Framework evaluation demonstrates structured heuristic auditing of student serious games, suggesting a sustainable model for brownfield software engineering education.
Key Points
To establish a circular development model that prevents educational game abandonware and validate an expert audit protocol for brownfield maintenance handovers.
Adapted the MEEGA+ evaluation model and Hexad Gamification User Types Framework into a structured heuristic inspection protocol.
Conducted expert heuristic audits across three distinct legacy student-developed serious game prototypes to evaluate gamification debt and design misalignment.
The heuristic inspection successfully identified gamification debt and design misalignments across all three evaluated legacy game prototypes.
The expert audit protocol generated prioritized maintenance backlogs, establishing a viable handover mechanism for incoming student cohorts to refactor legacy software.