Case Study

Combining Physical Activities and Mobile Games to Promote Novel Learning Practices (Spikol and Milrad, 2008).

Background

The following case study focused on two concepts.  First, the authors developed, played, and analyzed a hybrid treasure-hunt game called Skattjakt, which combines mobile learning in the field of history, physical game play, problem-solving, and orienteering (a running game that involves navigation via maps and compasses).  Second, the auhthors also focused on the actual design process of this game and the results of co-design and humansk centered design practices.  All game play and design took place with 12-15 year students on the campus of Växjö University in Sweden.

Learners

The learners here were 12-15 year old attending an after school program (1st trial) or a weeklong girl’s summer technology course (2nd trial).  The first trial consisted 12 students (boys and girls) and took place in the winter.  The second trial consisted of 26 students in total, only girls.  This took place in the early summer.

The girls in the first trial got to play the game (on a “cold winter night” [p. 36]) and then participated in design and development workshops. The second group then played the game based on the product from those workshops.

Technology

The authors did not mention what kinds of phones were used, but from the photographs, they are obvious feature phones (not smartphones) with the ability to run applications.  Skattjakt was built on an Adobe Flash Lite platform and requires an Activity Control System and a Learning Activity System to function, all of which were designed for this game.  The present game does not u

The game was designed by instructors and students in CeLeKT (the Center for Learning and Knowledge Technologies) at the university.

Objectives

With the rise and proliferation of mobile devices such as mp3 players, cell phones, smart phones,a and PDAs, the authors state that “whether educators would like it or not, more and more students will bring these devices into the classroom” (p. 31).  Rather than ignoring or forbidding these devices, many in the field of mobile learning seek to harness these devices potentials for learning and motivation.  The present study and mobile game was developed for a young adolescent audience precisely because of their experience with and use of mobile technologies.

Using the mobile learning platform and orienteering, the goal of Skattjakt was to have students learn “informal skills … local history, reading maps and … collaboration” (p. 32). In addition, the goal of the study was to determine the effectiveness of co-design and learner-centered design processes. The present game does not use GPS, however, it is a feature that will be added in the future.

Game Play

According to the CeLeKT Skattjakt website:

The game starts with a video detailing the mystery of why the ghost of Anna Koskull has come back and now the players need to help her solve the mystery of her late husband Frederick Bonde in order to free her spirit from limbo. After the players get briefed they are split into teams. The game starts and each team gets a different location on the campus to find. The locations are shown on the phone via the Flash Lite Application and they can zoom and pan the area to find the spot. They receive a clue to find a 4-digit code, for example look for lion’s feet at the castle. When they arrive to the castle the can see 2 large lions at the feet of the right lion is sticker with a code, they enter the code into the phone and then they get the question what is on the family shield of the castle. They go up the steps of the castle to look at the shield, if they answer correctly they get a clue to the next location, if not they get a detour location. Of course they don’t know it is a detour until they get to the location. The teams need to solve the mysteries at each of the 6 locations and at the 7th final location the first team to arrive wins.

Games as Mobile Learning Components

Overall, Skattjakt was successful.  In both trials (winter and early summer), the students found it exciting and easy to use, and many would like to play the game again with different subjects. They found that students were motivated to play the game not by the story and narrative but by the game play itself.

In terms of actual learning, many felt they only learned a little about local history, however, there was a high percentage that felt motivated to learn more. More than half of the students felt it was a good way to learn. According to the participants, they also felt they worked together most of the time, with the girls saying they worked together almost all the time.

Pedagogical Underpinnings

The design of the game and the game itself are based on social constructivism.  Whereas constructivism posits that all knowledge is created or constructed from experience, social constructivism expands on this by stating that these experiences are social and interactional in nature. Collaboration is a natural practical application of social constructivist theory, and Skattjakt is at its core a collaborative game (p. 32; see also Social Constructivism).

This constructivist background also informs their actual game design processes, as they are interested in designing the game from the point of view of all those involved.  What they cite as co-design, learner-centered design, and human centric design are all different collaborative design methods based in constructivist methodology.

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