G.A.M.E. - Games autonomy motivation & education - How autonomy-supportive game design may improve motivation to learn

Oct 12, 2026

The thesis investigates how autonomy-supportive game design can improve learners’ motivation to learn. It connects education practices with self-determination theory and related concepts such as regulatory styles, competence, autonomy, and relatedness. An applied game design model is developed, supported by education and game design integration, a focused case study, and a structured “10 steps” process. Design guidelines aim to increase motivation through autonomy support, proximal development, and regulatory fit.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryPresentations

FormatPDF

Pages135

Reading Time47 min

AccessFree to download

SECTION 1 INTRODUCTION: GAMES & MOTIVATION TO LEARN

1.1 The focus of this thesis

1.2 The structure of this thesis

SECTION 2 EDUCATION: AUTONOMY-SUPPORTIVE LEARNING

2.1 Challenges in autonomy-supportive design

2.2 Where and how to support autonomy

2.3 Habituation & the Zone of Proximal Development

2.4 Meaningful choice on a cognitive level: Learning styles

2.5 Facilitating autonomy-supportive learning

SECTION 3 GAME DESIGN: AUTONOMY-SUPPORTIVE GAMEPLAY

3.1 Gameplay as restructuring practice

3.2 Design from the dynamics

3.3 Abdicating authorship

3.4 Gradually increase autonomy-support

3.5 Design for various playing styles

3.6 Autonomy-supportive game design

SECTION 4 GAMES & EDUCATION THE APPLIED GAME DESIGN MODEL

4.1 Autonomy-support in education

4.2 Autonomy-support in games

4.3 Autonomy-support in gaming and learning

4.4 Gaming and learning = restructuring

4.5 Challenges for the Integrated Design Approach

SECTION 5 10 STEPS INTEGRATING LEARNING WITH GAMEPLAY

5.1 Defining the learning context

5.2 Defining the learning goal

5.3 Defining the learning procedure

5.4 Depicting the restructureable elements

5.5 Depicting the restructureable elements

5.6 Develop a rapid prototype

5.7 Consult Domain Experts

5.8 Prioritize what to instruct, explain and facilitate

5.9 Revisit domain expert & perform user testing

5.10 Iterate upon feedback and finish the game

G.A. M. E. , Games autonomy motivation & education : how autonomy-supportive game design may improve motivation to learn Citation for published version (APA): Deen, M. (2015) . G. A. M. E. , Games autonomy motivation & education : how autonomy-supportive game design may improve motivation to learn. [Phd Thesis 1 (Research TU/e / Graduation TU/e), Industrial Design] . Technische Universiteit Eindhoven. Document status and date: Published: 01/01/2015 Document Version: Publisher’s PDF, also known as Version of Record (includes final page, issue and volume numbers) Please check the document version of this publication: • A submitted manuscript is the version of the article upon submission and before peer-review. There can be important differences between the submitted version and the official published version of record. People interested in the research are advised to contact the author for the final version of the publication, or visit the DOI to the publisher's website. • The final author version and the galley proof are versions of the publication after peer review. • The final published version features the final layout of the paper including the volume, issue and page numbers. Link to publication General rights Copyright and moral rights for the publications made accessible in the public portal are retained by the authors and/or other copyright owners and it is a condition of accessing publications that users recognise and abide by the legal requirements associated with these rights. • Users may download and print one copy of any publication from the public portal for the purpose of private study or research. • You may not further distribute the material or use it for any profit-making activity or commercial gain • You may freely distribute the URL identifying the publication in the public portal. If the publication is distributed under the terms of Article 25fa of the Dutch Copyright Act, indicated by the “Taverne” license above, please follow below link for the End User Agreement: [www.tue.nl/taverne](www.tue.nl/taverne) Take down policy If you believe that this document breaches copyright please contact us at: [openaccess@tue.nl](openaccess@tue.nl) providing details and we will investigate your claim. Download date: 12. Oct. 2026 Oma G.A.M. E Games Autonomy Motivation & Education How autonomy-supportive game design may improve motivation to learn PROEFSCHRIFT ter verkrijging van de graad van doctor aan de Technische Universiteit Eindhoven, [op gezag van de rector magnificus prof.dr.ir. C.J. van Duijn](op gezag van de rector magnificus prof.dr.ir. C.J. van Duijn), voor een commissie aangewezen door het College voor Promoties, in het openbaar te verdedigen op donderdag 14 januari 2015 om 16:00 uur Door Menno Deen geboren te Haarlem CONTENTS Dit proefschrift is goedgekeurd door de promotoren en de samenstelling van de promotiecommissie is als volgt: voorzitter: [prof.dr.ir. A.C Brombacher](prof.dr.ir. A.C Brombacher) [1](1e promotor: prof.dr)[e](1e promotor: prof.dr)[ promotor: prof.dr](1e promotor: prof.dr). B.A.M Schouten copromotor: [dr.ir. M.M. Bekker](dr.ir. M.M. Bekker) [leden: prof.dr](leden: prof.dr). W.A. IJsselsteijn prof.dr. J. Jansz (Erasmus University Rotterdam) prof.dr. J.F.F. Raessens (Utrecht University) dr. R. Zubek (SomaSim) adviseur: dr. J. Dormans (Leiden University) A catalogue record is available from the Eindhoven University of Technology Library ISBN: 978-90-386-3776-1 SUMMARY 9 SECTION 1 INTRODUCTION: GAMES & MOTIVATION TO LEARN 11 1.1 The focus of this thesis 15 1.2 The structure of this thesis 18 SECTION 2 EDUCATION: AUTONOMY-SUPPORTIVE LEARNING 21 2.1 Challenges in autonomy-supportive design 27 2.2 Where and how to support autonomy 31 2.3 Habituation & the Zone of Proximal Development 37 2.4 Meaningful choice on a cognitive level: Learning styles 40 2.5 Facilitating autonomy-supportive learnin

FAQs

What is the main focus of the thesis?

The thesis focuses on how autonomy-supportive game design may improve motivation to learn, linking educational needs with game design approaches.

How does the thesis define autonomy-supportive learning?

It addresses challenges in autonomy-supportive design and outlines where and how to support autonomy, including habituation and the Zone of Proximal Development, plus meaningful cognitive-level choice.

What is the “10 steps” integration approach?

It provides a structured process for integrating learning with gameplay, including defining context and goals, specifying procedures and restructureable elements, developing prototypes, consulting experts, and iterating through user testing.

Oct 12, 2026

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