**7. Game development and applied pedagogy for enhancing game-based learning**

At the root of development, Gagne's defined nine elements of instruction [19] serve as a useful guide. The nine events are listed in **Table 1**. These are also discussed and applied by Becker, [20], Becker [21] and more recently by Mavromihales et al. [4].

The nine events can be embodied, directly or indirectly, in game elements. They are widely used as a benchmark for evaluating educational games [20].

Reference was also made to generic guidance of Gamification of Learning: good versus bad practice, which can be seen in **Table 2**.

Some of the key questions that were addressed related to the following:


Leading up to the end of year submission of individual projects, students are invited to take part in studio based group activities. Such activities may include writing a comprehensive Product Design Specification (PDS) with customer


#### **Table 1.**

*A list of Gagne's nine events interpreted through game design.*


*Accessed 2/11/2020. Reproduced with permission of the author (K.Becker).*

#### **Table 2.**

*Good versus bad gamification in the physical or virtual classroom.*

requirements and applying the 6-3-5 creativity technique (https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=TR1i1PPd8ZU) Accessed 1-2-2022.

Studio assigned time gave opportunity for the introduction of a new GBL activity. Gagne's Nine Events of Game Design (**Table 1**) were used as a guide to formulate the game.

Gillies et al. [22] present a strategy that structures the interaction within a collaborative group to stimulate the cognitive and metacognitive processing appropriate to complex learning tasks. In metacognition processing, learners are given the opportunity to monitor, regulate and evaluate their own thinking and learning. The process is realised through interaction with peers during which they use existing knowledge, like building blocks, in order to deduce an answer to a question or solution to a problem. If knowledge is lacking in individual members, a process of self-awareness becomes apparent. Whilst knowledge from peers is gained, weaknesses in individual participants become apparent. This strategy helps in monitoring comprehension. So, although some of the questions encouraged collaborative learning in which learners combined their knowledge to answer a clear-cut question or reviewing and retelling material already covered in class, other questions encouraged cognitive advanced
