Erik D. van der Spek’s research while affiliated with Eindhoven University of Technology and other places

The proliferation of smartphones and accelerating development of Augmented Reality tools have made it possible to both research and deploy new gameplay interaction paradigms for gaming at a relatively low cost. Here we explore the design space of using Augmented Reality in Tabletop gaming. A research through design approach is followed, where 80 novel gameplay ideas have been brainstormed and subsequently categorized. From this, we found that Augmented Reality can be used to provide interesting perspectives on a game, with especially a second-person perspective opening up new avenues for having interesting gameplay experiences. We subsequently developed this second person perspective into a design exemplar called Eye of the Cyclops, a collaborative adventure game where the smartphone provides the perspective of the main antagonist. Subsequent playtests show that the game led to a significantly higher immersion, audiovisual appeal, curiosity, and meaning compared with benchmark games, even though some clear limitations remain.

(1) Background: Augmented reality (AR) game-based learning, has received increased attention in recent years. Fantasy is a vital gaming feature that promotes engagement and immersion experience for children. However, situating learning with AR fantasy to engage learners and fit pedagogical contexts needs structured analysis of educational scenarios for different subjects. (2) Methods: We present a combined study using our own built AR games, MathMythosAR2 for mathematics learning, and FancyBookAR for English as second-language learning. For each game, we created a fantasy and a real-life narrative. We investigated player engagement and teachers’ scaffolding through qualitative and quantitative research with 62 participants aged from 7 to 11 years old. (3) Results: We discovered that fantasy narratives engage students in mathematics learning while disengaging them in second-language learning. Participants report a higher imagination with fantasy narratives and a higher analogy with real-life narratives. We found that teachers’ scaffolding for MathMythosAR2 focused on complex interactions, for FancyBookAR, focused on story interpretation and knowledge explanation. (4) Conclusions: It is recommended to mix fantasy and real-life settings, and use simple AR interaction and pedagogical agents that enable teachers’ scaffolding seamlessly. The design of AR fantasy should evaluate whether the story is intrinsically related to the learning subjects, as well as the requirements of explicit explanation.

When children engage in virtual learning, they frequently experience a lack of motivation and concentration. Virtual and augmented reality Game-based learning (GBL) is a promising option for increasing learning motivation and can provide a more immersive context. While AR fantasy makes learning more engaging, avatar self-similarity provides players with approachable and straightforward circumstances to begin. However, little is known about how to combine learning with captivating fantasy and engaging self-similarity. Therefore, it is essential to understand how to adjust the similarity and fantasy levels in a game’s design to more effectively integrate learning information and increase player motivation. To examine the motivation for fantasy play in gameplay, a key concept titled player identification is introduced. This paper presents an experiment conducted using our designed AR Game, MathMythos, with four conditions. We explore the relationship between fantasy, similarity, motivation, and identification in AR GBL. By exploring the correlation between player identification and enjoyment in fantasy/real-world and similar/dissimilar contexts, this study shows children would enjoy the game more in a fantasy context if they experienced stronger avatar identification in the gameplay. For game designers, this study emphasizes the fantasy and similarity aspects of avatar design and inspires designers to weigh these factors appropriately for their GBL context and design purpose. KeywordsFantasyPlayer identificationAugmented RealitySerious games

It is challenging to create an immersive and engaging remote education setting properly, especially for children who are less motivated and quickly distracted by virtual learning activities that fall short of leveraging the immersive design potential. To maximize the educational potential of AR game-based learning, designers need to align fantastical environments, learning content, and AR requirements. This task requires a thorough understanding of the impact of design choices on users’ experiences. To gain insights into the motivational mechanics of fantasy elements in AR, we investigated the effect of two AR learning contexts—a fantasy setting and a daily setting—on children’s experience and motivation. Our goal is to scrutinize the relationship between fantasy states, intrinsic motivation, and players’ experience of autonomy and presence. Our results suggest that the relationship between imagination and enjoyment—stimulated by our two conditions—is fully mediated by experiences of autonomy and presence. Our research provides insights into the relationships between experience constructs and informs the design of fantasy learning experiences. We provide guidelines to support game designers and researchers to integrate the fantasy experience in AR learning games for children.

Augmented Reality serious games have become an emerging solution to positively influence the learning experience for children born in the digital age. However, systematic and empirically tested design guidelines for AR serious games remain largely unexplored. In this study, we investigated the design guidelines by designing and developing four AR serious games with different mechanics inspired by the psychological needs within Self-determination Theory, following with four user studies respectively. In the first study, we explored the AR game concepts by conducting participatory design sessions. In the second study, we investigated how children react to different types of interactions and feedback mechanics in AR serious games with 32 participants. Then, we scrutinized the effect of social interactions in AR serious games on children with 24 participants. Lastly, we designed an AR game with four different versions, tested pathways to immerse children to explore and play in an AR fantasy world with 81 participants. Generally, this research explored the concepts, prototypes, and results of incorporating AR with serious games for children. We realized multiple AR prototypes inspired by SDT and generalized a set of design guidelines, which are intended to help future related designs in AR serious games.