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Top1. Introduction
Edugames are now a reality for both PC and mobile devices, in this regard think of the Android operating system for mobile phones (Hssina et al., 2014). Also, the age groups are the most varied, certainly have great relevance of edugames realized for elementary school students (Ibid.). It is not only Western countries that are interested in this issue (Novaliendry & Andriani, 2020), but also those in the Far East (Sudarmilah et al., 2018) and this allows researchers who are attracted to this specific research topic to broaden the comparison and compare results. In a sense, educational research is already ready for a paradigm shift within which edugames will have their own role in the future of teaching disciplines (Free et al., 2022) e.g. history (Hong & Chin, 2006).
The following research is part of a larger project on teaching methodologies aimed at fostering perspective-taking (Di Tore, Aiello, Sibilio & Berthoz, 2020) in children aged 6 to 11 years through the creation of an edugame. The objective is to develop, at the Lab-H of the Department of Human, Philosophical and Educational Sciences (DISUFF) of the University of Salerno, a prototype edugame with a narrative structure of an educational video game that aims to support primary school pupils to discover some interactive games focused on the enhancement of some Executive Functions. This work is part of the panorama of innovative teaching strategies and specifically embraces the methodology of Game based learning based on learning through games, in which the player who coincides with the student learns and at the same time has fun (Gee, 2013). The edugame is part of this methodology (Martens & Muller, 2015) and is defined as a type of video game developed to enhance a skill and Educational videogames are didactic tools used to increase learning motivation and create meaningful learning (Gee, 2013; Di Tore, 2016), they are configured as didactic mediators in classroom teaching to promote inclusion processes and the educational success of all and everyone (Aiello, 2013) with a view to improving the effectiveness of the teacher's teaching action (Sibilio, 2014). In an inclusive educational system, edugames are seen as eclectic tools with multiple design possibilities, this feature is fundamental to foster personalised paths respecting students' needs, aptitudes and inclinations (Anolli & Mantovani, 2011).
Designing an educational edugame means creating an inclusive tool that can be used by all pupils. This is possible thanks to the possibility of making modifications to the game in a short time, changing the settings and implementing extra aids in the interactive game that can be used ad personam, such as additional aids, changing the font, font size, response modes or feedback.
The edugame was created/is designed as a space in which the pupil can enjoy different interactive games, each of which is specific to the improvement of a certain skill. The whole process of designing the didactic medium took into account all the criteria of the educational game outlined by Bryan Bergeron (2006):
- 1.
It presents challenging tasks;
- 2.
It is engaging and able to entertain the pupils;
- 3.
Incorporates a score;
- 4.
Provides the player with a skill and knowledge that can be used in everyday life.