This presentation introduces the viewer to the concept of serious games, the pro and cons, and presents some examples.

1. www.dcs.shef.ac.uk/~daniela/publications.html
Serious Games &
Virtual Environments for
Education and Entertainment
Daniela M. RomanoDaniela M. Romano

2. ContentContent
• Serious Games Definition and
Concepts
• Virtual Reality Technology & Games
• AI & Games
• Believable Synthetic Characters
• Natural Interfaces Interfaces

3. GameGame
Playful*, Goal Driven Activity
(with or without a computer)
Aspects:
• Rules
• Challenges
• Choices
• Competition & Goals
• Fantasy & Engaging aspects
*lively and full of fun => Engaging

4. Benefits of Playing GamesBenefits of Playing Games
• Whatever the content there are
benefits associated with video games
playing.
• Research has shown improvements in
mood, reductions in stress, and
feelings of competence and autonomy,
with positive impact on wellbeing
• Playing with others have revealed
benefits in terms of social wellbeing
and feelings of relatedness
• Co-operative video game play is
associated with increased brain
activity
Read more:
http://www.smh.com.au/comment/
the-brain-gain-why-video-games-
can-make-people-happy-
20131008-
2v63o.html#ixzz2tl7HucBU

5. History of Computer Games
Computer Games have
outgrown from computer
research in fields such as:
•Artificial Intelligence
•Virtual Reality
Early arcade video games
(1971–1977)
Pong was the first arcade video game with
widespread success

6. History of Computer Games
Pong: Past and Present
Brain Computer Interface PongPong original game

7. History of Computer Games
Packman: Past and Present
Now packman is used in AI
research to test algorithm strength
in a finite environment
Packman for Apple II
Packman Arcade

8. Science Fiction becomes Reality
Science Fiction is influenced and
influences our reality
especially in the area of Games,
Serious Games and Gamification

9. Science Fiction & Reality
Science Fiction is influenced by
Research advancements …
… and in turn influences our reality
especially in the area of Games,
Serious Games and Gamification
ROBOTICSAI & Emotion
3D Graphics
VR
Brain Computer
Interface
3D Graphics and VR
3D Graphics and VR
ABM & 3D graohics

10. The Serious Games Convergence

11. The Serious Games Convergence

12. Serious Games are simulations that use
entertaining and engaging aspects
of computer games with the aim to engage
the users with
an educational content.
Learning
Environments

13. Learning EnvironmentsLearning Environments
Edutainment
– The fun is separated from the learning
– Chocolate-covered broccoli (Jacob Hobgood, Sumo Digital)
– The user has fun and engages with the
environment, learns,
has fun, engage, learns, ....
FUNFUN
ENGAGE learn
ENGAGE learn

14. Learning EnvironmentsLearning Environments
Serious Game
– The fun is embedded in the
learning activity, within the
‘gameplay’
– No apparent linear sequence and
possibilities are unlimited (or at least
the limitations are not apparent to the
gamer)
– The user has fun while engaging in
the activity of learning
– One learns though experience
– The learner is an actor, s/he
constructs her/is own experience and
acquisition of knowledge vs passive
learning
FUN
ENGAGE learn
experience

15. Serious GamesSerious Games
Pedagogical ModelPedagogical Model

16. Why learn with a serious game?Why learn with a serious game?
• Our present economic era is
referred as
Information or Digital Age to
indicate the shift from the
production of physical goods
towards
the production and
manipulation of information
• Second economic revolution
• The pedagogical model of
the information age has to
address the same shift

18. Why learn with a serious gamesWhy learn with a serious games
Bruner (1996)
• Different models of the mind have been developer which have
shaped our pedagogical one
• Imitative learners - need to acquired the ‘know-how’ (e.g. artisan)
• Pupils learning from didactic exposure, a ‘tabula rasa’ to be
imprinted, a passive receptacle of knowledge (e.g.TV watcher)
• Pupils are thinker in need of constructing their own model of the
world, exchanging understanding trough discourse and
collaboration with educators and peers, manipulating beliefs
about the world and other his/her metacognitive skills (Piaget,
proximal development idea). (e.g. Group work, classroom
discussions) (Social learning & reasoning in a community of
practice, networked learning).

19. Serious Games Pedagogical ModelSerious Games Pedagogical Model
Kolb learning wheel
• Learning trough experience and reflection (ARTISAN)
Chancley
• Situated learning in a community of practice (GROUP
LEARNING IN CONTEXT)
Is this all it happens?

20. Serious Games Pedagogical ModelSerious Games Pedagogical Model
Brumer (1996)
• New pedagogical model
• Pupils grasp the distinction between:
– Personal knowledge and ‘what is to be known’ by culture
(normal teen-ager attitude as critical thinker)
• Pupils begin to understand how evidences are used to check beliefs, they
form beliefs about beliefs, or hypothesis, that become a proven theory or
a body of facts
• Learners are actors constructing their own knowledge
MOTIVATION for learning => they enjoy what they do
• They learn following their own interest
• They search, access and produce their own material
(e.g. Google, U-tube, blogs, Wikipedia, etc.)
• (e.g. Fail school, but extremely competent in game technology,
communication technology & Second life playing .... )

22. Blended Learning

25. Serious games have variousSerious games have various
shapes and formsshapes and forms

26. Virtual Learning EnvironmentsVirtual Learning Environments
Development Platforms
–Bespoken 2D graphics
–Bespoken 3D graphics
–Game engine

27. Virtual Learning EnvironmentsVirtual Learning Environments
Visualization Hardware
– 2D screen (PDA, 15”, .., Cinema)
– 3D solution

28. Virtual Learning EnvironmentsVirtual Learning Environments
Interaction Devices
– Pointer metaphor
• Mouse & Keyboards
• Gamepad / game hardware
– Intuitive/ natural
20/30 cm

29. Difference between films, 3D graphics, and VRDifference between films, 3D graphics, and VR
Creative
Media
OUTPUT
Active
interactions
(actor,
creator)
Virtual
Reality
Passive
spectator
TV,
3D graphics
in films
2D
VISUALIZATION
HARWARE
or
Images &
sound
3D
2D
3D
2D
INTERACTION
Pre-
Rendered,
Pre-defined,
Video
Rendered at
run time,
(un)limited
possibilities

30. Example of Serious GamesExample of Serious Games

31. 2D Desktop Serious Game:2D Desktop Serious Game:
T’rrific tales
• Learning Environment for Creative Writing for infants
• To study the interaction between the human and the digital and the effect
on
- teacher time,
- classroom context and learning 2000

32. Agent Based Football Training

33. A. BinSubaih, S. Maddock and D.M. Romano
A collaborative domain independent platform to is used to train a police officer to deal
with road accident in virtual environments.
Desktop and Fully immersive solution, game platform independented (e.g. Torque)
3D Game Desktop/Immersive Serious Game:3D Game Desktop/Immersive Serious Game:
DICE
Domain Independent Collaborative training Environment
AIMS
To develop a flexible collaborative
training environment that can be used
to train police academy students in
different situations
PROPOSED SOLUTION
A training environment has been built
that is domain independent.
The logic of the scenario is also
independent from the virtual
environments used and can be entered
by non programmers.
The simulation can run using any of the
game engine available (low cost & high
quality graphic).
STUDIES
Can such environment replace on-site
training?
Can it be integrated within the police
academy course material?
Is there a transfer of knowledge
between virtual training and real life
accidents?
Sponsored by Dubai Police
2004-2007

34. Tabletop vs CVE Police TrainingTabletop vs CVE Police Training
Ahmed BinSubaih
Steve Maddock
Daniela Romano
Current Training
Dubai police force currently trains its
accident investigators using theory (taught
courses) followed by practice (on-the-job
training)
Issues:
• A large gap exists between the theoretical
and practical training
• Current on-the-job practical training is not
sufficient to bridge that gap
On-Site Training Accident Scenario
Crash between two vehicles; one severely
injured passenger; no injuries to the drivers;
both vehicles have leaked hazardous material
at the scene.
Roles (4 people collaborating):
• Investigator (Attend emergency & establish
faults)
• Two drivers (Explain to the investigator what
happened, answering any questions)
• Control room operator (Provide resources)
CVE
• CVE = three desktop machines networked
together, reproducing the accident scene.
• On each desktop the users were equipped
with a headset for free-speech
communication with the others.
• The users use the joystick/mouse/keyboard
to navigate the CVE.
• Users were represented by avatars in the
environment.
Tabletop
• A 2D map of the accident scenario
• Movable stickers to represent: drivers, injured
person and vehicles.
• Two actors played the role of the drivers, sat
across the table from the Police Officers
• The operator moved the stickers
representing the resources as requested (i.e.
ambulance, the towing-trucks, additional
assistance, etc.)
Results
Performance measured: Time & No. of tasks completed.
Trainee improved task performance and time of the second
run in both environments.
Performance below half of the mark that can be achieved
=> current training inadequate => further training needed in
practical form.
Better spatial awareness related tasks for CVE subjects.
Better overall performance of the group that performed
tabletop first and then CVE.
Subjects’ comments favoured the CVE method.
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Two groups(3+3)of Dubai Police Officers solved the incident, 2x 2 design (tabletop first, than CVE and vice versa)
Server/Host
Virtual
Environment
Actor 2
Actor 1
Trainee
Virtual
Environment
Virtual
Environment
CR Operator

35. 3D Game Consol Serious Game:3D Game Consol Serious Game:
Interactive Trauma Trainer
2004
DTI
BLITZ games – game engine

36. Surf Simulator

37. Drug Market SimulatorDrug Market Simulator
EPSRC, DAAT
Build a training environment for the Drug Alcohol Abuse Teams to
rehearse interventions

38. Drug Market SimulatorDrug Market Simulator
2006
2D map into 3D world – ordinance survey data
ACORN classification of residential neighbourhood
Half-life game engine / Bespoken solution
EPSRC, DAAT
Build a training environment for Drug Alcohol Abuse Teams

39. Automatic Construction of a CityAutomatic Construction of a City
A row of Terrace houses in
Sheffield automatically
reconstructed from GIS data
(above)
and the real street (below)

40. GPU FLAMEGPU FLAME
• Agent-Based Modelling with emergent behaviour on the
GPU
• Enhanced version of the Agent Framework FLAME

41. POLLy – POliteness in Language LearningPOLLy – POliteness in Language Learning
Dialogue and Animation generation system for teaching British
politeness to non-British English speakers
Swati Gupta, Marilyn Walker, Daniela Romano

42. POLLy – POliteness in Language LearningPOLLy – POliteness in Language Learning
Dialogue and Animation generation system for teaching British
politeness to non-British English speakers
Architecture

43. • videos

44. D.Romano@sheffield.ac.uk
THANK YOU
Daniela M. RomanoDaniela M. Romano