Centre
A Digital Game-Based Learning Approach to Support Conservation Education
School: School of Architecture, Design and the Built Environment
Overview
Digital games have the potential to significantly impact education by making learning enjoyable through gameplay. Kirriemuir and McFarlane (2004) have identified two key elements that are commonly associated with the development of educational games: (1) the desire to leverage the motivational power of games to make learning enjoyable, and (2) a belief that the process of learning through gameplay is a potent educational tool. Various approaches have been employed in educational games, with the predominant one being exploratory. This approach aims to motivate learners and provide satisfaction through engaging learning activities within the games.
Purpose
This project aims to create a digital game-based learning environment to support conservation education, specifically targeting users aged 12-16. Aligned with the intended learning outcomes, the game's design will adhere to the Input-Process-Outcome game model proposed by Garris et al. (2002), a model known for its effectiveness in fostering user awareness and learning motivation in educational settings. Building upon the existing virtual reality (VR) model of Nottingham Cathedral, which operates on the Unreal game engine, the project seeks to integrate this technology into the educational gaming experience.
Impact
Collaborating with the Loughborough Schools Foundation, we have actively engaged in developing the game's storyboard and narrative. Two workshops were conducted with the pupils at the schools to collectively craft the game's narrative. The initial version of the game (Beta version) is currently in development at the Creative Virtual Technology Lab within the School of Architecture, Design, and the Built Environment, using the Unreal Engine game development platform. Subsequently, we will collaborate with school pupils to test the game and identify areas for improvement, fostering an iterative process that ensures the educational effectiveness and engagement of the final product.
Project Team
Benachir is Professor in digital architectural design and serves as the head of the Creative and Virtual Technologies Research Laboratory at Nottingham Trent University. He is recognized internationally as an expert in digital heritage, digital twin technology, VR/AR applications, design automation and optimization, as well as building and urban information modelling. He is a former researcher at the Martin Centre for Architectural and Urban Studies at the University of Cambridge and held a visiting professorship at Huazong University of Science and Technology in China. Benachir has held academic positions at Ecole Centrale de Paris, the University of Nottingham, and the University of Salford. He has successfully completed numerous research projects funded by EPSRC and industry and has published over 80 research outputs.
Moulay is a senior lecturer at Nottingham University. He is a qualified architect with extensive industry experience, earned his MSc in Digital Architectural Design from Salford University in 2012 with distinction. He then embarked on a fully funded PhD program at NTU in 2014. His doctoral research involved analysing the UK national database (BHPS), monitoring over 5000 households across 18 years. His significant contribution was the development of a 3D CityGML energy planning support system. This system predicts and maps energy usage in urban areas based on various factors, including building characteristics, economic indicators, and socio-demographic elements such as household life-cycle transitions.
Moulay’s research interests predominantly revolve around harnessing innovative digital technologies to support industry practitioners, decision-makers, and learners. His focus areas encompass building energy sustainability, eco-feedback, urban energy planning, Building Information Modelling (BIM), Historical Building Information Modelling, computational design, Digital Twin (DT), and artificial intelligence (AI).
Ana is a Principal Lecturer in Architecture at the School of Architecture, Design and Built Environment. Ana plays a key role in the development and leadership of the research modules on undergraduate and postgraduate courses in Architecture and is supporting doctoral candidates with her role as Post Graduate Research Tutor at School level. She supervises several PhD and Professional Doctorate students in the areas of Architecture, Identity, Heritage and Memory. Ana's research interest lies in architecture as a cultural manifestation of national identity. In this context she explored the reconstruction of a national identity in post-revolutionary Mexican architecture; the connection between identity and architecture in the pavilions built for the 1929 Iberoamerican Exhibition in Seville; and analysed a number of memorials and museums in Germany in order to look into the different post-war narratives that have emerged in the last few decades. Ana is currently involved in an interdisciplinary project which aims at reflecting on the connections between identity, memory and heritage, sense of belonging and ownership of the built environment, using a participatory methodology.
Dr. Nacer Bezai is a chartered architect with international experience from different countries. He is currently a senior lecturer and co-course leader for the Architectural Technology Department at Nottingham Trent University. Dr. Bezai teaches in the undergraduate and postgraduate levels, as well as supervising PhD students. Dr. Bezai is actively involved in research and has a keen interest in Smart
cities and future cities; Urban mobility and autonomous vehicles; Building information modelling, and Digital design including visualization, HBIM, parametric, and mixed-reality.
Annamalai holds a B.Sc. (Hons) in Computer Science with a specialisation in Games Technology from Nottingham Trent University. Previously, he completed an internship at Subiksham Software Solutions (Pvt. Ltd) in India, where he worked as a Mobile App Developer. During his tenure, he created an Android application aligned with their existing ERP software, facilitating University/College staff and students in managing and recording their day-to-day activities. Additionally, he provided mentorship to two final-year students, guiding them through the completion of their app development projects. Presently, Annamalai serves as a Research Fellow in Game Development at NTU, contributing to the Restoring Pugin project.
Explore our research
The Centre for Architecture, Urbanism and Global Heritage focuses on the investigation of human aspects of architecture, spatial practices, urban heritage, material culture and the built environment within the ever-changing urban and social structures of contemporary cities forcing new territories of interaction, innovation, creativity and analysis. Our research team approaches design as a comprehensive process that take account of the influence and impact of human actors, either as individuals, groups, or communities.