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Information
Special Issues
Cloud Gamification 2021 & 2022
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Cloud Gamification 2021 & 2022

A special issue of Information (ISSN 2078-2489). This special issue belongs to the section "Internet of Things (IoT)".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (28 February 2023) | Viewed by 34735

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Ricardo Queirós

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Informatics, Media Arts and Design School, Polytechnic of Porto, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal
Interests: e-learning interoperability; computer programming education; gamification
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Jakub Swacha

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of IT in Management, University of Szczecin, 71-101 Szczecin, Poland
Interests: gamification; information systems for education; e-learning
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Gamification has gained considerable interest in business and education due to its capability of increasing engagement and enhancing the experience of participants. According to a recent forecast by Fortune Business Insights, the global gamification market size is projected to reach USD 37.00 billion by 2027, exhibiting a compound annual growth rate of 24.8% during the forecast period from 2021 to 2027. Despite its success, this growth poses several challenges with regard to accessibility, scalability, standardization, and sustainability. These challenges can be addressed by moving the gamification layer to the cloud. Gamification as a Service is often more affordable, more customizable, and more sustainable compared to on-premises solutions. Despite its advantages, the development of cloud gamification is still in its infant stage, especially with regard to standardization.

This Special Issue seeks to fill the gap between the unregulated growth of gamification services and the needs of standardization, motivated by both methodological and practical reasons. We invite designers, developers, and users of gamification systems and services to present the results of their work, identify new trends, and share methodologies and best practices for the design and implementation of gamification services in the cloud context.

The topics include, but are not restricted to:

  • Applied gamification in specific industries and business areas;
  • Artificial Intelligence (AI) in gamification systems;
  • Best practices for the design of gamified UI;
  • Big data and gamification;
  • Conceptual and technical frameworks for implementing gamification in the cloud;
  • Development and evaluation of systems using cloud-based gamification services;
  • Gamification as a Service;
  • Methodologies for the implementation of gamification software for the cloud;
  • Mixed-reality gamification approaches;
  • Models and architectures for gamified cloud-based systems;
  • New concepts and techniques in gamification design;
  • Open-source gamification tools and libraries;
  • Player behavior modeling;
  • Procedures for testing gamification;
  • Standardization of gamification-related data.

Prof. Dr. Ricardo Queirós
Dr. Jakub Swacha
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Information is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • cloud gamification
  • gamification as a service
  • gamified software systems
  • gamification models
  • game data standards

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Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

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24 pages, 376 KiB  
Article
GATUGU: Six Perspectives of Evaluation of Gamified Systems
by Jakub Swacha, Ricardo Queirós and José Carlos Paiva
Information 2023, 14(2), 136; https://doi.org/10.3390/info14020136 - 19 Feb 2023
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2823
Abstract
As gamification spreads to new areas, new applications are being developed and the interest in evaluating gamified systems continues to grow. To date, however, no one has comprehensively approached this topic: multiple evaluation dimensions and measures have been proposed and applied without any [...] Read more.
As gamification spreads to new areas, new applications are being developed and the interest in evaluating gamified systems continues to grow. To date, however, no one has comprehensively approached this topic: multiple evaluation dimensions and measures have been proposed and applied without any effort to organize them into a full gamut of tools for the multi-dimensional evaluation of gamified systems. This paper addresses this gap by proposing GATUGU, a set of six perspectives of evaluation of gamified systems: General effects of gamification, Area-specific effects of gamification, Technical quality of gamified systems, Use of gamified systems, Gamefulness of gamified systems, and User experience of gamified systems. For each perspective, GATUGU indicates the relevant dimensions of evaluation, and, for each dimension, one measure is suggested. GATUGU does not introduce any new measurement tools but merely recommends one of the available tools for each dimension, considering their popularity and ease of use. GATUGU can guide researchers in selecting gamification system evaluation perspectives and dimensions and in finding adequate measurement tools. Thanks to conforming to GATUGU, the published gamification system evaluation results will become easier to compare and to perform various kinds of meta-analyses on them. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Cloud Gamification 2021 & 2022)
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13 pages, 2495 KiB  
Article
Cloud Gamification: Bibliometric Analysis and Research Advances
by Myriam González-Limón and Asunción Rodríguez-Ramos
Information 2022, 13(12), 579; https://doi.org/10.3390/info13120579 - 13 Dec 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2146
Abstract
Research on gamification in the cloud has been increasing in recent years. The main objective of this work was to analyse the advances and progress reported in the scientific literature published internationally in cloud gamification from a bibliometric perspective. The scientific production in [...] Read more.
Research on gamification in the cloud has been increasing in recent years. The main objective of this work was to analyse the advances and progress reported in the scientific literature published internationally in cloud gamification from a bibliometric perspective. The scientific production in this field was identified using the Web of Science (WoS) database. The analysis was carried out with the support of the VOSviewer software, version 1.6.18, developed by van Eck and Waltman, for the graphical visualisation of bibliometric networks. The study period covered the time from the first publication on the subject in 2012 to 31 July 2022, with 108 documents detected. The most prolific author was Jacub Swacha from the University of Szczecin, Poland. Forty-seven countries published on Cloud Gamification, with Spain and Italy being the countries with the highest scientific production. The most productive organisations were Bucharest University of Economic Studies, Complutense University of Madrid, Liverpool John Moores University and the University of Szczecin. The journal with the highest output was Information. The groups in the producing countries, the authors, the organisations to which they belonged and the thematic areas of the studies were identified, as well as their evolution over time. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Cloud Gamification 2021 & 2022)
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16 pages, 3739 KiB  
Article
Serious Games for Vision Training Exercises with Eye-Tracking Technologies: Lessons from Developing a Prototype
by Qasim Ali, Ilona Heldal, Carsten Gunnar Helgesen and Are Dæhlen
Information 2022, 13(12), 569; https://doi.org/10.3390/info13120569 - 7 Dec 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 3544
Abstract
Eye-tracking technologies (ETs) and serious games (SGs) have emerged as new methods promising better support for vision screening and training. Previous research has shown the practicality of eye-tracking technology for vision screening in health care, but there remains a need for studies showing [...] Read more.
Eye-tracking technologies (ETs) and serious games (SGs) have emerged as new methods promising better support for vision screening and training. Previous research has shown the practicality of eye-tracking technology for vision screening in health care, but there remains a need for studies showing that the effective utilization of SGs and ETs are beneficial for vision training. This study investigates the feasibility of SGs and ETs for vision training by designing, developing, and evaluating a prototype influenced by commercially available games, based on a battery of exercises previously defined by vision experts. Data were collected from five participants, including a vision teacher, through a user experience questionnaire (UEQ) following a mixed method. Data analysis of the UEQ results and interviews highlighted the current challenges and positive attitudes in using SGs and ET for vision training. In conjunction with UEQ indicators such as attractiveness and perspicuity, the stimulation of the vision training battery based on the user experience provided insights into using ETs and further developing SGs to better approach different eye movements for vision training. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Cloud Gamification 2021 & 2022)
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21 pages, 2153 KiB  
Article
Deep Reinforcement Learning-Based iTrain Serious Game for Caregivers Dealing with Post-Stroke Patients
by Rytis Maskeliunas, Robertas Damasevicius, Andrius Paulauskas, Maria Gabriella Ceravolo, Marina Charalambous, Maria Kambanaros, Eliada Pampoulou, Francesco Barbabella, Arianna Poli and Carlos V. Carvalho
Information 2022, 13(12), 564; https://doi.org/10.3390/info13120564 - 30 Nov 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3579
Abstract
This paper describes a serious game based on a knowledge transfer model using deep reinforcement learning, with an aim to improve the caretakers’ knowledge and abilities in post-stroke care. The iTrain game was designed to improve caregiver knowledge and abilities by providing non-traditional [...] Read more.
This paper describes a serious game based on a knowledge transfer model using deep reinforcement learning, with an aim to improve the caretakers’ knowledge and abilities in post-stroke care. The iTrain game was designed to improve caregiver knowledge and abilities by providing non-traditional training to formal and informal caregivers who deal with stroke survivors. The methodologies utilized professional medical experiences and real-life evidence data gathered during the duration of the iTrain project to create the scenarios for the game’s deep reinforcement caregiver behavior improvement model, as well as the design of game mechanics, game images and game characters, and gameplay implementation. Furthermore, the results of the game’s direct impact on caregivers (n = 25) and stroke survivors (n = 21) in Lithuania using the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) and user experience questionnaire (UEQ) are presented. Both surveys had favorable outcomes, showing the effectiveness of the approach. The GDS scale (score 10) revealed a low number of 28% of individuals depressed, and the UEQ received a very favorable grade of +0.8. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Cloud Gamification 2021 & 2022)
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Review

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31 pages, 1075 KiB  
Review
Serious Games and Gamification in Healthcare: A Meta-Review
by Robertas Damaševičius, Rytis Maskeliūnas and Tomas Blažauskas
Information 2023, 14(2), 105; https://doi.org/10.3390/info14020105 - 7 Feb 2023
Cited by 58 | Viewed by 17583
Abstract
A serious game is a type of game that is designed for a primary purpose other than entertainment. Instead, serious games are intended to achieve specific goals, such as education, training, or health promotion. The goal of serious games is to engage players [...] Read more.
A serious game is a type of game that is designed for a primary purpose other than entertainment. Instead, serious games are intended to achieve specific goals, such as education, training, or health promotion. The goal of serious games is to engage players in a way that is both enjoyable and effective in achieving the intended learning or behavior change outcomes. Recently, several systematic reviews on the development and application of serious games and on the application of gamification techniques have been published, which indicate high activity and ongoing progress in this area of research. Such an extensive body of review papers raises the need to analyze and extract the current state and the prevailing trends of the serious games and gamification (SGG) domain by analyzing and summarizing the systematic review articles. This study presents a systematic meta-review, i.e., a review of the 53 survey papers on the domain of serious games and gamification. The systematic review follows the PRISMA guidelines, while constructive and cross-sectional methods are used to analyze and present the results. Finally, this study identifies the future trends and challenges for the domain. As a result, the meta-review helps the reader to quickly assess the present status of SGG and serves as a reference for finding further information on each technology utilized in SGG. Using the criterion of the citations, the meta-review analysis provides insight into the quantity and academic relevance of the published SGG articles. Moreover, 53 articles published in journals were selected as important surveys in the research field. The study found that serious games and gamification techniques are increasingly being used for a wide range of health conditions and the focus is shifting towards the use of mobile and digital platforms, virtual reality, and machine learning to personalize and adapt interventions. The existing research gaps include the lack of standardization in development and evaluation, insufficient understanding of underlying mechanisms of action, limited understanding of integration into existing healthcare systems, limited understanding of specific game mechanics and design elements for promoting health behaviors, and limited research on scalability, adoption, and long-term effects. These research gaps highlight the need for further research to fully understand the potential and limitations of serious games and gamification for health and how to effectively apply them. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Cloud Gamification 2021 & 2022)
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Other

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13 pages, 993 KiB  
Perspective
Learning Science through Cloud Gamification: A Framework for Remote Gamified Science Learning Activities Integrating Cloud Tool Sets and Three-Dimensional Scaffolding
by Huei-Tse Hou
Information 2023, 14(3), 165; https://doi.org/10.3390/info14030165 - 5 Mar 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 3371
Abstract
In today’s world where virtual interaction is becoming more and more important, remote collaborative problem solving has become a promising teaching strategy. The motivation to promote collaborative science learning and the depth of group discussions are key research issues. The use of gamification [...] Read more.
In today’s world where virtual interaction is becoming more and more important, remote collaborative problem solving has become a promising teaching strategy. The motivation to promote collaborative science learning and the depth of group discussions are key research issues. The use of gamification strategies has the potential to facilitate remote synchronous science instruction. In order to promote learners’ collaborative science problem-solving skills, it is critical to design appropriate scaffolds and provide a guiding framework for teachers to integrate cloud-based interactive tools to design remote synchronous gamification activities. Based on years of research on scaffold-based gamified teaching, this study proposes a framework for gamified teaching activities that integrates a cloud-based toolset and a three-dimensional scaffolding (cognitive scaffolding, peer scaffolding, and metacognitive scaffolding). The framework can be used as a reference for science teachers to combine cloud tools for remote gamified teaching and for researchers in this field. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Cloud Gamification 2021 & 2022)
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