Serious Games Research

[onidavin]

Hello! Sorry for my first post to be one requesting help, but, well, we need help! I'm part of a crew on a long-term project studying gaming features and their effects on learning. For the initial part of this project, we need some short survey answers from gamers and game developers that sort the attributes we have found into a more manageable list. If you think you can help, the horrible legal stuff follows below. And moderators, if I'm in the wrong forum, please move me!

--
Hello! You are being messaged to request participation in video game research by Dr. Eduardo Salas of the University of Central Florida.

We have created a fairly comprehensive list of gaming attributes - a list of various characteristics of games. For research purposes, we want to narrow this list to a more manageable number of variables and are thus asking for your help.

If you play or develop computer-based games, are 18 years of age or older, and are familiar with the likes of Halo, The Age of Empires III, and Neverwinter Nights, then we need your help! We have entered each attribute along with the definition we are using into a user-friendly web-based program. Using this program, you will be able drag each gaming characteristic into a new group, creating meaningful clusters. You can even suggest names for the new groups. The link below will take you directly to a voluntary, anonymous online survey. You begin by entering a pseudonym or fake name. Directions for using the program will then be presented on the following screen. Please only follow this link if you are a serious gamer. We appreciate your help.

Note: When you enter your pseudonym or fake name, please write it down or remember it, as it will be important later!

http://websort.net/go/IGAME/!Please%20Enter%20a%20Fake%20Name%20or%20Handle

If you have any questions as to participation in this study, you can e-mail Davin Pavlas (Research Assistant) at [email protected].

Research at the University of Central Florida involving human participants is carried out under the oversight of the Institutional Review Board (UCF IRB). For information about the rights of people who take part in research, please contact: Institutional Review Board, University of Central Florida, Office of Research & Commercialization, 12201 Research Parkway, Suite 501, Orlando, FL 32826-3246 or by telephone at (407) 823-2901.

--
Davin Pavlas
Institute of Simulation & Training

 

[the_carrot]

That was awful and inane. It should be much more abstract. The qualities/characteristics you want supersets for lack any sort of compelling character, and the most rote supersets are your results. It does nothing but dumb down any sort of result, and unless you're polling to create the most rote of video games, your results look as though they will be maudlin.

 

[Knight Templar]

not 18 so just looked. what was the point of that? it seemed more complicated that it was. but leting people name them themselfs? it seems more like a personal then genral assesment

 

[the_carrot]

not 18 so just looked. what was the point of that? it seemed more complicated that it was. but leting people name them themselfs? it seems more like a personal then genral assesment

I'm really wondering what it's for. There is a creative element to it, however, the basic choices are pretty bland, and fit into pretty simple categories. For some reason I think they're going to get pretty bad results with so little effort put into the elements they're inquiring about.

 

[onidavin]

I'm really wondering what it's for. There is a creative element to it, however, the basic choices are pretty bland, and fit into pretty simple categories. For some reason I think they're going to get pretty bad results with so little effort put into the elements they're inquiring about.

The elements are not designed by us, but chosen from a review of previous research on gaming attributes. The idea is to have very general categories to utilize and study how, say, varying degrees of Representation influence learning. It gets problematic when you have to pull from previous research, as things tend to be a lot less pretty. But that's what this is for

All of this isn't very apparent from the rather abstract-looking card sort, though. This is pretty preliminary stuff. If you're interested in what's actually being done with this, though, I can clarify a little! The attributes will be utilized in a game-based training tool for Marine Watch Captains. Specifically, a few choice attributes will be chosen to be varied in the tool. So one version may have high Representation, realistic environments, etc. while another version has low Representation and low realism. Similarly, one version may utilize interpersonal communications and one may be isolated.

 

[Same River New Water]

Ha ha, welcome to the message board, indeed! They're a friendly lot around here. *ducks*

I thought it was kinda interesting, potentially.

 

[xMacx]

I'll do this later today.

Just out of general interest - how much of a preliminary study is this? Like are these "write it up in time for the HFES deadline" results, or more of a "inform some future work" pilot study?

 

[onidavin]

I'll do this later today.

Just out of general interest - how much of a preliminary study is this? Like are these "write it up in time for the HFES deadline" results, or more of a "inform some future work" pilot study?

The latter. It's one of the beginning parts of a two-year study. The results from this might be going to HFES with one of the students on the project, though.

 

[BonsaiK]

I was going to do this until I realised it was for marine watch captains.

 

[onidavin]

I was going to do this until I realised it was for marine watch captains.

Ouch. The primary purpose of the study is to get some empirical data on what gaming attributes affect learning in serious games, not to train Marines. As much as they'd like for it to be dedicated training! If you are that strongly against aiding the military in any way, though, it's understandable.