ABSTRACT
Abstract: Learning is associated with a lot of effort and perseverance. In learning theories, motivation can be observed as a key factor for successful learning. Serious games can increase motivation because they involve use of a variety of elements, such as visual environments, storylines, challenges, and interactions with nonplayer characters. This makes serious
CONTENTS 6.1 Introduction 134 6.2 Background 135 6.3 Basis for Exploratory Studies: Development of Four
Serious Games 136 6.4 An Exploratory Study: How to Characterize Players
in Serious Games? 138 6.4.1 Study Design 139 6.4.2 Results 140 6.4.3 Conclusion 143
6.5 An Exploratory Study: How to Provide Help in Serious Games? 143 6.5.1 Study Design 143 6.5.2 Results 144 6.5.3 Conclusion 145
6.6 Threats to Validity 146 6.7 Toward a Definition of Adaptivity 146 6.8 Outlook 148 6.9 Summary and Conclusion 148 References 149
games ideal learning environments as the learning experience becomes so intrinsically satisfying and rewarding that external pressures or rewards for learning are of secondary importance. Even though games have such motivational power, several studies have shown that there are no known forms of education as effective as a professional human tutor, because tutors select learning content based on the learners’ skills, thus adapting to the learner every step along the way. This chapter explores the interaction between human tutors and learners in seriousgame development with the focus on social development theory. It presents results that show how human tutors observe players in executing learning tasks and interacting with the game environment in serious games. Based on the results of these studies, we provide a definition of adaptivity for serious games.
