°×С½ãÂÛ̳

Serious games are video games designed for a primary purpose other than pure entertainment. A collaborative project between 17 partners, including °×С½ãÂÛ̳, TARGET aims to use the Technology Enhanced Learning (TEL) environment provided by the game to support the development of workers.

Recommending specific sub-games or missions for each learner to play, the TARGET system helps them develop skills in project management and innovation. ÌýFor each game, the learner interacts with computer-based characters within a 3D virtual environment and encounters simulated project management missions, tasks and problems. Ìý

"There is currently a lot of interest in serious games such as TARGET as they have the potential to provide an engaging learning context for learners. ÌýSerious game applications include edutainment, higher education, health care, corporate, military and non-government organisations," said Dr Charlene Jennett (°×С½ãÂÛ̳ Computer Science).

"However not all serious games are found to be effective learning tools. ÌýThis is whyÌýevaluation activities are so important, investigating whether a serious game achieves its intended learning outcomes with its intended target audience," she added.

The °×С½ãÂÛ̳ team have created three learning measures - multiple choice questions, scenario questions and self-assessment questions - to assess different levels of learning in TARGET. ÌýPiloting the measures with seven MSc students from a variety of different courses, each with a project management component, the team's initial findings suggest that TARGET could be helping learners with interpreting different scenarios in the workplace. ÌýParticipants were also found to have a better understanding of the positions and interests of the characters after playing the game.

"These early findings suggest that some learning is taking place. ÌýHowever it is a very small sample so we have to be cautious when interpreting these results," said Dr Charlene Jennett. "Our findings also indicate that the TARGET system needs to be further developed in order to improve the experiences of users. ÌýIn particular, the dialogue of the TARGET game characters needs to be improved to make player-character interactions more realistic."

The °×С½ãÂÛ̳ team will be collaborating with partners ATOS and SINTEF to evaluate the TARGET game with a bigger sample later this year.Ìý

Image: TARGET game screenshot featuring the character Andy. ÌýThe speech bubble for Andy reads "Yes, we had a nice discussion. ÌýI believe that I understand the situation better now. ÌýI'll get more information later."

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