Serious Games

Serious games support learning through play. A common definition describes serious games as “games that, in addition to entertainment, primarily serve a serious purpose.” In this lecture, students will learn the theoretical foundations of human learning and how play can aid in learning activities. Definitions of serious games will be presented, and the limitations of serious games will be discussed.

The lecture covers game theory and game design. We define what a game is and explore the differences and similarities between games, serious games, simulations, and “gamified systems.” To better understand the purposes serious games can serve, we discuss various learning theories and learning domains. To gain a better understanding of why people engage in learning activities, motivation theories are discussed.
During the semester, students develop a game idea with a serious purpose and design their game prototype.

• Introduction
• Game Elements
• Game Design
• Motivation Theories
• Learning Theories
• Learning Domains
• Gamification

This course is usually offered during the summer semester. For more information, please check Stud.IP.

Credit Hours: 6
At the end of the course, students must take an oral exam. The exam will be based on the students’ project work and the theoretical concepts discussed in the course.

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Since the project will involve the design and development of a game prototype, students should have some basic knowledge of prototyping in human-computer interaction.