Design of educational multiplayer videogames. A vision from collaborative learning

Abstract

Most of the studies carried out have proved the convenience of incorporating the New Technologies into the educational process from the earliest ages. One of the possibilities that New Technologies offer is the use of videogames as a learning tool. Videogames are an attractive environment with the positive aspects of playing a game. In this way, pupils increase their cognitive skills, the time dedicated to learn, their motivation for learning, their concentration and their attention while they are working. In this work, based on the studies that plead for the benefits of videogames as excellent educational tools, we have analyzed the design of educational videogames for activities in group. Our principal aim is to facilitate the incorporation of collaborative learning techniques and tools into the videogames design and development to make more effective the model of learning in group without losing the playability. In order to achieve it, we present a set of general design guidelines that allows us to incorporate the characteristics of collaborative learning in the videogame development process. To make them, we have taken into consideration five characteristics of collaborative learning: positive interdependence, personal demand, face-to-face interaction, interpersonal skills and self-analysis of the group. As a practical example of our proposal, we have designed an educational videogame for playing in group, with collaborative elements and activities that permit to resolve the game challenges while the educational contents are achieved in an easier way than individual learning. This videogame reinforces the process of teaching vowels in the first moments of schooling. Each group has five players, and each of them will carry out the necessary activities to learn a vowel. While the game progresses, the students will get utensils that they will utilize jointly with their teammates' utensils to solve common game challenges.