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Abstract: With digital systems being a stable technology and e-gaming being the norm of playing in the new generation, digital learning environments emerge to frame the synthesis of an educational model that supports both Game-Based Learning (GBL) and e-Learning. Among the most promising gaming environments, with high engagement but also ambiguous learning outcomes, are Massive Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games (MMORPGs). On the other hand, most learning environments with high learning frameworks seem to have low engagement marked with high dropout rates. The main objective of this research is to create a gamified learning strategy that would implement MMORPGs in a learning environment, developing a gamified e-course that is both engaging and educative. The instructional design framework was employed to construct an experiential MMORPG e-course model answering to this problem. This framework was used to design and implement the synchronous MMORPG apt2Valoria to the online learning environment of Moodle. The evaluation results of apt2Valoria e-course indicated that the experiential Live Action Role-Playing Game (LARPG) framework was useful as a design framework, with respective contribution to game experience. There are seven sub-factors measuring game experience: immersive, flow, competence, tension, challenge, positive affect and negative affect. The results showed the subfactors that lead to positive values had higher mean value than the sub-factors that led to negative value.
Keywords: live action role playing game (LARPG) framework, experiential MMORPG e-course, role playing, gamification, game experience
1.Introduction
The need for continuing education, along with the need for a competitive cost that maintain reliability and high educational values, results in an increased demand for distance learning programs. According to the survey of Allen and Seaman (2013), it is estimated that participation in distance learning programs increased between 2002 and 2011 from 10% to 32% of total enrolment in tertiary education programs in the U.S. However, one of the basic weaknesses of distance learning programs is the high dropout rates compared to the traditional face-toface (F2F) training programs (Jun, 2005; Rochester & Pradel, 2008). Although the studies conducted to investigate the causes of the dropout effect are limited in number, most of them link the phenomenon of abandonment due to lack of incentives and the low level of satisfaction of the trainees (Croxton, 2014; Jun, 2005; Lorenzo, 2012). Which means that...