Learning with games in a professional environment: a case study of a serious game about levee inspection

Serious games are an increasingly popular field and this has resulted in a large number of serious games so far. Despite this growth, relatively little gaming research is focused on professional environments. In particular, a lack exists in reflecting on the design and learning experiences. To take a step in this desired direction, this paper examines learning with games in professional environments. This is done by looking at the design and the learning experiences of a game about levee inspection called Levee Patroller. Based on this case study six valuable learning lessons are identified; games need to be a single whole, function as discussion-support-tools, simplify and emphasize aspects in reality, request a complimentary learning style, are motivation-enhancers to those interested, and require a change in curricula.