THE UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA®
myBama
AI-enhanced Educational Game Design
Sources · 29 references

Twenty-nine sources
under every claim.

Every design heuristic in this handbook is traceable to a source. The list below ground Parts 1–2 (foundations + design toolkits) and the case material in Part 3. Where the handbook says “research-informed,” this page is what's behind it.

Principle → citation

Where each claim lands.

The handbook is built outward from a small set of stable findings. This is the traceability table — every design instrument in Part 2 and every required deliverable in Part 3 maps back to one or more of these sources.

Claim in this handbookPrimary source(s)
Teacher facilitation + curriculum guides decide whether GBL transfers to classroom outcomes. Jong, Dong, & Luk (2017); Nousiainen et al. (2018); Sharma et al. (2024)
Alignment between learning objectives and game mechanics is the single most consistent predictor. Plass, Homer, & Kinzer (2015); Annetta (2010); Arnab et al. (2015)
Gamification effects are modest; design quality and context dominate. Sailer & Homner (2020)
GBL produces small-to-moderate effects on critical thinking + computational thinking. Mao, Cui, Chiu, & Lei (2022); Ma, Zhang, Zhu, Zhao, & Wang (2023)
Playtest with target learners — not proxies — is the most consistent stakeholder-design recommendation. Bunt, Greeff, & Taylor (2024); Silva (2020)
Cognitive load theory's intrinsic / extraneous / germane distinction guides screen-element pruning. Sweller, van Merriënboer, & Paas (2019)
Backward-design discipline — outcomes → evidence → mechanics — for the D2 crosswalk. Wiggins & McTighe (2005)
Micro-credential workload + quality-assurance bands. Council of the EU (2022); MicroHE (2020); MICROBOL (2022); NZQA (2026); ENQA (2023); OECD (2021, 2023); Varadarajan, Koh, & Daniel (2023); Ahsan et al. (2023)
Three.js implementation primitives (D5 bridge module). three.js manual + docs (2026)
Bibliography · APA 7

All twenty-nine sources.

  1. Ahsan, K., Akbar, S., Kam, B., & Abdulrahman, M. D.-A. (2023). Implementation of micro-credentials in higher education: A systematic literature review. Education and Information Technologies, 28(10), 13505–13540. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-023-11739-z
  2. Alaswad, Z., & Nadolny, L. (2015). Designing for game-based learning: The effective integration of technology to support learning. Journal of Educational Technology Systems, 43(4), 389–402. https://doi.org/10.1177/0047239515588164
  3. Annetta, L. A. (2010). The "I's" have it: A framework for serious educational game design. Review of General Psychology, 14(2), 105–112. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0018985
  4. Arnab, S., Lim, T., Carvalho, M. B., Bellotti, F., de Freitas, S., Louchart, S., Suttie, N., Berta, R., & De Gloria, A. (2015). Mapping learning and game mechanics for serious games analysis. British Journal of Educational Technology, 46(2), 391–411. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjet.12113
  5. Bunt, L., Greeff, J., & Taylor, E. (2024). Enhancing serious game design: Expert-reviewed, stakeholder-centered framework. JMIR Serious Games, 12, e48099. https://doi.org/10.2196/48099
  6. Council of the European Union. (2022). Council Recommendation of 16 June 2022 on a European approach to micro-credentials for lifelong learning and employability (2022/C 243/02). Official Journal of the European Union. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=uriserv:OJ.C_.2022.243.01.0010.01.ENG
  7. European Education Area. (2026). A European approach to micro-credentials. https://education.ec.europa.eu/education-levels/higher-education/micro-credentials
  8. European Education Area. (2026). European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS). https://education.ec.europa.eu/education-levels/higher-education/inclusive-and-connected-higher-education/european-credit-transfer-and-accumulation-system
  9. European Network for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ENQA). (2023). Quality assurance of micro-credentials. ENQA. https://www.enqa.eu/wp-content/uploads/ENQA-micro-credentials-report.pdf
  10. Jong, M. S. Y., Dong, A., & Luk, E. (2017). Design-based research on teacher facilitation practices for serious gaming in formal schooling. Research and Practice in Technology Enhanced Learning, 12, Article 19. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41039-017-0056-6
  11. Ma, J., Zhang, Y., Zhu, Z., Zhao, S., & Wang, Q. (2023). Game-based learning for students' computational thinking: A meta-analysis. Simulation & Gaming, 54(4), 421–448. https://doi.org/10.1177/10468781231178948
  12. Mao, W., Cui, Y., Chiu, M. M., & Lei, H. (2022). Effects of game-based learning on students' critical thinking: A meta-analysis. Simulation & Gaming, 53(1), 5–35. https://doi.org/10.1177/10468781211007098
  13. MICROBOL. (2022). Micro-credentials linked to the Bologna Key Commitments: Common framework. Bologna Follow-Up Group. https://microcredentials.eu/microbol/
  14. MicroHE Consortium. (2020). The Micro-Credential Users' Guide. MicroHE. https://microcredentials.eu/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2021/05/D3_3_MicroHE-Users-Guide.pdf
  15. New Zealand Qualifications Authority. (2026). Micro-credential listing, approval, and accreditation. https://www2.nzqa.govt.nz/tertiary/approval-accreditation-and-registration/micro-credentials/
  16. New Zealand Qualifications Authority. (2026). Micro-credential Approval and Accreditation Rules 2026. https://www2.nzqa.govt.nz/about-us/rules-fees-policies/nzqa-rules/micro-credential-approval-and-accreditation-rules/
  17. Nousiainen, T., Kangas, M., Rikala, J., & Vesisenaho, M. (2018). Teacher competencies in game-based pedagogy. Teaching and Teacher Education, 74, 85–97. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2018.04.012
  18. OECD. (2021). Micro-credential innovations in higher education: Who, what and why? OECD Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1787/f14ef041-en
  19. OECD. (2023). Micro-credentials for lifelong learning and employability: Uses and possibilities. OECD Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1787/9c4b7b68-en
  20. Plass, J. L., Homer, B. D., & Kinzer, C. K. (2015). Foundations of game-based learning. Educational Psychologist, 50(4), 258–283. https://doi.org/10.1080/00461520.2015.1122533
  21. Sailer, M., & Homner, L. (2020). The gamification of learning: A meta-analysis. Educational Psychology Review, 32, 77–112. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-019-09498-w
  22. Sharma, R., Tan, C., Gomez, D., Xu, C., & Dubé, A. K. (2024). Guiding teachers' game-based learning. Teaching and Teacher Education, 148, 104915. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2024.104915
  23. Silva, F. G. M. (2020). Practical methodology for the design of educational serious games. Information, 11(1), 14. https://doi.org/10.3390/info11010014
  24. Sweller, J., van Merriënboer, J. J. G., & Paas, F. (2019). Cognitive architecture and instructional design: 20 years later. Educational Psychology Review, 31, 261–292. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-019-09465-5
  25. Varadarajan, S., Koh, J. H. L., & Daniel, B. K. (2023). A systematic review of the opportunities and challenges of micro-credentials for multiple stakeholders. International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education, 20, Article 13. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41239-023-00381-x
  26. three.js manual. (2026). Creating a scene. https://threejs.org/manual/en/creating-a-scene.html
  27. three.js manual. (2026). Picking. https://threejs.org/manual/en/picking.html
  28. three.js documentation. (2026). Raycaster. https://threejs.org/docs/?q=Raycaster#api/en/core/Raycaster
  29. Wiggins, G., & McTighe, J. (2005). Understanding by Design (2nd ed.). ASCD.