Geomantics: Configurability as an Interaction Design Strategy for Learner-Centered Educational Games

Masuda A.; Baldeón J.; Vega V.; Robles L. · Lecture Notes in Computer Science (2026) · DOI: 10.1007/978-3-032-30408-7_5

Resumen

Balancing pedagogical rigor with engaging interaction remains a central challenge in educational game design, particularly in mathematics education where motivation and anxiety strongly influence learning processes. This paper presents Geomantics, a customizable educational video game that reconceptualizes configurability as a Human–Computer Interaction (HCI) design mechanism rather than a technical feature. The system integrates learner-centered gamification with a dual-user interaction architecture in which teachers configure curriculum-aligned learning sessions through an authoring interface while students engage in exploratory geometry gameplay. This separation establishes configurability as a usability layer mediating instructional orchestration and learner interaction processes. An exploratory mixed-methods evaluation combining pedagogical expert validation, classroom-oriented deployment, and Game Experience Questionnaire (GEQ) analysis examined whether the interaction design establishes conditions supportive of engagement and learning. Results indicate high perceived competence, flow, and positive affect together with low tension and negative affect, suggesting that pedagogically integrated interaction mechanics can support emotionally comfortable mathematical problem solving. Beyond a single system implementation, this work contributes an HCI design perspective demonstrating how teacher-facing configurability can coordinate multiple stakeholders within educational games. These findings position configurability as a reusable HCI design principle for coordinating multiple stakeholders in adaptive educational and interactive systems. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2026.

Instituciones: Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú