Abstract

Geogames are mobile, location-based and location dependent games for smartphones and tablets. As they are played outdoors, they can be applied as serious games and used for diverse educational topics. The research group at the University of Education Ludwigsburg (LUE) identifies design criteria for geogame scenarios in the context of biology education based on empirical evidence. Within the so-called geogame FindeVielfalt Simulation (FVS) sensory experiences for secondary school students are provided to discover the local biodiversity and the results suggest that playing this geogame leads to more positive attitudes toward nature, especially for players with a low socio-economic status. Game-related enjoyment was identified as an important mediating factor in delivering such outcomes. Similar results were found in geogames fostering responsible and sustainable consumption leading to some generalizable guidelines for the design of location-based learning scenarios using mobile technology. But the design of educational geogames is a demanding challenge and educators need intensive instruction and support developing adequate learning activities. Based on the empirical evidence of two educators’ professional development studies, prerequisites are presented enabling educational staff to design geogames for learning. Within the first part of the talk the projects of the research group at LUE are presented, the second part is dedicated to the presentation of different authoring systems followed by a discussion