This white paper offers insight into the complex relationship between serious gaming, science and psychology. How do these sectors complement each other in serious gaming projects, what psychological principles do serious game designers apply, and why is gaming so interesting as a target group-oriented research methodology? Discover why serious gaming is more than a game – it is a powerful engine for research and social change.
This white paper is a must-read for anyone looking for innovative ways to improve learning outcomes, achieve behavior change, or conduct participatory research conduct participatory research. And for all pioneers who have long been convinced of the power of gaming, but struggle to get the rest of the organization on board. This white paper explains exactly how and why gaming is a well-founded tool for change management tasks. Make use of it!
Perfect, and that’s exactly the point! This whitepaper isn’t about games for entertainment — it’s about serious gaming as a scientific method for exploring (societal) challenges
And don’t worry, you don’t have to leave your contact information. Do you have questions or want more information? Just get in touch with us.
Content
1. Understanding the scope of serious gaming. An exploration of all the ways serious gaming and science interact. With the help of with Boudewijn Dijkstra and Steven de Rooij – both lecturer-researchers at the only master’s program in Serious Gaming in the Netherlands – we provide an insight into the many faces of serious gaming. For example, there is research on serious gaming (e.g., how do game mechanics work?) and research with serious gaming (how is the process of game development already being used to study change tasks?).
2. Exploring psychology and game design. Using real-life examples, we show how serious game designers bring together the worlds of science, psychology and design in their work. In conversation with Arjan van Houwelingen (lecturer in Game Design at Hanze University Groningen and board game designer) and Bas Altenburg (game designer at 8D), we make the workings of game mechanics – and their roots in psychological theory – concrete. How can we explain game behavior and why does gaming lend itself so well to change and research?
After reading this white paper…
As we like to say: we love problems. What should really change in your field? We like to think along if and how serious gaming can mean something in this. Not to send you an offer directly, but simply because we would like to know which problems are really urgent in education, care, government and business. This in turn helps us to use our expertise in an even more targeted way. We would rather work on the right things than on lots of things. And we need input from other professionals for that!
Johan likes to think along!
And don’t worry, you don’t have to leave your contact information. Do you have questions or want more information? Just get in touch with us.
This publication was produced with the cooperation of:
Boudewijn H. Dijkstra is a lecturer-researcher and coordinator of Serious Gaming education and research at NHL Stenden University of Applied Sciences. Since 2010, Serious Gaming has increasingly become the topic of focus. Together with colleagues, Boudewijn has had a role in the development of the Master Health Innovation (2015), Master Serious Gaming (2017) and Master Design Driven Innovation (2019). Besides lecturer-researcher and coordinator, Boudewijn is (has been) active within NHL Stenden in the field of ICT/edutech consultancy, project leader and as project coordinator for practice-oriented research projects.
Steven de Rooij – in addition to being an avid gamer – is a researcher and professor of Serious gaming at NHL Stenden. After completing his studies in Work and Organizational Psychology, he started focusing on learning through simulations and the use of forced feedback cycles to improve the effect of priming. In recent years, he developed the Serious Gaming Lemniscate, which is used to gain insights into the development and evaluation of the end-to-end process of serious gaming. The current focus of his work is to further develop the lemniscate by trying to implement it as a methodology for students to get a handle on “learning to learn,” and to create a better understanding of the entire process of serious gaming.
Arjan van Houwelingen is a lecturer, teacher trainer and study advisor at the program Creative Media & Game Technologies at the Hanze University Groningen.. An important part of his work is connecting the field, research groups and students so that they can collaborate on serious game projects. As a freelance game author, he develops games both on his own initiative and commissioned by clients. In 2015, Arjan founded the Games Making Guild which has grown into a national network with test nights and a vibrant community. As a board member at SAGANET, he organizes seminars and annually awards the SAGANET Award to the best newcomer within the field of serious games.
Bas Altenburg has been working as a game designer and project manager at serious game company 8D since 2019. There he develops board games, VR simulations, gamified apps and everything in between. In his role at the company, he analyzes complex situations in different sectors (healthcare, education, corporate) and develops solutions to challenging issues together with end users. His designs have reached hundreds of thousands of players in the Netherlands and abroad. As project manager he is involved in international consortia, for which he organizes workshops at home and abroad to promote serious gaming. On a local level he also likes to seek out the gaming community: participating or judging at the Global Game Jam, as a speaker at expert sessions, or as a coach for novice designers. Want to know more about his vision on serious games and game design? Watch the recording of the Knowledge Café Serious Gaming of Studium Generale Groningen, where Bas was a guest together with other experts.
Contribute to our white paper series?
For our white paper series, we are always looking for inspiring examples and ideas on the application of serious gaming – both as a change strategy and as an end product. Do you have such an example that you would like to share? Or is there a particular aspect of serious gaming that you would like to see highlighted again in a longread or whitepaper? Let us hear from you! Together we will give serious gaming the place it deserves. In healthcare, the research field, the social domain, business – gaming is here to stay.
Design-driven research: what is the added value? Successful implementation of research results requires a perfect balance between user, the form of the intervention and the context in which it will be used. When all these elements are well aligned, research results end up where they really make a difference: in the middle of society.
Dr. Ayla Schwarz is an Assistant Professor specializing in Implementation and Engagement in Digital Health at Wageningen University, part of the Consumption and Healthy Lifestyles chair group. Her research focuses on behavior change and technology, with a particular emphasis on promoting physical activity among children and adolescents. As the lead researcher of BEweegAPP+, she is currently working with JOGG, 8D, Kenniscentrum Sport en Bewegen and multiple municipalities to explore how policy can support effective scaling and implementation of physical activity apps.
Transdisciplinary research brings together scientists and societal actors such as designers, artists, and policymakers to tackle complex issues. Examples include ethical dilemmas surrounding technology, climate adaptation, or healthcare innovation. Despite its potential, implementation remains challenging in practice: how do you ensure equal collaboration? How do you bridge differences in working methods and language? We discussed these questions with Julia Hermann, Assistant Professor in Philosophy and Ethics of Technology at the University of Twente.