A level designer typically creates the levels of a game to cater for a certain set of objectives, or mission. But in procedural content generation, it is common to treat the creation of missions and the generation of levels as two separate concerns. This often leads to generic levels that allow for various missions. However, this also creates a generic impression for the player, because the potential for synergy between the objectives and the level is not utilised. Following up on the mission-space generation concept, as described by Dormans, we explore the possibilities of procedurally generating a level from a designer-made mission. We use a generative grammar to transform a mission into a level in a mixed-initiative design setting. We provide two case studies, dungeon levels for a rogue-like game, and platformer levels for a metroidvania game. The generators differ in the way they use the mission to generate the space, but are created with the same tool for content generation based on model transformations. We discuss the differences between the two generation processes and compare it with a parameterized approach.
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ConceptThe goal of the worksop/tutorial is to introduce participants to the fundamentals of Procedural Content Generation (PCG) based on generative grammars, have them experience an example of such a system first-hand, and discuss the potential of this approach for various areas of procedural content generation for games. The principles and examples are based on Ludoscope, a software tool developed at the HvA by Dr. Joris Dormans, e.a.Duration: 2 hoursOverviewWe will use the first 30 minutes to explain the basics of how to use generative grammars to generate levels. The principles of these grammars and model transformations will be demonstrated by means of the level generation system of Spelunky, which we have modeled in Ludoscope.Spelunky focuses solely on the generation of geometry, but grammar-based systems can also be used to transform more abstract concepts of level design into level geometry. In the next hour, the participants will be able to get some hands-on experience with Ludoscope. The assignment will be to generate a Mario-like level based on specific requirements, adapted to the interests of workshop participants.Finally, we are interested in the participants’ evaluation of this approach to PCG. We will use the last 20 minutes to discuss alternative techniques, and possible applications to other areas of PCG, like asset creation, scripting and game generation.Workshop participants are asked to bring a (PC) laptop to work on during the workshop, and are encouraged to work in pairs.
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This paper addresses the procedural generation of levels for collaborative puzzle-platform games. To address this issue, we distinguish types of multiplayer interaction, focusing on two-player collaboration, and identify relevant game mechanics for a puzzle-platform game, addressing player movement, interaction with moving game objects, and physical interaction involving both players. These are further formalized as game design patterns. To test the feasibility of the approach, a level generator has been implemented based on a rule-based approach, using the existing tool called Ludoscope and a prototype game developed in the Unity game engine. The level generation procedure results in over 3.7 million possible playable level variations that can be generated automatically. Each of these levels encourages or even requires both players to engage in collaborative gameplay.
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PCK is seen as the transformation of content knowledge and pedagogical knowledge into a different type of knowledge that is used to develop and carry out teaching strategies. To gain more insight into the extent to which PCK is content specific, the PCK about more topics or concepts should be compared. However, researchers have rarely compared teachers’ concrete PCK about more than one topic. To examine the content dependency of PCK, we captured the PCK of sixteen experienced Dutch history teachers about two historical contexts (i.e. topics) using interviews and Content Representation questionnaires. Analysis reveals that all history teachers’ PCK about the two contexts overlaps, although the degree of overlap differs. Teachers with relatively more overlap are driven by their overarching subject related goals and less by the historical context they teach. We discuss the significance of these outcomes for the role of teaching orientation as a part of PCK.
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This paper starts with the explanation of the research rationale of the professorship. Subsequently, an exploration of the research agenda is provided, focusing on the two core research themes of the professorship: transformational content strategy and transformational content design. Within this section, knowledge gaps will be identified and examples will be presented of research projects related to each theme. Finally, light will be shed on the research approach, offering a brief overview of the theoretical approach, research methodology, and expected impact.
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The propagandization of a Net Generation adds nothing to our understanding of the digital behaviour of young people. Indeed, it is becoming increasingly obvious that the whole concept of a Net Generation rests on incorrect assumptions. Hence, arguments based on a Net Generation are not only irrelevant and misleading but precarious as well. Precarious in the sense that they are mobilized as a decisive means of engineering change, not least in education policy. Only when we stop thinking in terms of the Net Generation can we form a more astute vision of when the deployment of digital learning aids will have a realistic chance of success.
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This paper discusses the potential application of procedural content generation to a game about economical crises, intended to teach a large general audience about how banks function within a market-guided economy, and the financial risks and moral dilemmas that are involved. Procedurally generating content for abstract and complex notions such as inflation, market crashes, and market flux is different from generating spatial maps or physical assets in a game, and poses several design challenges. Instead of generating these kinds of phenomena and other macro-economic effects directly, the designers aim to let them emerge from automatically generated game mechanics. The game mechanics we propose include generic business models that can be parameterized to model the behavior of companies in the game, while the player controls the actions of a bank. What makes generating these game mechanics particularly challenging is the interaction between phenomena at different levels of abstraction. Therefore, relevant economic concepts are discussed in terms of design challenges, and how they could be modeled as emergent properties using generative methods.
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To improve retention rate of factual knowledge for health students we set out to design a game which challenges students to continue testing themselves during their studies. Since we intend for them to play this game for at least two years, we had two major challenges to overcome. Firstly, how can students feel motivated to continue playing for two years on end, and secondly, how can enough content be generated for a two-year game play. The first challenge was solved by tapping into a core motivation of health students: many intend to start their own practice and for that, they want to be involved with other practitioners. We, therefore, proposed a sim-type game in which students cannot just practice on virtual patients but also on practitioners logged in as a patient. The second challenge was tackled by building a flexible framework for case collection, and including the production of those cases in the curricula of the involved programmes.
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Online supplements to Smit, E., Tuithof, H., Savelsbergh, E., & Béneker, T. (2023). Geography teachers’ pedagogical content knowledge: A systematic review. Journal of Geography. https://doi.org/10.1080/00221341.2023.2173796 Supplement 1: Extended information on selected studies Supplement 2: Full references of studies used in the review Supplement 3: Codebook Abstract: Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK) is the knowledge teachers use to teach a specific subject to a specific audience. The importance of PCK to quality teaching is widely recognized. However, an overview of research about geography teachers’ PCK is missing. To fill this gap, we conducted a systematic review. We analyzed 43 empirical studies, but only 9 used PCK as a framework. Most studies addressed instructional strategies or teaching orientations. The studies were too diverse to draw conclusions on geography teachers’ PCK in general. But portraits of 16 geography teachers emphasized the necessity of geographical knowledge and teaching experience for PCK-quality.
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This chapter discusses the role of education in the preparation of the next generation of entrepreneurs in nature conservation. Departing from the traditional conservation education, which emphasizes ecological management, the chapter is a plea for incorporating entrepreneurship in the curricula of educational programmes on rewilding ecosystems. An Erasmus Intensive Programme on European Wilderness Entrepreneurship is presented as a case study. A set of competences is defined and operationalized based on the evaluation of the first edition of the programme undertaken in Rewilding Europe’s pilot area in Western Iberia. Aspects of the learning strategies and learning environment are presented and reviewed. The conclusion of this chapter is that to learn wilderness entrepreneurship competences, an environment should be created in which students, teachers and stakeholder co-learn at the boundaries of their comfort zones.
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