Serious Games

 

Serious games or game based learning designates the use of digital games or playful elements in teaching. They provide students with the opportunity to apply, reinforce and test their knowledge of practical aspects of the coursework in a fun and competitive setting. The objective is to use motivational, and application-oriented tools to help students learn and process the course material more effectively and long-term. The game scenarios can vary greatly from strategic games to simulations, to experimental games.

 

Media for Teaching supports instructors with the didactic design and technical implementation of flipped classrooms.

The Departments of Chemistry, Computer Science, and Biology and the Faculties of Civil Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Arts and Humanities, Medicine, and the School of Business and Economics all have examples of serious games in their teaching.

 

transAction

 

One example of a serious game is transAction. In this game, students manage a virtual automotive company.

The objective is to manage the company profitably. As such, students need to understand the market and the position of the company.

The so-called primary game is closely linked with the topics and schedule of the course. Additionally, the participating students have to answer questions posed by the coworkers in the game as well as address arising problems, which are directly associated with the course content.

 

Skills-O-Mat

Another example of the use of game-based learning to acquire practical skills is found in Skills-O-Mat, a serious game developed as a result of an ETS project.

The game is part of a complex learning application designed to teach handling and mixing techniques of alginate.

 

The didactic structure of the learning application is divided in different educational learning objectives of varying complexity and specificity:

• Informing
• Understanding
• Reflecting
• Practicing

With the help of specifically composed music, students practice the movements for successfully mixing alginate powder to make impressions and casts in dentistry. The Skills-O-Mat was developed by the Clinic for Dental Prosthetics and Biomaterials and the AVMZ.