Selecting serious games for the computer science class

Abstract

The aim of this paper was to investigate models to select serious games for use in the computer science class. The lack of a useful framework to select serious games that meet the teaching and learning objectives presented a significant obstacle when serious games where introduced into tertiary education. This paper briefly discusses three frameworks, the RETAIN model, the four-dimensional framework, and the magic bullet model. Lecturers evaluated serious games using the guidelines suggested by each of these models and their perceptions of the models were captured using a short questionnaire. Using descriptive analysis to analyse the data, the results are that lecturers prefer the four-dimensional framework when considering and selecting serious games as a teaching tool in the computer science class.