Introduction
Assignment
Professor Marcus Pereira Pessoa has developed an educational game for students of the Master's programme in Industrial Design Engineering. Originally a card game, it has evolved into a complex Excel version. The game offers students the opportunity to experience the impact of design techniques in various product development phases and provides insight into various engineering disciplines. We were asked to develop a proof of concept and apply gamification to increase the effectiveness and engagement of students in learning.
Inspiration
During the inspiration phase of our project, we conducted thorough research into the existing gaming experience. This included actively playing and observing the current game, and in-depth conversations with Professor Pessoa to understand his vision and goals. Through these dialogues, we gained more insight into the essential learning objectives and what the desired outcome should be.
In addition, we analysed similar educational games and relevant research articles. This helped us identify best practices in gamification and innovations within the field. Through this study, we were able to identify successful approaches that we can integrate into the redesign of the game.
The result was a well-founded strategy and approach, summarised in a concise one-pager. This document serves as the blueprint for the further development process, in which we focused on the client's wishes and finding a balance between gaming experience and educational goals.
Ideation
During the ideation phase, we conducted extensive research into similar games to gain insight into successful gamification techniques. In addition, we brainstormed with the client twice a week to discuss the content and game mechanics. Our starting point was a tabletop game, which quickly became a hybrid version and ultimately a completely digital game with some physical aspects.
In this phase, we started with the Art Bible, which defines the visual style of the game, the Technical Design Documents (TDD) and Game Design Documents (GDD), which describe all aspects of the game in detail, including mind mapping, SWOT analyses and the Octalysis framework. We also developed a gameplay flowchart to visualise the game interactions and progression. To validate our design, we put together a test group of university students, who provided valuable feedback and helped us refine the game. With a detailed implementation plan in place, we are ready to tackle the implementation phase in a structured and efficient manner as soon as it begins.
Implemenation
In the implementation phase, we start developing the first playable prototype, which was not easy because we did not have a real developer in the team and we achieved this internally and with a lot of effort. We organise test days with students from the University of Twente. The user interface is linked to the selections that can be made and an overview screen is added.
In the alpha version, we will add the various challenges and assignment cards, finalise the budget overviews, and implement data export to Excel, a feature requested by the client to base their assessment on. We are adding overviews for the techniques used, failed assignments, and ways to correct errors. For the physical part of the game, we need to purchase tokens and make bags to store them in, and SoundFX is being developed by the sound designer. In the beta version, we are integrating teamwork and best practices and linking the timeline screens. In the final version, we fixed the last bugs and developed a start and settings screen. The result exceeded expectations and the client is very satisfied. The game is still used at the University of Twente.
Curious about our game? Then watch the trailer below!
