Gamification of Apollo lunar exploration missions for learning engagement

The design, development, and evaluation of a serious game that gamifies the Apollo lunar exploration missions are presented. The gamification methodology and underlying implementation are motivated by the goal of game-based learning for youth and young adults and the intention to promote their interest in STEM learning. The game is a multidisciplinary composition that simulates a set of lunar roving activities including planning a traversing route, loading communication and science equipment onto the lunar rover, and driving the rover to explore the lunar surface. Accurate 3D terrains and spacecraft models are created and used in the game to maintain the high realism of the environment. Every gameplay step reflects real scientific procedures and behaviors that the astronauts performed in the past on the Moon. A usability study is conducted to gather feedback from a group of participants of different ages and with different game experience. The results of the study show the success of fostering great user engagement in STEM learning.