities in the use of serious games.

Academics have put together a ‘Serious Games Cookbook’, which aims to help beginners in using and designing serious games by offering a resource full of detailed guidance. The cookbook will help beginners who are new to serious games, especially those with expert knowledge, who want to find out how to apply that knowledge to games.

The Cookbook addresses key considerations in using serious games, including determining game goals, choosing the game best suited to those goals, and facilitating gameplay in one session. It also discusses critical aspects of serious game design, covering content and themes, mechanics, player engagement, and strategies for influencing attitudes.

Dr. Feng Mao, Associate Professor of Global Sustainable Development, University of Warwick, said, “The cookbook offers a practical guide for serious game design beginners to an emerging and promising tool for learning, engagement and research. As, especially in context Sustainable development And Climate change—though we hope that it will also be widely applied. We hope to inspire and empower Cookbook readers to engage meaningfully with serious games.”

Dr Katarzyna Stowers, co-author of the Serious Games Cookbook and Senior Lecturer in Human-Computer Interaction at Cardiff University, added, “The cookbook and its components can also be used. Research toolFor example, as part of co-design workshops, it will help the general public engage with serious topics through game design: instead of playing games designed by others, they can explore topics that are important to them. can be introduced in future games. Or even inform other types of projects.”

“We’re hoping to inspire and help readers explore the different ways in which games and Game design can be used.”