Validating Learning Games, a Case Study.

Serious games (or transformational games) are used to operate transformations on players that range from transferring knowledge to changing players' sense of self. Since these games have other purposes besides entertainment, it is necessary to validate them with a whole new set of methods other than the parameters utilized for traditional software or digital games such as stability, usability, or playability. Most researchers working with serious games provide a section on validation, but often the methods are developed ad-hoc for each specific case. We propose a validation methodology able to pinpoint accurately to which specific game interactions support specific knowledge transfer. We developed a method to probe both experimental validity (internal and external validity) and test validity (construct-, content-, criterion-, concurrent-, predictive-, and face validity). In this article, we demonstrate how such a methodology can be developed and we use it to validate the impact of the knowledge-transfer game SubSyst Simulator, a clicker game designed to allow experimentation with concepts of circular economy, sustainable food production and consumption. The method proposed was able to identify granularly areas where the game was successful at transferring the intended knowledge as well as aspects of the learning objectives that were less successful and finally recommend changes to maximize the impact of the knowledge transfer process. The advantage of the method proposed is the ability to identify specifically which elements in the game need to be iterated over to guarantee a successful and enjoyable learning experience.