The Motivational Effects and Educational Affordance of Serious Games on the Learning of Cantonese Opera Movements

Abstract

The preservation of intangible cultural heritage (ICH) and the sustainability of an art form rely on the transmission of knowledge and continuous evolution in ways that can adapt to changing socio-cultural environments. This paper presents the development of a project that gamified the learning of Cantonese opera movements and evaluated its motivational effects and educational affordance. The serious game consists of a total of 30 foundation sets of Cantonese opera movements captured by a professional performer, which are challenged and scored against the player’s movement through a motion-sensing camera. An evaluation was conducted by other Cantonese opera performers (N = 4), whose positive responses support the learning opportunities that could be afforded and its potential in stimulating learners’ interest in Cantonese opera. Findings of this study implies the feasibility of applying digital game-based learning to the preservation of ICH.

Acknowledgements

The authors thank all the Cantonese opera artists who kindly participated in this research.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This study was financially supported by the Faculty Funding Support 2019/20, The Education University of Hong Kong, project number: 04504.

Notes on contributors

Wing Yan Jasman Pang

Wing Yan Jasman Pang is a designer-artists in multimedia aspects. She is a doctoral student at The Education University of Hong Kong. Her research interests include educational technology, new media technology, gamified-pedagogy, gamification, and design & cultural studies.

Bo Wah Leung

Bo Wah Leung is Professor of Music Education of Cultural and Creative Arts Department and Director of Research Centre for Transmission of Cantonese Opera at the Education University of Hong Kong. He is at present President of the International Society for Music Education (ISME).

Lee Cheng

Lee Cheng is currently Associate Professor in Games of Cambridge School of Cultural Industries at Anglia Ruskin University. His research and artistic interests include music, technology, education, immersive and interactive media, digital and sonic arts, law and policy.