Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Supporting the Construction of Game Narratives Using a Toolkit to Game Design

  • Conference paper
  • First Online:
Videogame Sciences and Arts (VJ 2020)

Part of the book series: Communications in Computer and Information Science ((CCIS,volume 1531))

Included in the following conference series:

Abstract

Students are being more often challenged not only to play but also to create games when there is increasing evidence of the impact, in terms of learning, of students’ involvement in creating their own games centred on educational content. Nevertheless, the game making process has certain specificities that are not usually recognized by the public but are relevant to create good games. Taking this into consideration, the Gamers4Nature project developed a Toolkit to Game Design to support users, with and without previous experience, during a game creation process. This paper focus on the analysis of undergraduate students’ engagement using the Toolkit through the creation of game narratives focused on environmental preservation. A total of 46 undergraduate students from a Social Sciences (non-ICT course) participated in 2-h game narrative design sessions, using the Toolkit’s resources to develop their game’s narrative. As a result, 14 game narratives were created. Participants considered the Toolkit easy to use, not having preponderant usability issues. Although additional tests are still needed, namely with larger and diversified groups, preliminary results indicate that the Toolkit is a resource capable of assisting users with no previous experience during the game design process, namely in the writing of game’s narratives.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 54.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 69.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Notes

  1. 1.

    http://www.gamers4nature.pt/index.php?lang=EN.

References

  1. Huizinga, J.: Homo ludens: o jogo como elemento da cultura. Perspectiva: São Paulo (2001)

    Google Scholar 

  2. Sayre, S., King, C.: Entertainment and Society. Routledge, New York (2010). https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203882931

    Book  Google Scholar 

  3. Aarsand, P.A.: Computer and video games in family life: the digital divide as a resource in intergenerational interactions. Childhood 14(2), 235–256 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1177/0907568207078330

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Ortet, C.P., Costa, L.V., Veloso, A.I.: Jizo: a gamified digital app for senior cyclo-tourism in the miOne community. In: Zagalo, N., Veloso, A.I., Costa, L., Mealha, Ó. (eds.) VJ 2019. CCIS, vol. 1164, pp. 195–207. Springer, Cham (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-37983-4_15

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  5. Barradas, R., Lencastre, J.A.: Gamification e game-based learning: estratégias eficazes para promover a competitividade positiva nos processos de ensino e de aprendizagem. Investigar em Educação. 2(6), 11–37 (2017)

    Google Scholar 

  6. Young, M.F., Slota, S.T., Travis, R., Choi, B.: Game narrative, interactive fiction, and storytelling. In: Video Games and Creativity, pp. 199–222. Elsevier (2015). https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-801462-2.00010-2

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  7. Kiili, K.: Digital game-based learning: towards an experiential gaming model. Internet Higher Educ. 8(1), 13–24 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.iheduc.2004.12.001

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Squire, K.: From content to context: videogames as designed experience. Educ. Res. 35(8), 19–29 (2006). https://doi.org/10.3102/0013189X035008019

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Vandercruysse, S., Vandewaetere, M., Clarebout, G.: Game-based learning: a review on the effectiveness of educational games. In: Cruz-Cunha, M.M. (ed.) Handbook of Research on Serious Games as Educational, Business and Research Tools, pp. 628–647. IGI Global (2012). https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-4666-0149-9.ch032

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  10. Gee, J.P.: What video games have to teach us about learning and literacy. Comput. Entertain. 1(1), 20–20 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1145/950566.950595

    Article  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  11. Jenkins, H.: Confronting the Challenges of Participatory Culture: Media Education for the 21st Century. The MIT Press, Cambridge (2009). https://doi.org/10.7551/mitpress/8435.001.0001

    Book  Google Scholar 

  12. Selander, S.: Designs for learning and ludic engagement. Digital Creativ. 19(3), 145–152 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1080/14626260802312673

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Ke, F.: An implementation of design-based learning through creating educational computer games: a case study on mathematics learning during design and computing. Comput. Educ. 73, 26–39 (2014)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Howland, K., Good, J.: Learning to communicate computationally with Flip: a bi-modal programming language for game creation. Comput. Educ. 80, 224–240 (2015)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Falcão, T.P., Peres, F.N., de Morais, D.C.S., Oliveira, G.S.: Participatory methodologies to promote student engagement in the development of educational digital games. Comput. Educ. 116, 161–175 (2018)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Murray, J.H.: Toward a cultural theory of gaming: digital games and the co-evolution of media, mind, and culture. Popular Commun. 4(3), 185–202 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1207/s15405710pc0403_3

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Griffiths, M.D., Davies, M.N.O.: Research noteExcessive online computer gaming: implications for education.: research note. J. Comput. Assist. Learn. 18(3), 379–380 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1046/j.0266-4909.2002.00248.x

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Ferguson, C.J.: The good, the bad and the ugly: a meta-analytic review of positive and negative effects of violent video games. Psych. Q. 78(4), 309–316 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11126-007-9056-9

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Merhi, O., Faugloire, E., Flanagan, M., Stoffregen, T.A.: Motion sickness, console video games, and head-mounted displays. Human Fact. J. Human Factors Ergon. Soc. 49(5), 920–934 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1518/001872007X230262

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Connoly, T., Boyle, E., MacArthur, E., Hainey, T., Boyle, J.: A systematic literature review of empirical evidence on computer games and serious games. Comput. Educ. 59, 661–686 (2012)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. El Rhalibi, A., Tian, F., Pan, Z., Liu, B. (eds.): Edutainment 2016. LNCS, vol. 9654. Springer, Cham (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-40259-8

    Book  Google Scholar 

  22. Jeffrey, E.: Game making for learning: a systematic review of the research literature. In: 8th International Conference of Education, Research and Innovation, Seville (Spain) (2015)

    Google Scholar 

  23. Robertson, J., Good, J.: Children’s narrative development through computer game authoring. TechTrends 49(5), 43–59 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02763689

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. Gros, B.: Digital games in education: the design of games-based learning environments. J. Res. Technol. Educ. 40(1), 23–38 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1080/15391523.2007.10782494

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. Jarvin, L.: Edutainment, games, and the future of education in a digital world: edutainment, games, and the future of education in a digital world. New Direct. Child Adolesc. Develop. 2015(147), 33–40 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1002/cad.20082

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. De Grove, F., Bourgonjon, J., Van Looy, J.: Digital games in the classroom? A contextual approach to teachers’ adoption intention of digital games in formal education. Comput. Human Behav. 28(6), 2023–2033 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2012.05.021

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. Giannakos, M.N., Jaccheri, L.: From players to makers: An empirical examination of factors that affect creative game development. Int. J. Child-Comput. Interact. 18, 27–36 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijcci.2018.06.002

    Article  Google Scholar 

  28. Baytak, A., Land, S.M.: A case study of educational game design by kids and for kids. Proc. Soc. Behav. Sci. 2(2), 5242–5246 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2010.03.853

    Article  Google Scholar 

  29. Huizinga, J., Ten Dam, G., Voogt, J., Admiraal, W.: Teacher perceptions of the value of game-based learning in secondary education. Comput. Educ. 110, 105–115 (2017)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  30. Papavlasopoulou, S., Giannakos, M.N., Jaccheri, L.: Exploring children’s learning experience in constructionism-based coding activities through design-based research. Comput. Human Behav. 99, 415–427 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2019.01.008

    Article  Google Scholar 

  31. Greenberg, S.: Toolkits and interface creativity. Multimed. Tools App. 32(2), 139–159 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11042-006-0062-y

    Article  Google Scholar 

  32. Oulasvirta, A., Hornbaek, K.: HCI research as problem-solving. In: Proceedings of the 2016 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI 2016), NY, ACM, pp. 4956–4967 (2016)

    Google Scholar 

  33. Ledo, D., Houben, S., Vermeulen, J., Marquardt, N., Oehlberg, L., Greenberg, S.: Evaluation strategies for HCI toolkit research. In: Proceedings of the 2018 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems – CHI 2018 (2018)

    Google Scholar 

  34. Abdullah, N.A., Kamaruddin, R.H.R.A., Razak, Z., Yousoff, Z.B.M.: A toolkit design framework for authoring multimedia game-oriented. In: Eighth IEEE International Conference on Advanced Learning Technologies (2008)

    Google Scholar 

  35. Nadolski, R.J., et al.: EMERGO: a methodology and toolkit for developing serious games in higher education. Simul. Gaming. 39, 338–352 (2007)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  36. Nelson, M.J., Mateas, M.: An interactive game-design assistant. In: IUI 2008: Proceedings of the 13th International Conference on Intelligent User Interfaces (2008)

    Google Scholar 

  37. Barthes, F.: The Pleasure of the Text. Noonday Press, New York (1975)

    Google Scholar 

  38. Howard, G.S.: Culture tales: a narrative approach to thinking, cross-cultural psychology, and psychotherapy. Am. Psychol. 46(3), 187–197 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.46.3.187

    Article  Google Scholar 

  39. Mills, C., Pawson, K.: Integrating motivation, risk-taking and self-identity: a typology of ICT enterprise development narratives. Int. Small Bus. J. Res. Entrepr. 30(5), 584–606 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1177/0266242610390594

    Article  Google Scholar 

  40. Fullerton, T.: Game Design Workshop: A Playcentric Approach to Creating Innovative Games (2008)

    Google Scholar 

  41. Piller, F., Ihl, C., Fuller, J., Stotkdo, C.: Toolkits for open innovation - the case of mobile phone games. In: Proceedings of the 37th Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences (2004)

    Google Scholar 

  42. Heussner, T.: The Game Narrative Toolbox. Routledge (2015). https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315766836

    Book  Google Scholar 

  43. Kafai, Y.B.: Minds in Play: Computer Game Design as a Context for Children’s Learning. Routledge, NY (2009)

    Google Scholar 

  44. Kafai, Y.B., Burke, Q.: Connected Code: Why Children Need to Learn Programming. The MIT Press, London (2014)

    Book  Google Scholar 

  45. Ho, X., Tomitsch, M.: Affordances of brainstorming toolkits and their use in game jams. In: Proceedings of the 14th International Conference on the Foundations of Digital Games, San Luis Obispo, CA (2019)

    Google Scholar 

  46. Beça, P., Aresta, M., Santos, R., Veloso, A.I., Gomes, G., Pereira, M.: Supporting the game construction process: development of artefacts in the context of a toolkit to game design. In: Zagalo, N., Veloso, A.I., Costa, L., Mealha, Ó. (eds.) VJ 2019. CCIS, vol. 1164, pp. 99–110. Springer, Cham (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-37983-4_8

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  47. Beça, P., Aresta, M., Ortet, C., Santos, R., Veloso, A., Ribeiro, S.: Promoting student engagement in the design of digital games: the creation of games using a toolkit to game design. In: 2020 IEEE 20th International Conference on Advanced Learning Technologies (ICALT), Tartu, pp. 98–102 (2020)

    Google Scholar 

  48. Beça, P., et al.: Developing a toolkit to game design - the Gamers4Nature project: from concept to artefact. In: 15th Conference on the Foundations of Digital Games (FDG), Malta (2020)

    Google Scholar 

  49. Paço, A., et al.: Biodegradation of polyethylene microplastics by the marine fungus Zalerion maritimum. Sci. Total Environ. 586, 10–15 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.02.017

    Article  Google Scholar 

  50. Vos, N., van der Meijden, H., Denessen, E.: Effects of constructing versus playing an educational game on student motivation and deep learning strategy use. Comput. Educ. 56, 127–137 (2011)

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This work is part of the Gamers4Nature project, PTDC/COM-OUT/031047, that has the financial support of FCT – Foundation for Science and Technology (Portugal)/MCTES – Ministry of Science, Technology and Higher Education and FEDER under the PT2020 agreement.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Communication and Art, University of Aveiro, Campus Universitário Santiago, 3810-193, Aveiro, Portugal

    Pedro Beça, Cláudia Ortet, Mónica Aresta, Rita Santos, Ana Veloso & Sofia Ribeiro

Authors
  1. Pedro Beça
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Cláudia Ortet
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Mónica Aresta
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Rita Santos
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Ana Veloso
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Sofia Ribeiro
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Pedro Beça .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Polytechnic Institute of Bragança, Mirandela, Portugal

    Inês Barbedo

  2. Polytechnic Institute of Bragança, Mirandela, Portugal

    Bárbara Barroso

  3. Universidade de Vigo, Vigo, Spain

    Beatriz Legerén

  4. University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal

    Licínio Roque

  5. Polytechnic Institute of Bragança, Mirandela, Portugal

    João Paulo Sousa

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2022 Springer Nature Switzerland AG

About this paper

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this paper

Beça, P., Ortet, C., Aresta, M., Santos, R., Veloso, A., Ribeiro, S. (2022). Supporting the Construction of Game Narratives Using a Toolkit to Game Design. In: Barbedo, I., Barroso, B., Legerén, B., Roque, L., Sousa, J.P. (eds) Videogame Sciences and Arts. VJ 2020. Communications in Computer and Information Science, vol 1531. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-95305-8_6

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-95305-8_6

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-95304-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-95305-8

  • eBook Packages: Computer ScienceComputer Science (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation