Nathan Hiscock
Word count: 2195
During the first semester, I conducted a research and analysis study of the potential benefits of using video games in education. I targeted my research directly towards students using a questionnaire, exploring how different individuals felt toward the topic and how they could visualise the use of games in education. Additionally, I compiled and analysed several online sources, including academic studies and news articles, to compare opposing views and facts. This research assisted in developing a practical solution, that involved creating a game concept that could effectively fit into everyday learning.
During the literature review stage, I found many sources arguing against
the use of video games in educational scenarios, such as a study
(Przybylski AK, 2014), that provided statistics on children with
social problems having a direct correlation to higher time spent
playing video games. Additionally, the World Health Organisation
(World Health Organisation, 2019), categorised 'gaming disorder' as
an official addiction and it was included in the international
classification of diseases. While this information may prove to be worrisome, I firmly believe that
this is an issue that cannot be tackled directly through changing the
formula of a game but rather convincing the users to control their game
usage and playtimes.
Additional sources provided information and recommendations
for appropriate usage of video games in classrooms. For example, an online
news article (Iberdrola, 2024) describes several benefits to video games
such as faster response times, encouraging teamwork and stimulating creativity.
Also, in the online magazine article 'Psychology Today' (Fishman, 2023),
the author lists several recommendations to parents looking to manage their
child's health when exposed to video games. These include providing
limited game time as a reward for children completing chores and homework.
This practice can easily be copied in the classroom, with teachers only
providing educational game time to students that finish their class work
early or their homework on time. Not only will this maintain a healthy
relationship with video games for young students, but it may help encourage
students to work harder in their studies to earn more game time privileges.
In addition, I gathered a few examples of where educational games have been successful.
In a study (Saorin, K.L et al., 2015), the authors provide examples of successful
educational games, otherwise known as serious games, such as Blokify, where students
develop their competencies related to three dimensional figures. Additionally,
another online article (Chaplin, 2010) explains the success of a New York public
school in implementing game-based learning into their classrooms.
Students at this school work with a virtual world they have collaboratively
created in which they work to solve financial and mathematical problems.
Despite this school's success, they still face criticism from members
of the public, including worrying parents wondering if these practices
will be picked up by other schools. This shows that the negative
impacts of overexposure to videogames largely overshadows the benefits
to a large portion of the public eye.
During the research stage, I carried out a questionnaire particularly targeted at
school students, exploring how games could be adapted to educational purposes.
Many suggestions were made that outlined a plan for appropriate game usage with
students, including specific design features the game should include, such as
puzzles and engaging ways to convey information. Most answers from candidates
seemed to steer towards the idea of a educational video game being a simple
game with a straightforward objective of learning new information, such as
web-based learning games like Kahoot. This did not align with my exact solution
I had envisioned, which made it difficult to use this information to argue
against any opposing views.
During the compiling of the case study information and the drafting of this project,
I found large variations in the opinionated data gathered, which would result
in making a solution that is influenced by personal bias, as it would be
extremely difficult to create a video game that could attempt to satisfy
all the for and against views for educational games. Additionally, creating
a solution of this level would require a much larger scope, with a time
frame needed for mass educational information gathering and implementation
into the game solution. Due to these restrictions, I decided to alter the
scope and target of this project to a game concept that can explore the idea
of providing more than just entertainment to its users, such as influencing
emotions and challenging the players cognitive skills.
In order to answer this new question, I gathered some additional information
from secondary sources that can reinforce my new idea. For example,
an article from Built In (Gosset, 2024) describes the social connection
benefits of MMO's and the testing of cognitive and problem-solving skills
in mission-based games. Additionally, in a medical research article
(Denilson, B.T. et al., 2019) conclusions are made that non-cognitive
video games have large benefits to brain function and stimulation. The
results gathered from this study showed variation with different age groups,
especially younger ages where the effects of video games on brain stimulation
are unclear, but also variations in game types, with different genres having
impacts on different functions of the brain. For example, the study finds
that 'strategy games affect the DLPFC activity in the brain'. Also known as
the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, this area of the brain is involved in
making complex social and emotional decisions. On the other hand,
fast paced shooters and puzzle games affected the area of the hippocampus,
which is a part of the brain that controls the transfer of short term to
long term memories as well as improving environmental and spatial awareness.
However, a medical article from the Mayo Health Clinic (Luker, 2022), as well as
many others, discuss that video games can trigger the release of dopamine in the
brain, which is associated with pleasure and satisfaction, acting as a
rewarding feeling after completing a tough challenge, such as overcoming a tough boss fight.
This process is a major contributor to the addictiveness of video games as individuals constantly
seek to achieve that strong sense of pleasure but also causes many issues with
individuals exposing themselves to games and screens for long periods of time,
resulting in social and mental health problems including anxiety.
Comparing this research, it can be considered difficult to argue
against the benefits that video games have on cognitive brain functions.
While some sources are not denying this, there is a large trend of medical
professionals and studies that argue that the risks of addiction, and thus
the associated negatives, are too damaging to an individuals mental and
social health. I again believe that this issue cannot be tackled through
changing the games design features, but rather through the encouragement
of a healthy balance between time on and off a screen.
After drafting a few ideas for the practical solution, I ultimately landed on a small level demonstration for an
action-adventure game featuring a variety of puzzles, a visually unique environment,
interesting story and challenging enemies. Using puzzles and challenging combat, I
can create scenarios that influences the players cognitive functions such as
awareness of the game environment and attention to detail in character movements
and attacks.
The story follows a traveling owl mage, who plans to overthrow a corrupt king who
has descended different regions into despair. The player will explore several levels
to gather stronger abilities and face challenging adversaries to diminish the corrupt
king's power, all while meeting unique characters and finding new and interesting
developments in the storyline. With this story concept, I aim to create an
engaging experience that can create emotional impact through unexpected story
developments and world building that is affected by emotive decisions.
To attempt to combat against the effects of over exposure to games, this
concept would involve hourly messages to the player, advising them to take
a break from their screen and manage their game time appropriately.
My main inspiration for this level was the video game Death's Door,
which helped shape my ideas for the level's art direction, theme and
level layout. This level takes place in a dense fantasy themed forest,
with a variety of magical plant life, challenging puzzles and tough
enemies that all fit into the level's aesthetic.
In order to more effectively manage my time, I created a Gannt chart that
includes each individual project goal with an accompanying deadline week.
In the case of a missed deadline, I also had a short list of potential
contingencies to prevent further delays in the project.
I created a few different level sketches before deciding on the final
layout shown below. To fit the timeframe and smaller project scope, this layout
acts as a smaller version of what would be a larger, more immersive level.
However, this layout still includes all the essential elements to meet the
criteria of the previously imagined concept, including room for three puzzles,
a village where the player can learn more about the storyline and a mix
between a main critical path with a few side paths for extra exploration
and optional collectables.
In this case, the critical path involves the player collecting four keys
to open the temple at the end of the level, allowing them to progress
into the new area. Completing the first puzzle will reward the
player with a grapple ability. The player will then be prompted
to return to earlier areas of the level with newly opened
shortcuts, where they can use this new ability to explore
new areas. Additionally, players can explore and find secret
collectables, which will provide them with additional rewards,
such as currency or a new weapon or skill, when all four have
been found.
I started development by creating an inspiration board using references
such as Death's Door, Fortnite and No Man's Sky as well using
generative AI to kickstart a few ideas for different assets, which
I could then develop into my own ideas.
Using the block out sketch, I created a foundation for the level
layout in Blender, with some additional changes, and started to map
out the placement of different assets. The level rested on a large
flat surface of dirt that acted as the out of bounds area, while the
playable areas of the level were mapped out with dividing walls,
doorways and varied elevations in the land.
Using Blender and working from the references, I created an array of different environment assets, including a variety of different plants and trees, in addition to multiple infrastructure assets, such as village buildings, a large locked door, short stone walls to divide the areas in the level and a larger stone brick which I could use in an array to create large walls and pillars to lay against the elevated land areas in the level.
To create a more interesting level floor, I used Adobe Photoshop to hand paint three different repeating textures. These included a grass and dirt path texture to indicate the critical direction throughout the level, and a simple stone brick texture for the higher land elevations. I used texture painting in Blender to create dirt pathways on top of a layer of the grass texture. I also used the same dirt path texture with a hue/saturation node to cover the out of bounds area with a darker dirt texture.
After identifying a risk of missing a deadline that involved getting the level ready for showcase in Unity, I followed the contingency plan that involved creating smaller render scenes in Blender. I used a cartoon cloudy HDRI texture from a previous project to add a blanket lighting layer over the scene, while also acting as a level skybox. Additionally, I created a custom lighting texture using an area light with a noise texture, colour ramp and emission node setup. This material created a light pattern that simulated tall tree canopyies breaking up the amount of sunlight reaching the forest floor.
In conclusion, video games have many other benefits, other than entertainment,
to an individual's skills and brain function and are varied across different
game genres. It can be argued that including a variety of different genres
in the games you play will yield better overall impact on different brain
functions such as reflex times and cognitive thinking skills. Additionally,
video games such as MMO's can encourage more social interaction, albeit
virtual interactions, which is a challenge many young people face as
anxiety becomes more common in younger individuals. However, the release
of dopamine through satisfying actions in games can be dangerous and
easily lead to addiction. While this is a problem that is difficult to
overcome through the video game itself, it should be urged for players
to learn how to control their gaming time and create a healthy balance
between game and real-life activity.
Additionally, the practical side of this project has introduced some
new skills such texture painting and average scale level design, while
working with a greater concept in mind. After reflecting, I believe
that I should have focused my efforts more on the puzzles and
storytelling aspects of the game to better align with the research
study, although I plan to continue expanding this project in the future.