Playing with multi-actor systems

Organizing and Learning through Gaming and Simulation

Proceedings of ISAGA 2007

ll I I • I

Igor Mayer & Hanneke Mastik (eds.)

Organizing and Learning through Gaming and Simulation

Proceedings of Isaga 2007

Igor Mayer & Hanneke Mastik (eds.)

Eburon Delft 2007

; ! > , i r ! - : l l i M : '

V I N C E N T P E T E R S & M A R L E E N V A N D E W E S T E L A K E N

Preface

H A N N E K E M A S T I K & I G O R M A Y E R

Editorial - ISAGA 2007: Work in progress

A P P E L M A N , R O B E R T L .

Serious game design: balancing cognitive and affective engagement I

A S G A R l , M A H B O U B E H , D A V I D K A U F M A N 11 Using computer and video games to explore identity and support learning

B E K E B R E D E , G E E R T J E , I G O R M A Y E R , J O O P K O P P E N J A N , M A R K D E B R U U N E , H A I K O 17

V A N D E R V O O R T , M I R J A M K j V R S , R I C H A R D S C A L Z O , H A N N E K E M A S T I K

Playing with multi-actor systems: evaluation results of the railway district online simulation game in Sieberdam/ROCS

B E R I C V E N S , M A T H I L D E , M A R C E L Q U A N J E L , K E E S L O K H O R S T , K I R S T E N D E R I E S 29

Innovating innovations: exploring the impact of technological innovation with gaming-simulation

B I C K E L , S I M O N E , M Ü R S E L Y I L D I Z , B E R N H A R D B L E S S I N G , 39

W I L L Y C H R I S T I A N ™ Z , G U N T E R O L S O W S K I , T A N J A E I S E L E N

The e-Beer game: an online simulation game for the training of supply chain management

B I L S E N , A R T H U R V A N 47

Architectural games: the possible roles of games in architecture and urban planning

B L O E M H O F , G A B R I Ë L A . , F E M M Y C O M B R I N K , P E T E R T . M . V A E S S E N 55

Simulation in the energy infrastructure: FleXnet, a flexible approach

B O T S , P I E T E R W . G . , C . E L S V A N D A A L E N 67

A design method and support tool for decision-making games

H A A S T E R , K E E S J . M . V A N 77

Narrativity and multimodality in social work: designing the future positive'

P L A Y I N G W I T H M U L T I - A C T O R S Y S T E M S

Playing with multi-actor systems: evaluation results of the railway district online simulation game in Sieberdam/ROCS

Geertje Bekebrede, Igor Mayer, Joop Koppenjan, Mark de Bruijne, Haiko van der Voort, Mirrjam Kars, Richard Scalzo, Hanneke Mastik

Teachers frequently obsei-ve that students find it difficult to link abstract notions and complex theory to professional practices. Online simulation games can provide the didactic means for more interactive, contextual and authentic learning. The authors discuss the background and preliminaiy evaluation results of an onhne simulation game which was developed in the (text-based) virtual world of Sieberdam/ROCS. The Railway district simulation game was held with 159 undergraduate students of Public Administration in 2005/06 and 2006/07 at Delft University of Technology (DUT) and Erasmus University of Rotterdam (EUR). The simulation game was evaluated by pre- and post-game questiomiaires. The preliminary results show that students on average acknowledge that the game enhanced their capacity of linlcing theory to professional practice, but it also showed many students found it hard to do so and that continuous teacher inteiwentions and debriefing were crucial.

In t roduct ion

The applied science of Public Administration (PA) is rich in theories and models on complex decision-making and is fu l l with rather abstract' notions such as 'incrementalism', 'bureaucratic polities', 'garbage can theory', to mention but a few. The teaching of these theories and concepts is a core element of PA-curricula and usually takes place through classroom lectures and literature study, accompanied by practical assignments and real-life case illustrations. However, as teachers of PA, we frequently observe that students find it hard to link abstract theories and concepts to professional practices. The transfer of theories by lectures and books is indispensable and vital, but not sufficient as educational methods in PA. Many authors have criticized the effectiveness of education by 'knowledge transfer' and have argued in favor of (inter)active, contextual, problem-oriented, transactional or authentic learning. By and large, the underlying idea is that students have to become more involved, be made responsible for their own learning process and have to construct knowledge rather then reproduce laiowledge (Niemi, 2002; Parker, 2004; Michael, 2006). Furthermore, students continuously need to develop meta-cognitive skills which they w i l l need in their future professional practice (McLaughlan & Kirkpatrick, 2004; Michael, 2006).

The idea that simulation games can be quite powerful methods to implement active and authentic learning in (higher) education has found common ground. What is new and innovative is that individual teachers and educational instimtions are now exploring the use of so-called online role-playing environments and viitual worlds as a platform for gaming and authentic learning in higher education. In other publications we have discussed and compared a number of such viitual worlds, such as Ardcalloch (Glasgow Graduate School of Law, 2007), Fablusi (2007) Active Worlds and Second Life (Mayer et al, 2007). In this article, we w i l l focus on our experiences with an online

17

B E K E B R E D E E T A L .

role-play simulation game developed and played within the (text-based) virtual world Sieberdam/ROCS. In this eontribution, we present the preliminair, even rough and descriptive resuhs of an extensive evaluation by pre- and post game questionnaires among the 159 participating students.

Experiential learning in v i r t u a l worlds

Teaching complex decision-making

From 2005-2007, the Railway District online simulation game in Sieberdam/ROCS was part of the educational program for undergraduate smdents in Public Administration at Delft University of Technology (DUT) and Erasmus University of Rotterdam (EUR). The main objective of the simulation game is to give the smdents an active and authentic learning context, which is both practical and imaginative for the smdents but is also based upon abstract theories and concepts on complex decisionmaking. In previous years we noticed that smdents find it rather difficult to make clear distinctions between the various theories and models and apply them in a policy analytic simation. We also faced low student attendance and unsatisfying levels of preparation and participation during weekly interactive meetings between groups of smdent groups and their mentor / teacher. In order to counter both problems - i.e. low level of learning effectiveness and participation / interaction - we decided to develop and implement a simulation game based upon a real life, authentic decision-making simation.

Active and authentic learning

Our pedagogical objective was to insert active and authentic learning into a seemingly traditional educational way of academic education, which is largely based upon Icnowledge transfer, theory and concepmalization. Active learning can be defined as the process of building mental models, consciously and deliberately testing those models and then repairing those models that appear to be faulty (Michael & Modell, 2003). Active learning requires problem-solving orientation, critical thinldng and an evaluation of Imowledge. Further, smdents need meta-cognitive skills to steer their own learning process, to develop inquire skills and to learn to reflect on and control their own learning process (Niemi, 2002). Authentic learning implies that students are placed in authentic (= seemingly realistic) sitoations where, in a context of education or training, they have to perform realistic tasks. In this manner, stadents w i l l contexmalize Imowledge and develop professional skills and competencies. It enhances smdent motivation and prepares them better for fumre professions.

Experiential learning and gaming

Experiential learning theories constitute a significant theoretical foundation for game-based learning in education (Prensky, 2001; Gee, 2003; Aldrich, 2005). But, in our view, the theoiy of experiential learning also has a number of shortcomings and weaknesses which should be taken into account when using it for gaming in higher education (Egenfeldt-Nielsen, 2005). First, it is rather unclear what drives the experiential learning cycle and what it is that keeps the learning cycle going. In everyday practice of formal education the basic Icnowledge, capabilities and/or motivation of smdents to leam from experience can very well be lacking. Furthermore, it remains unclear how, where and to what extend knowledge transfer and formal instmction play a role within the cycle. Another point

18


of criticism that has been put forward is that not all abstract concepts that are derived from experience are equally meaningful or valid within a context of professional education or a scientific discipline. It is very hard, i f not impossible, to derive important disciplinary notions like gravity (in physics), human rights (in law or political science) or rational decision-making (in social sciences) solely from (eveiyday) experiences. Without outside intei-ventions, coiTections and guidance by loiowledgeable disciplinary experts, experiential Imowledge construction can very easily lead to 'negotiated nonsense' among a group of learners. Moreover, experiential Imowledge constmction in fonnal education tends to be rather 'time-consuming' and 'slow'. Therefore experiential learning through games or other means, in a context of fornial education, is and should be teacher moderated and is best combined with or integrated in traditional learning methods, s.a. Imowledge transfer, testing and fornial training.

Figure 1: Moderated experiential learning

Figure 1 gives an impression of a proposed adaptation to Kolb's (1984) learning cycle applied to gaming in an educational context. It shows that experiential learning through games (in higher education) is a moderated and evaluated learning process through:

1. Transfer of scientific Imowledge, e.g. in our case for instance of theories and concepts on complex decision-making.

2. Transfer of practical Imowledge, e.g. in our case for instance the use of certain decision-making tools and techniques.

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3. The haining of reflective competencies (skills), such as analysis, abstraction and creativity.

4. The training of practical competencies (skills), such as negotiation, chairing a meeting, team work.

The Railway District game in Sieberdam/ROCS

To give the smdents experiences of complex decision-making we designed a role-playing game revolving around the reconstraction of a railway district (in Dutch: Sieberdam - Langs het Rechte Spoor, transl. Along the Straight Line). The game simulated the actor-network and complex decision-making process of such a case. Smdents were assigned authentic roles such as the Mayor, the Aldemian, the Railway Company, the Local Housing Agency or Resident's Representative. Each role was given distinct weekly tasks, such as preparing (for) a hearing (for administrators & civil servants), or lodging an appeal against an administrative decision (for stakeholders). The smdents were challenged to find suitable solutions for the many problems in a ficfifious but realistic postwar neighborhood simated near the railway station of Sieberdam and in dire need of renovation. The main objective of the exercise was to come to an agreement among all parties and the signing a covenant (public document). In week 4 of the exercise an unexpected crisis occurred in the form of a power black out in Sieberdam.

Teachers facilitated the six week game exercise. Each game session consisted of about 20 smdent players. In Delft, we arranged three parallel sessions. Debriefing and reflection took place during weekly face-to-face meetings, while during the week smdent-players and teachers interacted through the onhne system of Sieberdam/ROCS - an online learning environment for developing and ranning role playing games. The online environment Sieberdain/ROCS provided us with a near ready made virmal playground, eonstihited by the fictitious but realistic city of Sieberdam. Sieberdam comes to life by its town history, town map, the many organizations and websites that can be found thi'ough the Sieberdam yellow pages. Through the player screens the smdent-players can e-mail each other and up- and download infoimiation and assignments. For information on Sieberdam/ROCS itself we refer to the Sieberdam/Cyberdam websites and other publications (Stichting Rechten Online, 2004 & 2007; Mayer et a l , 2007) In the remaining part of this paper, we w i l l focus on the preliminai-y results and experience of the Railway District game in Sieberdam/ROCS.

Evaluation results

Participants

So far, the simulation game Railway District has been played with 159 undergraduate smdents in total. The various sessions took place in four cohorts in 2005/2006 and 2006/2007. Six sessions of about 20 players were held with smdents of Systems Engineering and Policy Analysis at Delft University of Technology (DUT). Two sessions of about the same size were played with smdents of Public Administration at the Erasmus University of Rotterdam (EUR). Teachers from both universities were involved in the design and facilitation of the online simulation game. Table 1 gives an oveiwiew of the various sessions and the number of student-respondents.

Data collection

A l l participants of the game were asked to fill out a survey before the beginning of the game and another survey after the game. In the pre-game survey, we asked the

20


participants about their background, computer and game experience and expectations of the use of this and other games in education. The post-game survey consisted of questions about the online environment, the game content, the organization and learning. A number of evaluation questions were based upon the sui"veys developed by Kriz et al. But we markedly adapted and added questions to the features of our game which is an online simulation in higher education. Most of the questions were statements with answers on a five-point Likert-scale (1= strongly disagree and 5 = strongly agree). We received back 159 pre-suiweys and 155 post-sui-veys. Furtheimiore, the smdents were asked to write a reflective essay in which they linked their experiences in the game to the theory presented during the course. In total 40 reflective essays were remmed.

Table 1: Main characteristics of the sessions

Items DUT

2005/2006

EUR

2005/2006

DUT

2006/2007

EUR

2006/2007

Number of players 66 24 53 16

Male/female 56/10 19/5 38/15 12/4

Average age (min, max) 20.3 (18,27) 21.3 (19,30) 19.7 (18,23) 21.6 (20,26)

Number parallel

sessions

3 1 3 1

Number of roles 7 6 7 8

Duration of the game 7 weeks 5 weeks 7 weel<s 5 weeks

Background of the participants

In our pre-game sui^vey we a.o. focused on socio-demographic characteristics of the smdent/players, like age and gender, but also on their attimdes and experiences with different forms of gaming. While constructing the suiwey, it became clear how very little sound empirical smdies are available on gaming with students in higher education. From the pre-game survey we learned that as expected, nearly all smdents have Internet access at home (see Table 2) - of course, a prerequisite for online gaming in higher education. We found it remarkable however that about 14 percent of the students never, and about 49 percent seldom played computer games in their free time. These figures are much higher than we expected from other studies or the current discussions about the game generation. It might lead to a number of hypotheses: Maybe our group is not representative (which we doubt); or it is just a matter of age. We only have to wait a few years before the game generation enters university. It might also be (and we have many indications for it) that university smdents who are hardcore gamers, develop other interests when in university. A l l in all, for the cuiTcnt generation of smdents many of the discussions about the interest in and intensity of gaming seem exaggerated. We also found it remarkable that many students indicated that they did not even like to play computer games that much or that they only played them when they felt bored. We also found that more than 50 percent of the smdents had previously played a simulation game in education, with or without a computer. This was very much as we expected because in both universities, simulation games are used regularly, although in most cases in an analogue form, and not online.

2\

B E I C E B R E D E E T A L .

Table 2: Background of the participants

Questions DUT 2005

(n=67)

DUT 2006

(n=52)

EUR 2006

(n=24)

EUR

2007 (n=16)

Internet access at hiome?

Yes

No

92%

8%

95%

5%

100%

0%

94%

6%

How often in your private capacity do

you play computer games? (N =

never; S = sometimes; 0=often.)

N = 9%

S = 45%

0=46%

N= 25%

S= 46%

0 = 2 9 %

N= 12%

S= 52%

0=36%

N = 25%

S = 19%

O = 56%

How often in your study/ education/

work have you participated in a

simulation game?

N = 43%

1-2 = 36%

3-4= 15%

5-8= 6%

N = 8%

1-2 = 54%

3-4 = 25%

5-8 = 13%

N = 48%

1-2 =44%

3-4 = 6%

5-8 = 2%

N = 6%

1-2 = 44%

3-4 = 44%

5-8 = 6%

The use of games and computer technology in education

Taking into account the onhne nature of the role-playing game in Sieberdain/ROCS, we pre-measured the attimdes and expectations of the smdent/players regarding the use of computers in education, electronic learning environment (ELO, like BlaclcBoard) and of the use gaiTiing-simulat ion in education.

Table 3: Attitudes towards ELO and gaming in education

Statements: DUT

2005

(n=67)

DUT 2006

(n=52)

EUR 2006

(n=24)

EUR 2007

(n=16)

1 feel comfortable with electronic learning

environments in education

4.3

(0.6)

4.1

(0.5)

4.3

(0.8)

4.2

(0.5)

in general, 1 think the use of simulation

games in higher education is valuable

3.7

(0.7)

4.0

(0.4)

3.8

(0.8)

3.9

(0.6)

1 think that simulation games in higher

education add something to other forms of

teaching (e.g. formal lectures and

seminars)

3.9

(0.7)

4.0

(0.6)

4.0

(0.7)

4.0

(0.5)

We also estimated that there could be marked differences among the smdents regarding learning styles - like having a preference for lecmres or for active case work - which can influence the smdent/player's satisfaction for, or learning from the game. In Table 3, the mean values of students' answers on questions about the use of ELO and the use of simulation games in higher education are presented. It can be observed that in all four cohorts, the attimde of shidents towards the use of digital learning are quite positive, around 4 on a 5 point Likert scale. Smdents also agreed that simulation games can be valuable for educational purposes and add something to other foiTns of

72


teaching. However, fi-om the comments it became clear that some smdents were rather skeptical or did not loiow what to expect.

Evaluation of the virtual world Sieberdam/ROCS

The Delft session in September 2005 was the first game that was actually made and played with smdents in the online environment Sieberdam/ROCS. Beta- testing during the development of the Railway District game already gave us an impression of the strong and weak points of the electronic system. By and large, the system seemed to work but we had no idea about students' reactions to the online environment. Would the system be fast enough when it was being used with 60 or more smdents at the same time? Would the user-interaction be inmitive and ato'active enough? Would the system meet the high demands and expectations of the students? Many of them had a high level of computer skills.

Table 4: Student's perceptions of Sieberdam/ROCS

Statement DUT 2005

(n=61)

DUT 2006

(n=55)

EUR 2006

(n=22)

EUR

2007

(n=17)

Mean of 19 quality indicators for

Sieberdam/ROCS (scale 1 to 10)

6.Ü

(0.1)

6.3

(1.1)

6.7

(0.8)

6.4

(0.7)

Ttie Sieberdam/ROCS environment was

easy to use (5 = max)

3.3

(0.9)

3.4

(0.9)

3.7

(0.1)

3.5

(0.7)

I had fun using Sieberdam/ROCS

(5 = max)

3.3

(1.1)

3.5

(0.9)

3.9

(0.8)

3.9

(0.8)

The use of Sieberdam/ROCS in education

is valuable (5 = max)

3.5

(1.0)

3.5

(0.1)

4.1

(0.9)

4.4

(0.6)

We also envisioned that some students might t iy to find and use technical flaws and bugs in the system. A l l in all, the actual leaiming effectiveness would not only depend on players' backgrounds, attimdes and expectations but most of all upon the quality and robustness of the online environinent of Sieberdam/ROCS. We therefore devoted a large part of our post-game quesfionnaire to the evaluation of the students' interacfion with Sieberdam/ROCS and the perceived quality and effectiveness of the online system. There is much to be said about the results and outcomes. The system lived up to our expectations and all games were finished without 'show stoppers'. But the systein became increasingly slow when time progressed. Many smdents found ways to bypass the online communication in Sieberdam/ROCS, for instance by using regular email or personal communication outside the system. We encountered many practical and logistical difficulties in and around the system, most of all the registration of smdents and subsequent distribution of log in accounts and roles. But these were mainly caused by (largely unavoidable) human eiTors: wrong e-mail addresses provided by smdents, late registration for the course etc.

Based on the smdent responses to 19 quality indicators, Sieberdam/ROCS was assessed with about a 6.5 mark on a 10 point scale (Table 4 first row). Thus, the system performed just about sufficient, but with many points for improvement. However, the underlying concepts and general idea of using online simulations in the game world of

23

B E K E B R E D E E T A L ,

Sieberdam were valued much higher. On average smdents thought Sieberdam was valuable and entertaining (see Table 4) - two important reasons for using it. We also obsei-ved an increase in the appreciation between the earlier and later sessions, from 3.5 tot 4.4 on a 5 point scale. We had made some adjustments in the game and gained experience.

Student-student and student-teacher interaction

One of the important factors we took into account was the quahty of smdent-shident interaction and the student-teacher interaction. We noticed during the game that the level of involvement and motivation of the smdents in the game showed large variances. Many smdents found the game attractive and interesting and played it to the fu l l ; but a substantial proportion of about 20 percent did not seem very (intrinsically) motivated. One disturbing factor in that respect was the fact that participation was mandatory, but smdents did not receive rewards like credit points or a grade for their participation in the game. Some smdents afterwards indicated that they had not increased their hours for the course (which was our intention) but had simply skipped lecmres and literamre smdy and stalled their preparation for the exam. Others had decided to minimize their time and efforts in the game.

Another interesting obsei-vation was the marked difference in opinion between smdents' perceptions on their own involvement in the game and the quality of work and the involvement and quality of work of co-players. Smdents very much disagreed on the fact that all smdents made an equal effort in the game. But in nearty all cases, the smdents believed that they themselves had put more effort into the game than (many) others. More or less the same holds true for the quality of the assignments handed in during the game. One of the clearest benefits of the Railway District case in Sieberdam/ROCS was the fact that the interaction with the teacher / moderator improved and was greatly appreciated. Much of the learning took place during the weekly meetings, when the game continued. Each weekly meeting was wrapped up with a group debriefing. During the debriefing the experiences in the game were related to theoiy, lecmres and literamre. The online interaction among smdents and between smdents and teachers took place during the week. But we noticed that the interaction was very much concentrated just before the weekly meetings - when last minute assignments were uploaded. E-mail eonununication between smdent-players within Sieberdam/ROCS was mainly about practical matters or the assignments. We noticed very little spontaneous Imowledge constmction or in-depth discussions about relevant issues among students in the online system -which has also been observed by other authors with respect to online work in education (Hughes & Daykin, 2002). Furthermore, many smdents bypassed the system in self-planned personal meetings, or use of e-mail outside the system. Chat and discussion boards were seldom used.

Perceived learning experiences

On average the leaming perceived by the smdents was just about sufficient, with one exception ranging between 2.8 and 3.8 on a five point scale (Table 5). However, we noticed marked differenees among individual smdents as well as between the Delft and Rotterdam sessions. In other words, many students thought it was very educational, but about 20 percent did not thinic so. The Rotterdam sessions on average scored a little higher in terms of perceived learning than the Delft sessions. In follow up research we w i l l t iy to relate the differences to background or process variables, like attimdes and

24


experiences with computers and gaming in education or quality of facilitation (see

Table 5).

Table 5: Learning perception of the students

Statement Educational

institute

N Mean Std.

Deviation

Std.

Error

Mean

Ttie theory from formal lectures and

books became more understandable

DUT 115 3,4 ,93 ,09 Ttie theory from formal lectures and

books became more understandable EUR 39 3,4 ,74 ,12

1 have learned to work better together

with other students in a team

DUT 116 2,9 ,89 ,08 1 have learned to work better together

with other students in a team EUR 40 3,5 ,85 ,13

1 have learned to communicate better DUT 117 2,8 ,83 ,08 1 have learned to communicate better

EUR 40 3,5 ,75 ,12

1 have learned to discuss and reason

better

DUT 116 2,8 ,84 ,08 1 have learned to discuss and reason

better EUR 40 3,5 ,78 ,12

1 have learned to negotiate better DUT 116 3,2 ,92 ,09 1 have learned to negotiate better

EUR 40 3,8 ,72 ,11

1 have gained gain content-related

(subject) knowledge

DUT 116 3,4 ,86 ,08 1 have gained gain content-related

(subject) knowledge EUR 40 3,3 ,83 ,13

1 have gained (theoretical) knowledge DUT 117 3,4 ,89 ,08 1 have gained (theoretical) knowledge

EUR 40 3,0 ,86 ,14

1 have learned to think beyond

disciplinary boundaries

DUT 114 3,1 ,81 ,08 1 have learned to think beyond

disciplinary boundaries EUR 40 3,7 ,91 ,14

1 have learned to see the relations

between different subject areas

DUT 116 3,3 ,87 ,08 1 have learned to see the relations

between different subject areas EUR 39 3,6 ,79 ,13

1 have prepared myself for later

professional practice (in an internship,

traineeship, work)

DUT 111 2,9 1,01 ,01 1 have prepared myself for later

professional practice (in an internship,

traineeship, work) EUR 40 3,9 ,70 ,11

1 have improved relevant (professional)

skills

DUT 110 3,1 ,92 ,09 1 have improved relevant (professional)

skills EUR 40 3,8 ,66 ,10

i have learned to function in an

international environment better

DUT 53 2,2 1,07 ,15 i have learned to function in an

international environment better EUR 28 1,8 ,86 ,16

Results based on the written reflection

Smdents were also asked to reflect in a 500 words essay on what had happened in the game. The experiences with the reflection on the game gave much evidence that

2'j


academic knowledge constmction does not come about solely from game experience, but that the moderator / teacher has great influence on that. This can be observed from the fact that students who had been moderated by different teachers, mentioned different concepts and notions in their reflection. But it also became clear that only when challenged to write a reflection on the theoretical foundations for the experiences in the game, students started to think about that. We received back interesting comments from smdents that indicate that students did not realize that the experiences in the game can be linlced to the concepts and theories of the course. To many students, much of what happened in the game had been isolated experiences without underlying meaning.

During the discussion afterwards, the teachers asked us, as public servants in the game, i f we had deliberately used 'open polities'. We were not aware that we had done so. More so, we had not even realized that the content of the lectures and literature for this course could be related to our experiences in the game.

During the discussion we were asked what sort of decision-making we had used in the game. This was very unclear. These sort of things - You do them inhritively and don't give them much thought. You don't think about how it is called in books.

Conclusion

In this paper we have discussed and presented the prehminary results and experiences with the online simulation environment / virtual world of Sieberdam/ROCS. We have discussed the evaluation results of the first online role-playing game in Sieberdam/Rocs that was held in 4 cohorts with 159 students at Delft University of Technology (DUT) and Rotterdam (EUR) from 2005-2007. We have argued that (online) gaming in higher education (universities) should be a teacher moderated learning process and that Icaowledge transfer, formal training and experiential leaming should be closely entwined. We have suggested an adaptation of Kolb's leaming cycle and applied it to gaming in education. We have subsequently used the Railway District game in Sieberdam/ROCS as an example and illustration of such a learning process. The Railway District case demonstrates the many factors that influence game-based learning in formal education, either in a positive or negative way. In contrast to widespread believe, not all of our smdents were active and experienced game players, and not all students were highly motivated or involved in the game. More importantly, teacher guidance during the game-play and active linking of theoiy to game experiences appeared cmcial for smdent leaming. I t proved veiy hard for students (and sometimes also for teachers) to relate the game experiences to theoretical notions.

Au tho r in fo rmat ion

Geertje Bekebrede (coiTesponding author) Faculty ofTechnology, Policy and Management, Delft University ofTechnology, PO Box 5015, 2600 GA, Delft, The Nethertands. Email: [email protected]

Igor Mayer, Joop Koppenjan, Mark de Braijne, Haiko van der Voort & Mirjam Kars, Faculty of Technology, Policy and Management, Delft University of Technology, The Netherlands.

Richard Scalzo, local authority of Rotterdam, The Netherlands.

Hanneke Mastik, Faculty Social Sciences, Erasmus University Rotterdam, The Netherlands

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P L A Y I N G W I T H M U L T I -A C T O R S Y S T E M S

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