Current Competencies of Game Facilitators and Their Potential Optimization in Higher Education: Multimethod Study.

BACKGROUND: Serious games can be a powerful learning tool in higher education. However, the literature indicates that the learning outcome in a serious game depends on the facilitators' competencies. Although professional facilitators in commercial game-based training have undergone specific instruction, facilitators in higher education cannot rely on such formal instruction, as game facilitation is only an occasional part of their teaching activities. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to address the actual competencies of occasional game facilitators and their perceived competency deficits. METHODS: Having many years of experience as professional and occasional facilitators, we (n=7) defined requirements for the occasional game facilitator using individual reflection and focus discussion. Based on these results, guided interviews were conducted with additional occasional game facilitators (n=4) to check and extend the requirements. Finally, a group of occasional game facilitators (n=30) answered an online questionnaire based on the results of the requirement analysis and existing competency models. RESULTS: Our review produced the following questions: Which competencies are needed by facilitators and what are their training needs? What do current training courses for occasional game facilitators in higher education look like? How do the competencies of occasional game facilitators differ from other competencies required in higher education? The key findings of our analysis are that a mix of managerial and technical competencies is required for facilitating serious games in higher educational contexts. Further, there is a limited or no general competence model for game facilitators, and casual game facilitators rarely undergo any specific, formal training. CONCLUSIONS: The results identified the competencies that game facilitators require and a demand for specific formal training. Thus, the study contributes to the further development of a competency model for game facilitators and enhances the efficiency of serious games.

Game Experience and Learning Effects of a Scoring-Based Mechanic for Logistical Aspects of Pediatric Emergency Medicine: Development and Feasibility Study.

BACKGROUND: Using serious games for learning in operations management is well established. However, especially for logistics skills in health care operations, there is little work on the design of game mechanics for learning engagement and the achievement of the desired learning goals. OBJECTIVE: This contribution presents a serious game design representing patient flow characteristics, systemic resource configurations, and the roles of the players based on a real Swedish emergency ward. The game was tested in a set of game-based learning practices in the modalities of a physical board game and an online multiplayer serious game that implemented the same game structure. METHODS: First, survey scores were collected using the Game Experience Questionnaire Core and Social Presence Modules to evaluate the experience and acceptance of the proposed design to gamify real processes in emergency care. Second, lag sequential analysis was applied to analyze the impact of the game mechanics on learning behavior transitions. Lastly, regression analysis was used to understand whether learning engagement attributes could potentially serve as significant predicting variables for logistical performance in a simulated learning environment. RESULTS: A total of 36 students from courses in engineering and management at KTH Royal Institute of Technology participated in both game-based learning practices during the autumn and spring semesters of 2019 and 2020. For the Core Module, significant differences were found for the scores for negative affect and tension compared with the rest of the module. For the Social Presence Module, significant differences were found in the scores for the psychological involvement - negative feelings dimension compared with the rest of the module. During the process of content generation, the participant had access to circulating management resources and could edit profiles. The standard regression analysis output yielded a ΔR2 of 0.796 (F14,31=2725.49, P<.001) for the board version and 0.702 (F24,31=2635.31, P<.001) for the multiplayer online version after the learning engagement attributes. CONCLUSIONS: The high scores of positive affect and immersion compared to the low scores of negative feelings demonstrated the motivating and cognitive involvement impact of the game. The proposed game mechanics have visible effects on significant correlation parameters between the majority of scoring features and changes in learning engagement attributes. Therefore, we conclude that for enhancing learning in logistical aspects of health care, serious games that are steered by well-designed scoring mechanisms can be used.