TAKING DIFFERENT PLAYER TYPES INTO CONSIDERATION WHILE IMPLEMENTING EDUCATIONAL GAME - EFFECT ON STUDENT EXPERIENCE AND ACADEMIC RESULTS

Abstract

In our paper Using player types to develop implementation of educational game presented in EDULEARN22 we suggested that even though Bartle’s and Marczewski’s typologies of player types are more commonly utilized in the context of game design, they can be applied also when developing implementation of educational games. In this paper we presented some game elements that could be included in the implementation of business simulation game to make it more engaging and motivating to students in Finnish university of applied sciences. We claim that if we can motivate students to participate in educational games, we can support and reinforce learning outcomes attained through the game.

This paper furthers the discussion about how player types from game design disciplines can be used when developing and planning course implementations in educational institutions. We will test the method we presented in our previous paper to see if our proposition is feasible in the context of higher education.

To test our presumption of the usability of player typologies in implementing gamified pedagogy, we will conduct a case study in Haaga-Helia University of applied sciences Porvoo Campus during spring 2023. We ask students to fill in a player typologies test by Marczewski and share their results with us. Based on these results, we add elements suggested to be motivating for our dominant player type. After the implementation of the business simulation game, we will analyze if the engagement to the game, feedback and academic results were different from the previous implementations. In this paper we will then share the results to provide a starting point for future discussions and development.