Field Notes (10): The ReDIRE Framework for Serious Games Research
Video Game Research Frameworks
Field Notes: Highlights digital tools, articles, books, and resources for historiographical video game design and production.
Freese et al. (2020) present a useful guide for developing serious games that are both educational and engaging through their ReDIRE Framework.
Their framework is divided into five stages: Requirement Analysis, Design Concept, Implementation, Research Framework, and Evaluation.
Figure 1: ReDIRE – Framework to analyze serious games for research purposes, Freese et al. p. 111.
Requirement Analysis
The initial stage involves a thorough understanding of the serious game’s needs and objectives. Validity, as defined by Peters et al. (1998), is the “degree of correspondence between the reference system and the simulated model thereof.” This phase focuses on identifying the research questions, target audience, and desired outcomes. Foundational works such as Duke (1974) underscore the importance of establishing a solid theoretical base in game design. During this stage, it is crucial to conduct a comprehensive literature review and engage with stakeholders to ensure that the game’s objectives align with educational goals and research requirements. This stage also involves defining the game's scope and limitations, ensuring that the project remains focused and achievable within the given constraints.
Design Concept
In this phase, the focus shifts to conceptualizing the game. Influential contributions from Amory (2007) and Hunicke et al. (2004) highlight the significance of creating engaging and meaningful game mechanics. Game mechanics are defined as “methods invoked by agents, designed for interaction with the game state” (Sicart, 2008). The design concept integrates educational objectives with game elements to create an immersive experience, maintaining a balance of game mechanics to achieve flow (Csíkszentmihályi, 1990). This stage also involves developing the game’s narrative, characters, and setting, ensuring that these elements are historically accurate and culturally sensitive. Collaboration with subject matter experts and educators is essential to ensure that the game content is both accurate and engaging.
Implementation
The third stage involves the practical development of the game. Insights from Harteveld (2011) and Duke and Geurts (2004) are critical in addressing the challenges and best practices of game implementation. Conducting playtests is crucial to debug and polish the game, ensuring its validity and effectiveness in conveying the intended educational content. This phase includes coding, graphic design, and sound production, where interdisciplinary collaboration between developers, designers, and historians is vital. Iterative testing and feedback loops are essential to refine the game mechanics, user interface, and overall user experience. This stage ensures that the game is functional and effectively conveys the intended educational content while maintaining high standards of playability and engagement.
Research Framework
Planning the research framework is essential when using games as research instruments. Engaging, validated research instruments such as short questionnaires or multitasking tools, combined with the game itself, create rich participant sessions and allow comprehensive data collection. A mixed-methods approach, integrating quantitative and qualitative data, is recommended. Consideration should also be given to the facilitator's role and the game's potential side effects. This stage involves designing the data collection process, ensuring that it aligns with the research objectives and ethical standards. It is important to develop a robust data management plan to handle and analyze the data collected from gameplay effectively. Additionally, researchers should prepare to address any unforeseen challenges or biases that may arise during the research process.
Evaluation
The final stage focuses on assessing the effectiveness of the game. Evaluation involves measuring the educational impact, user engagement, and overall success of the game in meeting its objectives. The debriefing phase connects the experiences of players and researchers, ensuring the transfer of learning from the game to real-world applications (Crookall, 2014; Kriz, 2010). Logging all players’ choices and actions is essential for studying behavior and deriving valid conclusions. This stage also includes collecting feedback from players and educators, analyzing gameplay data, and assessing the game's impact on learning outcomes. The evaluation process should be ongoing, with continuous improvements made based on the findings. This iterative approach ensures that the game remains relevant, engaging, and educationally effective over time.
References
Amory, A. (2007). Game object model version II: A theoretical framework for educational game development. Educational Technology Research and Development, 55(1), 51-77. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11423-006-9001-x
Crookall, D. (2014). Engaging (in) Gameplay and (in) Debriefing. Simulation & Gaming, 45(4-5), 416-427. https://doi.org/10.1177/1046878114559879
Csíkszentmihályi, M. (1990). Flow: The psychology of optimal experience. Harper & Row, New York. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/224927532_Flow_The_Psychology_of_Optimal_Experience
Donchin, E. (1995). Video games as research tools: The Space Fortress game. Behavior Research Methods, Instruments & Computers, 27(2), 217-223. https://link.springer.com/article/10.3758/BF03204735
Duke, R.D. (1974). Toward a general theory of gaming. Simulation & Games, 5(2), 131-146. https://doi.org/10.1177/003755007452001
Freese, M., Lukosch, H., Wegener, J., & König, A. (2020). Serious games as research instruments – Do’s and don’ts from a cross-case-analysis in transportation. European Journal of Transport and Infrastructure Research, 20(4), 103-126. https://doi.org/10.18757/ejtir.2020.20.4.4205
Kurapati, S. (2017). Serious games as research instruments: Do’s and don’ts from a cross-case analysis in transportation. https://doi.org/10.18757/ejtir.2020.20.4.4205
Sicart, M. (2008). Defining Game Mechanics. International Journal of Computer Game Research, 8(2). https://gamestudies.org/0802/articles/sicart