Game-Based Learning for IoT: the Tiles inventor toolkit

Abstract

This paper presents a Game-Based Learning Design Pattern for designing Internet of Things (IoT) applications, as well as an instance of this particular pattern, namely the ‘Tiles inventor game’. This educational game has been validated in various educational contexts aiming to understand IoT fundamentals. Due to lack of topics on IoT in the STEM curricula today as well as due to the lack of game-based learning design patterns, we propose these two artifacts, the pattern of designing IoT applications and the description of the Tiles inventor game, as a means of communicating best practice and contributing to bridging the gap between educational theory and informal practice in such a niche domain.