A Structured Approach for Designing Effective Serious Games for Learning: Analyzing Requirements to Derive Key Components

Abstract

Recently, serious games have attracted significant interest as learning tools in various educational and training fields. They have emerged as powerful resources for improving learning outcomes. In this research, we explore the potential of virtual experiences and game-based applications beyond the entertainment industry and examine their multifaceted impact on education. We identify and conceptualize the functional requirements and aspects involved in developing and enhancing serious games for learning. These requirements form the basis for constructing concrete components that are reusable and applicable across different domains and learning topics. They can facilitate the design process, give the development team access to high-quality and up-to-date components, and support collaboration among multidisciplinary teams. Additionally, they help reduce the complexity and effort associated with serious game design. These components are categorized into three groups to form a conceptual framework: serious game structural components, behavioural dynamics components, and user experience enhancement components. To demonstrate the applicability of the proposed approach, we applied it to develop a serious game as a web application and to redesign an existing serious game. The results indicate that our framework provides clearer guidance for integrating gaming and educational aspects, allowing for more detailed composition of game components and alignment with learning objectives. It offers graphical and textual representations of serious games, simplifying comparisons of different games and offering insights into game challenges and player engagement. Furthermore, it can be a valuable tool in providing a quick, practical reference for the development team. It helps the development team better understand the complexity of serious game design, find new ideas on how to improve games, and create high-quality, effective games.