Developing the concept of geogames for innovative learning environments

Abstract

This article aims to provide an empirical overview on the state of the art on Games Studies related to Architecture and Urban Planning throughout a long research structured on fifteen experimental steps related to fifteen different geogame designs. The empirical approach aimed to add and refine comprehensions on the development of the concept of geogames. This concept is a combination of serious games, technology, cultural heritage, and urban planning to create ideas and digital prototypes to problematize and solve urban issues with civic involvement. Also, the work's focus on this concept was to learn which digital platforms could be engaging through the playfulness for children, which compose the societal target group for the research. This discussion tackles two different but complementary topics, related to 1) geogames as a tool for learning architecture and urban planning, and 2) geogames as a tool for collaborative planning. Hence, the research questions are: which type of game builders could be used to support teachers to improve architecture and urbanism learning? And how technology can be applied to keep citizens engagement into the process of planning at the same time that allows reaching a maximum consensus? The games’ design and the digital and non digital prototypes presented in the article were structured in order to show the process of validation of the geogames’ concept.