A case study of augmented reality location-based game

for learning conceptual biological models

Tuomas Aivelo, University of Helsinki@aiveloERIDOB, 8.9.2016, Karlstad, Sweden

IntroductionDesing and m

ethodsResults and discussion

ConclusionsAivelo, T., & Uitto, A. (2016). Digital gaming for evolutionary biology learning: The case study of parasite race, an augmented reality location-based game. LUMAT, 4(1), 1-25http://www.luma.fi/lumat-en/4542

LUMA CENTER FINLAND

IntroductionDesing and m

ethodsResults and discussion

Conclusions

• Researchers create models to study these natural phenomena• Many biological concepts (e.g., ”gene”,

”competition”) are processes between objects• Games are explicitly programmed as models

Problem: Students have regularly problems to grasp and understand conceptual models

IntroductionDesing and m

ethodsResults and discussion

Conclusions

Games are interesting

Micro-level

Narrative-level

Meta-level

Breuer & Bente, 2010

Predictions based on certain context

Specific research questions and results

”Biological laws”

IntroductionDesing and m

ethodsResults and discussion

Conclusions

Augmented Reality gaming• Augmented reality (AR): the supplementation of real-

world environment by any computer-generated output Milgram & Kishino, 1994

• Widely used in informal education (zoos, museums) or in outdoor education• Learning situation is concrete and conceptual

knowledge can be correlated to actual location

Hagustin / Wikimedia CommonsJean-Pierre Dalbéra / Wikimedia Commons

IntroductionDesing and m

ethodsResults and discussion

Conclusions

Anchorage, USARoger Lew /Wikimedia Commons

Gävle, SwedenAlewi /Wikimedia Commons

Düsseldorg, GermanyKürschner /Wikimedia Commons

Bern, SwitzerlandFred Schaerli/Wikimedia Commons

IntroductionDesing and m

ethodsResults and discussion

Conclusions

Research questions

How do the teachers succeed in playing a novel AR game and deducing the rules of the game?

Could teachers perceive the game as a conceptual model of parasitism?

IntroductionDesing and m

ethodsResults and discussion

Conclusions

Parasite RaceBuilt with TaleBlazer: http://taleblazer.org/gamePage/962

Requires Taleblazer app: http://taleblazer.org/Support/mobiledownload

Can be found within app with

Game Code: gcvanga

IntroductionDesing and m

ethodsResults and discussion

Conclusions

Players can choose from three parasites and two scenarios.

IntroductionDesing and m

ethodsResults and discussion

Conclusions

IntroductionDesing and m

ethodsResults and discussion

Conclusions

IntroductionDesing and m

ethodsResults and discussion

Conclusions

Testing Parasite Race• Workshop of primary and secondary

school teachers (n = 14)• Online questionnaire prior to workshop

and group interviews after playing the game• Analysis of gameplay from game logs

LUMA CENTER FINLAND

IntroductionDesing and m

ethodsResults and discussion

ConclusionsProgressions in the game

• Five players finished game in 45 minutes – these players exhibited understanding of metalevel in interviews• Initially, all players did non-beneficial choices, but the

succesful players quickly adapted their gameplay(Succesful players 33%, unsuccesful 28%, W13 = 23, p = 0.943)

• Succesful players had more total actions(Msuccessful = 7.25, SDsuccessful= 2.33, Munsuccessful = 4.2, SDunsuccessful = 1.21, W13 = 7, p = 0.030)

IntroductionDesing and m

ethodsResults and discussion

Conclusions

Feedback from players

• Positive attitude towards the game – ”something different”• Programming could be used as a

teaching method• Not necessarily useful for all students

IntroductionDesing and m

ethodsResults and discussion

Conclusions

Understanding game as a model• Reflection on refining the model induced

better understanding of the model• Players seemed to understand the game as

something they just needed to go and do• Understanding meta-level of game is not

enough to understand biological concept

IntroductionDesing and m

ethodsResults and discussion

Conclusions

Possibilities to take up games in schools• Using games for teaching models requires well-

planned activities before and after gaming• Teachers did not feel competent to program games,

but thought some of their students could do that• Possibilities for programming to facilitate conceptual

concept learning? (George et al., 2012, Kafai, 2006)

References• Breuer, J., & Bente, G. (2010). Why so serious ? On the Relation of Serious

Games and Learning. Eludamos. Journal for Computer Game Culture, 4, 7–24.

• George, S., Lavoué, É., & Monterrat, B. (2012). An environment to support collaborative learning by modding. In Proceedings of the 8th European Conference on Technology Enhanced Learning (pp. 111–124). Paphos, Cyprus.

• Kafai, Y. B. (2006). Playing and making games for learning: instructionist and constructionist perspectives for game studies. Games and Culture, 1, 36–40.

• Milgram, O., & Kishino, A. F. (1994). Taxonomy of Mixed Reality Visual Displays. IEICE Transactions on Information and Systems, E77-D, 1321–1329.