Skip to main content

Advertisement

Log in

CliNCare: An Educational Game—The Reasoning Behind the Graphic Choices and Their Impact on Player Opinions

  • Research
  • Published:
The Computer Games Journal

Abstract

CliNCare is a digital educational game which aims to improve clinical reasoning skills in the delivery of nutrition care of third year dietetic students. From a game art point of view, it was important to decide on the graphical style that would be appealing to users and best support the achievement of the overall aim of the game by providing an authentic learning experience. Photorealism is a common art style applied to contemporary simulation games, however, we wanted to investigate the use of 3D cel-shading and 2D illustration as an alternative, more affordable art style and its ability to provide an engaging and authentic digital learning experience using design-based research principals. This paper discusses the reasoning behind art design choices made in the CliNCare game, presents findings on students feedback of the game fidelity, experience, and usability, as well as draw conclusions on art styles for future digital simulation games.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10
Fig. 11
Fig. 12
Fig. 13
Fig. 14
Fig. 15

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Anderson, E. F., McLoughlin, L., Liarokapis, F., et al. (2010). Developing serious games for cultural heritage: A state-of-the-art review. Virtual Reality, 14(4), 255.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Anderson, T., & Shattuck, J. (2010). Design-based research: A decade of progress in education research? Educational Researcher, 41(1), 16–25.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • De Freitas, S., & Neumann, T. (2009). The use of ‘exploratory learning’ for supporting immersive learning. Computers & Education, 52, 343–352.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Foreman, G. E. (2020). Computer graphics as a medium for enhancing reflective thinking in young children. In D. N. Perkins, J. Lochead, & J. C. Bishop (Eds.), Thinking: The second international conference (chapter 14). USA: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Geng, W. (2011). The algorithms and principles of non-photorealistic graphics, artistic rendering and cartoon animation (p. 6). Berlin: Springer and Zhejang University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Isbister, K., & Nass, C. (2000). Consistency of personality in interactive characters: verbal cues, nonverbal cues, and user characteristics. International Journal of Human-Computer Studies, 53(2), 251–267.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Iten, N., & Petko, D. (2016). Learning with serious games: Is fun playing the game a predictor of learning success? British Journal of Educational Technology, 47(1), 151–163. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjet.12226.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kim, J. (2014). Unrealistic Expectations for Realism in Games. Gamasutra (online). https://gamasutra.com/blogs/JocelynKim/20141209/231889/Unrealistic_Expectations_for_Realism_in_Games.php. Accessed January 10, 2020.

  • Lankoski, P., & Björk, S. (2007). Gameplay design patterns for believable non-player characters. DiGRA’07Proceedings of the DiGRA 2007 Conference: Situated Play (pp. 416–423) (online). http://www.digra.org/wp-content/uploads/digital-library/07315.46085.pdf. Accessed January 12, 2020.

  • Leavitt, A., Keegan, B.C. & Clark, J. (2016). Ping to win?: Ping to win?: Non-verbal communication and team performance in competitive online multiplayer games. In CHI ‘16: Proceedings of the 2016 CHI conference on human factors in computing systems (pp. 4337–4350). https://doi.org/10.1145/2858036.2858132.

  • Malone, T. (1981). What makes computer games fun? ACM SIGSOC Bulletin May 198 (online). https://doi.org/10.1145/1015579.810990. Accessed January 08, 2020.

  • McLaughlin, T., Smith, D. and Brown, I.A. 2010. A framework for evidenced based visual style development for serious games. In: Proceedings of the fifth international conference on the foundations of digital games (pp. 132–138). ACM.

  • Michael, D. R., & Chen, S. (2006). Serious games: Games that educate, train and inform. Boston, MA: Thomson Course Technology.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mori, M., MacDorman, K. F., & Kageki, N. (2012). The uncanny valley. IEEE Robotics and Automation Magazine, 19(2), 98–100. https://doi.org/10.1109/MRA.2012.2192811.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Myers, E. (2008). Nutrition care process and model part I: the 2008 update. Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 108(7), 1113–1117.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Puri, R., Bell, C., & Evers, W. D. (2010). Dietetics students’ ability to choose appropriate communication and counseling methods is improved by teaching behavior-change strategies in computer-assisted instruction. Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 110(6), 892–897.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ramirez, E. J. (2020). How to (dis)solve the Gamer’s Dilemma. Ethic Theory Moral Practice (online). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10677-019-10049-z. Accessed January 05, 2020.

  • Röber, N., & Masuch, M. (2004). Game graphics beyond realism: Then, now and tomorrow (online). http://www.digra.org/wp-content/uploads/digital-library/05150.48223.pdf. Accessed December 12, 2019.

  • Safaii-Fabiano, S. J., & Ramsay, S. A. (2011). The effect of classroom simulation on dietetics students’ self-efficacy related to medical nutrition therapy. Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 111(9), A57.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sakey, M. (2005). The Character IssueUnderstanding character in video games. ACMI (online). https://2015.acmi.net.au/media/2457240/sonic_education_pack.pdf. Accessed January 10, 2020.

  • Seyama, J., & Nagayama, R. S. (2007). The uncanny valley: Effect of realism on the impression of artificial human faces. Presence Teleoperators & Virtual Environments, 16(4), 337–351. https://doi.org/10.1162/pres.16.4.337.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shen, C., Wang, H., & Ritterfeld, U. (2009). Serious games and seriously fun games. In U. Ritterfeld, M. Cody, & P. Vorderer (Eds.), Serious games: Mechanisms and effects (pp. 48–61). Abingdon: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Spindler, M., Röber, N., Döhring, R., & Masuch, M. (2006). Enhanced Cartoon and Comic Rendering (online). https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Niklas_Roeber/publication/268340371_Enhanced_Cartoon_and_Comic_Rendering/links/54887f100cf2ef3447909ce4/Enhanced-Cartoon-and-Comic-Rendering.pdf. Accessed December 02, 2019.

  • Stevens, N., Rosier, J., Hansen, N., Terton, U., Jones, C., Rolfe, B., & Boshammer, L. (2014). Australia and New Zealand Association of Planning Schools Conference Programme Book (p. 14).

  • Terzidis, K. (2003). Expressive form: A conceptual approach to computational design. Abingdon: Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203586891.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Thompson, K. L., & Gutschall, M. D. (2015). The time is now: A blueprint for simulation in dietetics education. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, 115(2), 183–194. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jand.2014.12.001.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Turner, R. E., Evers, W. D., Wood, O. B., Lehman, J. D., & Peck, L. W. (2000). Computer-based simulations enhance clinical experience of dietetics interns. Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 100(2), 183–190.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vorderer, P., Klimmt, C., & Ritterfeld, U. (2004). Enjoyment: At the heart of media entertainment. Communication Theory, 14(4), 388–408. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-2885.2004.tb00321.x.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wright, H. H., & Terton, H. -U. (2020). Report: Development of the CliNCare online serious game. USC, Sippy Downs. 26 May 2020.

  • Wright, H., Tweedie, J., & Ashford, T. (2019). An online serious game improves clinical reasoning skills of dietetic students. Nutrition and Dietetics, 76(S1), 39. https://doi.org/10.1111/1747-0080.12567.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wright, H., Tweedie, J., Terton, U., Smyth, G., Starks, K., Ravyse, W., et al. (2017). Dietetic education in the 21st Century: Is it all just fun and games? Nutrition & Dietetics, 74(S1), 48.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

J. Tweedie1, K. Starks1, T. Ashford1, R. Burns1, W. Ravyse2; 1University of the Sunshine Coast, Sunshine Coast, QLD, Australia; 2Turku University of Applied Sciences, Turku, Finland.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to U. Terton.

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Terton, U., Smyth, G. & Wright, H. CliNCare: An Educational Game—The Reasoning Behind the Graphic Choices and Their Impact on Player Opinions. Comput Game J 9, 331–347 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40869-020-00111-7

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40869-020-00111-7

Keywords

Navigation