Tangible or digital? A comparison between two tools for designing asymmetric role-playing games for learning

Gaëlle Guigon (1, 2) , Mathieu Vermeulen (1) , Mathieu Muratet (3, 2) , Thibault Carron (2)

1 CERI SN - IMT Nord Europe - Centre for Digital Systems
2 MOCAH - Modèles et Outils informatiques Centrés Apprentissage Humain
3 INSHEA - Institut national supérieur de formation et de recherche pour l'éducation des jeunes handicapés et les enseignements adaptés

The design of serious games is a complex process, particularly when it comes to scripting. We are particularly interested in asymmetrical multiplayer serious games, i.e. where several identified roles have different tasks and objectives. These games are usually collaborative to be closer to real-life work or learning situations. Few methods and tools have been designed to assist in the making of scenarios for this type of game. Our aim here is to compare two tools for this purpose: one tangible and one digital, both based on the same conceptual model, and to compare the advantages and the limitations of these two tools. We also want to make suggestions to help choose between them depending on the context. We base these comparisons on qualitative experiments carried out with the two tools. The results tend to show that the use of a tangible tool is preferable in the ideation phase, at the very beginning of scenario design, because it appears to be quicker to familiarise yourself with. The digital tool, on the other hand, would be more effective in the long term, to manage several scenarios and update its content.

Mots clés: Serious Game; Design; Scenario; Multiplayer; Technology Enhanced Learning

Domaines: Environnements Informatiques pour l'Apprentissage Humain

Gaëlle Guigon, Mathieu Vermeulen, Mathieu Muratet, Thibault Carron. Tangible or digital? A comparison between two tools for designing asymmetric role-playing games for learning. 16th International Conference on Computer Supported Education, May 2024, Angers, France. ⟨hal-04530342⟩