Constructive alignment of learning mechanics and game mechanics in Serious Game design in Higher Education

Abstract

Game design is a complex process based on balance between educational and gameplay experience in a coherent way. In the context of instructional design, Constructive Alignment aims to develop an outcome-based approach for designing learning activities during which the learners’ engagement through the activity is aligned with learning objectives and outcomes. Constructive Alignment focuses on the proposal of constructively aligned learning experiences, where assessment is the result of specially selected training activities, which are proposed based on intended learning outcomes. In this study, we analyze the game design process in an online master course on Game Design from a Constructive Alignment approach. We operationalize the Constructive Alignment in game design as the coherence between Learning Objectives, Game Mechanics, Learning Mechanics and the Assessment in the educational DGBL. The results analysis shows that the Game Based Learning course had a positive impact on students regarding the proposal of game design documents with coherence between Game Mechanics and Learning Mechanics as well as Learning Mechanics and Learning Objectives, while little focus on integrating Assessment mechanisms was observed. Based on the results of this study we propose to increase the focus on assessment in the process of game design.