The document discusses serious games and their potential to address major societal challenges. It first outlines some key challenges facing modern societies related to population growth, climate change, and increased complexity. It then describes the work of the Serious Games Institute in developing serious games to study these challenges through applied research projects, educational programs, and business initiatives. The document discusses definitions of gamification and explores how serious games can be used to study topics like health, emergency response, behavior change, and more. It concludes that serious games show promise in providing scalable, engaging learning experiences that can model real-world systems and behaviors to help address grand challenges.

1. can serious games save lives: the
gamification of everyday life
by prof sara de freitas

2. summary: grand challenges and gamification
1) grand challenges of society. key grand challenges of modern societies e.g.:
(a) population growth is leading to greater pressures on our environments
(climate change, restricted resources, education systems, energy sources) (b)
globalisation is leading to more interconnected and complex social structures
(self-organised criticality) > futurICT
2) serious games institute model and projects. how we are addressing
critical challenges in our research and development work, including trajectories
for research work and some key findings and research challenges
3) what is gamification? the role of ‘gamification’ in social (behavioural)
change and awareness raising.
4) trajectories for research work and some key findings and research
challenges: strands of research
5) can gamification change our world and solve grand challenges we
face? Some examples of how we can meet challenges
reflections and conclusions: move towards more complex structures and socially
driven innovation and technology development: solutions to big data and
vulnerable systems. can games save lives?

3. 1: grand challenges of society: e.g. population and
city growth, climate change leading to complexity
and data explosion challenges

4. challenges humanity is facing in the 21st century (copyright:
dirk helbing)
Lee C. Bollinger, president of Columbia University,
formulated the issue as follows: “The forces affecting
societies around the world ... are powerful and novel. The
spread of global market systems ... are ... reshaping our
world ..., raising profound questions. These questions call
for the kinds of analyses and understandings that academic
institutions are uniquely capable of providing. Too many
policy failures are fundamentally failures of knowledge.”
1. Financial and economic crisis
2. Debts and inflation
3. Stability of the European Union
4. Political revolutions, war
5. Critical infrastructure risks
6. Environmental change
7. Epidemics (SARS, H1N1 pandemic)
8. Migration and integration
9. Extremism, terrorism
10. Corruption, organized crime

5. predicting the sequence of possible impacts of earthquakes

6. Data Models Forecasts
demographic
infection
data contact
network
models
+ =
transport
data multi-
scale
geographic models
data
...complexity...
agent-
based
models
scenario
analysis predictions
Validation
priorities policies copyright Alex Vespignani and
FuturICT

7. 2: serious games institute: an international hub of
excellence in serious games research, business and
study
sgi: an agenda for applied
sgi: an agenda for applied
research..
research..

8. sgi activities: a hybrid model for
business, research & study
i. applied research projects (23 projects, 12 eu projects)
ii. masters programme
iii. doctoral school
iv. cpd courses
v. sgi overseas (singapore, south africa, mexico)
vi. business projects (26 projects: e.g. bae, jaguar landrover
vii. business incubation
viii. serious games international spin out
ix. serious games lab
x. mobile development lab
xi. 30 companies in the cluster
xii. ieee vs-games conference (2008-2011)
xiii. companies based at the sgi (e.g. Pixelearning)

9. projects & games at the serious games institute
meducator
alice
code of
everand
roma
nova simaula mirror vtrade
gala
customer futurict
floodsim
modes
edugamelab
maseltov
sex
health
game

10. sgi projects: ict/cultural heritage/tel
i. erasmus: roma nova viii. eu strep maseltov
ii. herbert gallery: ix. eu gala network of excellence in
undercrofts priory serious games
visualisation x. eu strep alice
iii. coventry city council: far xi. llp simaula
gosford street reconstruction xii. llp modes
iv. technology strategy board: xiii. eu ip meducator
shakespeare trust xiv. llp edugamelab
v. fet futurict xv. prime ministers initiative fund:
vi. jisc customer project disaster city reconstruction
vii. jisc inspires xvi. uk department for transport:
code of everand
xvii.jisc opex platform
xviii. epsrc sensor networks and
games
xix. eu mexpex

11. 3: what is gamification? how can we use serious
games to answer the grand challenges?

12. gamification trends
beginning of 2010 the games industry posted total sales of $1.17 billion for the month of january
value of sg in 2010 was estimated to be 1.5 billion, and is set to increase by average 47% between
2010 and 2015 (idate market report)
international software federation of europe (isfe, 2010):
74% of those aged 16-19 considered themselves gamers (n=3000), 60% of those 20-24, 56% 25-29
and 38% 30-44.
32% of the total uk population consider themselves gamers (n=3000). 31% of females described
themselves as gamers and 34% of males.
several studies demonstrating the efficacy of serious games for training in particular through
behavioural change (sg-ets, hope lab’s re:mission, pulse project)
wide uptake of social software (e.g. facebook, wikipedia), crowdsourcing
learning in multimodal ways: mixed reality, augmented reality, mobile learning, haptics (more
flexible approaches)
converging technologies: mobile devices, ar devices, bci/eegs, sensor networks, robotics, virtual
world mashups, gps, geocoding, web technologies and services (soa)

13. Yes No Male Female
100% 50
90% 45
80% 40
% who play game type
70%
% Responses
35
60%
30
50%
25
40%
30% 20
20% 15
10% 10
0% 5
<30 30-39 40+ <30 30-39 40+
0
Males Females Action Adventure Arcade Education Fighting Puzzles Role play Simulation Sports Strategy Other
Age (years) Games Type
Male Female
100
90
% who prefer learning method
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Tutor Reading E-learning Video game Audio Workshop Internet Video Job Role-play
Learning method

14. 4: research trajectory and findings from the
studies

15. mapping our systems more closely against
human behaviour
design
theory
a: neuro-psychology
LEARNING INSTRUCTION ASSESSMENT
approaches to learning with
Learning
objectives
GAME ELEMENTS:
Context User learning
GAME ELEMENTS:
Learner Specifics
games
Clear player
goals
Instructional
b: visualization and
User engagement User behavior
design
Debriefing
GAME ELEMENTS:
Representation
Player feedback GAME ELEMENTS:
Pedagogy
modelling
interactive tutoring
Learning content System feedback
environment
c: multimodal interfaces
d: artificial intelligence and
life
interactivity
e: semantic web, standards
and metadata
feedback
adaptivity
models and frameworks
2006-2011

16. models and frameworks 2006-2012
de Freitas, S. & Oliver, M. (2006). How can exploratory Staalduinen, J. P. v. & de Freitas, S. (2011). A game-based learning framework:
learning with games and simulations within the curriculum Linking game design and learning outcomes. In: Learning to Play: Exploring the
be most effectively evaluated? Computers and Education, Future of Education with Video Games. M. S. Khyne (Ed.). New York, Peter Lang:
46 (3): 249-264. 29-54.

17. models and frameworks 2006-2012
de Freitas, S. & Jarvis, S. (2008). Towards a development approach for serious Petridis P., Dunwell I., Panzoli, D., de Freitas S. (2012), Game
games. In T.M. Connolly, M. Stansfield, & E. Boyle (Eds) Games-based learning Engines Selection Framework for High Fidelity Serious
advancements for multi-sensory human-computer interfaces: Techniques and Application. International Journal of Interactive Worlds, Volume
effective practices. IGI Global. Hershey, PA. 2012.

18. strand a: neuro-psychological approaches to game-
based learning: are games effective teaching tools?

19. how can we measure immersion and efficacy of
games? sg-ets project

20. triage trainer – trial results
triage trainer (tt) trial summary: tt game group:
5 trials: september 2007 – january 2008 15 minute tutorial in game play /
user interface
independently conducted by the university 60 minutes playing the tt game
of birmingham on their own
instructor available to answer
trial participants: questions
91 uk nhs doctors, nurses & paramedics
all on alsg major incident medical non-game group:
management and support (mimms) 75 minute normal alsg instructor-
training courses led table top exercise
involved sorting cards with vital
participants were randomly distributed: signs variables written on
tt game (n = 47) them into priority groups
non-game (n = 44)

21. triage trainer – (knight et al., 2010)
trial results of tt game trainees versus non- possible conclusions:
game trainees: a ‘serious game’ such as the triage
tagging accuracy of tt game trainees: trainer offers the potential to:
significantly higher accuracy *χ2 = 13.126, enhance learning; and
p<0.05] improve transfer of training
step accuracy of tt game trainees. comparing possible reasons are that the game
the ratios of participants who achieved an offers:
8/8 opportunity to practice skills
accuracy rating (i.e. followed the correct and knowledge gained on
protocol for all 8 casualties): the course in a more
significantly more accurate (28%) than the realistic and more engaging
non-game group (7%) *χ2 = 7.29, environment
p<0.05] personalised feedback which
time taken by tt game trainees to complete enables the game player to
triage of all 8 casualties: correct procedural errors
made, through repeated
no significant difference on time taken
play
(p>0.05)

22. neuro-psychology approaches: studies with graz

24. strand b: visualization and modelling

25. shakespeare trust & priory undercrofts visualisations

26. roma nova

27. strand c: multimodal interface integration: roma
nova

28. strand d: semantic web mash ups: roma nova

29. strand d: artificial intelligence and crowd modelling

30. artificial intelligence and crowd modelling

31. strand e: standards and repurposing game
content: meducator project

32. climate health impact

33. 5: can gamification solve world-scale problems?: examples

34. behavioural change: code of everand

35. behavioural change: code of everand

36. code of everand

37. emergency response training: games for change

38. international risk, resilience and rescue centre (ir3c): texas
a&m & coventry universities

39. reflections the upon future of serious games
what benefits do serious games provide?
 scalability of game environments to large global
communities
 adaptivity to user requirements
 closer modelling of user behaviour (feedback loop)
 behavioural change
 flow, feedback, visual and actual realism leading to higher levels
of immersion
 increased motivation and engagement
multimodal integration of interfaces and other technologies: e.g.
ai, haptics, biofeedback, sensors networks etc) from convergence,
mash ups and user/community interaction

40. conclusions
so are applications of vw/games technologies really changing our approaches
to working, learning, social interactions and how we consider experiences?
providing new tools for flow, feedback, visual and actual realism leading
to higher levels of immersion
great potential for the medium for supporting immersive education
through increased motivation and engagement
potential for personalized feedback and more sophisticated learning
interaction
move towards immersive learning experiences and design: with increased
motivation, immediate feedback and sophisticated user models
can serious games save lives and address the grand challenges?
need for serious games community to work with user communities and
educationalists to answer some of the key grand challenges

41. upcoming conference:
vs-games conference in genoa, november 2012
any questions contact: prof. sara de freitas
s.defreitas@coventry.ac.uk

42. selected references
JOURNAL ARTICLES & CONFERENCE PAPERS: Knight, J., Carly, S., Tregunna, B., Jarvis, S., Smithies, R., de
Freitas, S., Mackway-Jones, K. & Dunwell, I. (2010). Serious
de Freitas, S., Jarvis, S. (2008). Towards a development gaming technology in major incident triage training: A
approach for serious games. In T.M. Connolly, M. Stansfield, pragmatic controlled trial. Resuscitation Journal 81(9): 1174-9
& E. Boyle (Eds) Games-based learning advancements for
multi-sensory human-computer interfaces: Techniques and de Freitas, S. (2011) Game for Change. Nature, 470 (7334): 330-
effective practices. IGI Global. Hershey, PA. 331.
Anderson, E.F., McLoughlin, L., Liarokapis, F., Peters, C., BOOKS (2010-2012):
Petridis, P., de Freitas, S. Serious Games in Cultural
Heritage, 10th VAST International Symposium on Virtual Sharpe, R., Beetham, H. & de Freitas, S. (Eds) (2010) Rethinking
Reality, Archaeology and Cultural Heritage (VAST '09), Learning in the Digital Age, London & New York: Routledge.
VAST-STAR, Short and Project Proceedings, Eurographics,
Malta, 22-25 September, 29-48, (2009). de Freitas, S. & Maharg, P. (Eds) (2011) Digital Games and
Learning. London and New York: Continuum Press
de Freitas, S., Rebolledo-Mendez, G., Liarokapis, F.,
Magoulas, G., Poulovassilis A. (2010). Learning as de Freitas, S & Jameson, J. (2012) The e-Learning Reader.
immersive experiences: using the four dimensional London & New York: Routledge.
framework for designing and evaluating immersive learning
experiences in a virtual world. British Journal of Ferdig, R & de Freitas, S. (eds.) (2012) Interdisciplinary
Educational Technology Advancements in Gaming, Simulations and Virtual
Environments: Emerging Trends, Hersey, PA, IGI Global.
Dunwell, I., Petridis, P., Protopsaltis, A., de Freitas, S.,
Panzoli, D. & Samuels, P. Automating Content Generation BOOK SERIES:
for Large-Scale Virtual Learning Environments using
Semantic Web Services. In proceedings of the 5th de Freitas, S. & Maharg, P. (Series Eds) (2011-) Digital Games
International Workshop on Semantic Wikis (SemWiki2010), and Learning. London and New York: Routledge.
ESWC2010, Hersonissos, Crete, Greece, May 29th -June 3rd
2010