Game Kits: Metadesign considerations on game modding for learning

Abstract Today’s technologies that blur the distinction between users and designers have empowered end-users to engage with powerful learning activities like game modding. In this paper we discuss the characteristics of modding tools as expressive media that support teachers and students alike, to integrate in games their knowledge and ideas without being restricted by tools bound to the way the game is implemented; i.e. mainly through programming and STEM knowledge. We present work in progress on “Sus-X”, a GameKit that generates SimCity like games and provides pedagogically designed modding tools. We explore the expressive power of “Sus-X”, through two studies with students that engaged in modification of two different games created with “Sus-X”: one game involved urban sustainability and the other involved nutrition.

Author Keywords Game modding; End-Users, Learning; Half-baked microworlds

ACM Classification Keywords H.5. INFORMATION INTERFACES AND PRESENTATION H5.2. User Interfaces; User centered design; Evaluation/methodology K.8 PERSONAL COMPUTING K.8.0 General – Games

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Nikoleta Yiannoutsou Educational Technology Lab University of Athens School of Philosophy, University Campus, Greece nyiannoutsou@ppp.uoa.gr Chronis Kynigos Educational Technology Lab University of Athens School of Philosophy, University Campus, Greece kynigos@ppp.uoa.gr

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Framework The current technological landscape is populated with tools that support end-users to design, modify, extend, evolve and share their artifacts. Around these technologies emerged a new culture in which user activity incrementally shifts from consumption to participation and the distinction between users and designers is blurred [3]. This shift takes place through a technologically mediated transformation of the user from a passive consumer of finished goods designed by some to be consumed by many, to an empowered individual equipped with the means to participate actively in the produced culture. In this spirit function many communities revolving around popular games that either support free creation like Minecraft and/or come with modding tools allowing modifications that range from light-weight changes (like skins, customization of avatars etc.) to alterations in the mechanics of the initial games [12] The widespread use of technologies that support user creations and the informal learning that takes place in the gamers’ communities, have boosted the interest in exploring game design for contextualized learning. Learning in these cases involved mainly domains like programming, robotics and mathematics, but there were also cases applied to history and language learning and to the introduction of new skills like design thinking [4, 9]. In most cases, however, when domains such as history are involved, deep modification of the game rules and mechanics is more about programming than history. Civilization 5 for example requires modders to work with xml code. Similarly, sandbox games like Minecraft, which allows creation of maps and historical worlds (see for example the “World of Humanities”), also requires programming skills to interfere with the game mechanics [2]. Several voices have started to question

the existing authoring tools available to teachers and students for authoring and modifying games [1, 8]. Specifically, Marchiori et al [8] argue in favor of providing teachers with tools to modify adventure games for teaching. They provide a review of relevant authoring tools to support their claim that existing authoring tools are difficult to use due to their basic metaphor; i.e. they are structured around the programmable implementation of the game and not around a metaphor that is understood and used by teachers [ibid]. Apart from trying to design “easier –to-use” tools, Avontuur et. al. [1] discussing modification of Head Up Games, stresses the following point: modding and adaptation tools should be relevant to the context and the experience they are meant to support (i.e. outdoor play shaped by groups in a specific location) and programming is not always relevant. Along the same lines, we argue that programming- oriented modding tools do not exploit the full potential of games as learning contexts. Specifically, one characteristic of games is that they constitute expressive media in the sense that they can re-mediate the way we understand phenomena and the way we represent knowledge as designed experience in the form of challenges, goals and practices [10]. However, we should not forget that games are not realistic representations of the real world and they shouldn’t be. Instead, they integrate a set of simplified assumptions about the world ensuring playability and easy entry point for the players. Consider for example class mobility in “The Sims” (at least in the version that was out in 2005): once a Sim enters the game his wealth level can increase but never drop [7]. Such simplified models, have given rise to criticism about the educational value of games, focusing mainly on the need for educating children in the new media, so that

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they do not take at face value “misleading” information [5]. In our previous research, game assumptions have triggered new learning designs structured around the concept of challenging and “hacking” these assumptions through game modding and empirical studies demonstrated strong learning potential [12]. Going back to the earlier example of “The Sims”, game assumptions might involve various scientific fields and thus they can be exploited for learning different concepts. To this end, we argue that we need game modding tools that will allow teachers and students alike: (a) to access these assumptions, analyze and modify them; (b) to focus on the concepts of interest without being restricted by technical difficulties imposed, for example, by a simplified programming language; and, (c) to use games as new creative forms of expressing and representing knowledge.

Design of “Sus-X” To address the above challenge, we borrowed from the gaming world the GameKit idea. For our purposes, we define GameKits as thematically coherent generators of games with the following characteristics: (a) they support the embedding of specific pedagogies in games; (b) they provide the respective modding tools; and, (c) they empower non-technical users (like teachers and educational researchers) to design games that allow modding [12]. GameKits can support the generation of different games of the same genre and the alteration of these games with a set of modding tools. “Sus-X”, the GameKit we present here, consists of a template generating SimCity-like games. Game-play revolves around selecting items of the game according to their properties, in order to achieve a specific score or to avoid running out of resources. GameKits do not only come with a game template and

a set of modding tools, they also include “half-baked” games, a digital construct integrating our pedagogical design on domain learning through game modding.

Half-Baked Games Half-baked games stemmed from the idea that modding tools alone cannot support targeted learning. They are an extension of the idea of half-baked microworlds coined by Kynigos [6] to describe exploratory digital environments conceived, by design, to call for modification and change. Similarly, half-baked games are designed so that they are fully functioning games with characteristics that “provoke” students to modify them because they don’t like them [12]. Twisting a game idea like this, supports students to focus on what is important for learning. Furthermore, half-baked games build on the new media pedagogy of educating students to be critical of game assumptions and they take it a step further as they provide students with tools to change these assumptions and see the effects of their changes in the modified game they create. To illustrate the idea of half-baked games further, we present two of the instances created with “Sus-X” both of which are accompanied with data from their use with students.

BADI: A HALF-BAKED GAME ON BALANCED DIET BaDi is an instantiation of “Sus-X” designed to support student game play and modification around the concept of Balanced Diet. BaDi was designed in the context of a course on “Design and Evaluation of Educational Software” by a postgraduate student who was also a teacher in a private primary School. The aim in the game-play mode is for the players to help Ignatius (see Fig.1) to lose weight by selecting his meals to create a balanced diet. The rationale underlying this game is

Figure 1: BaDi: A half-baked game on balanced diet.

Figure 2: Meals represented by yellow dots and pictures.

Figure 3: Overview of the values of a selected meal (chicken) with respect to the parameters of the game

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that a good plan for weight loss includes a diet that is healthy but it also fits with personal preferences. This concept has been twisted to become half-baked as Ignatius can have a balanced diet only if he consumes not only healthy food (like chicken, fish, eggs, dairy) but also some fattening, pleasure increasing food (like pizza, sweets, ice-cream, soft drinks). Pleasure along with “nutritional value”, “weight (kilos)”, “health” and “meal” are the parameters of the game. Each meal has specific values in each of these parameters (see fig.3) affecting the player’s score (i.e. selection of pasta results in reducing weight by 1 and in raising pleasure by 10 points, health by 15, nutritional value by 30). Pleasure is one of the main control conditions of the game and when it drops under critical values, it generates messages that aim to direct the player to feed Ignatius with fattening food. Similarly, “Pleasure” is one of the conditions that might end the game if the players do not manage to keep it above 0. A related feature of the game design is the “Meal” counter function: when a food is selected, then “Meal” value is raised by 1. This counter indicates if the diet is at the beginning, in the middle or towards the end. Thus, the same parameter -“Weight” value for example- can be treated differently by the game taking into account the stage of the diet: if “Meal =2”, which means beginning of diet and “Weight” >100 kilos, the game considers it as a good start. However, if “Meal=8” and “Weight” >100 kilos then the game generates a message prompting the player to focus on less fattening food.

PERFECTVILLE: A HALF-BAKED GAME ON URBAN

SUSTAINABILITY PerfectVille was designed by our team of researchers, with expertise in technology enhanced learning and environmental education. It includes a set of city-sites

like “restaurant”, “library”, “work” etc. (see Fig. 4,5). Each site has a specific value with respect to a set of parameters – sustainability indicators - such as energy, hygiene, money, health etc. (see Fig.6). During game-play, players need to decide which places to visit after reviewing the attributes of each place and after taking into account the changes in their resources (i.e. energy, money etc.) caused by each visit. The basic axiom of this half-baked game is that players in order to win are expected to lead a hectic life moving from one place to the other, while trying to keep their scores high in all parameters; i.e. have a lot of fun, a lot of money, good social status, high energy and good health. This axiom is expressed in the values of the parameters in each game item (energy raises when going home and sinks when going at work) and in the way the game treats the parameters determining the outcome of the game. Specifically, the game ends if any of the parameters drops to a value below 0, so players should try to keep them all above this threshold.

The Modding tools of SusX The half-baked games described above, serve as the context for using the modding tools of “Sus-X”. Modders can insert items in the game with a point and click interface. Each item when inserted in the game space is automatically represented with a record in the Game Database (see Fig.1). Adding or changing the parameters of the items (e.g. money, health etc. in PerfectVille), involves renaming or adding a numerical field in the database through its menu. End and control conditions of the game are also manipulated in respective databases, where users express relations: (a)between parameters and their values using simple mathematical symbols (>, <, =); and (b) between

Figure 4: PerfectVille: a half-baked game on urban sustainability

Figure 5: Background of PerfectVille with the sites of the city

Figure 6: Overview of the properties of Chemistry Lab (job)

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more than one parameters. In Addition, end-Users can shape the background of the game space by loading any picture through the menu (see Fig.2 and Fig.5).

Studies with “Sus-X” In this section we present two separate studies with students that involved the modification of the half-baked games we presented earlier. The aim of these studies was to investigate: (a) how students use the modding tools of Sus-X to challenge the axioms of the two games; (b) how the modding tools of SuS-X shape and facilitate negotiation of domain learning in fields not directly related to the implementation of digital games; and, (c) how the modding tools can help students to integrate their ideas and understandings about different concepts in the game.

Research Method and procedure In both studies, we implemented design-based research involving theory-based intervention to study learning with game modding [11]. Each study took place in three two-hour sessions. The 1st session included game - play with the half-baked games (BaDi and PerfectVille), comparison of group scores and discussion on the axioms of the games (i.e. balanced diet and sustainability). The 2nd session was dedicated to modifying BaDi and PerfectVille. The 3rd session was used for finalizing modifications and presenting the new games. Data collection included student games, screen captures of student interaction with the games and sound-recordings of student exchanges during the activity.

Findings The preliminary results of these two studies showed that students in both cases challenged the assumptions

of the half-baked games and modded the games to integrate their ideas, based on an analysis of the concepts of balanced diet and sustainability. In both studies students engaged in changing the game space and items: i.e. meals and sites of a sustainable city. In BaDi students challenged the concept that pleasure is connected with fattening food, by replacing pizza, burgers etc. with tasty but healthy choices like home made cheese pie, fruit juice and sushi. In PerfectVille study, students discussed urban sustainability in terms of recycling spots, green energy, parks, playgrounds and bike-lanes. A highlight of the study was the addition of a scout troop in the game with the rationale that scouts teach respect to the environment. Addition of new parameters in the game were observed only in two of the six groups of PerfectVille, where one group added the parameter of pollution and the other the parameter of safety in the database of SusX. In both studies students changed the values of existing parameters. This modding activity (changing the values) triggered an interesting discussion in one of the groups of BaDi. Students reduced the health value of sweets to “-17” in an attempt to represent the habit of people with obesity problems to consume large amounts of sugar. The same group of students reformulated verbally the goal of their game, declaring that in 20 meals Ignatius’ weight should be reduced from 150 to below 100 kgs (End Condition: Kilos<100 and meals = 20). Although this was an easy modification, students did not implement the idea. However, they engaged in an involved discussion that touched upon defining an upper value for players to reach as opposed to defining a lower threshold for players to avoid crossing.

Study1: Modding BaDi Participants: Four 6th grade students, all girls working in groups of two. The teacher who designed BaDi acted as teacher and researcher.

Duration: three 2-hour sessions

Setting: Computer lab of a private school in the context of extra curricular activity. The school was selected by the researcher because she worked there as a teacher.

Study 2: Modding PerfectVille Participants: eighteen (18) students from 7th, 8th and 9th grade. Students worked in six groups of two. Two researchers acted as participant observers and teachers of the activity.

Duration: three 2-hour sessions

Setting: Afternoon environmental education club. Experimental public school in Athens, selected because it was affiliated to the University and as such was open to research collaborations.

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REMARKS AND FUTURE WORK In this paper we discussed games as expressive media for teachers and students alike. We presented “Sus-X”, a GameKit that provides pedagogies and tools that support game modding in domains not tightly related to implementation of digital games. Our studies on student use of “Sus-X” tools showed that students negotiated concepts around nutrition and sustainability and integrated some of their ideas about these concepts in the game. Students engaged creatively with simple modding actions like the change of the game background, of the game items and of the parameter’s values. Students did not engage in modding actions that involved the rules of the game even when their ideas were relevant. Our interpretation is that these actions required deeper understanding of the game mechanics which means that targeted instructional design was required. Thus, our future research will focus on supporting use of “Sus-X” with instructional design that targets changes in the game’s rules and on exploring other domains such as educational robotics.

Acknowledgements The research reported here has received funding from H2020 project Educational Robotics for STEM: ER4STEM (No. 665972). A. Katsamanga was the designer of BaDi microworld. E. Dimaraki helped with text editing.

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