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Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences 204 (2015) 277 – 281

4th World Congress on Technical and Vocational Education and Training (WoCTVET), 5th–6th
November 2014, Malaysia

Serious Games – A New Perspective On Workbased Learning

Daniela Ahrens*
University Bremen, Am Fallturm 1, 28359 Bremen, Germany

Abstract

Since the foundation of the Serious Games Initiative of David Rejeski and Ben Sawyer in 2002 games from the
genre of Serious Gaming have attracted increasingly special attention. Besides, it concerns (computer) games which
do not serve excluding the entertainment, but contain such compelling elements. They serve primarily the mediation
of information and education. In the area of vocational education and continuing education Serious Games are suited
in particular when it is a matter of providing technical and standardized or difficult and complicated learning
contents. By combining playful elements and requirements of the work process Serious Games promote the learning
and achievement motivation. Furthermore, the interaction with the game generates procedural knowledge. How
Serious Games can be done as an innovative way for workplace learning, is illustrated in the article on the basis of
the first intermediate results of an empirical project on handling of heavy goods at the port.
© 2015
© 2015TheTheAuthors.
Authors.Published
Published byby Elsevier
Elsevier Ltd.Ltd.
This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).
Peer-review under responsibility of Faculty of Technical and Vocational Education, University of Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia.
Peer-review under responsibility of Faculty of Technical and Vocational Education, University of Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia.
Keywords: workbased Learning, ICT, game-based Learning

1. Main text

Meanwhile digital media supported learning processes are a matter of course. Simultaneously we consider a
growing interest in workplace learning. The relocation of learning into the real corporate work process is
increasingly dominating the shaping of processes in the companies on the one hand as well as vocational educational

dahrens@uni-bremen, ++49 421/218-66277

1877-0428 © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).
Peer-review under responsibility of Faculty of Technical and Vocational Education, University of Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia.
doi:10.1016/j.sbspro.2015.08.152
278 Daniela Ahrens / Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences 204 (2015) 277 – 281

research on the other hand. The reasons for this development are the direct usability of learning outcomes in the
work process, the relevance of problem-oriented learning for skilled workers as well as semiskilled workers and the
long-term value of acquired experience knowledge for the occupational practice (Spoettl et al. 2012). The
contribution discusses the question how game-based surroundings are able to promote workplace learning. Serious
Games are not a new idea. Military officers as well as aeronautical research have been using war games or
dangerous situations in order to train strategic skills for a long time. Meanwhile, the technological development
permits the development of game-oriented applications with high quality and low costs. Digital game-based
technologies are initiating the field to redefine what is meant by learning and instruction in the twenty-first century.
The working definition of Serious Games says, that such games do not have entertainment or fun as primary purpose
but rather than an educational purpose. This does not mean that serious games should not be entertaining. Playing
the game triggers learning processes. Besides, the entertainment value of the game is not excluded, but is used rather
as means for the learning process. Recent research have identified that game-based learning is a viable way to help
learners to construct knowledge from ambiguity, trial and error, and to assimilate new knowledge (Adcock 2008).
Games refer to structured play which is voluntary, intrinsically motivating, and involves active cognitive
engagement. Game-based learning enables learners to undertake such tasks and experience situations which would
otherwise be impossible and/or undesirable for cost, time, logistical and safety reasons. A game differs from a
simulation in such a way that it is intrinsically motivating and involves competition. Games and their associated
obstacles also create a positive kind of stress, called eustress, which is actually good for the player, providing him
with a sense of motivation and desire to succeed. The motivation can be promoted by interesting game scenarios
which are contextualized through work-based tasks and processes.
The current work of harbor skilled workers is marked by dealing with complex technologies, requiring
cooperation and practical acquisition of process understanding as well as social competences, the readiness for
lifelong learning and working in changing work tasks and environments. Furthermore the workers need basic
knowledge of physics and mathematics. The initial assumption is that game-based learning environments are suited
in a special way to impart abstract theoretical knowledge as well as action-oriented knowledge. Game-based learning
environments support the learning of abstract knowledge to promote the learning performance.
In our knowledge society, the acquisition of systematic theoretical knowledge is undoubtedly gaining importance.
Schön emphasized the role of action in shaping the content of tacit knowledge. He observed that when actions lead
to unexpected action outcomes, reflection on assumptions that gave rise to the action is prompted, which augments
tacit knowledge. He distinguished between the reflection-in-action, which occurs on the spot, and reflection-on-
action, which occurs retrospectively (Schoen 1983). According to Dewey (1938) Serious Games enable “experience
plus reflection equals learning.” Therefore, it will be necessary, to consider reflection possibilities as crucial
didactical aspect designing Serious Games.
The challenge is to design a Serious Game for the particular work processes in the harbor as learning context. Just
the maritime economy registers an increase in complexity, mechanization and interface management. The
requirements profile of the professional forces for harbor logistics has changed and extended. The research project
“work process oriented competence development for the harbor of the future” (http://www.arkoh.de, financed by the
Federal Ministry of Education and Research) focusses on two work processes: Firstly, the loading of offshore wind
energy components. Secondly container-related activities like loading, storing and movement (“stuffing and
stripping”) of containers and also the securing of load. Especially when loading and transshipping heavy equipment
in ports – e.g.: for the offshore industry experience-based knowledge plays an important role. The employees must
have a sense of forces and weights. They have to be able to handle with ground conveyor, reach stacker as well as
straddle carriers. The transport of components for offshore wind turbines is one of the special challenges of heavy
load transporters because there are less standardized processes.

1. Serious Gaming as an Innovative Way for Workplace Learning

Research results have pointed out that there are at least six key properties for Serious Games to promote learning
processes (Shute / Ke. 2012)
• an underlying rule system and a game goal to which the player is emotionally attached,
 Daniela Ahrens / Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences 204 (2015) 277 – 281 279

• experiences that offer good learning opportunities,

• a match between affordance and effectivity,
• modeling to make learning from experience more general and abstract,
• encouragement to players to enact their own unique trajectory through the game,
• easy and user-friendly interface.
To underline is that the challenge in the game should not have trivial tasks. Instead the game challenge should
match the player’s skill level. Furthermore, the game has to provide a tutorial or online help that enables players’
(learners’) skill development while playing the game.
It can be said that enterprises have four essential requirements on the use of Serious Games:
• a Serious Game should show the enterprise reality of his own as near as possible regarding organization,
product and processes.
• a Serious Game shall work with real corporate data to show the reality as approximately real as possible.
• strong requirements on Serious Games’ security arises regarding unauthorized access.
• Serious Games have to be easily adapted.
It is important in this connection that Serious Games are slightly adaptable, so that they can be adapted
on the one hand very smoothly on the situation by the enterprise and, on the other hand, the development
expenses remain within the scope. Hence, it becomes more and more important to develop actual and
efficient methods which bundle up the different competences of Serious Game developers (professional
expert, educational experts and IT developers) and support with the help of a structured action. The aim is
to sustain individual’s capacities for effective, productive and enduring working lives. This includes being
able to respond to the particular yet changing requirements of work and workplaces, and successfully to
negotiate transitions from one workplace settings to others (Billet et al. 2008). In our research project we
focus on the question how game-based learning can enhance workplace learning especially for semi- or
unskilled workers. In particular the port’s work is made by semiskilled people. Usually the employees
pass a course of several weeks to learn the basics about health and safety measures, load protection,
lashing and cargo handling. Nevertheless, there remains a gap between the knowledge and the skills
needed at work and the knowledge provided by formal courses. Since the share is high of semi-skilled
workers with regard to handling of heavy goods at the port, companies are interested in training concepts
which motivate the workers as well as fostering the competency development. The challenges they face
should match their developed skills so that they can experience attainable challenges, but with some
uncertainty of outcomes (Eseryel et al. 2014). The learning process refers to the acquisition of knowledge
and skills as well as to the participation in communities of practice.

2. Approach and Competencies

The project considers the notion of workprocess oriented competences as a basic factor. It is based on
the assumption that a reflected coping with work processes due to the commitment of the individual in his
or her work situation initializes the development of work process oriented competencies. This conception
of competency includes experience-based know-how on the one hand. On the other hand, it is evident that
the necessary skilled-analytical abilities in the sense of “knowing how and why something works” are
objects of this expertise (Neuweg 2004). Furthermore, the project assumes that Serious Games have the
potential to facilitate various types of skill development. The target group is made up of semiskilled and
skilled workers
280 Daniela Ahrens / Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences 204 (2015) 277 – 281

For example, raising the carrier structures from the ship must just happen in a straight line, the ropes
have to stand in the right corner, and unequivocal view signs of the stevedore to the crane operator are
essential. Bridge crane operators are responsible in a harbor for the container envelope between ship and
quay. They take charge, send or load and unload ships and trucks with the assigned containers. In her
mostly high mechanized job in the floating cabin under the gantry they have to deal with more than
thousand-tons-arrangements precision work. The containers are placed from a distance from up to 40
meters with an exactness of few centimeters. Furthermore, lightweight and extremely long blades have to
be transported like a raw egg and expectant generator gondolas with high weights.
In order to identify the structure of the learning of harbor skilled worker, for example stevedore,
thorough analyses were carried out dockside to find out details of complex problem-solving situations and
synchronization-processes. In the following two characteristic work processes which are suitable for
Serious Gaming are briefly introduced.
3. Toolbox-Meeting
The need of learning processes arises by the fact that the employees are responsible not only for single
performances, but her work tasks are rather a component of a complicated process chain. Furthermore, in
our analyses we identified the following influencing factors which require learning processes:
• Application of new technologies
• high claims to the industrial safety
• need of synchronization and teamwork
For clarifying the different tasks and responsibilities as well as the claims to the industrial safety, each
loading and transshipping of heavy equipment starts with a so-called “toolbox-meeting”. Tool-box
meetings, also called crew talks or tailgate meetings, are short meetings of the involved companies to
discuss issues that primarily focus on safety topics, task sharing and responsibilities. A tool-box talk is a
short talk, normally delivered at the workplace. It is informal and it is held before beginning the loading
process of components for wind turbines, for example. The tool-box meeting is suited for following
reasons as learning surrounding in the context of Serious Gaming. Firstly, in a game-based learning
surrounding the different roles and respective perspectives can be taken. A deeper problem understanding
is generated by taking over the different point of views. Hence, secondly, a game-based toolbox-meeting
promotes a deeper insight and comprehension in the process chain. A common problem understanding is
thereby promoted and the process orientation is strengthened. Thirdly, it promotes the communication
between the different status groups and the teamwork within the workgroup. The latter is important
because the composition of the team changes in many cases and the field of safety is becoming a
competitive parameter. In this context Serious Games offer multilevel learning situations as well as the
simulation of problems and critical situations. To experiment with different identities means that the
player can change the perspectives and can take over, for example, the role and identity of a foreman or
layer leader.
4. High & Heavy
The second workprocess refers to the transport planning and its realization in the high &heavy area
such as seaport cargo handling. In this context, the game-based learning process deals with loading and
securing reliably and precisely in accordance with the shipping companies, stowage and lashing
provisions. This contains the catching up of all approvals, the device application as well as the transport
packaging. The high & heavy area is suited for the following reasons as a learning surrounding in the
context of Serious Gaming. Firstly, the game-based learning surrounding enables the learner to deal with
complexity, group decision making, and decision making under conditions of time pressure without
 Daniela Ahrens / Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences 204 (2015) 277 – 281 281

fearing negative consequences. Secondly, the learner improves his skills in prioritizing and planning the
flow of material, in particular the need of large equipment as well as joint planning and problem solving.
The overriding purpose in using serious games lies in the improvement of the task Performance,
including sub-categories such as speed and fluency under varying environmental conditions, as well as
awareness and understanding, involving understanding of colleagues, contexts and situations.
5. Outlook
Primarily, the secret of a successful digital game-based learning process is not its 3D graphics but its
underlying architecture where each level dances around the outer limits of the player’s competences. A
special value in the context of Serious Gaming is its action-oriented approach and the manifold ways of
contextualization. Serious Games offer authentic situations, so that the lessons learned can be well
transferred on the real working process. In particular, in work contexts with a high demand for
occupational safety, serious games offer opportunities for learning. The learning potential at the
workplace can be used for self-guided learning and for competency development. The using of the
Serious Games fits very well in the working context of the harbor because there are usually standby times
during the day-to-day labour. These standby times offer the opportunity for forms of microlearning –
short learning units which stimulate the learning motivation as well as dealing with challenging work
processes- Thus, the application in the context of occupations and the sustainability of different game-
based learning options will remain in the center of interest for future research and project work.

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