Towards a comprehensive framework to analyse edutainment applications

Abstract

By following action research principles this study develops a comprehensive framework that enables more systematical data collection on the design and impact of edutainment applications, in particular serious games and gamification, from learning and learner’s points of view. Schell’s original game design framework including aesthetics, story, mechanics and technology dimensions was enhanced with pedagogy and player dimensions. Moreover, these abstract dimensions were decomposed into individual functional elements on the basis of prior findings in literature. The enhanced framework was tested with four serious games. The framework helped to gain deeper insight in design choices being made and reveals subtle differences between game designs. There is, however, room for improvement. Some elements seem to be partly overlapping; others do not seem to differentiate much across different games. More research is needed to fine-tune and operationalize the framework elements.