How Role-Playing Games Have Been Designed for Software Engineering Learning: A Rapid Review
Resumo
Software developers require both technical and soft skills to deliver high-quality software on time and within budget. As a result, students must acquire these competencies. However, maintaining student motivation and engagement in learning and practice remains a significant challenge. Game-Based Learning (GBL) has emerged as a strategy to help address this issue. This paper presents a rapid review aimed at understanding how role-playing games (RPGs) have been designed to support Software Engineering (SE) education. The reviewed RPGs include both digital and non-digital formats and have been applied to SE as a whole or to specific subtopics. These approaches addressed both hard and soft skills. While game design theories were not employed in all cases, most of the studies were grounded in learning theories.
Palavras-chave:
Software Engineering, GBL, RPG, Serious Game
Referências
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Cartaxo, B., Pinto, G., e Soares, S. (2020). Rapid Reviews in Software Engineering. In Contemporary Empirical Methods in SOftware Engineering, pages 357–384. Springer.
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Hammer, J., To, A., Schrier, K., Bowman, S., e Kaufman, G. (2018). Learning and Role-Playing Games, pages 283–299.
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Shaw, M. (2000). Software engineering education: a roadmap. In Proceedings of the Conference on The Future of Software Engineering, ICSE ’00, page 371–380, New York, NY, USA. Association for Computing Machinery.
Souza, M., Veado, L., Moreira, R., Costa, H., e Figueiredo, E. (2018). A systematic mapping study on game-related methods for software engineering education. Information and Software Technology, 95:201–218.
Toth, D. e Kayler, M. (2015). Integrating role-playing games into computer science courses as a pedagogical tool. pages 386–391.
Werbach, K. e Hunter, D. (2012). For the Win: How Game Thinking can Revolutionize your Business. Wharton Digita Press, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
Werbach, K. e Hunter, D. (2024). SWEBOK - Guide to the Software Engineering Body of Knowledge v4.0. IEEE Computer Society Products and Services.
Zagal, J. P. e Deterding, S. (2018a). Role-Playing Game Studies. Routledge, New York, USA, 1 edition.
Zagal, J. P. e Deterding, S. (2018b). Role-Playing Games Studies - Transmedia Foundations, chapter Definitons of ”Role-Playing Games”, pages 19–52.
Zurcher, L. A. (1983). Social Roles: Conformity, Conflict and Creativity (Sociological Observations). SAGE Publications, Inc, New York, USA, 1 edition.
Cartaxo, B., Pinto, G., e Soares, S. (2020). Rapid Reviews in Software Engineering. In Contemporary Empirical Methods in SOftware Engineering, pages 357–384. Springer.
Cheville, R. A. (2016). Linking capabilities to functionings: adapting narrative forms from role-playing games to education. Higher Education, 71(6):805–818.
Hammer, J., To, A., Schrier, K., Bowman, S., e Kaufman, G. (2018). Learning and Role-Playing Games, pages 283–299.
Hitchens, M. e Drachen, A. (2008). The many faces of role-playing games. International Journal of Role-Playing, (1):3–21.
Hunicke, R., Leblanc, M., e Zubek, R. (2004). Mda: A formal approach to game design and game research. AAAI Workshop - Technical Report, 1.
Koehler, M., Mishra, P., Hershey, K., e Peruski, L. (2004). With a little help from your students: A new model for faculty development and online course design. Jl. of Technology and Teacher Education, 12:25–55.
Kolb, A. e Kolb, D. (2011). Experiential learning theory: A dynamic, holistic approach to management learning, education and development. In Armstrong, S. J. Fukami, C. (Eds.) Handbook of management learning, education and development.
Lenhart, A., Kahne, J., Middaugh, E., Macgill, A., Evans, C., e Vitak, J. (2008). Teens, video games, and civics: Teens’ gaming experiences are diverse and include significant social interaction and civic engagement. Pew Internet American Life Project.
Markula, A. e Aksela, M. (2022). The key characteristics of project-based learning: how teachers implement projects in k-12 science education. Disciplinary and Interdisciplinary Science Education Research, 4(2).
Maxim, B. R., Decker, A., e Yackley, J. J. (2019). Student engagement in active learning software engineering courses. In 2019 IEEE Frontiers in Education Conference (FIE), pages 1–5.
Ouhbi, S. e Pombo, N. (2020). Software engineering education: Challenges and perspectives. pages 202–209.
Plass, J. L., Mayer, R. E., e Homer, B. D. H. (2020). Handbook of Game-Based Learning (Mit Press). The MIT Press.
Prager, R. H. P. (2019). Exploring the use of role-playing games in education. Master of Teaching Research Journal, 2.
Shaw, M. (2000). Software engineering education: a roadmap. In Proceedings of the Conference on The Future of Software Engineering, ICSE ’00, page 371–380, New York, NY, USA. Association for Computing Machinery.
Souza, M., Veado, L., Moreira, R., Costa, H., e Figueiredo, E. (2018). A systematic mapping study on game-related methods for software engineering education. Information and Software Technology, 95:201–218.
Toth, D. e Kayler, M. (2015). Integrating role-playing games into computer science courses as a pedagogical tool. pages 386–391.
Werbach, K. e Hunter, D. (2012). For the Win: How Game Thinking can Revolutionize your Business. Wharton Digita Press, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
Werbach, K. e Hunter, D. (2024). SWEBOK - Guide to the Software Engineering Body of Knowledge v4.0. IEEE Computer Society Products and Services.
Zagal, J. P. e Deterding, S. (2018a). Role-Playing Game Studies. Routledge, New York, USA, 1 edition.
Zagal, J. P. e Deterding, S. (2018b). Role-Playing Games Studies - Transmedia Foundations, chapter Definitons of ”Role-Playing Games”, pages 19–52.
Zurcher, L. A. (1983). Social Roles: Conformity, Conflict and Creativity (Sociological Observations). SAGE Publications, Inc, New York, USA, 1 edition.
Publicado
30/09/2025
Como Citar
CORRÊA, Chessman K. F.; XEXÉO, Geraldo.
How Role-Playing Games Have Been Designed for Software Engineering Learning: A Rapid Review. In: SIMPÓSIO BRASILEIRO DE JOGOS E ENTRETENIMENTO DIGITAL (SBGAMES), 24. , 2025, Salvador/BA.
Anais [...].
Porto Alegre: Sociedade Brasileira de Computação,
2025
.
p. 1442-1453.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5753/sbgames.2025.10057.
