Browsing by Author "Echeverria, Alejandro"

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    A framework for the design and integration of collaborative classroom games
    (PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD, 2011) Echeverria, Alejandro; Garcia Campo, Cristian; Nussbaum, Miguel; Gil, Francisca; Villalta, Marco; Amestica, Matias; Echeverria, Sebastian
    The progress registered in the use of video games as educational tools has not yet been successfully transferred to the classroom. In an attempt to close this gap, a framework was developed that assists in the design and classroom integration of educational games. The framework addresses both the educational dimension and the ludic dimension. The educational dimension employs Bloom's revised taxonomy to define learning objectives and applies the classroom multiplayer presential game (CMPG) pedagogical model while the ludic dimension determines the gaming elements subject to constraints imposed by the educational dimension. With a view to validating the framework, a game for teaching electrostatics was designed and experimentally implemented in a classroom context. An evaluation based on pre/post testing found that the game increased the average number of correct answers by students participating in the experiment from 6.11 to 10.00, a result found to be statistically significant. Thus validated, the framework offers a promising basis for further exploration through the development of other games and fine-tuning of its components. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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    Exploring different technological platforms for supporting co-located collaborative games in the classroom
    (PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD, 2012) Echeverria, Alejandro; Amestica, Matias; Gil, Francisca; Nussbaum, Miguel; Barrios, Enrique; Leclerc, Sandra
    Computer Supported Collaborative Learning is a pedagogical approach that can be used for deploying educational games in the classroom. However, there is no clear understanding as to which technological platforms are better suited for deploying co-located collaborative games, nor the general affordances that are required. In this work we explore two different technological platforms for developing collaborative games in the classroom: one based on augmented reality technology and the other based on multiple-mice technology. In both cases, the same game was introduced to teach electrostatics and the results were compared experimentally using a real class.
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    The atomic intrinsic integration approach: A structured methodology for the design of games for the conceptual understanding of physics
    (PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD, 2012) Echeverria, Alejandro; Barrios, Enrique; Nussbaum, Miguel; Amestica, Matias; Leclerc, Sandra
    Computer simulations combined with games have been successfully used to teach conceptual physics. However, there is no clear methodology for guiding the design of these types of games. To remedy this, we propose a structured methodology for the design of conceptual physics games that explicitly integrates the principles of the intrinsic integration approach for designing instructional games (Habgood & Ainsworth, 2011) with an atomic analysis of the structure of games (Cook, 2007; Cousins, 2005; Koster, 2005). To test this approach, we redesigned an existing game to teach electrostatics and compared the educational effectiveness of the original and redesigned versions. Our studies also compared an endogenous fantasy version of the game with a non-fantasy version.