Location-Based Games as Tools for Leisure in a Military Community
Abstract Digital media increasingly affect how people interact with their surroundings, leading to rising levels of indoor screen time. This study examines how locative media technologies can enhance meaningful leisure and learning experiences in outdoor settings. Our goal is to understand the role of location-based games in improving outdoor leisure by implementing a geolocation program within a military community at an Armed Forces base. Therefore, we conducted a qualitative case study based on the principles of the design-based research (DBR) method. By developing, implementing, and using a location-based game prototype, we increased contact with nature and found that locative play encourages learning in outdoor leisure contexts. We also found that the digital locative game promoted a sense of social belonging and positively impacted intergenerational activities, highlighting the immense potential of locative media and ubiquitous learning in outdoor leisure experiences and the creation of new educational opportunities.
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Alha, K., Leorke, D., Koskinen, E., & Paavilainen, J. (2023). Augmented play: An analysis of augmented reality features in location-based games. Convergence: The International Journal of Research into New Media Technologies, 135485652311564. 10.1177/13548565231156495.
Anderson, T. (2005). Design-Based-Research and its Application to a Call Centre: Innovation in Distance Education. Canadian Journal of Learning and Technology, 31(2). 10.21432/T26K60.
Barab, S., & Squire, B. (2004). Design-based research: Putting a stake in the ground. Journal of the Learning Sciences, 13(1), 1–14. 10.1207/s15327809jls1301_1.
Cardoso, P., Morgado, L., & Coelho, A. (2020). Authoring Game-Based Learning Activities that are Manageable by Teachers. ERCIM News. http://hdl.handle.net/10400.2/8951.
Creswell, J. (2007). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five approaches (2nd ed). Sage.
Cuenca Cabeza, M., Aguilar Gutiérrez, E., & Ortega Nuere, C. (2010). La fuerza transformadora del ócio. In E. Aguilar Gutiérrez, & C. Ortega Nuere C. (Eds.), Ocio para innovar. Universidad de Deusto.
De Lima, K., Da Cunha, S., & Moreira, S. (2019). Comensalidade em bares como opção de lazer entre jovens da Zona Norte de Natal/RN. Cenário: Revista Interdisciplinar em Turismo e Território, 7(13), 103-116. 10.26512/revistacenario.v7i13.27061.
Dumazedier, J. (1974). Sociologie empirique du loisir: Critique et contre-critique de la civilisation du loisir. Éditions du Seuil.
Duvall, J., & Kaplan, R. (2014). Enhancing the well-being of veterans using extended group-based nature recreation experiences. Journal of Rehabilitation Research & Development, 51(5), 685-696. 10.1682/jrrd.2013.08.0190.
Filho, N., & Veloso, A. (2019). Location-based games on active aging: A systematic review. 2019 14th Iberian Conference on Information Systems and Technologies: 19-22 June 2019, Coimbra, Portugal. IEEE. 10.23919/CISTI.2019.8760640.
Fonseca, X., Lukosch, S., & Brazier, F. (2022). Design Framework for Social Interaction with Location Based Games. International Journal of Serious Games, 9(1), 59-81. 10.17083/ijsg.v9i1.481.
Francis, J., Gilles-Corti, B., Wood, L., & Knuiman, M. (2012). Creating a sense of community: The role of public space. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 32, 401-409. 10.1016/j.jenvp.2012.07.002.
Fränti, P., & Fazal, N. (2023). Design Principles for Content Creation in Location-Based Games. ACM Transactions on Multimedia Computing, Communications and Applications, 19(5s), 165. 10.1145/3583689.
Gee, J. (2006). Are Video Games Good for Learning? Nordic Journal of Digital Literacy, 1(3), 172–183. 10.18261/ISSN1891-943X-2006-03-02.
Geertz, C. (1963). Agricultural involution. University of California Press.
Gillin, P. (2010). The Joy of Geocaching: how to find health, happiness and creative energy through a worldwide treasure hunt. Quill Driver Books.
Groundspeak. (2012). The Complete Idiots Guide to Geocaching. Alpha Books.
Hallnäs, L., & Redström, J. (2001). Slow Technology–Designing for Reflection. Personal and ubiquitous computing, 5(3), 201-212. 10.1007/PL00000019.
Hutchby, L., & Moran-Ellis, J. (2001). Children, Technology and Culture: The Impacts of Technologies in Children's Everyday Lives. Routledge. 10.4324/9781315011387.
Jornet, A., & Roth, W.-M. (2018). Imagining design: Transitive and intransitive dimensions. Design Studies, 56, 28–53. 10.1016/j.destud.2018.02.002.
Kaplan, S. (1995). The restorative benefits of nature: Toward an integrative framework. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 15(3), 169-182 10.1016/0272-4944(95)90001-2.
Leorke, D. (2019). Location-Based Gaming: Play in Public Space. Palgrave Macmillan. 10.1007/978-981-13-0683-9.
Louv, R. (2008). Last Child in the Woods: saving our children from nature-deficit disorder. Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill.
Lundberg, N., Taniguchi, S., & McGovern, R. (2016). Female veterans’ involvement in outdoor sports and recreation: A theoretical sample of recreation opportunities structures. Journal of Leisure Research, 48(5), 413-430. 10.18666/JLR-2016-V48-I5-6897.
Maia, L. F., Viana, W., & Trinta, F. (2021). Transposition of Location-based Games: Using Procedural Content Generation to deploy balanced game maps to multiple locations. Pervasive and Mobile Computing, 70, 101302. 10.1016/j.pmcj.2020.101302.
Mazzardo, M., Nobre, A., Mallmann, E., & Martin-Fernandes, I. (2016). Design-Based Research: desafios nos contextos escolares. Atas CIAIQ2016, https://d66z.short.gy/Ldg2VU.
McCullough, M. (2006). On the Urbanism of Locative Media: Media and the City. Places, 18(2).
McLean, D., & Hurd, A. M. (2012). Kraus’ Recreation and Leisure in Modern Society (9th ed.). Jones and Bartlett Publishers.
Medeiros Filho, M., Campos, F., Benicio, I., & André, N. (2013). A importância da prototipação no design de games. SBC - Proceedings of SBGames, Art & Design Track - Full Papers, (pp.1-7).
Melo, R. (2014). Desportos de Natureza e desenvolvimento local sustentável: Análise dos praticantes e das organizações promotoras dos desportos de natureza (Tese de Doutoramento). Universidade de Coimbra. https://hdl.handle.net/10316/24141.
Merriam, S. B. (1998). Qualitative Research and Case Study Applications in Education: Revised and Expanded from Case Study Research in Education. Jossey-Bass Publishers.
Monteagudo, M. J., & Cuenca, M. (2012). Los itinerarios de ocio desde la investigación: tendencias, retos y aportaciones. Revista Interuniversitaria Pedagogía Social, (20), 103-135. 10.7179/PSRI_2012.20.03.
Moura, A., & Santos, I. (2020). Escape Room Educativo: reinventar ambientes de aprendizagem. Aplicações para dispositivos móveis e estratégias inovadoras na educação. Ministério da Educação, DGE.
Neto, C. (2020). Libertem as crianças: A urgência de brincar e ser ativo. Contraponto Editores.
Neto, F. M., & Sales, A. (2015). A Recommendation System for Ubiquitous Learning in the Context of Formal and Informal Education. IEEE Latin America Transactions, 13(4), 1061-1067. 10.1109/TLA.2015.7106358.
Neuman, W. L. (2013). Social Research Methods: Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches (7th ed.). Pearson Education Limited.
Oliveira, A. R. (2014). Desenvolvimento da leitura e da escrita, em contexto de lazer (Master Thesis. Master of Arts in Applied Health Sciences (Leisure Studies)), Instituto Politécnico de Coimbra. https://d66z.short.gy/EbRUvV.
Pereira, A., Cardoso, T., Monteiro, V., & Pombo, C. (2021). Observação e Design-Based Research em contextos online. A prática na Investigação Qualitativa. New Trends in Qualitative Research, NTQR 5, 57-70. 10.36367/ntqr.5.2021.57-70.
Peterson, R., & Herrington, J. (2005). The state of the art of design-based research. University of Wollongong. https://ro.uow.edu.au/edupapers/59.
Pollock, H. (2018). Exploring recreation and sense of community in the Canadian military. (Dissertação de mestrado em Educação e Lazer), Faculty of Applied Health Sciences Brock University. https://d66z.short.gy/4HYz62.
Saaty, M., Haqq, D., Beyki, M., Hassan, T., & McCrickard, D. S. (2022). Pokémon GO with Social Distancing: Social Media Analysis of Players' Experiences with Location-based Games. Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction, 6(CHI PLAY), 249. 10.1145/3549512.
Silva, C., Palmer, L., Nisi, V., & Straubhaar, J. (2019). Teaching Social History through Locative Media: A Case Study in Austin, Texas. Anuario Electrónico de Estudios en Comunicación Social “Disertaciones,” 12(1), 59-74. 10.12804/revistas.urosario.edu.co/disertaciones/a.6066.
Silverstone, R. (1993). Time, Information and Communication Technologies and the Household. Time & Society, 2(3), 283–311. 10.1177/0961463X93002003001.
Spiers, A., & Walker, G. (2009). The Effects of Ethnicity and Leisure Satisfaction on Happiness, Peacefulness, and Quality of Life. Leisure Sciences, 31(1), 84-99. 10.1080/01490400802558277.
Thielman, T. (2010). Locative Media and Mediated Localities: An Introduction to Media Geography. Locative Media and Mediated Localities [Aether. The Journal of Media Geography], 5, 1–17.
U.S. Department of Defense. (2019). 2019 Demographics. Profile of the Military Community. Department of Defense (DoD), USA. https://d66z.short.gy/3IQcKT.
Vázquez-Cano, E., & Sevillano García, M. L. (2015). Dispositivos digitales móviles en Educación. Narcea.
Wilken, R. (2012). Locative media: From specialized preoccupation to mainstream fascination. Convergence, 18(3), 243–247. 10.1177/1354856512444375.
Xanthopoulos, S., & Xinogalos, S. (2018). Opportunities and challenges of mobile location-based games in education: Exploring the integration of authoring and analytics tools. In 2018 IEEE Global Engineering Education Conference (EDUCON) (Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain, 17-20 April 2018) (pp. 1797-1805). 10.1109/EDUCON.2018.8363452.
Zain, Z., Jasmani, F., Haris, N., & Nurudin, Z. (2022). Gadgets and Their Impact on Child Development. Proceedings 2022, 82(1), 6. International Academic Symposium of Social Science 2022. 10.3390/proceedings2022082006.
Anderson, T. (2005). Design-Based-Research and its Application to a Call Centre: Innovation in Distance Education. Canadian Journal of Learning and Technology, 31(2). 10.21432/T26K60.
Barab, S., & Squire, B. (2004). Design-based research: Putting a stake in the ground. Journal of the Learning Sciences, 13(1), 1–14. 10.1207/s15327809jls1301_1.
Cardoso, P., Morgado, L., & Coelho, A. (2020). Authoring Game-Based Learning Activities that are Manageable by Teachers. ERCIM News. http://hdl.handle.net/10400.2/8951.
Creswell, J. (2007). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five approaches (2nd ed). Sage.
Cuenca Cabeza, M., Aguilar Gutiérrez, E., & Ortega Nuere, C. (2010). La fuerza transformadora del ócio. In E. Aguilar Gutiérrez, & C. Ortega Nuere C. (Eds.), Ocio para innovar. Universidad de Deusto.
De Lima, K., Da Cunha, S., & Moreira, S. (2019). Comensalidade em bares como opção de lazer entre jovens da Zona Norte de Natal/RN. Cenário: Revista Interdisciplinar em Turismo e Território, 7(13), 103-116. 10.26512/revistacenario.v7i13.27061.
Dumazedier, J. (1974). Sociologie empirique du loisir: Critique et contre-critique de la civilisation du loisir. Éditions du Seuil.
Duvall, J., & Kaplan, R. (2014). Enhancing the well-being of veterans using extended group-based nature recreation experiences. Journal of Rehabilitation Research & Development, 51(5), 685-696. 10.1682/jrrd.2013.08.0190.
Filho, N., & Veloso, A. (2019). Location-based games on active aging: A systematic review. 2019 14th Iberian Conference on Information Systems and Technologies: 19-22 June 2019, Coimbra, Portugal. IEEE. 10.23919/CISTI.2019.8760640.
Fonseca, X., Lukosch, S., & Brazier, F. (2022). Design Framework for Social Interaction with Location Based Games. International Journal of Serious Games, 9(1), 59-81. 10.17083/ijsg.v9i1.481.
Francis, J., Gilles-Corti, B., Wood, L., & Knuiman, M. (2012). Creating a sense of community: The role of public space. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 32, 401-409. 10.1016/j.jenvp.2012.07.002.
Fränti, P., & Fazal, N. (2023). Design Principles for Content Creation in Location-Based Games. ACM Transactions on Multimedia Computing, Communications and Applications, 19(5s), 165. 10.1145/3583689.
Gee, J. (2006). Are Video Games Good for Learning? Nordic Journal of Digital Literacy, 1(3), 172–183. 10.18261/ISSN1891-943X-2006-03-02.
Geertz, C. (1963). Agricultural involution. University of California Press.
Gillin, P. (2010). The Joy of Geocaching: how to find health, happiness and creative energy through a worldwide treasure hunt. Quill Driver Books.
Groundspeak. (2012). The Complete Idiots Guide to Geocaching. Alpha Books.
Hallnäs, L., & Redström, J. (2001). Slow Technology–Designing for Reflection. Personal and ubiquitous computing, 5(3), 201-212. 10.1007/PL00000019.
Hutchby, L., & Moran-Ellis, J. (2001). Children, Technology and Culture: The Impacts of Technologies in Children's Everyday Lives. Routledge. 10.4324/9781315011387.
Jornet, A., & Roth, W.-M. (2018). Imagining design: Transitive and intransitive dimensions. Design Studies, 56, 28–53. 10.1016/j.destud.2018.02.002.
Kaplan, S. (1995). The restorative benefits of nature: Toward an integrative framework. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 15(3), 169-182 10.1016/0272-4944(95)90001-2.
Leorke, D. (2019). Location-Based Gaming: Play in Public Space. Palgrave Macmillan. 10.1007/978-981-13-0683-9.
Louv, R. (2008). Last Child in the Woods: saving our children from nature-deficit disorder. Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill.
Lundberg, N., Taniguchi, S., & McGovern, R. (2016). Female veterans’ involvement in outdoor sports and recreation: A theoretical sample of recreation opportunities structures. Journal of Leisure Research, 48(5), 413-430. 10.18666/JLR-2016-V48-I5-6897.
Maia, L. F., Viana, W., & Trinta, F. (2021). Transposition of Location-based Games: Using Procedural Content Generation to deploy balanced game maps to multiple locations. Pervasive and Mobile Computing, 70, 101302. 10.1016/j.pmcj.2020.101302.
Mazzardo, M., Nobre, A., Mallmann, E., & Martin-Fernandes, I. (2016). Design-Based Research: desafios nos contextos escolares. Atas CIAIQ2016, https://d66z.short.gy/Ldg2VU.
McCullough, M. (2006). On the Urbanism of Locative Media: Media and the City. Places, 18(2).
McLean, D., & Hurd, A. M. (2012). Kraus’ Recreation and Leisure in Modern Society (9th ed.). Jones and Bartlett Publishers.
Medeiros Filho, M., Campos, F., Benicio, I., & André, N. (2013). A importância da prototipação no design de games. SBC - Proceedings of SBGames, Art & Design Track - Full Papers, (pp.1-7).
Melo, R. (2014). Desportos de Natureza e desenvolvimento local sustentável: Análise dos praticantes e das organizações promotoras dos desportos de natureza (Tese de Doutoramento). Universidade de Coimbra. https://hdl.handle.net/10316/24141.
Merriam, S. B. (1998). Qualitative Research and Case Study Applications in Education: Revised and Expanded from Case Study Research in Education. Jossey-Bass Publishers.
Monteagudo, M. J., & Cuenca, M. (2012). Los itinerarios de ocio desde la investigación: tendencias, retos y aportaciones. Revista Interuniversitaria Pedagogía Social, (20), 103-135. 10.7179/PSRI_2012.20.03.
Moura, A., & Santos, I. (2020). Escape Room Educativo: reinventar ambientes de aprendizagem. Aplicações para dispositivos móveis e estratégias inovadoras na educação. Ministério da Educação, DGE.
Neto, C. (2020). Libertem as crianças: A urgência de brincar e ser ativo. Contraponto Editores.
Neto, F. M., & Sales, A. (2015). A Recommendation System for Ubiquitous Learning in the Context of Formal and Informal Education. IEEE Latin America Transactions, 13(4), 1061-1067. 10.1109/TLA.2015.7106358.
Neuman, W. L. (2013). Social Research Methods: Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches (7th ed.). Pearson Education Limited.
Oliveira, A. R. (2014). Desenvolvimento da leitura e da escrita, em contexto de lazer (Master Thesis. Master of Arts in Applied Health Sciences (Leisure Studies)), Instituto Politécnico de Coimbra. https://d66z.short.gy/EbRUvV.
Pereira, A., Cardoso, T., Monteiro, V., & Pombo, C. (2021). Observação e Design-Based Research em contextos online. A prática na Investigação Qualitativa. New Trends in Qualitative Research, NTQR 5, 57-70. 10.36367/ntqr.5.2021.57-70.
Peterson, R., & Herrington, J. (2005). The state of the art of design-based research. University of Wollongong. https://ro.uow.edu.au/edupapers/59.
Pollock, H. (2018). Exploring recreation and sense of community in the Canadian military. (Dissertação de mestrado em Educação e Lazer), Faculty of Applied Health Sciences Brock University. https://d66z.short.gy/4HYz62.
Saaty, M., Haqq, D., Beyki, M., Hassan, T., & McCrickard, D. S. (2022). Pokémon GO with Social Distancing: Social Media Analysis of Players' Experiences with Location-based Games. Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction, 6(CHI PLAY), 249. 10.1145/3549512.
Silva, C., Palmer, L., Nisi, V., & Straubhaar, J. (2019). Teaching Social History through Locative Media: A Case Study in Austin, Texas. Anuario Electrónico de Estudios en Comunicación Social “Disertaciones,” 12(1), 59-74. 10.12804/revistas.urosario.edu.co/disertaciones/a.6066.
Silverstone, R. (1993). Time, Information and Communication Technologies and the Household. Time & Society, 2(3), 283–311. 10.1177/0961463X93002003001.
Spiers, A., & Walker, G. (2009). The Effects of Ethnicity and Leisure Satisfaction on Happiness, Peacefulness, and Quality of Life. Leisure Sciences, 31(1), 84-99. 10.1080/01490400802558277.
Thielman, T. (2010). Locative Media and Mediated Localities: An Introduction to Media Geography. Locative Media and Mediated Localities [Aether. The Journal of Media Geography], 5, 1–17.
U.S. Department of Defense. (2019). 2019 Demographics. Profile of the Military Community. Department of Defense (DoD), USA. https://d66z.short.gy/3IQcKT.
Vázquez-Cano, E., & Sevillano García, M. L. (2015). Dispositivos digitales móviles en Educación. Narcea.
Wilken, R. (2012). Locative media: From specialized preoccupation to mainstream fascination. Convergence, 18(3), 243–247. 10.1177/1354856512444375.
Xanthopoulos, S., & Xinogalos, S. (2018). Opportunities and challenges of mobile location-based games in education: Exploring the integration of authoring and analytics tools. In 2018 IEEE Global Engineering Education Conference (EDUCON) (Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain, 17-20 April 2018) (pp. 1797-1805). 10.1109/EDUCON.2018.8363452.
Zain, Z., Jasmani, F., Haris, N., & Nurudin, Z. (2022). Gadgets and Their Impact on Child Development. Proceedings 2022, 82(1), 6. International Academic Symposium of Social Science 2022. 10.3390/proceedings2022082006.
Da Silva Jenkins, A. P., & Lebres Aires, M. L. (2025). Location-Based Games as Tools for Leisure in a Military Community. Education in The Knowledge Society, 26, e30597. https://doi.org/10.14201/eks.30597
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