Cabinet - strategy board game for network and system management learning
Conference Paper
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abstract
Gamification may be a new term, and recently it has been receiv- ing a considerable attention in several areas and fields. This ne- ologism, however, describe an idea that is not exactly new: using game-thinking and game mechanics to solve problems and to en- gage audiences.
This paper describes the approach to applying gamification to a higher education subject in the course of computer science. We fo- cus mainly in the design, development and assessment of a strategy board game of the worker placement type. It is used with the pur- pose of providing an environment for reflection and concept learn- ing regarding the overall operation of data centers.
The game is called “Cabinet” and contains a game board, two data center boards and four extensions. It also contains 80 pieces, repre- senting the resources and components associated to the operation of computers stored in racks integrated in organizations’ data centers. The gameplay is evaluated through a specific Game Engagement Observation Protocol, assessing the interaction between players, the dynamics of the game and the overall satisfaction of players.
