Using game mechanisms to foster GBL designers' cooperation and creativity

This paper focuses on ScenLRPG, a method, based on a graphic formalism, for designing game-based learning systems in a vocational training context. We detail in Section 2 the theoretical background for our hypotheses on three properties such a method should provide: 1) supporting the elicitation of the game mechanisms so as to boost learner's motivation; 2) enabling a team of designers to collectively build a game-based learning scenario; 3) improving designers' creativity. Section 3 presents the ScenLRPG method and the different types of tool we have developed using this method. Section 4 presents an evaluation study performed using a tangible version of the method, based on a board game. The aim of this study was to test whether the method effectively favours designer collaboration and creativity, but also to gather the pros and cons of a board game-based design tool versus a computer-based environment. The final section is devoted to an analysis of the obtained results.