uadventure: the eadventure reboot (how to create educational games)

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uAdventure: The eAdventure reboot Combining the experience of commercial gaming tools and tailored educational tools Ivan J. Perez-Colado, Victor M. Perez-Colado, Ivan Martínez-Ortiz, Manuel Freire-Moran, Baltasar Fernández-Manjón Dept. of Software Engineering and Artificial Intelligence, Facultad de Informática, Universidad Complutense de Madrid Madrid, Spain

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Page 1: Uadventure:  the eAdventure reboot (How to create educational games)

uAdventure:The eAdventure

rebootCombining the experience of commercial gaming tools and

tailored educational tools

Ivan J. Perez-Colado, Victor M. Perez-Colado, Ivan Martínez-Ortiz, Manuel Freire-Moran,Baltasar Fernández-Manjón

Dept. of Software Engineering and Artificial Intelligence, Facultad de Informática,Universidad Complutense de Madrid Madrid, Spain

Page 2: Uadventure:  the eAdventure reboot (How to create educational games)

Index

1. Introduction

2. From eAdventure to uAdventurea. eAdventureb. Why does eAdventure need a refurbishment?

3. uAdventurea. uAdventure Architectureb. The uAdventure editorc. The uAdventure Interpreter: an emulator for eAdventured. Migrating SGs from eAdventure to uAdventure

4. New Educational Features in uAdventurea. Learning Analytics for SGsb. Embracing ubiquity: geolocated games

5. Conclussions and Future Work

Page 3: Uadventure:  the eAdventure reboot (How to create educational games)

From eAdventure to uAdventure: eAdventure

● The eAdventure (eA) provides an authoring tool that allows for SG development

without requiring advanced computer skills.

● Balancing both educational, practical (e.g. cost, maintenance) and technological

aspects

● eAdventure is a platform for simplifying the development of 2D point-and-click

adventure serious games

○ Game development can be achieved with small budgets○ Maximizes the Return on Investment (ROI)○ Customizes the learning experience○ Facilitates both distribution and evaluation.

Page 4: Uadventure:  the eAdventure reboot (How to create educational games)

Why does eAdventure need a refurbishment?

● eA design started in 2007: First version delivered in early 2008.○ Maintained by different contributors○ Architectural and technological decisions that were correct at that time, but are

now hindering the maintenance and evolution of the platform.● eA was built with Java technology: “build once run anywhere” -> Still on desktop

● Schools: Desktop computers -> Tablets○ Java problems on mobile platforms○ Mobile = Touchscreen = New interaction methods

● eA relied on Java Applets as deployment -> Deprecated

● eA: Usual game platform features + educational features○ Maintain the platform and include mobile is not possible (too much effort)

Page 5: Uadventure:  the eAdventure reboot (How to create educational games)

eAdventure Architecture

Page 6: Uadventure:  the eAdventure reboot (How to create educational games)

uAdventure

● uA development aims to achieve the following goals○ To address the technical issues of the eA platform○ To face the project management/survival issues.○ To provide a solid base platform to build new educational features○ Maintain compatibility with eA (at least importing previous eA games).

● uA is built on top of Unity ○ Possibly the most popular (indy) game development platform ○ Multi-platform support

Page 7: Uadventure:  the eAdventure reboot (How to create educational games)

uAdventure Architecture

● uA is composed only of two main layers: Interpreter and Editor

● ad-hoc eA layers replaced by Unity’s standard layers:

○ Development effort can be used in educational features

● The Editor is focused on creating a game specification that, in conjunction with the

required game resources, will make it a game.

○ eA data model + new additions (new map scenes and new assessment specification)

● The Interpreter relays on Unity’s representation core and translates all eA model

components into Unity game elements, will make it a game.

Page 8: Uadventure:  the eAdventure reboot (How to create educational games)

uAdventure Architecture

Page 9: Uadventure:  the eAdventure reboot (How to create educational games)

The uAdventure editor

● The Editor allows users to modify the game specification, manage and

create new game resources○ Replicated from eA: main graphical user interface, including menus,

windows and general appearance. ○ Easier for the current eA users to migrate to uA

● Include also a brand-new Unity-Unified GUI○ Unity views for advanced users : Scene preview and object hierarchy,

Unity animator, or element inspector.● As uA evolves inside Unity, it will be able to benefit from other Unity

features:○ 3D assets (downloadable from the Unity Asset Store), ○ the physics engine○ navigation meshes for movement ...

● ∆ Richier Games (mobile) + ∇ Less time to produce them

Page 10: Uadventure:  the eAdventure reboot (How to create educational games)

Fade transition from players appearance view on uAdventure (left) to previous players appearance view on

eAdventure (right). The editor is quite similar in both systems.

Page 11: Uadventure:  the eAdventure reboot (How to create educational games)

uAdventure Conversation editor (top) and condition editor (left)

Page 12: Uadventure:  the eAdventure reboot (How to create educational games)

uAdventure Interpreter: an emulator for eAdventure

● The Interpreter loads eA game file and makes it playable.○ developing behaviors for every element that is visible or plays a role in

the game. ● Manages the GameState, including: flags, variables, global-states, inventory...

● Handling user interaction:○ PC/Mouse-Keyboard system -> Older eA games

■ Cursors, floating names, and lists of answers at the bottom of the screen○ Tablet/Touch system -> New features:

■ interactive elements glow periodically to capture the player's attention● Touchscreen players can’t “mouse-over” scenes to find interactive

element

● uA also includes a multi-platform eA game emulator that can

take a “.jar” executable eA game and run it on every platform

available within uA

Page 13: Uadventure:  the eAdventure reboot (How to create educational games)
Page 14: Uadventure:  the eAdventure reboot (How to create educational games)
Page 15: Uadventure:  the eAdventure reboot (How to create educational games)

Migrating SGs from eAdventure to uAdventure

● Games reliability: games stop working due to technological issues

● eA’s SG life cycle improvement ->uA Interpreter ○ Most of the games developed with eA -> supported by uA

● Cost reduction: If uA doesn’t exist -> complete redevelopment○ That is, the use of uA avoids the high cost in time and money

● Case study of adapting a game to Unity by the e-UCM research group○ reproduced the First Aid Game inside Unity

50 Hours -> 85% of the game

60 Hours for full support

60h * 20€/h = 1.200€ per game

CATEDU has 6 games -> 7.200€Original Budget ≈ 35.000€ -> 20%

Estimated cost reduction

Page 16: Uadventure:  the eAdventure reboot (How to create educational games)

New Educational Features in uAdventure

Two main educational features that are being implemented in uA:

● Learning Analytics as an assessment tool

● Geolocated games

Page 17: Uadventure:  the eAdventure reboot (How to create educational games)

Integrating Learning Analytics for SGs

● Assessment in eAdventure○ Condition -> Assert: If the user fails send: “The learner has failed the test”

● uA Learning analytics○ Every user interaction in the game is traced.○ Default game-independent analytics and game-specific analytics

● xAPI support: integrate analytics with H2020 RAGE and BEACONING

Learning Analytics

Page 18: Uadventure:  the eAdventure reboot (How to create educational games)

Embracing ubiquity: geolocated games

● Ubiquity -> Ubiquitous Learning -> Mobile learning

● Mobile allows games to be played anywhere and anytime

○ Pokemon GO

● uA takes advantage of the GPS, Compass and Camera:○ Gymkhanas, interactive tours, or cultural visitor guides○ GPS: Outdoor ○ Compass: Orientation○ Camera: QR Codes -> Indoor

● Extending xAPI analytics for geolocated games

Page 19: Uadventure:  the eAdventure reboot (How to create educational games)

Conclusions

● From eAdventure to uAdventure ○ Addresses the technological limitations, and provides new

educational capabilities ● The uA tool has been created around two main elements:

○ The Game Editor and the Game Interpreter (open code in github)

● The interpreter has same model used in eA -> compatibility.

● Improve game lifecycle: reduce 85% maintenance and migration

costs.

● Integration of uAdventure with the real-time Game Learning

Analytics platform used in the H2020 RAGE and BEACONING

● Although uAdventure still requires significant work before public

release

Page 20: Uadventure:  the eAdventure reboot (How to create educational games)

Want to be involved in uAdventure? check our Github repository

https://github.com/e-ucm/uadventure

Any questions?- Mail: [email protected] Twitter: @BaltaFM

- GScholar: https://scholar.google.es/citations?user=eNJxjcwAAAAJ&hl=en- ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Baltasar_Fernandez-Manjon- SlideShare: https://www.slideshare.net/BaltasarFernandezManjon

EDUCON 2017