Designing Casual Serious Games in Science. The case of “Couch Potatoes Defense”

Casual-serious games in science are games dealing with science topics that require short playing time and relatively low budget to develop, while based on educational purposes. The research goal was to investigate the relation between the game design parameters and the learning experience based on the flow model, assuming that by changing game parameters the relation between challenge and skill will be influenced, as expressed by the flow experience, influencing in turn the learning experience. The framework comprised a series of pilots in a primary school class, in which flow was evaluated using online questionnaires. We found significant changes in flow components between the three phases of the pilot. Students’ responses indicate assimilation of social practices, and understanding of the relation between parameters. We conclude that careful design of game parameters influences the flow experience as well as the learning experience, understanding of content goals and social values.