This document summarizes a case study on an augmented reality location-based game called Parasite Race designed to teach conceptual biological models of parasitism. Researchers tested the game with 14 primary and secondary school teachers. While some teachers succeeded in understanding the game represented a model of parasitism, others struggled. The researchers found the game was more effective for learning when combined with guided activities before and after gameplay. However, teachers felt students may benefit more from programming their own games to learn concepts.

1. A case study of augmented
reality location-based game for
learning conceptual biological
models
Tuomas Aivelo, University of Helsinki
@aivelo
ERIDOB, 8.9.2016,
Karlstad, Sweden

2. IntroductionDesingandmethodsResultsanddiscussionConclusions
Aivelo, T., & Uitto, A. (2016). Digital gaming for
evolutionary biology learning: The case study of
parasite race, an augmented reality location-based
game. LUMAT, 4(1), 1-25
http://www.luma.fi/lumat-en/4542
LUMA CENTER FINLAND

3. IntroductionDesingandmethodsResultsanddiscussionConclusions
• Researchers create models to study these
natural phenomena
• Many biological concepts (e.g., ”gene”,
”competition”) are processes between objects
• Games are explicitly programmed as models
Problem: Students have regularly problems to
grasp and understand conceptual models

4. IntroductionDesingandmethodsResultsanddiscussionConclusions
Games are interesting
Micro-level
Narrative-level
Meta-level
Breuer & Bente, 2010
Predictions based
on certain context
Specific research
questions and results
”Biological laws”

5. IntroductionDesingandmethodsResultsanddiscussionConclusions
Augmented Reality gaming
• Augmented reality (AR): the supplementation of real-
world environment by any computer-generated output
Milgram & Kishino, 1994
• Widely used in informal education (zoos, museums) or
in outdoor education
• Learning situation is concrete and conceptual
knowledge can be correlated to actual location
Hagustin / Wikimedia CommonsJean-Pierre Dalbéra / Wikimedia Commons

6. IntroductionDesingandmethodsResultsanddiscussionConclusions
Anchorage,
USA
Roger Lew /
Wikimedia Commons
Gävle, Sweden
Alewi /
Wikimedia Commons
Düsseldorg,
Germany
Kürschner /
Wikimedia Commons
Bern,
Switzerland
Fred Schaerli/
Wikimedia Commons

7. IntroductionDesingandmethodsResultsanddiscussionConclusions
Research questions
How do the teachers succeed in playing
a novel AR game and deducing the rules
of the game?
Could teachers perceive the game as a
conceptual model of parasitism?

8. IntroductionDesingandmethodsResultsanddiscussionConclusions
Parasite Race
Built with TaleBlazer:
http://taleblazer.org/gamePage/962
Requires Taleblazer app:
http://taleblazer.org/Support/mobiledownload
Can be found within app with
Game Code: gcvanga

9. IntroductionDesingandmethodsResultsanddiscussionConclusions
Players can choose from
three parasites and two
scenarios.

10. IntroductionDesingandmethodsResultsanddiscussionConclusions

11. IntroductionDesingandmethodsResultsanddiscussionConclusions

12. IntroductionDesingandmethodsResultsanddiscussionConclusions
Testing Parasite Race
• Workshop of primary and secondary
school teachers (n = 14)
• Online questionnaire prior to workshop
and group interviews after playing the
game
• Analysis of gameplay from game logs
LUMA CENTER FINLAND

13. IntroductionDesingandmethodsResultsanddiscussionConclusions
Progressions in the game
• Five players finished game in 45 minutes – these players
exhibited understanding of metalevel in interviews
• Initially, all players did non-beneficial choices, but the
succesful players quickly adapted their gameplay
(Succesful players 33%, unsuccesful 28%, W13 = 23, p = 0.943)
• Succesful players had more total actions
(Msuccessful = 7.25, SDsuccessful= 2.33, Munsuccessful = 4.2, SDunsuccessful = 1.21, W13 = 7, p = 0.030)

14. IntroductionDesingandmethodsResultsanddiscussionConclusions
Feedback from players
• Positive attitude towards the game –
”something different”
• Programming could be used as a
teaching method
• Not necessarily useful for all students

15. IntroductionDesingandmethodsResultsanddiscussionConclusions
Understanding game as a model
• Reflection on refining the model induced
better understanding of the model
• Players seemed to understand the game as
something they just needed to go and do
• Understanding meta-level of game is not
enough to understand biological concept

16. IntroductionDesingandmethodsResultsanddiscussionConclusions
Possibilities to take up games in schools
• Using games for teaching models requires well-
planned activities before and after gaming
• Teachers did not feel competent to program games,
but thought some of their students could do that
• Possibilities for programming to facilitate conceptual
concept learning? (George et al., 2012, Kafai, 2006)

17. References
• Breuer, J., & Bente, G. (2010). Why so serious ? On the Relation of Serious
Games and Learning. Eludamos. Journal for Computer Game Culture, 4, 7–24.
• George, S., Lavoué, É., & Monterrat, B. (2012). An environment to support
collaborative learning by modding. In Proceedings of the 8th European
Conference on Technology Enhanced Learning (pp. 111–124). Paphos, Cyprus.
• Kafai, Y. B. (2006). Playing and making games for learning: instructionist and
constructionist perspectives for game studies. Games and Culture, 1, 36–40.
• Milgram, O., & Kishino, A. F. (1994). Taxonomy of Mixed Reality Visual Displays.
IEICE Transactions on Information and Systems, E77-D, 1321–1329.