            sustainability

Article
A Practice for the Design of Interactive Multimedia Experiences
Based on Gamification: A Case Study in Elementary Education
Carlos Alberto Peláez                    and Andrés Solano *


                                            Faculty of Engineering, Universidad Autónoma de Occidente, Cali 760030, Colombia
                                            * Correspondence: afsolano@uao.edu.co


                                            Abstract: This research proposes a practice for the design of interactive multimedia experiences,
                                            based on gamification and applied in elementary education. The practice is expressed in the Essence
                                            graphic notation language. Through practice, a multimedia experience based on gamification, called
                                            Coco-Shapes, was developed to assist learning of the English language in the following topics:
                                            geometric figures, colors and counting. The study is aimed at children aged between 4 and 5 years of
                                            age, in the transition grade in a private school, and in a vulnerable community with scarce resources
                                            in the city of Cali (Colombia). A research process was conducted for this experience, with the
                                            participation of two groups of students: one experimental group and one control group. The results
                                            are optimistic, since it is evident that, through carrying out the activities that make up the practice,
                                            the solution achieved contributes to increased user learning, as well as favors a greater receptivity in
                                            the students towards the use of technology in the training process.

                                            Keywords: Interactive Multimedia Experience (IME); elementary education; gamification




                                            1. Introduction
                                                  A learning experience refers to any interaction, course, program, or other experience in
                                            which learning takes place. It can occur in traditional academic settings, such as schools and
Citation: Peláez, C.A.; Solano, A. A
                                            their classrooms, or in non-traditional, out-of-school, and outdoor settings. Similarly, it can
Practice for the Design of Interactive
                                            be sustained through traditional educational interactions, or non-traditional interactions,
Multimedia Experiences Based on
Gamification: A Case Study in
                                            where the student learns through games and interactive software applications [1].
Elementary Education. Sustainability
                                                  On the other hand, a “multimedia system allows for value creation for interested par-
2023, 15, 2385. https://doi.org/            ties through the deployment of an Interactive Multimedia Experience (IME), using an ethic
10.3390/su15032385                          and responsible design approach, and addresses the users’ needs, interests and expectations
                                            by influencing their human senses via storytelling using digital media resources” [2]. The
Academic Editor: Hao-Chiang
                                            IME is considered to be a key element in the design of a multimedia system, through which
Koong Lin
                                            value is delivered to its stakeholders [2]. In a review of the state of the art methodologies,
Received: 1 December 2022                   related to the development of interactive and multimedia systems [3], it was clear that no
Revised: 20 December 2022                   work approach is concerned with establishing a precise and formally defined process to
Accepted: 10 January 2023                   guide the design of a multimedia system.
Published: 28 January 2023                        A definition of the concept of ‘Gamification’, consistent with this research, is “the
                                            use of game design elements in non-game contexts” [4]. Different researchers conclude
                                            that gamification in learning has a massive appeal among students by stimulating moti-
                                            vation, commitment, and social influence [5–7]. However, despite the fact that there are
Copyright: © 2023 by the authors.
                                            methodological approaches to designing gamified learning experiences [8,9], careful design
Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.
                                            is required for the experiences to be effective. Taking the above into account, in this article,
This article is an open access article
                                            we propose a practice for the design of IME based on gamification elements [10], such
distributed under the terms and
                                            as goals and objectives, rules, narrative, freedom to choose, freedom to make mistakes,
conditions of the Creative Commons
                                            rewards, feedback, visible status, cooperation and competition, time constraint, progress,
Attribution (CC BY) license (https://
creativecommons.org/licenses/by/
                                            and surprise. The practice is expressed in the Essence graphic notation language, and this
4.0/).
                                            was applied in the context of elementary education for its preliminary validation.




Sustainability 2023, 15, 2385. https://doi.org/10.3390/su15032385                                      https://www.mdpi.com/journal/sustainability
Sustainability 2023, 15, 2385                                                                                            2 of 26




                                      One interesting factor is related to the opinions and valuations made by users in
                                the Google and Apple stores, regarding these kinds of solutions. Although there are
                                applications that aim to improve the academic performance of students, there are limitations
                                and evidence of unfavorable comments regarding their use [11]. This highlights the
                                importance of analyzing the impact of the design process of gamification-based solutions
                                and the need to consider factors that influence the success of a learning experience based
                                on gamification elements in an educational context [7]. Some of these factors are related
                                to the way in which a multimedia experience based on gamification can contribute to an
                                improvement in the learning of the user, who is the object of the learning process. They
                                also relate to the way in which the multimedia experience can contribute to the favorable
                                attitude of the participant towards the technology, which allows a significant prediction of
                                their reaction.
                                      The design process of the IME plays a crucial role in the inclusion of these factors
                                in the specificity of the kind of solution that is the object of production, considering an
                                effective delivery of value to the stakeholders, according to the purpose and context of its
                                use. However, the existing restrictions are clear, due to the limitation of methodological
                                approaches that define a guiding process for the design of an IME.
                                      This research presents a practice for the design of IME and its use in the development
                                of interactive multimedia experiences for English language learning, called Coco-Shapes,
                                and is based on gamification elements. The development of this experience is aimed at
                                children between four and five years of age, who are attending a private school located in
                                commune 20, in the city of Cali, Colombia [12]. This commune is characterized as being
                                one of the most socially and economically vulnerable in the city, according to the Social
                                Observatory of the Mayor’s Office of Santiago de Cali [13,14].
                                      It should be noted that, in the school context of elementary education in Colombia,
                                the teaching of a second language, such as English, is mainly restricted to the higher
                                socio-economic strata of the population [15]. This restriction is due to the high costs
                                for the educational institutions to provide an academic offer that promotes bilingualism
                                throughout the student’s elementary education cycle. Given the social and economic
                                scenario outlined above, one of the main constraints that had to be considered during the
                                design process of the multimedia system was the need to develop a low-cost solution.
                                      Through our research, we provide a new approach in the development of IME for
                                elementary education, in public or private institutions with scarce resources, contributing
                                to the development of learning experiences in a school context. This approach is presented
                                by means of an artifact [16], which is represented through a practice for the design of IME
                                using the Essence graphic notation language [17]. The case study presented here is guided
                                by a process for the development of an IME based on gamification for English language
                                learning, aimed at children in transition, between 4 and 5 years old.
                                      The practice for the design of an IME has been adapted so that it can be applied by
                                companies that create technology-mediated solutions and content for educational contexts.
                                Likewise, it is aimed at technology support units, or Information and Communication
                                Technology (ICT) managers in schools, as a resource for teachers who use technology to
                                develop their teaching/learning strategies in their subjects.
                                      This article is organized as follows: Section 2 describes the materials and methods
                                applied in this research. Section 3 presents the research results. Section 4 presents discussion
                                regarding the results and, finally, Section 5 presents the conclusions and future work.

                                2. Materials and Methods
                                2.1. Creation of Work Teams
                                     The project for the development of IME in elementary education began in July 2021,
                                at the Universidad Autónoma de Occidente in the city of Cali, Colombia. This project
                                involved a core group with a total of five researchers: two researchers with a PhD in
                                Engineering, one researcher with a PhD in Education, and two designers with a master’s
                                degree in Design and Interaction. These researchers belong to research groups recognized
Sustainability 2023, 15, 2385                                                                                                 3 of 26




                                by the Ministry of Science and Technology of Colombia, Minciencias [18]. The second
                                group consisted of five interns: three professionals in the field of Multimedia Engineering
                                and two in Graphic Design. Both of these groups make up the work team responsible for
                                carrying out the project.

                                2.2. Description of Key Stakeholders
                                     The IME, called Coco-Shapes, is aimed at students in the transition grade of a school
                                in the city of Cali, which is committed to an educational strategy of bilingualism for low-
                                income people [19]. The total number of transition students in 2022 was 36 (children
                                between 4 and 5 years old). Throughout the process, the students were accompanied by
                                two teachers, who are pedagogues and experts in the field of English learning, as well as
                                the school principal, who has a degree in foreign languages.
                                     Once the regulations and laws that influence the design of the Coco-Shapes were
                                identified (related to data processing, type of audiovisual content, materials of physical
                                objects, etc.), the work team reviewed the adequate implementation in the prototypes
                                obtained, with the support of a leading NGO (Non-Governmental Organization), for the
                                design of interactive experiences in the educational sector [20].

                                2.3. Research Methodology for Designing the Solution
                                     The methodology used to guide the research was based on the principles of design
                                science research methodology [21]. The approach suggests a set of guidelines for its
                                application [16], and this paper discusses the following: (i) the basis of a relevant problem,
                                which, in this case, it is the limitation of existing methodologies for the development of
                                interactive and multimedia systems, specifying a working approach for the design of
                                interactive multimedia experiences; (ii) a practice for the design of IME, which is the a
                                solution artifact, (iii) the evaluation of the practice, which is a case study for the school
                                context, and (iv) a dissertation on the contribution and limitations, which is an evaluation
                                of the practice for the design of IME.
                                     Based on the above, as a validation mechanism for the case study, the following
                                hypotheses were defined. This study proposes a set of hypotheses based on the results
                                discussed in previous studies [6,7], related to the contribution offered by gamification to the
                                learning process of students. In this case, our study consists of knowing the contribution of
                                a multimedia experience, as part of a gamification strategy, to the learning experience of
                                students in elementary education. In addition, we want to know about the emotional behav-
                                ior of the user when interacting with a multimedia experience that includes gamification
                                elements, as other authors have explored [22].

                                Hypothesis 1 (H1). A multimedia experience based on gamification elements offers a contribution
                                to the increased learning of the user, who is the object of the learning process.

                                Hypothesis 2 (H2). A multimedia experience based on gamification elements contributes to the
                                favorable attitude of the participant towards the technology, allowing the significant prediction of
                                their reaction.

                                2.4. Practice for the Design of IME in Elementary Education
                                      For the design of the practice, as an artifact of the solution, the graphical notation
                                language, offered by the Essence standard of software engineering [17], was used. Essence
                                is a simple model of the challenges that all software development teams face, coupled with
                                a visual language to capture practices to help teams address those challenges. The model
                                contains practices, alphas, activities, roles, etc. [17]. Essence enables practices and related
                                knowledge to be expressed in a simple, visual way that ensures that they can be easily
                                shared, understood, adopted, adapted and applied both independently and in combination
                                with other practices (for example the Minimum Viable Multimedia System practice [23]).
                                       For the design of the practice, as an artifact of the solution, the graphical notation
                                 language, offered by the Essence standard of software engineering [17], was used. Essence
                                 is a simple model of the challenges that all software development teams face, coupled
                                 with a visual language to capture practices to help teams address those challenges. The
                                 model contains practices, alphas, activities, roles, etc. [17]. Essence enables practices and
Sustainability 2023, 15, 2385                                                                                               4 of 26
                                 related knowledge to be expressed in a simple, visual way that ensures that they can be
                                 easily shared, understood, adopted, adapted and applied both independently and in com-
                                 bination with other practices (for example the Minimum Viable Multimedia System prac-
                                Figure   1 shows
                                 tice [23]). Figurethe  adaptation
                                                    1 shows         of the practice
                                                              the adaptation         for the design
                                                                              of the practice         of Interactive
                                                                                              for the design         Multimedia
                                                                                                             of Interactive Mul-
                                Experiences    (IME)  [24] in the context of elementary   education.
                                 timedia Experiences (IME) [24] in the context of elementary education.




                                 Figure1.1. Practice
                                Figure      Practice for
                                                     for the
                                                         the design
                                                             design of
                                                                    of IME
                                                                       IME in
                                                                           in elementary
                                                                              elementary education.
                                                                                         education.

                                       This practice
                                      This    practice isis composed
                                                             composed of  of a
                                                                             a set
                                                                                set of
                                                                                    of activities,
                                                                                        activities, techniques,
                                                                                                    techniques,tools toolsand
                                                                                                                           andAlphas
                                                                                                                                 Alphastotoguide
                                                                                                                                              guide
                                 thedesign
                                the  design process
                                               process of of the
                                                              theIME
                                                                   IMEininelementary
                                                                             elementaryeducation.
                                                                                            education.   ForFor
                                                                                                              thethe
                                                                                                                  organization
                                                                                                                       organization of the flowflow
                                                                                                                                        of the   of
                                 activities
                                of activities that  guide
                                                 that   guidethethe
                                                                  work
                                                                     workteams,    twotwo
                                                                              teams,     work    routes
                                                                                              work        werewere
                                                                                                     routes      defined    [24]:[24]:
                                                                                                                       defined    the first
                                                                                                                                         the is theis
                                                                                                                                             first
                                 Creative
                                the  CreativeRoute   and the
                                                   Route    andsecond    is the Responsible
                                                                  the second                     Route. The
                                                                                 is the Responsible       Route.work   routes
                                                                                                                     The   work suggest
                                                                                                                                  routesa certain
                                                                                                                                            suggest
                                 degree     of  sequentiality      the  first  time    they   are  carried
                                a certain degree of sequentiality the first time they are carried out. However,out.   However,     thesethese
                                                                                                                                           can can
                                                                                                                                                 be
                                be conducted concurrently among the other routes that exist for the pre-productionofof
                                 conducted      concurrently       among     the   other   routes   that   exist  for   the  pre-production
                                 multimediasystems
                                multimedia       systems [2].[2]. This
                                                                  This implies
                                                                       implies thethe challenge
                                                                                       challenge of of knowing
                                                                                                       knowingthe   thestatus
                                                                                                                         statusofofcompletion
                                                                                                                                    completionofof
                                each of the routes. The routes were proposed considering a model focused onconcurrent
                                 each   of the  routes.   The   routes  were    proposed    considering      a  model   focused    on   concurrent
                                 engineering[25],
                                engineering       [25], where
                                                        where aa set
                                                                   set of
                                                                       of states
                                                                          states was
                                                                                   was defined
                                                                                         defined for
                                                                                                   foreach
                                                                                                        eachroute;
                                                                                                               route;this
                                                                                                                       thisallows
                                                                                                                            allowsaaworkworkteam,
                                                                                                                                               team,
                                 througha achecklist,
                                through          checklist,    to know
                                                           to know          the current
                                                                      the current    state ofstate  of the and
                                                                                               the project     project
                                                                                                                  report and
                                                                                                                           it toreport   it to the
                                                                                                                                 the stakeholders.
                                 stakeholders.
                                2.4.1. Creative Route
                                 2.4.1.The
                                        Creative    Route
                                             Creative    Route includes activities that allow the conception of the design of the
                                IME to The
                                         beCreative Route
                                            developed   andincludes  activities
                                                            that allow          that allow
                                                                        a preliminary       the conception
                                                                                        estimate   of what isofrequired
                                                                                                                 the design  of the
                                                                                                                         to achieve
                                 IME
                                its    to be developedThe
                                    implementation.     andobjectives
                                                            that allowofathis
                                                                          preliminary
                                                                              route areestimate   of what is required to achieve
                                                                                         the following:
                                •its implementation.  The objectives
                                      To define the different elementsofthat
                                                                         thisstructure
                                                                              route areathe  following:
                                                                                          story; these respond to the interests of
                                •      To base
                                      the  define  the different
                                                problem          elements
                                                           identified,      thatasstructure
                                                                        as well               a story;objectives
                                                                                    to the learning    these respond
                                                                                                                  beingtostudied.
                                                                                                                          the interests
                                •      of define
                                      To  the basethe
                                                    problem   identified,
                                                       foundations,        as well
                                                                      as well       as tostructure
                                                                                as the     the learning  objectives
                                                                                                    of the design ofbeing
                                                                                                                       the studied.
                                                                                                                           multimedia
                                •      To define the
                                      experience,       foundations,
                                                    focusing           as well asneeds
                                                              on the interests,    the structure    of the design
                                                                                          and expectations         of the and
                                                                                                             of students   multimedia
                                                                                                                               teachers.
                                •      experience,   focusing  on  the interests,  needs   and  expectations  of students
                                      To produce a preliminary definition of the digital media, necessary physical environ- and  teach-
                                       ers. sensory perceptions, interaction patterns, information sources, gamification
                                      ments,
                                      elements and technologies that will potentially be involved in the design of the IME.
                                •     To perform the tests focused on the conception of the multimedia experience conceived.
                                     This route is called ‘Creative’, because it describes the process flow that connects the
                                different activities and techniques, oriented to the design of a multimedia experience that
                                allows the learning objectives to be achieved; this involves a story that is based on the
                                definition of a problem. These elements are the pillars on which the conception of an IME
                                is produced, where the digital media, the necessary physical environments, the sensory
                                perceptions, the interaction patterns and the different sources and processes of information
                                transformation (which generate value for the user, before, during and after the experience),
                                are preliminarily identified.
Sustainability 2023, 15, 2385                                                                                                         5 of 26




                                          In order to carry out the Creative Route, it is essential to count on the active and collab-
                                     orative participation of the following stakeholders, from a elementary education context:
                                     •    Pedagogical advisor: accompanies the work team to articulate the educational guide-
                                          lines, competencies under study, game mechanics and gamification that drives the
                                          project in the multimedia experience. They also participate in the conceptualization,
                                          concretion, and specification of the interactive multimedia experience, by defining its
                                          narrative line and visual identity.
                                     •    ICT Manager: facilitates active communication within the work team that will imple-
                                          ment the interactive experience with the stakeholders of the educational institutions.
                                          In addition, it promotes the active participation of teachers and students in the pro-
                                          cesses of conception, concretion and specification of the elements that make up the
                                          multimedia experience.
                                     •    Teacher: as an expert in the discipline where the problem under study is located,
                                          they can actively collaborate with the pedagogical advisor for the definition of the
                                          interactive multimedia experience, in such a way that the solution contributes to the
                                          teaching/learning process, through a series of well-defined activities.
                                     •    Students: as potential users of IME, they participate in the process of inquiry and
                                          subsequent conception of the IME, which will allow them to achieve the learning
                                          objectives under study. The participation of end users is vital to incrementally test the
                                          multimedia experience.
                                     •    Work team: refers to professionals from different fields of knowledge who participate
                                          in the pre-production of the multimedia experience. The team is responsible for
                                          designing the IME, as well as defining the information structure, the basis for the
                                          subsequent design, and the integration of the hardware and software components
                                          of the solution. In addition, the team includes people responsible for producing the
                                          multimedia content that the experience must offer.
                                          Table 1 presents the set of activities involved in the Creative Route to achieve the
                                     scope of the work. In addition, Table 2 presents the series of steps carried out for the
                                     implementation of the technique and the tools used by the work team. The basis of these
                                     techniques, and the steps for their application, are based on approaches and frameworks
                                     related to tools used in web ethnography [20], practices based on Design Thinking [26],
                                     storytelling [27] and methods for information architecture design [28].

                                     Table 1. Creative Route activities.

   Activity Code                                                             Activities
                          Design of the structure and flow (narrative, temporal, events) of the story to be developed from the problem to
          A1              be solved, describing the events it narrates, the characters involved, the time in which it develops and the
                          space in which these events take place.
                          Definition of the foundations that underlie the design of an IME based on the story and the problem(s)
          A2              identified, specifying the milestones of the story where the multimedia system must produce a cognitive,
                          emotional and sensory influence on the user.
                          Definition of the types of digital media from which the production of multimedia content will be carried out,
          A3              as well as the estimated physical environment settings necessary to engage the user in the continuum of the
                          experience, before, during, and after interacting with the multimedia content.
                          Identification and classification of the different sources and processes of information transformation that occur
          A4              because of the interactive multimedia experience, before, during and after the user’s interaction with
                          the solution.
                          Conception of the different sensory perceptions, as well as the different styles of interaction, guided by the
          A5              design of the IME and the types of digital media necessary to ensure the psychological, cognitive, and sensory
                          influence on the user.
          A6              Preliminary verification of the design conceived for the IME.
Sustainability 2023, 15, 2385                                                                                                          6 of 26




                                    Table 2. Detail of the techniques associated with the Creative Route in elementary education.

                     Code
   Activity                     Technique                         Steps for Its Application                                Tools
                   Technique
                                                -    Define what is to be filmed.                                   Devices that allow
                                                -    Determine who will carry out the filming.                      video recording,
                                  Video as a
                                                -    Make the necessary arrangements to obtain                      according to the
       A1              T1        support for
                                                     filming permits.                                               capture needs
                                ethnography
                                                -    Make the video.                                                determined by the
                                                -    Analyze and collect information from the video.                work team.
                                                -    Generate a list of potential users and their relevant
                                                                                                                    Design of a format
                                                     attributes around the multimedia experience.
                                                                                                                    to store the
                                                -    Define a finite and controllable number of user types.
                                                                                                                    metadata of the
                                                -    Create persons associated with the user types, associating
                                   Person                                                                           personal profiles.
       A2              T2                            them with the previously defined attributes (name, age,
                                 definitions                                                                        Tools for capturing
                                                     gender, profession, tastes, interests, etc.).
                                                                                                                    or producing the
                                                -    Build a visual profile for each person that is highly visual
                                                                                                                    visual elements of
                                                     and quick to read, associating their attributes, anecdotes
                                                                                                                    the format.
                                                     and quotes with each one.
                                                -    Determine the starting point for the use of metaphors
                                                     and analogies.
                                                -    Identify the best metaphors and analogies for story
                                                     development and implementation in the experience.
                                                     *      Direct analogy (real objects).
                                                     *      Fantasy analogy (objects that do not exist but may
                                                            be imaginable).                                          -   Formats with
                                                     *      Symbolic analogy (compare aspects of the                     sketches that
                                 Metaphor                   concept, with aspects of a different one).                   facilitate the
  A1, A2, A4           T3       and analogy          *      Personal analogy (relate oneself to the concept by           design of
                                production                  placing oneself in a certain situation).                     metaphors and
                                                                                                                         analogies.
                                                -    Generate concepts for each metaphor and
                                                     analogy produced.
                                                -    Document, discuss and improve the concepts. Discuss
                                                     how they should be evaluated and developed in
                                                     the future.
                                               Retain low-fidelity prototypes for the metaphors and
                                               analogies produced.
                                                -    Clearly define the solution to be illustrated.
                                                -    Create the characters and describe their experiences.
                                                -    Trace the journey through imagined situations and define
                                                     points on the map where the user will encounter
                                                     multimedia content, learning activities, sensory
                                                     perceptions, and options for interaction with
                                                     the experience.
                                                -    Illustrate the scenarios with a frame-by-frame storyboard,
                                Storyboard                                                                          Tools for sketch
  A1, A2, A3           T4                            developing the narratives in each, using sketches.
                                production                                                                          generation.
                                                -    Share the story with other stakeholders and use their
                                                     feedback to refine concepts and other aspects, such as the
                                                     type of multimedia content to be used, as well as the
                                                     insights, achievement of learning activities or interaction
                                                     possibilities that they wish to bring to each of the points
                                                     on the map.
                                                -    Retain low-fidelity prototypes of the
                                                     storyboard produced.
Sustainability 2023, 15, 2385                                                                                                       7 of 26




                                   Table 2. Cont.

                     Code
   Activity                     Technique                        Steps for Its Application                                 Tools
                   Technique
                                               -    Select the narrated experience you wish to analyze and
                                                    create a worksheet that references the following aspects:
                                                    attraction, entry, engagement, exit, and extension.
                                               -    Describe the attraction stage, thinking about the previous
                                                    interactions that can generate interest. Describe all the
                                                    actions you can take for this purpose.
                                               -    Describe the entry stage, considering what happens when
                                                    the user is brought into the experience and how this
                                                    influences the end purpose.
                                               -    Describe the engagement stage, which is the core of the
                                                    experience for the user. At this stage, do not lose sight of
                                                    the learning objectives and activities, as well as the design
                                                    of the assessment of those learning objectives.
                                               -    Describe the exit stage when the user prepares to
                                                    withdraw from the experience.
                                               -    Describe the extension stage, specifying everything that
                                                    must happen to the user after the experience to keep
                                                    them engaged.                                                   Space and resources
                                               -    Analyze each of these stages, cross check it with each of       available as a
                                  Map of            the following attributes:                                       surface and
       A2              T5       compelling
                                                    •    Defined: Can you describe it? Is it defined?               elements for writing
                                experiences
                                                    •    Fresh: Is it novel, scary, surprising, amusing?            and working in a
                                                    •    Immersive: Can it be felt, perceived? Can you lose         collaborative space.
                                                         yourself in it?
                                                    •    Accessible: Can you try it? Can you get it to do
                                                         what you want it to do?
                                                    •    Meaningful: Does it make you remember, connect,
                                                         think, grow?
                                                    •    Transformative: Does it feel different? Do you have
                                                         anything out of this to display?
                                               -    Rate each of the six attributes of the experience in each of
                                                    the five stages, representing it by means of a line that
                                                    crosses the different stages and that can change thickness
                                                    or color. Thickness can signify a greater degree of
                                                    presence of the attribute in a stage. Color can differentiate
                                                    the appreciation of different participants.
                                               -    Analyze the experience map and review why each of the
                                                    stages evidences each outcome for the experience under
                                                    analysis. Evaluate where you can improve and
                                                    strengthen the experience proposition.
Sustainability 2023, 15, 2385                                                                                                         8 of 26




                                    Table 2. Cont.

                     Code
   Activity                      Technique                        Steps for Its Application                                  Tools
                   Technique
                                                -    Generate a list of all the specific activities and learning
                                                     activities that the user will perform in the experience.
                                                -    Relate the specific activities to the learning objectives
                                                     within the experience.
                                                -    Generate a list of digital media and associate their display
                                                     with each of the activities where they should be used.
                                                -    Generate a list of sensory perceptions and associate them
                                                     with each of the activities where they should be
                                                     presented.
                                                -    Generate a list of interaction styles for the experience and
                                                     relate them to each of the activities where it should be
                                                     available to the user.
                                                -    Generate a list of gamification elements and relate them
                                                     to each of the activities. It is advisable to consider
                                                     elements such as [29]: goals and objectives, rules,
                                                     narrative, freedom to choose, freedom to make mistakes,
                                                     rewards, feedback, visible status, cooperation and
                                                     competition, time constraint, progress, and surprise.
                                                -    Generate a list of the emotions you want to evoke in the
                                                     user in each of the activities.
                                                -    Represent the learning objectives as zones and the
                                Journey Map                                                                          Office and design
                                                     activities as nodes that pertain to each of the objectives.
 A2, A3, A4,                      design for                                                                         tools for the creation
                       T6                            Connect the activities with a line containing a time arrow
     A5                              the                                                                             of the Journey Map
                                                     that denotes the sequential nature of activities and
                                 experience                                                                          design.
                                                     represents each activity: digital media, sensory
                                                     perceptions, interaction styles to be displayed in each
                                                     activity, emotions, and gamification elements.
                                                -    Support each of these activities with the information that
                                                     the team considers necessary and relevant to describe it;
                                                     these include the following: materials to evaluate the
                                                     learning objectives, outputs or deliverables of the activity,
                                                     and success criteria of the activity, among other useful
                                                     information that contributes to confirming that the
                                                     students acquired a certain competency. All information
                                                     produced as a result of the application of other techniques
                                                     should be considered within the activity information.
                                                -    Analyze the map and its results. Look for ideas related to
                                                     the experience and the activities, the display of its digital
                                                     media, perceptions and the possibilities of interaction that
                                                     it can offer.
                                                -    Summarize the findings and share them with the other
                                                     team members, discussing whether there are
                                                     opportunities to make the user journey more engaging
                                                     and enjoyable during the experience.
                                                -    Keep the Journey Map produced.
Sustainability 2023, 15, 2385                                                                                                        9 of 26




                                    Table 2. Cont.

                     Code
   Activity                      Technique                        Steps for Its Application                                 Tools
                   Technique
                                                -    On the horizontal axis, define the different types of digital
                                                                                                                     -    Office tools to
                                                     media, and on the vertical axis, relate the points defined
                                                                                                                          support the
                                                     in the history of the experience where multimedia content
                                                                                                                          production of
                                 Matrix for          will be displayed.
                                                                                                                          the matrix.
                                preliminary     -    In the intersection points of the matrix, define favorable
                                                                                                                     -    Materials and
       A3              T7       definition of        and unfavorable concepts for the use of each digital
                                                                                                                          resources for
                                digital media        media in each of the milestones defined in the history. For
                                                                                                                          the recreation
                                     type            each digital media and each milestone, design a weight
                                                                                                                          of the matrix
                                                     from 1 to 100.
                                                                                                                          in a specific
                                                -    Selection of digital media for the potential production of
                                                                                                                          physical space.
                                                     multimedia content.
                                                -    Define the set of test participants and information
                                                     categories for the multimedia experience.
                                                -    Allow the participants to make groupings for information
                                 Analysis of
                                                     categories into the sets they consider necessary for the        -    Information
                                information
    A4, A6             T8                            open approach.                                                       sorting cards.
                                  classifica-
                                                -    Define the grouping sets for the categories in the closed
                                     tion.
                                                     approach.
                                                -    Perform qualitative and quantitative analysis of the
                                                     results as required.
                                                -    Create a list of information components for the
                                                     multimedia experience and classify them with labels by
                                                     title, author, images, audio, video, and documents,
                                                                                                                     -    Office tools to
                                                     among others.
                                                                                                                          support the
                                  Design for    -    Design the structure and schemas that represent the flow
                                                                                                                          design of the
                                   content           of information throughout the experience.
       A4              T9                                                                                                 content and
                                structure and   -    Define the organization, labeling, navigation, and search
                                                                                                                          information
                                information.         systems that should be offered throughout the experience.
                                                                                                                          structure.
                                                -    Establish the potential points of interaction in the content
                                                     with the user.
                                                -    Socialize this structure and schemes with the other
                                                     architects and make adjustments.
                                                -    Build representations of potential user interfaces,
                                                     considering the experience.
                                                -    Define the elements that should be interactive with the
                                                     user through the sketch of the interfaces.                      Authoring and office
                                                -    Associate digital content for each wireframe component.         IT tools to support
    A4, A5            T10       Wireframes
                                                -    Link potential sensory perceptions and interaction styles,      the production of
                                                     and attach them to each wireframe element.                      the listing.
                                                -    Socialize the proposal and adjust.
                                                -    Retain low-fidelity prototypes of the
                                                     wireframes produced.
Sustainability 2023, 15, 2385                                                                                                      10 of 26




                                   Table 2. Cont.

                     Code
   Activity                     Technique                        Steps for Its Application                                 Tools
                   Technique
                                               -    Define the sensory perceptions and interaction styles to
                                                    be analyzed against the digital media selected to produce
                                                    multimedia content.
                                Asymmetric     -    Define the relationship between the sensory perception
                                 clustering         and interaction digital media most suitable for the
                                   matrix           multimedia experience.
                                  between      -    Create the asymmetric matrix with the three dimensions
                                                                                                                    Office IT to support
                                  sensory           described.
       A5             T11                                                                                           the production of
                                perceptions,   -    Define a score for each relationship, ranging from 1 to 3.
                                                                                                                    the matrix.
                                interaction         Here, 1 represents a poorly adequate relationship, 2
                                 styles and         represents a moderately adequate relationship and 3
                                   digital          represents a very adequate relationship.
                                   media.      -    Construct the asymmetric matrix with the parameters
                                                    and assign scores for each of the relationships.
                                               -    Capture ideas and share them in open discussions with
                                                    the work team.
                                               -    Identify the specific Journey Map activity you wish to
                                                    simulate and plan the simulation of the situation,
                                                    including the necessary elements, actors, and objects
                                                    involved in the activity.
                                               -    Prepare the environment for the simulation, by finding or
                                                    producing a physical or virtual environment, and state
                                                    the key behaviors you want to understand (physical,             -    Office IT tools
                                                    cognitive, social, cultural or emotional). Use props to              to take notes
                                                    represent the concepts and support participants to                   during the
                                                    interact with them.                                                  process.
                                               -    Invite users to participate in the simulation of the specific   -    Resources for
                                                    activity designed, defining whether they should perform              audiovisual
                                Behavioral
       A6             T12                           it individually or in a group, and guide them during the             capture of the
                                prototyping
                                                    process.                                                             simulation
                                               -    Observe, document, and consult with the users regarding              process,
                                                    their behaviors and how they affect the physical,                    carried out by
                                                    cognitive, social, cultural, and emotional aspects of                users with the
                                                    the user.                                                            prototype.
                                               -    Analyze user behavior patterns from videos and notes
                                                    taken, and review what concepts can be improved in the
                                                    experience design due to the application of the technique;
                                                    then, iterate against any adjustments the team feels
                                                    should be made.
                                               -    Retain the low-fidelity prototypes used to capture user
                                                    behavior patterns.
                                               -    Identify the concept or idea related to the experience you
                                                    wish to test and evaluate whether it is susceptible to
                                                    prototype and what its usefulness would be.
                                               -    Define a space where the prototype construction and
                                                    testing can take place.
                                               -    Review the prototype that is associated with the                -    Materials and
                                                    experience, test it with your team and with a group of               tools that
                                 Concept                                                                                 allow the
       A6             T13                           users and discuss it, based on the principles of the initial
                                prototypes                                                                               creation of the
                                                    experience design, user needs, interests and expectations.
                                               -    Adjust the prototype or replace it with a new one, feeding           prototype.
                                                    it with the feedback obtained.
                                               -    Summarize the analysis of how the prototype evolved
                                                    from an original idea to the desired state, socializing
                                                    these results with your team, customers and sponsors.
                                               -    Keep the prototypes.
Sustainability 2023, 15, 2385                                                                                                      11 of 26




                                2.4.2. Responsible Route
                                     The Responsible Route provides the work team with an analysis process that allows
                                them to identify critical factors related to the Value Sensitive Design [30]. The objectives of
                                this path are as follows:
                                •    To reference the main laws and regulations associated with the educational context at a
                                     local, regional, national, and global scale, and which may influence the design of the IME.
                                •    To recognize the factors related to indirect and long-term effects that may occur because
                                     of the use of IME.
                                •    To recognize and document possible patterns that respond to the design of the multi-
                                     media system development context and other existing solutions, as well as behavioral
                                     patterns in people.
                                     The Responsible Design Route is aimed at identifying local, regional, national and
                                global regulations and policies that can potentially influence the IME and must be taken
                                into account to ensure a solution aligned with them. Likewise, it recognizes the impacts
                                that the solution may produce, in the medium and long term, as a result of its prolonged
                                use in other contexts, such as in organizations or communities; it helps to identify patterns
                                in these contexts, in order to favor the design of the IME [2]. The active and collabora-
                                tive participation of the following stakeholders is essential for the implementation of the
                                Responsible Route:
                                •    Rector, academic coordinator or pedagogical advisor: provides information on regula-
                                     tions, basic learning rights, learning standards in different areas (science, social, etc.)
                                     and current laws on education issued by government institutions, which the work
                                     team must consider in the design of the multimedia experience.
                                •    ICT manager: accompanies the work team for the correct inclusion of the regulations
                                     in the elements that make up the IME, such as digital content, learning activities, game
                                     mechanics, gamification, and others.
                                •    Work team: in charge of considering the current regulations in the pre-production of
                                     the multimedia experience.
                                      Table 3 presents the set of activities involved in the Responsible Route applied to carry
                                it out. In addition, Table 4 presents a series of steps associated with the techniques and tools
                                used by the team. The basis of these techniques and the steps for their application are based
                                on approaches and frameworks related to tools for the ethnography of the network [31],
                                techniques based on Design Thinking [26], VSD (Value Sentitive Design) practices [32] and
                                architectural models that help to identify patterns [25].

                                Table 3. Activities of the Responsible Route.

          Activity Code                                                        Activities
                                Identification, analysis and classification of the laws and regulations in force at the global, national,
                 A7
                                and regional levels that may influence the design of the solution.
                                Identification of factors related to indirect and long-term effects that may occur as a result of the
                 A8
                                use of the multimedia system.
                                Analysis, identification, and classification of possible patterns that respond to the conception of the
                 A9             development context of the multimedia system and other existing solutions, as well as behavioral
                                patterns in people.
Sustainability 2023, 15, 2385                                                                                                             12 of 26




                                   Table 4. Detail of the techniques associated with the Responsible Route in elementary education.

   Activity         Code           Technique                              Application Steps                                      Tools
                  Technique

                                                    -   Conduct a brainstorming meeting with subject matter
                                                        experts that will help identify the following:
                                                        •    Current policies and regulations associated with the
                                                             educational context and organization(s) involved,
                                                             represented by sponsor(s) and client(s).
                                                        •    State policies that must be considered and potentially
                                                             constrain the design of the solution.
                                                        •    Basic learning rights.
                                Identification of       •    Learning standards in different areas (science, social
      A7             T14          policies and                                                                           Brainstorming
                                                             studies, foreign languages, etc.).                          meeting.
                                  regulations
                                                             *        Test results applied by the government.
                                                             *        Recommendations to avoid violent, sexist, or
                                                                      discriminatory content.
                                                        •    Policies and regulations that potentially affect the
                                                             design of the experience, given their influence on
                                                             the user.
                                                    -   Discuss and analyze the results obtained with the
                                                        work team.

                                                    -   Identify possible uses for the multimedia system other than
                                                        those originally conceived by its designers.
                                                    -   Analyze what kind of stakeholders may come to make a
                                                        different use of the system and estimate their                   Use the envisioning
      A8             T15        Non-directed use
                                                        possible motives.                                                cards kit [33].
                                                    -   Identify whether these motives may influence ethical, moral,
                                                        and security issues that may affect users.
                                                    -   Meet and discuss the results of the analysis with your team.

                                                    -   With a spreadsheet, compile the information obtained as a
                                                        result of the questionnaires, surveys and interviews
                                                        conducted with the users.
                                                    -   Reduce and organize the data related to the research,
                                                        through information topics that the team wishes to analyze
                                                        (groups, segment of groups or individual responses), and
                                                        choose topics for their respective comparison.
                                                    -   Define the type of search you wish to perform, establishing a
      A9             T16         User feedback                                                                           Matrix of user
                                   analysis             set of keywords that represent the topic of interest to be       feedback patterns.
                                                        investigated.
                                                    -   Generate a visual code that facilitates quick understanding
                                                        of the search results, e.g., user responses can be color-coded
                                                        for age, gender, etc.
                                                    -   Analyze the coded information and identify patterns and
                                                        insights resulting from the study of the data obtained.
                                                    -   Summarize the results obtained and discuss them with
                                                        the team.

                                                    -   Make sure you understand the context in which the
                                                        deployment of the multimedia experience will take place.
                                                    -   Study the scenario and identify patterns at the abstraction
                                                        level of the context.
                                                    -   Identify ‘scenario’ patterns that establish the context. To do
                                                        this, approach the problem at its highest level of abstraction
                                                        by identifying patterns that meet your needs.
      A9             T17            Pattern         -   Work within the context to identify patterns at a lower level     -    Pattern matrix.
                                 identification         of abstraction that will further assist in the design of the
                                                        solution. To do this, try to subdivide the problem into more
                                                        concrete problems and identify patterns at that level.
                                                    -   Research and review documentation of projects that offer
                                                        solutions to similar problems and contrast the patterns
                                                        identified with those found in the review.
                                                    -   Establish a baseline of preliminary patterns and discuss your
                                                        findings with other team members.
Sustainability 2023, 15, 2385                                                                                                               13 of 26




                                        2.5. Relationship between Practice Techniques and Gamification Elements
                                             In an educational context, gamification refers to the use of game elements to engage
                                        students, motivate them to action, and promote learning and problem solving [34]. In that
                                        sense, the application of the practice for designing IME in elementary education should lead
                                        to the design of experiences that increase students’ motivation and performance. Therefore,
                                        the techniques used in the design of the multimedia experience are an important basis
                                        for implementing gamification elements. It is not necessary to consider all the techniques
                                        provided by the practice [24], but it is necessary to take those that, by their characteristics,
                                        may be more valuable in implementing the gamification elements in the sought-after
                                        learning experience. Based on this, Table 5 presents the relationship between the techniques
                                        used in the practice and their contribution to the gamification elements.

                                        Table 5. Contribution of the techniques to the gamification elements.

   Code Technique                  Technique                   Contribution to the Elements of Gamification                   Related Hypothesis
                                                      Detection of patterns in the context and behavior of users when
                                Video to support
           T1                                         performing individual or group activities, which can be used to              H1, H2
                                  ethnography
                                                      define gamification elements that are familiar to them.
                                                      This technique represents a fictitious user of the experience, its
                                                      demographics, interests, motivations, needs, frustrations, and
           T2                   Definition of users                                                                                  H2
                                                      other relevant information, which can be analyzed to define
                                                      gamification elements in the learning activities.
                                                      Definition of the best metaphors and analogies for the design of
                            Metaphor and analogy
           T3                                         the story/narrative of the multimedia experience that will be                  H2
                                 production
                                                      interesting and surprise users.
                                                      Design of the structure and graphic representation of a story,
                                                      characters, scenarios, and flow of events of the interactive
           T4               Storyboard generation     multimedia experience, to direct the student’s progress,                       H1
                                                      accompanied by the gamification elements defined in the
                                                      learning activities.
                                                      Creation of a novel experience that generates student motivation
           T5                   Map of compelling     through the definition of challenges or problematic situations to              H1
                                  experiences
                                                      be solved.
                                                      Description of key moments (milestones) of the multimedia
                                                      experience. Each milestone defines the digital media, sensory
                                                      perceptions, modes of interaction, emotions expected to be evoked
                           Journey Map design for
           T6                                         in the user, and gamification elements. This technique helps to              H1, H2
                               the experience
                                                      confirm clarity in the purpose of the activity and the motivation
                                                      generated by the gamification elements, to confirm that the
                                                      learner’s effort is well directed.

                            Matrix for preliminary    Definition of digital media (such as text, audio, images,
           T7                definition of digital    animations, videos, 3D objects, and others) to support the story of            H2
                                                      the multimedia experience and provide feedback to the
                                 media type           user’s actions.
                                  Analysis and        Grouping of gamification elements according to the competencies
           T8                    classification of    expected to be achieved in the learning activities defined in the              H1
                                   information.       multimedia experience.
                                Design for content    Organization of gamification elements according to the flow of
           T9                     structure and       actions, digital content and other information offered by the                  H2
                                  information.        multimedia experience.
                                                      Representation of the user interfaces in the experience through
                                                      low-fidelity prototypes, which allow us to understand the flow of
                                                      actions in the learning activities, represent and detail the defined
          T10                      Wireframes                                                                                        H1
                                                      gamification elements, and, among other design aspects, to ensure
                                                      the achievement of the learning objectives and an
                                                      attractive design.
                           Asymmetric clustering      Definition of the sensory perceptions to be stimulated by the user
                           matrix among sensory       throughout the experience, and the interaction styles to be used in
          T11              perceptions, interaction   front of the digital media and multimedia content, which                       H1
                           modalities, and digital    contribute to the achievement of the activities and
                                   media.             learning objectives.
                                                      Observation and documentation of user behavior with respect to
                                                      the interaction and use of the gamification elements; this is used to
          T12               Behavioral prototyping                                                                                   H2
                                                      determine if their attitude is favorable to the design of the
                                                      interactive multimedia experience.
Sustainability 2023, 15, 2385                                                                                                                    14 of 26




                                          Table 5. Cont.

   Code Technique                    Technique                      Contribution to the Elements of Gamification                   Related Hypothesis
                                                           Validation of the design of the multimedia experience to obtain
          T13                   Concept prototypes         feedback from stakeholders on the satisfaction of needs and                    H1
                                                           expectations. It makes the gamification elements and their
                                                           contribution to the learning objectives visible.
                                                           Identification of policies, laws, basic learning rights, audiovisual
                           Identification of policies      content suitable for the target audience and other regulatory
          T14                                                                                                                             H1
                               and regulations             norms by the state that should be considered in the design of the
                                                           multimedia experience in elementary education.
                                                           Identification of other uses for the multimedia experience and
          T15                    Non-directed use          gamification elements, other than those originally conceived by                H2
                                                           the work team.
                                                           Analysis of user data and identification of patterns that contribute
                                  Analysis of user         to the definition of game elements, which can be more valuable to
          T16                                                                                                                             H1
                                    feedback               the interactive multimedia experience and generate student
                                                           engagement with the activity they participate in.
                                                           Analysis, interpretation, and detection of the behavioral patterns
                                                           of potential users that can be taken as a basis for the definition of
          T17                   Pattern identification                                                                                  H1, H2
                                                           gamification elements in the multimedia experience; this is in
                                                           order to achieve a positive experience and achieve learning.


                                          2.6. Case Study
                                               In Colombia, the largest repository of digital resources to support elementary and
                                          secondary education can be found on the ‘Colombia Aprende’ website [35]. This national
                                          resource is mainly used by public schools as a tool for general-purpose learning experi-
                                          ences. Specifically, for English language learning, the repository offers a limited number of
                                          resources and features tools that have been produced under general purpose guidelines,
                                          established by the Colombian Ministry of National Education [36]. In other cases, exist-
                                          ing solutions are available on the Internet, and it is assumed that they can be useful in
                                          supporting different academic teaching/learning activities. Some of these resources could
                                          potentially be used for the design of gamification strategies. Meanwhile, others are more
                                          oriented towards serious games, as is the case with “B (the) 1: Challenge” [37].
                                               As a result of applying the practice for the design of IME in elementary education, the
                                          experience called ‘Coco-Shapes’ was developed for transition students of the La Fontaine
                                          School in Cali, Colombia. Topics that were considered in the transition grade included
                                          objects, descriptions, qualitative and quantitative terms, connectors, and some verbs. As
                                          part of the school’s educational strategy, Coco-Shapes contributes to the specific topics of
                                          colors, shapes and counting. Coco-Shapes consider a set of objectives aligned with the
                                          Basic Learning Rights, as well as the needs of the school’s teachers. The learning objectives
                                          were defined as follows:
                                          1.     To develop interactive listening and English interpretation skills in transition grade
                                                 students at La Fontaine School.
                                          2.     To identify primary and secondary colors and their pronunciation in the English language.
                                          3.     To identify a set of five geometric figures, their shape, and pronunciation in the
                                                 English language.
                                          4.     To develop mathematical notions associated with counting numbers from 1 to 20 for
                                                 transition grade students, their notation, spelling, the quantities they indicate, and
                                                 pronunciation in English.
                                                After carrying out an inquiry process with potential stakeholders (parents, schoolteach-
                                          ers, and pedagogues), the following needs were identified:
                                          •     School administrators need interactive resources that incorporate activities of interest
                                                that promote the learning of English and associated content (vocabulary related to
                                                geometric figures, colors and counting).
Sustainability 2023, 15, 2385                                                                                            15 of 26




                                •    Managers need the proposed system to make use of electronic equipment, such as
                                     tablets, which are available in the classroom and/or playful objects that promote
                                     learning.
                                •    Managers need the system to be designed to operate in the available space, expected
                                     classroom lighting conditions, and number of students in the classroom.
                                •    Students need follow-ups in the process of learning English.
                                •    Teachers need to have access to the record of activities performed with the system, in
                                     order to make pedagogical decisions based on the records.
                                •    Teachers need these interactive resources to reinforce the topics studied in class,
                                     specifically colors (primary, secondary, black, and white), shapes (squares, circles,
                                     rectangles, triangles, and stars) and counting from 1 to 20, for transition grade students.
                                •    Teachers need to match the activities to each student’s learning level, to achieve
                                     effective English learning in an interactive way.
                                     In this sense, hypotheses H1 and H2, which guide this research, are transversal to
                                the learning objectives and the needs detected. Hypothesis H1 allows the investigation
                                of the fulfillment of the learning objectives using the multimedia system Coco-Shapes,
                                which includes a series of gamification elements; these support the teaching/learning of
                                the English language, specifically themes associated with colors, shapes and counting
                                for transition grade students. On the other hand, hypothesis H2 allows the discussion
                                and investigation of the contribution of gamification elements in a multimedia system for
                                transition grade students, so that they become familiar with the use of technologies in
                                their English language learning process. The latter allows the teacher to plan activities and
                                learning strategies for the classroom [38].
                                     Based on the needs of the stakeholders, the work team defined a series of learning
                                activities, according to the students’ previous knowledge and experience in the English
                                language. These activities had three levels of difficulty, adjusted to the student’s progress,
                                and were associated with the themes of colors, shapes and counting. The multimedia expe-
                                rience ‘Coco-Shapes’ would allow students to learn and/or practice the English language
                                through physical objects (buttons and shapes) and digital resources, deployed on a tablet.
                                Regarding the activities with geometric shapes, children had to insert the corresponding
                                shapes into a box. In the color activities, students had to press the colored buttons that
                                were also found on the physical object. Finally, in the counting activities, students had to
                                select the correct option on the screen.
                                     On the other hand, the students’ results can be consulted by the teachers of the course,
                                in order to evaluate the progress of each one of them. Finally, the system was adapted to
                                the conditions of the context of use, such as lighting or desk size, in addition to using the
                                available resources, such as tablets, computer rooms, and the internet.

                                2.7. Work Products
                                     A relevant work product in the application of the Creative Route is the Journey
                                Map (resulting from the T6 technique), which details the design of the IME. It allows the
                                definition of the sensory perceptions expected to be stimulated in the users, the digital
                                media that support the story, the interaction styles, and other relevant information, in a
                                series of milestones (or important moments) in the experience. Based on this technique,
                                the stakeholders defined the gamification elements of Coco-Shapes, which were as follows:
                                goals related to pedagogical needs in the classroom, freedom to choose between three
                                learning topics, feedback to user actions, as well as freedom to make mistakes.
                                     According to the scope of the Coco-Shapes solution, we were given the structure
                                and narrative flow of events in the story to be developed from the problem and learning
                                objectives; these described the scenarios and main character, where the user finds digital
                                media content, the stimulating sensory perceptions and where to find the options for
                                interaction with the experience. As a result, there is a Journey Map made up of 12 milestones.
                                Due to the length restriction on this article, we have detailed three milestones from the
                                Journey Map below.
                                     According to the scope of the Coco-Shapes solution, we were given the structure and
                                narrative flow of events in the story to be developed from the problem and learning
                                objectives; these described the scenarios and main character, where the user finds digital
                                media content, the stimulating sensory perceptions and where to find the options for
                                interaction with the experience. As a result, there is a Journey Map made up of 12
Sustainability 2023, 15, 2385                                                                                         16 of 26
                                milestones. Due to the length restriction on this article, we have detailed three milestones
                                from the Journey Map below.

                                Milestone 4: Development of figure activity
                                                                   activity
                                     Description:  Coco is
                                     Description: Coco   is walking
                                                             walkingthrough
                                                                       throughthe
                                                                               thepark
                                                                                   parkand
                                                                                         andmust
                                                                                              mustplay
                                                                                                    play hopscotch
                                                                                                       hopscotch   (see
                                                                                                                 (see   Figure
                                                                                                                      Figure 2).
                                To  pass
                                2). To   thethe
                                       pass  hopscotch  task,
                                                hopscotch      the
                                                            task,   student
                                                                  the       must
                                                                      student mustinsert
                                                                                    insertthe
                                                                                           thegeometric
                                                                                               geometricfigures
                                                                                                         figuresshown
                                                                                                                shown in each
                                of the boxes in the physical object, in the defined order. The objective is to strengthen the
                                student’s ability to identify the shape of the figures.
                                                                                figures.




                                Figure 2. Level 1 figures for transition grade students.

                                      Digital media:
                                ••    Graphics: There
                                                   There are 2D animations and illustrations,
                                                                                        illustrations, in which the character of the
                                      experience performs
                                                    performs the necessary actions during each activity and shows the context
                                      where they take place.
                                                          place.
                                ••    Text:
                                      Text: English
                                             Englishstatements
                                                       statementsnecessary
                                                                    necessarytotocarrying
                                                                                    carrying out
                                                                                               outthethe
                                                                                                       figure   activities
                                                                                                           figure          proposed
                                                                                                                   activities   proposedin the
                                                                                                                                            in
                                      interactive  multimedia     experience.
                                      the interactive multimedia experience.
                                ••    Audio:   Sound effects
                                      Audio: Sound      effects that
                                                                that accompany
                                                                      accompany the  the actions
                                                                                          actions of
                                                                                                   of the
                                                                                                      the main
                                                                                                            main character
                                                                                                                   character andand aa voice-
                                                                                                                                        voice-
                                      over
                                      over that
                                            that provides
                                                 provides feedback
                                                            feedback to  to the
                                                                            the students
                                                                                students according
                                                                                           according to  to their
                                                                                                             their answers.
                                                                                                                   answers.
                                      Sensory    perceptions:    The   student   who   performs     the
                                      Sensory perceptions: The student who performs the activity observes activity   observes thethe actions
                                                                                                                                      actions
                                performed
                                performed by  by the
                                                  the main
                                                      main character
                                                             character during
                                                                          during its
                                                                                  its development,
                                                                                      development, payingpaying attention
                                                                                                                   attention toto the
                                                                                                                                   the sound
                                                                                                                                       sound
                                 effects provided    by the system    and   the voice-over;   this provides      feedback
                                effects provided by the system and the voice-over; this provides feedback to the answers    to  the  answers
                                 given by
                                given   by the
                                           the student,
                                                student, through
                                                          through thethe physical
                                                                          physical objects
                                                                                     objects of
                                                                                              of figures
                                                                                                 figures integrated
                                                                                                            integrated inin the
                                                                                                                            the interactive
                                                                                                                                  interactive
                                multimedia experience. Visual, auditory, and tactile sensory perceptions areinvolved.
                                 multimedia    experience.   Visual,  auditory,   and  tactile sensory    perceptions     are  involved.
                                      Modes of
                                      Modes    of interaction:
                                                  interaction: Interaction
                                                                Interaction with
                                                                               with the
                                                                                    the physical
                                                                                         physical objects
                                                                                                    objects involved
                                                                                                              involved inin the
                                                                                                                             the interactive
                                                                                                                                  interactive
                                multimedia experience required the student to insert the figure that they considered to
                                 multimedia    experience   required    the  student  to insert the  figure    that they  considered        be
                                                                                                                                         to be
                                 correct during the development of the activities.
                                correct during the development of the activities.
                                      Emotions: Students’ joy when performing the activities proposed by the interactive
                                      Emotions: Students’ joy when performing the activities proposed by the interactive
                                 multimedia experience.
                                multimedia experience.
                                      Regulations considered in the design:
                                      Regulations considered in the design:
                                 •    Basic English learning rights [39], associated with recognizing simple instructions
                                      related to their environment, and associating pictures with word sounds related to
                                      their home and classroom.
                                 •    Childhood and Adolescence Code, Law 1086 of 2006, Article 33 [40]. The right to
                                      privacy is vital to ensure that student data stored in the experience (such as name, date
                                      of birth, and grade level) does not violate their privacy in any way.
                                 •    Resolution No. 3158 of 2007 [41] establishes the safe and normative design of physical
                                      objects that integrate the multimedia experience. In the design and production of
                                      the physical objectives, the use of non-flammable materials, electrical voltage (not
                                      exceeding 24 volts), no sharp edges of glass or metal, and no access to electronic
                                      components (such as batteries) was considered by the students.
                                Milestone 7: Development of exploratory level of colors
                                      Description: Coco is preparing cotton candy in secondary colors, for which the student
                                must press the button of the two primary colors requested, through audio and text in
                                English, in the requested order (see Figure 3). The objective is that the student develops the
                                ability to read and listen to the secondary colors in English.
                                          ponents (such as batteries) was considered by the students.

                                    Milestone 7: Development of exploratory level of colors
                                         Description: Coco is preparing cotton candy in secondary colors, for which the
                                    student must press the button of the two primary colors requested, through audio and
Sustainability 2023, 15, 2385                                                                                            17 of 26
                                    text in English, in the requested order (see Figure 3). The objective is that the student
                                    develops the ability to read and listen to the secondary colors in English.




                                    Figure 3. Exploratory
                                              Exploratory level
                                                           level of
                                                                 of colors
                                                                    colors for
                                                                            fortransition
                                                                                transitiongrade.
                                                                                          grade.

                                          Digital media:
                                          Digital  media:
                                    ••    Graphics: There
                                          Graphics:   There are
                                                             are 2D
                                                                  2D animations
                                                                      animations andand illustrations,
                                                                                         illustrations, in
                                                                                                         in which
                                                                                                            which Coco
                                                                                                                    Coco makes
                                                                                                                          makes the
                                                                                                                                 thecombi-
                                                                                                                                     com-
                                          nation  of primary   colors  to  obtain secondary   colors,  and  the context  where
                                          bination of primary colors to obtain secondary colors, and the context where the      the activity
                                                                                                                                        ac-
                                          takes place
                                          tivity       is shown.
                                                 takes place  is shown.
                                    ••    Text: Instructions
                                          Text:  Instructions during
                                                               during thethe development
                                                                             development of  of the
                                                                                                the activity.
                                                                                                     activity.
                                    ••    Audio:   Sound   effects for  the context  in which    the activitiesand
                                          Audio: Sound effects for the context in which the activities          andactions
                                                                                                                     actionsperformed
                                                                                                                             performedby by
                                          the  character take  place, voice-over   requesting    primary   colors, and providing
                                          the character take place, voice-over requesting primary colors, and providing feed-     feedback
                                          on the
                                          back  onactions  performed
                                                    the actions          by the
                                                                 performed     bystudents.
                                                                                  the students.
                                          Sensory perceptions:
                                          Sensory    perceptions:The  The  student
                                                                         student  who who   performs
                                                                                         performs    the the  activity
                                                                                                          activity        observes
                                                                                                                    observes         the actions
                                                                                                                               the actions   that
                                     that the   main   character   of the  interactive   multimedia       experience
                                     the main character of the interactive multimedia experience performs during the     performs    during    the
                                     development     of the proposed    activities, listens to  the sound    effects  of
                                     development of the proposed activities, listens to the sound effects of the actions the actions  performed
                                     by the character
                                     performed    by the and   the context
                                                          character  and theincontext
                                                                                 whichinthe   activity
                                                                                           which          takes place,
                                                                                                    the activity          and responds
                                                                                                                   takes place,             to the
                                                                                                                                 and responds
                                     activities of the experience through colorful physical objects.
                                     to the activities of the experience through colorful physical objects.
                                          Interaction modalities: Interaction with the colored physical objects that integrate
                                          Interaction modalities: Interaction with the colored physical objects that integrate the
                                     the interactive multimedia experience, the student presses the colored buttons and the
                                     interactive multimedia experience, the student presses the colored buttons and the
                                     character of the experience requests them.
                                     character of the experience requests them.
                                          Emotions: Students’ monitoring of the activity, proposed by the interactive multimedia
                                          Emotions: Students’ monitoring of the activity, proposed by the interactive
                                     experience, to understand the topics presented during its development.
                                     multimedia experience, to understand the topics presented during its development.
                                          Regulations considered in the design:
                                          Regulations considered in the design:
                                     •    Decree 975 of 2014, Article 3◦ , Rights of children and adolescents regarding information
                                     •    Decree 975 of 2014, Article 3°, Rights of children and adolescents regarding infor-
                                          and advertising [42]. This regulation is relevant for the development of multimedia
                                          mation and advertising [42]. This regulation is relevant for the development of mul-
                                          content that will be part of the experience, ensuring that it does not represent any form
                                          timedia content that will be part of the experience, ensuring that it does not represent
                                          of violence, harassment, or discrimination.
                                          any form of violence, harassment, or discrimination.
Sustainability 2023, 15, x FOR PEER REVIEW
                                     Milestone 11: Development of counting activities                                                      19 of 28

                                          Milestone
                                          Description:  11:Coco
                                                            Development
                                                                  must reachofthe
                                                                                counting    activities
                                                                                    cotton candy     at the end of the road. Then, he must
                                          Description:    Coco   must  reach  the cotton   candy
                                     complete the number sequence shown in the roller coaster       at theboxes
                                                                                                            end of(see
                                                                                                                     theFigure
                                                                                                                          road. Then,
                                                                                                                                 4). Thehestudent
                                                                                                                                            must
                                     complete
                                     student     the
                                               must   number
                                                      count   thesequence
                                                                   numbers  shown
                                                                              and     in  the
                                                                                    identify   roller
                                                                                              the      coaster
                                                                                                    missing       boxes
                                                                                                               number,    (see
                                                                                                                           to
                                     must count the numbers and identify the missing number, to select the correct option from Figure
                                                                                                                              select  the4). The
                                                                                                                                           correct
                                     optionavailable
                                     those    from those     available
                                                        on the           on the
                                                                screen. The       screen.
                                                                             objective      The
                                                                                         is to     objective
                                                                                                develop         is to develop
                                                                                                           mathematical           mathematical
                                                                                                                             notions   associated
                                     notions
                                     with      associated
                                           counting,    withwith  counting,
                                                               numbers    fromwith
                                                                                 1 tonumbers
                                                                                       20, theirfrom    1 to 20,spelling,
                                                                                                  notation,       their notation,   spelling,they
                                                                                                                            the quantities     the
                                     quantitiesand
                                     indicate,    they  indicate, andinpronunciation
                                                     pronunciation        English.        in English.




                                                                              Transition Grade
                                    Figure 4. Level 1 Counting Activities for Transition Grade Students.
                                                                                               Students.

                                          Digital
                                          Digital Media:
                                                  Media:
                                    ••    Graphics:   Illustrations and
                                          Graphics: Illustrations    and2D2Danimations
                                                                              animationsininwhich
                                                                                             whichthe
                                                                                                   themain
                                                                                                       maincharacter
                                                                                                             characterininthe
                                                                                                                            theexperi-
                                                                                                                                 expe-
                                          rience
                                          ence isisseen
                                                    seenperforming
                                                          performingdifferent
                                                                        differentactions
                                                                                  actionsproposed
                                                                                          proposed during
                                                                                                   during the
                                                                                                           the development
                                                                                                               development of   of the
                                                                                                                                   the
                                          counting   activities; the answering  options  are shown on the screen.
                                          counting activities; the answering options are shown on the screen.
                                    •     Audio: Sound effects related to the context in which the experience takes place.
                                    •     Text: Activity statements and answering options for counting activities.
                                         Sensory perceptions: The student performing the activity observes the actions
                                    performed by the main character of the experience and triggers the questions for the
Sustainability 2023, 15, 2385                                                                                            18 of 26




                                •    Audio: Sound effects related to the context in which the experience takes place.
                                •    Text: Activity statements and answering options for counting activities.
                                      Sensory perceptions: The student performing the activity observes the actions per-
                                formed by the main character of the experience and triggers the questions for the activity,
                                listens to the sound effects of the context of the activity, and selects the answer by pressing
                                the corresponding button on the screen.
                                      Modes of interaction: Direct interaction with the tablet’s screen to select the button
                                with the answering option the student chooses.
                                      Emotions: Students’ joy when performing the activity proposed by the interactive
                                multimedia experience.
                                      Regulations considered in the design:
                                •    Basic mathematics learning rights [43]. They are important for the design of counting
                                     activities proposed in the multimedia experience, with the objective that students
                                     recognize the use of numbers to perform addition and subtraction operations, while
                                     being able to compare numbers and associate these with quantities.
                                     As a complement to the conception of the interactive multimedia experience, the Re-
                                sponsible Route allowed (i) the establishment of a series of regulations that could influence
                                the development of the solution, as described in each milestone; and (ii) the identification of
                                the uses that the multimedia experience will have, which do not correspond to the purpose
                                for which it was designed. These uses are the implementation of the experience in support
                                workshops by governmental or citizen entities, as well as the mass marketing of the multi-
                                media experience by private entities with economic interests and for market recognition.
                                     Finally, the path allowed this study (iii) to identify the patterns in the context in which
                                the experience is developed, as well as the behavioral patterns identified in the users
                                at the time of designing the interactive multimedia experience. The behavioral patterns
                                highlighted are as follows: (a) using tangible elements in the system generates elevated
                                expectations in the users, (b) providing clear instructions in the activities contributes to
                                their effective completion, (c) there is a high occurrence of errors in topics related to the
                                combination of colors, addition, and subtraction, and (d) users respond quickly to activities
                                involving audio instructions, among others.

                                2.8. Evaluation Method
                                      To test the above hypotheses, the evaluation process was carried out through a set of
                                activities divided into three stages, as presented below. Stages 1 and 2 were carried out by
                                two different teachers, who have the same level of proficiency and academic qualifications
                                for teaching English; they are also the usual teachers of the children.
                                      Stage 1. Control group without use of Coco-Shapes
                                •    The teacher teaches 18 transition students the topics of colors, figures and counting in
                                     the morning (07:00 to 12:00), following the methodology defined by their experience
                                     and the school’s approach.
                                •    Evaluation of the appropriation of knowledge through a mechanism defined by the teacher.
                                •    The teacher stores the data for later analysis.
                                     Stage 2. Experimental group using Coco-Shapes
                                •    In the afternoon (12:30 to 17:30), the teacher teaches 18 transition students the themes
                                     of colors, figures and counting, following the methodology; this is defined by his expe-
                                     rience and using Coco-Shapes to accompany the activities associated with each theme.
                                •    The application provides the teacher with a module in which they can consult quan-
                                     titative information about each student; this includes the interaction time with the
                                     system, the number of levels achieved, the number of successful activities, the number
                                     of activities in which they made mistakes, the time spent on each activity, and the level.
                                •    The teacher performs a field observation and takes note of the expressions and com-
                                     ments of the students.
                                •    Evaluation of knowledge appropriation through the same mechanism defined in Stage 1.
Sustainability 2023, 15, 2385                                                                                         19 of 26




                                •    The teacher stores the data for later analysis.
                                     Stage 3: Discussion
                                •   From the results obtained by the students in the control and experimental groups,
                                    the teacher contrasts the results between the first assessment (stage 1) and the second
                                    (stage 2).
                                •   A discussion takes place with the teachers to learn how they perceived the contribution
                                    of the multimedia experience to the students’ English language learning process.

                                2.9. Population and Sample
                                    For the application of the evaluation methods described above, the model suggested
                                by Sauro and Lewis [44], for the calculation of the sample size, was considered:

                                                                        z2 × p (1− p )
                                                                              e2
                                                                    n=                                                    (1)
                                                                           z2 × p (1− p )
                                                                       1±       e2 N

                                where n is the sample size, N is the population size, e is the margin of error (which
                                is a percentage expressed in decimals), z is a statistical parameter that depends on the
                                confidence level, p is the probability that the studied event occurs, and (1 − p) is the
                                probability that the studied event does not occur. In this case study, the population size
                                is 41 people, made up of two groups of students: there are 18 students from the morning
                                session and 18 from the afternoon session. Likewise, the process carried out with the
                                students of both shifts is guided by a total of 5 teachers, with at least 3 years of teaching
                                experience. Given that the desired confidence level is 95% with a margin of error of 5%, the
                                minimum sample size should be 38 people. However, in the experimentation process, all
                                41 people participated.
                                      The students are people who belong to the same commune that the school is located in,
                                so they occupy the same socioeconomic stratum and possess similar social and cultural con-
                                ditions. The students are in an age range between 4 and 5 years old, with similar knowledge
                                of and experience with the use of Information and Communication Technologies.

                                3. Results
                                     The evaluation process allowed the collection of a series of data on the interaction of
                                the children with the multimedia experience, in order to complete the levels of the learning
                                activities. The afternoon group of 18 students acted as the experimental group, where they
                                had the opportunity to work on each of the three levels with the multimedia experience
                                offered by Coco-Shapes. Meanwhile, the morning group acted as a control group, where
                                the topics associated with each of the three levels were approached in the conventional
                                way by the teacher, using traditional resources and media in the classroom, without the use
                                of Coco-Shapes.
                                     The results obtained in both the experimental and control groups are based on the
                                five questions asked by the teachers to each of the students. For the students in the
                                experimental group, these questions were applied after the use of Coco-Shapes. In the case
                                of the students in the control group, the same five questions were applied following the
                                conventional activities of the teacher in the classroom; this included the use of commonly-
                                used traditional media and instruments, such as songs, repetitive activities, illustrations,
                                and videos.
                                     Table 6 shows the results obtained. The numbers of students are distributed according
                                to the results obtained for the experimental and control groups, based on the number of
                                correct answers obtained, from 5 to 0. In addition, the range in which there is a higher
                                concentration of correct answers is presented for further analysis.
                                     Figure 5 shows the comparison between the results obtained from the experimental
                                and control groups, for each of the three topics in level 1. A trend can be observed in
Sustainability 2023, 15, 2385                                                                                       20 of 26




Sustainability 2023, 15, x FOR PEER REVIEW
                                     the experimental group, which shows that students present a greater number of22correct
                                                                                                                      of 28
                                answers with the use of Coco-Shapes, in contrast with the results of the control group.




                                Figure 5. Comparison of results
                                                        results in
                                                                in the
                                                                   the three
                                                                       three themes
                                                                             themes of
                                                                                    of level
                                                                                        level 1.
                                                                                              1.
 Sustainability2023,
Sustainability  2023,15,
                      15,2385
                          x FOR PEER REVIEW                                                                              2321ofof28
                                                                                                                                  26




                                         A
                                         A similar
                                           similar trend in results is observed for level 2, which
                                                                                             which can
                                                                                                    can be
                                                                                                        be seen
                                                                                                           seen in
                                                                                                                 inFigure
                                                                                                                   Figure6,
                                                                                                                          6,where
                                                                                                                            where
                                   the
                                   the experimental
                                        experimental group
                                                       groupshows
                                                              showsaahigher
                                                                        higherdegree
                                                                               degreeofofcorrectly
                                                                                          correctlyanswered
                                                                                                     answeredquestions  because
                                                                                                                questions       of
                                                                                                                          because
                                   the learning
                                   of the        assessment
                                          learning           using
                                                    assessment  usingCoco-Shapes.
                                                                        Coco-Shapes.




                                   Figure 6.
                                   Figure 6. Comparison
                                             Comparison of
                                                        of results
                                                           results in
                                                                   in the
                                                                      the three
                                                                          three themes
                                                                                themes of
                                                                                       of level
                                                                                          level 2.
                                                                                                2.
Sustainability  2023,15,
 Sustainability2023,  15,2385
                          x FOR PEER REVIEW                                                                                     24 22
                                                                                                                                   of of
                                                                                                                                       2826




                                        In
                                         In level
                                             level 3,
                                                   3, aa trend  similar to
                                                         trend similar  to that
                                                                           that in
                                                                                 in levels
                                                                                     levels11and
                                                                                              and22isisalso
                                                                                                        alsoobserved;
                                                                                                             observed;therefore,,
                                                                                                                       therefore„ininthis
                                                                                                                                      this
                                   case,
                                   case, the
                                          the results
                                               results ofof the
                                                            the control
                                                                control group,
                                                                         group, for
                                                                                  for the
                                                                                       the topics
                                                                                            topicsof
                                                                                                   offigures
                                                                                                      figuresand
                                                                                                              andcolors,
                                                                                                                   colors,show
                                                                                                                           showa abetter
                                                                                                                                    better
                                   trend
                                   trend than
                                           than in
                                                 in the
                                                    the previous   levels, as
                                                          previous levels,  as shown
                                                                               shown in in Figure
                                                                                           Figure 7.
                                                                                                   7.




                                   Figure 7. Comparison of results in the three themes of level 3.
                                   Figure 7. Comparison of results in the three themes of level 3.
Sustainability 2023, 15, 2385                                                                                                     23 of 26




                                     Table 6. Experimentation results.

                                                                        Number of Students
                                                                          Concentration                                Concentration
       Level              Thematic            Experimentation                                        Control
                                                                             Range                                        Range
                                         5    4    3     2      1   0                        5   4   3    2    1   0
                           Figures      12    4    2     0      0   0          4–5           7   3   4    3    1   0       3–5
      Level 1             Counting      11    3    4     0      0   1          4–5           2   4   8    2    2   0       3–4
                           Colors        0    6    8     3      1   0          3–4           0   3   4    5    4   2       1–3
                           Figures      10    1    3     4      0   0          3–5           3   3   6    4    1   1       2–4
      Level 2             Counting       4    2    12    0      0   0          3–4           1   0   4    6    5   2       1–3
                           Colors        2    3    10    2      0   1          3–4           1   2   8    4    2   1       2–3
                           Figures      10    2    6     0      0   0          3–5           1   3   10   3    1   0         3
      Level 3             Counting       5    4    9     0      0   0          3–5           0   1   6    6    4   1        1–3
                           Colors       10    4    4     0      0   0          4–5           2   1   9    5    0   1        2–3


                                     4. Discussion
                                           In this study, the researchers sought to understand how an IME based on gamification
                                     elements contributes to increasing user learning (H1), and how it contributes to achieving a
                                     favorable attitude towards the technology; this significantly predicts the user’s reactions
                                     (H2). The results of the experimentation, in particular the concentration ranges in the
                                     results of the evaluation exercise for the teachers with the experimental and control groups,
                                     provide optimistic evidence that an IME, based on gamification elements, contributes to
                                     the knowledge that can be acquired through learning activities conceived by a work team.
                                           Regarding the first hypothesis (H1), Table 6 and Figures 5–7 allow us to compare
                                     the results obtained by the experimental and control groups, where the former generally
                                     achieved better concentration ranges, in response to a high valuation for the teacher. This
                                     suggests that the use of Coco-Shapes, as an IME conceived through a practice for designing
                                     IME in elementary education, includes gamification elements that create value for the user.
                                     Therefore, it contributes to the learning process. The work paths, activities, and techniques
                                     of the method allow this study to define the gamification elements that correspond to
                                     the learning objectives and their incorporation of attractive and challenging learning
                                     activities; this is in order to guide the student’s experience towards the development of the
                                     expected competencies.
                                           As part of the practice proposed in this study, the T6 technique suggests the definition
                                     of concrete gamification elements that contribute to the conception of a playful and fun
                                     multimedia experience, so that students can enhance their skills. However, during the
                                     evaluation process using Coco-Shapes, it was observed that not all children understood
                                     the instructions given through the audio, due to the limited vocabulary of the transition
                                     grade; however, the digital contents (such as the introductory animation) contributed to
                                     the understanding of the objective and rules of the activity. Therefore, the T6 technique
                                     gives a work team the opportunity to analyze the relationship between components of the
                                     IME with the gamification elements that accompany it.
                                           In the case of the counting theme, although children in the transition grade do not
                                     know how to subtract, the instructions of the activity and the roller coaster scenario are
                                     of interest for the child to practice and develop the first notions of counting. The children
                                     take on the activity as a challenge, looking for ways (counting with their fingers and in
                                     English) to achieve good results. In addition, the visual and auditory feedback provided
                                     at each attempt allows the child to understand the dynamics of the activity, so that they
                                     stop guessing the answers and the children gain knowledge of the subject. This is reflected
                                     in the evolution of the results for which the teacher was consulted, in regard to the use of
                                     Coco-Shapes.
                                           Considering the second hypothesis (H2), the evaluation process suggests that students’
                                     attitude towards the use of an interactive multimedia experience is favorable, to the extent
                                     that it matches their interests, needs, and expectations, as intended by the proposed practice
Sustainability 2023, 15, 2385                                                                                           24 of 26




                                (see Section 2.4). In the process of understanding the student’s attitude towards technology
                                and learning outcomes, the findings during the evaluation reveal a positive correlation;
                                children are excited to know that the next level of an activity is more difficult than the
                                previous one. Similarly, children seem excited to see that the narrative of the multimedia
                                experience is based on an amusement park, has a character that is familiar to them, and
                                includes a roller coaster and fairground rides, among other elements that generate surprise
                                for them. This is a product of the Creative and Responsible work paths proposed in this
                                study, which contribute to the conception of a solution aligned with the users’ needs.
                                     The findings of this study confirm the two hypotheses proposed, providing a series
                                of contributions for different stakeholders. First, the practice for the design of IME in
                                elementary education provides the possibility for different stakeholders to direct their
                                projects and initiatives to conceive, with a creative sense, solutions based on interactive
                                multimedia experiences in a school context. Secondly, the techniques considered in this
                                practice are related to the design of gamification strategies and well-defined elements,
                                with which a positive impact can be achieved in IME and learning objectives can be
                                pursued. Finally, the evaluation process allows us to observe that there is a statistically
                                significant difference in the results’ concentration ranges between the experimental group
                                and the control group. This suggests that an interactive multimedia experience based
                                on gamification, as is the case with Coco-Shapes, favors learning results and increased
                                knowledge, in the context of elementary education, and influences the attitude and reactions
                                of the students.

                                5. Conclusions
                                     This study established a practice for the design of the IME in elementary education,
                                under a value-sensitive design approach; this guides the work teams responsible for its
                                realization via the clear definition of gamification elements in the solution, contributing to
                                the creation of value for stakeholders. This practice seeks to align the needs of stakeholders,
                                learning objectives, and constituent elements of the multimedia experience (such as the selec-
                                tion of digital media, ethical and moral factors to be considered, sensory perceptions, system
                                interaction modalities, and interaction styles), as a basis to guide its subsequent production.
                                     An interdisciplinary work team, guided through the Creative Route, will be able to
                                carry out the process, accompanied by the techniques and tools that facilitate the conception
                                of an IME and its alignment with the interests of elementary education institutions; the
                                inclusion of gamification elements in the learning activities, with the purpose of influencing
                                student behavior and increasing motivation, will also be performed by the work team.
                                     The Responsible Route is aimed at identifying local, regional, national, and global
                                regulations and policies that can potentially influence the IME, and must be considered to
                                ensure a solution aligned with them. Likewise, it recognizes the impacts that the solution
                                may produce in the medium and long term, due to its prolonged use in other contexts, such
                                as organizations or communities. It also helps to identify patterns in a school context and
                                in user behavior, which will favor the design of the IME in elementary education.
                                     The practice for the design of the IME in elementary education has shown its effec-
                                tiveness when applied as a strategy to include technology-mediated gamification in highly
                                vulnerable communities. This offers an optimistic outlook for the development of further
                                experiences that favor inclusive and quality education, providing learning opportunities to
                                children belonging to low-income communities.
                                     The proposed practice allowed a work team to conceive the IME called Coco-Shapes,
                                which provided the teacher with a module to consult student data via their interaction with
                                the system; this included interaction time, the number of levels achieved, the number of
                                successful activities, the number of activities in which mistakes were made, the time spent
                                in each activity, and the level. This information is useful for the teacher, since it allows
                                them to monitor the learning process of the students, as well as define teaching strategies.
                                However, for future work in the short term, it is important to consider aspects of learning
                                analytics that contribute to the decisions that the teacher can make for the benefit of the
Sustainability 2023, 15, 2385                                                                                                   25 of 26




                                  students, to a greater extent, as well as to analyze the contribution of gamification elements
                                  to the results achieved by the students, in greater detail.
                                       The use of the practice demands considerable time for a work team because it requires
                                  the process of ideation and creation. Therefore, in future work, the definition of tools that
                                  apply artificial intelligence to assist a team in the execution of a series of techniques should
                                  be considered for review. Considering the above, there are software tools that can generate
                                  images and stories from a set of keywords, and these can be an input for the definition of
                                  scenarios, characters, and narratives, in the process of conceiving an IME.

                                  Author Contributions: Methodology, C.A.P.; Investigation C.A.P. and A.S. All authors have read and
                                  agreed to the published version of the manuscript.
                                  Funding: This research was funded by Universidad Autónoma de Occidente.
                                  Institutional Review Board Statement: The study was conducted in accordance with the Declaration
                                  of Helsinki, and approved by the Institutional Review Board (or Ethics Committee) of La Fontaine
                                  School (approved on 9 December 2022) for studies involving humans.
                                  Informed Consent Statement: Informed consent was obtained from all subjects involved in the study.
                                  Data Availability Statement: Not applicable.
                                  Conflicts of Interest: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

References
1.    Sakulwichitsintu, S.; Colbeck, D.; Ellis, L.; Turner, P. A Peer Learning Framework for Enhancing Students’ Learning Experiences
      in Online Environment. In Proceedings of the IEEE 18th International Conference on Advanced Learning Technologies (ICALT),
      Mumbai, India, 9–13 July 2018.
2.    Peláez, C.; Solano, A.; Granollers, T. Proposal to Conceive Multimedia Systems from a Value Creation Perspective and a
      Collaborative Work Routes Approach. Interact. Des. Archit. 2021, 8–28. Available online: http://www.mifav.uniroma2.it/inevent/
      events/idea2010/doc/49_1.pdf (accessed on 1 December 2022). [CrossRef]
3.    Peláez, C.; Solano, A.; Granollers, T.; Collazos, C. Methodologies and Trends in Multimedia Systems: A Systematic Literature
      Review. In Lecture Notes in Computer Sciences; Springer Nature Switzerland AG: Cham, Switzerland, 2019; pp. 1–19.
4.    Deterding, S.; Dixon, D.; Khaled, R.; Nacke, L. From game design elements to gamefulness: Defining “gamification”. In
      Proceedings of the 15th International Academic MindTrek Conference: Envisioning Future Media Environments, Tampere,
      Finland, 28–30 September 2011.
5.    Zainuddin, Z.; Chu, S.K.W.; Shujahat, M.; Perera, C.J. The impact of gamification on learning and instruction: A systematic review
      of empirical evidence. Educ. Res. Rev. 2020, 30, 100326. [CrossRef]
6.    Nurtanto, M.; Kholifah, N.; Ahdhianto, E.; Samsudin, A.; Isnantyo, F.D. A Review of Gamification Impact on Student Behavioral
      and Learning Outcomes. Int. J. Interact. Mob. Technol. 2021, 15, 22–36. [CrossRef]
7.    Nair, S.; Mathew, J. Evaluation of a Gamified Learning Experience: Analysis of the impact of gamification on learning outcomes
      in education. Conhecimento Online 2021, 2, 4–20. [CrossRef]
8.    Morschheuser, B.; Hamari, J.; Werder, K.; Abe, J. How to Gamify? A Method for Designing Gamification. 2017. Available online:
      https://scholarspace.manoa.hawaii.edu/server/api/core/bitstreams/6b15c9c0-f5c9-423d-ac4b-23b5c61c302a/content (accessed
      on 1 December 2022).
9.    An, Y. Designing Effective Gamified Learning Experiences. Int. J. Technol. Educ. 2020, 3, 62–69. [CrossRef]
10.   Goethe, O. Gamification Mindset; Springer International Publishing: Midtown Manhattan, NY, USA, 2019.
11.   Pechenkina, E.; Laurence, D.; Oates, G.; Eldridge, D.; Hunter, D. Using a gamified mobile app to increase student engagement,
      retention and academic achievement. Int. J. Educ. Technol. High. Educ. 2017, 14, 1–12. [CrossRef]
12.   Alcaldía Municipal de Santiago de Cali, Mapas de Comunas 30 06 2016. Available online: https://www.cali.gov.co/planeacion/
      publicaciones/115924/mapas_comunas_idesc/ (accessed on 7 June 2022).
13.   Alcaldía de Santiago de Cali, Sistema de Indicadores Sociales. Available online: https://indicadores.cali.gov.co/consulta-
      indicadores/dimensiones-sis-comunas/perfiles (accessed on 7 June 2022).
14.   Redacción de El País. Siloé: Así es el Histórico Drama Social que Vive la Ladera. In El País. 2021. Available online: https:
      //www.elpais.com.co/cali/siloe-el-historico-drama-social-que-vive-la-ladera.html (accessed on 1 December 2022).
15.   Quintero, C.; Mendoza, M.; León, S. Inglés: Avances, Retrocesos y Desafíos; Cámara de Comercio de Cali: Cali, Colombia, 2021.
16.   Hevner, A.R.; March, S.T.; Park, J.; Ram, S. Design science in information systems research. MIS Q. 2004, 28, 75–105. [CrossRef]
17.   Object Management Group. Essence–Kernel and Language for Software Engineering Methods; OMG: Needham, MA, USA, 2018.
18.   Ministerio de Ciencia y Tecnología, Ministerio de Ciencia y Tecnología de Colombia. Available online: https://minciencias.gov.co/
      (accessed on 10 June 2022).
19.   Fundación Able, Colegio la Fontaine. Available online: http://fundacionable.org/lafontaine/ (accessed on 13 June 2022).
Sustainability 2023, 15, 2385                                                                                                            26 of 26




20.   Corporación Talentum, Corporación Talentum. Available online: https://talentum.edu.co/index.php/nosotros/ (accessed on 13
      June 2022).
21.   Geerts, G. A design science research methodology and its application to accounting information systems research. Int. J. Account.
      Inf. Syst. 2011, 12, 142–151. [CrossRef]
22.   Mullins, J.K.; Sabherwal, R. Gamification: A cognitive-emotional view. J. Bus. Res. 2020, 106, 304–314. [CrossRef]
23.   Ayala CA, P.; Solano, A.F.; Granollers, T. Proposal of a Practice to Conceive a Minimum Viable Multimedia System. IEEE Lat. Am.
      Trans. 2021, 19, 1590–1598. [CrossRef]
24.   Peláez, C.; Solano, A.; Granollers, T. Preproducción de Sistemas Multimedia: Un Enfoque Centrado en la Co-Creación de Valor y el Diseño
      Responsable; Universidad de Lleida: Lleida, Spain; Programa Editorial Universidad Autónoma de Occidente: Cali, Colombia, 2022.
25.   Pressman, R.; Maxim, B. Software Engineering. A Practitioner’s Approach; Mc Graw Hill: New York, NY, USA, 2015.
26.   Kumar, V. 101 Design Methods: A Structured Approach for Driving Innovation in Your Organization; John Wiley & Sons: Hoboken, NY,
      USA, 2012.
27.   Baker, R. Agile UX Storytelling. Crafting Stories for Better Software Development; CA Press: Plano, TX, USA, 2017.
28.   Rosenfeld, L.; Morville, P.; Arango, J. Information architecture: For the Web and Beyond; O’Reilly Media, Inc.: Sebastopol, CA, USA, 2015.
29.   Observatorio de Innovación Educativa del Tecnológico de Monterrey. EduTrends-Gamificación; Tecnológico de Monterrey:
      Monterrey, MX, USA, 2016.
30.   Friedman, B.; Hendry, D. Value Sensitive Design: Shaping Technology with Moral Imagination; MIT Press: Boston, MA, USA, 2019.
31.   Kozinets, R.V. The field behind the screen: Using netnography for marketing research in online communities. J. Mark. Res. 2002,
      39, 61–72. [CrossRef]
32.   Friedman, B.; Hendry, B.D.; Borning, A. A survey of value sensitive design methods. Found. Trends®Hum.–Comput. Interact. 2017,
      11, 63–125. [CrossRef]
33.   Friedman, B.; Hendry, D. The envisioning cards: A toolkit for catalyzing humanistic and technical imaginations. In Proceedings
      of the SIGCHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, Austin, TX, USA, 5–10 May 2012.
34.   Kapp, K.M. The Gamification of Learning and Instruction: Game-Based Methods and Strategies for Training and Education; Pfeiffer: San
      Francisco, CA, USA, 2012.
35.   Ministerio de Educación Nacial-Gobierno de Colombia., Portal Colombia Aprende. Available online: https://www.
      colombiaaprende.edu.co/ (accessed on 7 June 2022).
36.   Ministerio de Educación-Gobierno de Colombia, Colombia Aprende. Available online: https://colombiaaprende.edu.co/
      contenidos/coleccion/be-1-challenge (accessed on 7 June 2022).
37.   Google, Google Play. 2021. Available online: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.gov.mineducacion.bthe1
      challenge&hl=es_CO&gl=US (accessed on 8 June 2022).
38.   Nisbet, J.; Shucksmith, J. Learning Strategies; Routledge: England, UK, 2017.
39.   Ministerio de Educación Nacional de Colombia. Derechos Básicos de Aprendizaje de Inglés. 2016. Available online: https:
      //www.englishtimevalle2020.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/DBA-TRANSICIO%CC%81N-Y-PRIMARIA.pdf (accessed on
      7 October 2022).
40.   Ministerio de Protección Social de Colombia. Código de la Infancia y de la Adolescencia. 2006. Available online: https:
      //www.icbf.gov.co/sites/default/files/codigoinfancialey1098.pdf (accessed on 7 October 2022).
41.   Ministerio de Protección Social de Colombia. Resolución Número 3158 DE 2007. 2007. Available online: https://www.minsalud.
      gov.co/Normatividad_Nuevo/RESOLUCI%C3%93N%203158%20DE%202007.pdf (accessed on 7 October 2022).
42.   Departamento Administrativo de la Función Pública-Colombia. Decreto 975 DE 2014. 2014. Available online: https://www.
      funcionpublica.gov.co/eva/gestornormativo/norma.php?i=57437 (accessed on 7 October 2022).
43.   Ministerio de Educación Nacional de Colombia. Derechos Básicos de Aprendizajte. 2016. Available online: https://wccopre.s3
      .amazonaws.com/Derechos_Basicos_de_Aprendizaje_Matematicas_1.pdf (accessed on 7 October 2022).
44.   Sauro, J.; Lewis, J.R. Quantifying the User Experience: Practical Statistics for User Research; Morgan Kaufmann: Burlington, MA, USA, 2006.

Disclaimer/Publisher’s Note: The statements, opinions and data contained in all publications are solely those of the individual
author(s) and contributor(s) and not of MDPI and/or the editor(s). MDPI and/or the editor(s) disclaim responsibility for any injury to
people or property resulting from any ideas, methods, instructions or products referred to in the content.
