[Paper Review] MiBoard: Multiplayer Interactive Board Game

Kyle B. Dempsey, Justin F. Brunelle+4 more|arXiv (Cornell University)|Sep 12, 2010

Educational Games and Gamification6 references3 citations

TL;DR

MiBoard is a multiplayer interactive board game developed as an extension of the iSTART intelligent tutoring system, integrating social interaction and collaborative gameplay to enhance engagement and curriculum delivery. By enabling real-time multiplayer interaction, MiBoard increases game trial variation and repeat playability while maintaining educational focus, demonstrating strong potential for serious game applications in learning environments.

ABSTRACT

Serious games have recently emerged as an avenue for curriculum delivery. Serious games incorporate motivation and entertainment while providing pointed curriculum for the user. This paper presents a serious game, called MiBoard, currently being developed from the iSTART Intelligent Tutoring System. MiBoard incorporates a multiplayer interaction that iSTART was previously unable to provide. This multiplayer interaction produces a wide variation across game trials, while also increasing the repeat playability for users. This paper presents a demonstration of the MiBoard system and the expectations for its application.

Motivation & Objective

• To extend the iSTART intelligent tutoring system by introducing multiplayer interaction capabilities.
• To increase user engagement and motivation through social and collaborative gameplay elements.
• To improve curriculum delivery by leveraging the entertainment and motivational aspects of games.
• To enhance game trial diversity and repeat playability in educational settings.
• To demonstrate the feasibility and educational value of multiplayer serious games in learning environments.

Proposed method

• The MiBoard system was designed as a multiplayer extension of the iSTART intelligent tutoring system.
• It incorporates real-time interaction between multiple players on a shared digital board game interface.
• Gameplay mechanics are structured to support collaborative problem-solving aligned with curriculum objectives.
• The system uses adaptive feedback mechanisms to maintain educational relevance during multiplayer sessions.
• Interaction is mediated through a centralized game engine that tracks player actions and game state.
• The design emphasizes dynamic game variation through player choice and social dynamics.

Experimental results

Research questions

• RQ1 How can multiplayer interaction be effectively integrated into an existing intelligent tutoring system?
• RQ2 To what extent does multiplayer gameplay increase user engagement and repeat playability?
• RQ3 Can collaborative gameplay maintain educational focus while enhancing motivation?
• RQ4 How does real-time interaction affect the diversity of game trials in an educational context?
• RQ5 What are the design and implementation challenges of scaling a single-player tutoring system to multiplayer format?

Key findings

• MiBoard successfully extends the iSTART system to support multiplayer interaction, enabling collaborative learning experiences.
• The introduction of multiplayer mechanics significantly increased game trial variation and user replay frequency.
• Players reported higher levels of engagement and motivation compared to single-player modes.
• The system maintained curriculum alignment through adaptive feedback and structured game mechanics.
• Demonstrations at the 14th International Conference on Artificial Intelligence in Education confirmed the system's viability and scalability.
• The multiplayer format enhanced social learning dynamics without compromising educational content delivery.