Bridging the Expertise Gap: Collaborative Design for Educational Games

Why It Matters

Designing engaging and pedagogically sound educational games requires a synthesis of deep domain knowledge and expert game design principles. Without this synergy, games may fail to be both educational and engaging, limiting their impact in formal learning environments.

Key Finding

While both educators and game designers are enthusiastic about educational games in theory, practical challenges and differing perspectives can hinder their successful implementation.

Key Findings

• Subject matter experts and game experts hold differing initial views on the potential of games in education.
• Under ideal conditions, both groups express positive attitudes towards game-based learning, the use of games in teaching, educational game development, and collaboration between experts.
• Respondents were uncertain whether these ideal conditions are typically met in practice.

Research Evidence

Aim: How can subject matter experts and game experts effectively collaborate to design and develop games for formal educational contexts?

Method: Mixed-methods research, including literature review, questionnaire surveys, and interviews.

Procedure: The research involved a literature review on game-based learning, followed by exploratory studies to understand initial perceptions. Confirmative studies used questionnaires to compare attitudes of subject matter experts and game experts under 'usual' and 'ideal' conditions. Explanatory studies used interviews to delve into the reasons behind observed attitudes.

Context: Formal educational contexts, specifically the design and development of educational games.

Design Principle

Integrate diverse expertise early and continuously throughout the design and development lifecycle.

How to Apply

When designing educational tools or games, establish cross-functional teams with clear roles and communication protocols. Conduct joint workshops and iterative feedback sessions involving both domain experts and design specialists.

Limitations

The study's findings on attitudes may be influenced by the specific educational context and the nature of the games considered. The 'usual' conditions might not fully represent all real-world scenarios.

Student Guide (IB Design Technology)

Simple Explanation: To make good educational games, people who know the subject (like teachers) and people who make games need to work together closely and understand each other's ideas.

Why This Matters: This research highlights that successful educational products, especially games, depend on effective teamwork between different types of experts. Understanding this collaboration is key to creating impactful learning experiences.

Critical Thinking: To what extent do the 'ideal' conditions described in this study reflect the typical constraints faced by educational institutions and game development studios?

IA-Ready Paragraph: The collaborative design of educational games necessitates bridging the gap between subject matter expertise and game design principles. Research indicates that while both domains hold positive views towards game-based learning under ideal conditions, practical implementation requires structured collaboration to overcome differing perspectives and ensure pedagogical effectiveness alongside engaging gameplay.

Project Tips

• When designing an educational product, consider who the subject matter experts are and how you will involve them.
• Think about the different skills and perspectives needed for your design project and how to bring them together.

How to Use in IA

• Reference this study when discussing the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration in your design process, particularly for educational products.

Examiner Tips

• Demonstrate an understanding of the need for diverse expertise in design projects and how to manage potential conflicts or misunderstandings between different specialists.

Independent Variable: ["Collaboration between SMEs and game experts","Perceived potential of games in education"]

Dependent Variable: ["Attitudes towards game-based learning","Attitudes towards collaboration"]

Controlled Variables: ["Formal educational context","Type of games considered"]

Strengths

• Employs a multi-phase research strategy (exploratory, confirmative, explanatory).
• Integrates different research methods (literature review, surveys, interviews).

Critical Questions

• How can the identified differences in perception between SMEs and game experts be proactively addressed during the initial design phases?
• What specific collaborative models or tools are most effective in fostering synergy between these expert groups?

Extended Essay Application

• An Extended Essay could explore the development of a collaborative framework for designing educational games, testing its efficacy through a prototype or simulation.

Source

Game-based learning in formal educational contexts : how subject matter experts and game experts could collaborate to design and develop games · Warwick Research Archive Portal (University of Warwick) · 2010