Design of a serious game for the improvement of reading comprehension
through the IPLUS methodology
Authors: Maldonado-garcés Verónica , Araujo Elking , Carrión Toro Mayra , Mayorga Erick , Muñoz Cristhian , Pillajo Ariel , Santórum Marco 
Published: February 2023

Reading understanding is an indispensable ability for the educational
training of every citizen. Designates a higher level than the mere fact of
reading (decoding lingülistic signs). While reading already implies a great
cognitive advance for anyone, reading comprehension requires more skills.
Understanding a text always requires three previous areas. Two of them refer
to basic functions: memory and attention. The other to training: is the
knowledge of the world.However, even if there are these three elements, if
there is not sufficient motivation and training approach to various types of
texts, the degree of reading comprehension will be poor.In Ecuador, reading
comprehension levels are still low. The standardized tests that the
Ecuadorian State has applied to students for admission to public
universities for 10 years are evidence of the serious delay in this skill.
This situation would also explain the low levels of performance in other
subjects, as well as the little cultural and educational development of the
general population.The causes that contribute to this low reading
comprehension of the Ecuadorian student population are multiple. They range
from the high cost of the book, low access to technology, the absence of a
network of public libraries throughout the country, an educational system
with reluctant teachers to apply innovative methodologies for reading
stimulation, etc.The insufficient application of innovative methodologies
for reading stimulation has built the myth that reading is boring. Young
people do not read because nothing in the social environment invites them to
do so demonstrating that it is an authentically attractive and useful
activity. In this context, this research set out to build a gamified
application for the development of students reading students from 12 to 16
years of age.For the creation of this application, the IPLUS methodology and
the Videujeos Roblox Studio Development tool were used. This video game
allows to train students reading skills, through the use of exercises
resolution in multiple choice questions and the Cloze test. Both modalities
are based on understanding a text and selecting the correct answer from a
set of options. While multiple choice questions are based on the text, for
the Cloze test the words omitted systematically in a written text that
contain empty spaces must be located. This anima was implemented in a 3D
world in Roblox so that the student can strengthen his ability to reading
his reading comprehension.Iplus is a methodology created for the design of
serious games for educational purposes. This methodology uses a
participatory approach focused on the user where requirements are taken with
experts in pedagogy and the subject. The main phases of this methodology are
identification, pedagogical objectives, game script, gameplay, and
refinement.Regarding the implementation of the serious game, the gamified
application contains challenges to strengthen reading comprehension in the
player in different themes or missions: Costa, Sierra, and East, the three
regions that make up the Ecuadorian territory. Each of the scenarios
contains instruction signs, a Start button, a blackboard to enter the
correct answer, and response options.This gamified application in Roblox is
aimed at being a tool for learning and strengthening reading comprehension
in school students close to paying the transform exam, the standardized
access test to public universities. This can be done independently by
students or being a support tool for teachers and their students since
reading comprehension skills are applicable for a lifetime.With this work,
the IPLUS methodology and the Roblox Studio software create a thematic
environment where reading comprehension becomes a skill resulting from the
player's enjoyment has been used. Stimulation and reading shake hands thanks
to this application.The results obtained suggest that the gameplay can be
improved to offer greater feedback to the user about the search for the
correct answer to be such an extensive scenario. Finally, this application
can expand its scope by using its playability dynamics to other areas of
knowledge such as mathematics, natural sciences, and social
sciences.Regardless of the extension of the readings, in the design, the
extension of the texts can be adapted as well as their complexity so that
the reading skill can be graduated. The application works very well with
short texts such as those required by the Cloze test.