Description
Served as an independent evaluator for the 2025 Serious Games Showcase & Challenge (SGS&C), the premier international competition for serious games held annually at I/ITSEC. This role involved the detailed evaluation of finalist games across government, XR, and general audience categories using the official SGS&C rubric. Each game was assessed for technical quality, instructional design, integration of learning mechanics, gameplay, and innovation. A total of five finalist games were fully evaluated, each representing a different instructional and technological design approach. Evaluation required systematic gameplay testing, review of game design documentation, and the submission of formal scoring through the SGS&C assessment system.Number of Reviews Completed - [5]
Games Evaluated & Evidence Summaries
Category: Government Audience
[1] Forensics Virtual Investigation Unit (NIWC Pacific) - A clear and functional VR forensic investigation tool with stable performance and strong action–reaction feedback. Hand-tracking interaction is innovative, though affordance cues and onboarding need improvement. Tool use is well implemented, with opportunities for further diegetic interface design and consequence-based feedback to strengthen learning.
[2] MilExTS: Tactical Trauma Trainer (Exonicus) - A high-production trauma care simulation with exceptional casualty modelling, realistic physiological responses, and strong environmental fidelity. Guided tutorials and full unguided scenarios support progressive learning, with clear performance logs and detailed feedback on instrument use. Deeply aligned with safe practice requirements, offering an evidence-based alternative to dangerous real-world trauma training. Highly polished and instructionally robust.
[3]Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Sexual Harassment Prevention VR Training - Provides clear instruction, dual-coded learning, and multiple scenarios addressing sensitive workplace issues. Interactive elements and quizzes support reflection, though responses could be more fully integrated into the VR environment. Visual environments could be enhanced, but the training is well structured, with appropriate onboarding and meaningful potential for applied learning.
Category: General Audience
[4] Wayfinder - Explores navigation under visually impaired conditions through altered VR perception. Interesting concept with emerging potential, though the VR design introduces motion sickness risks and requires stronger onboarding and user safety guidance. Learning outcomes rely heavily on time-based metrics, which could be reframed around perceptual science, environmental cues, and spatial decision-making. Interface clarity and contextual learning design would benefit from further development.
[5] Year of the Cicadas - A powerful autobiographical VR narrative exploring grief, memory, and parental loss through strong visual design, soundscapes, and environmental storytelling. Interactions, pacing, and scene transitions are thematically cohesive. Highlighting cues could be refined to match the tone, but the experience is deeply impactful and artistically significant, demonstrating meaningful use of VR for emotional and reflective learning.
Additional information
Significance / Impact StatementThis activity contributes to international quality assurance and validation of emerging serious games and XR training tools across defence, healthcare, behavioural training, and narrative learning domains. The SGS&C competition is a globally recognised benchmark for innovation in applied game design. Dr Birt’s evaluations support rigor, transparency, and industry relevance in the selection of high-quality learning experiences and provide expert insight into instructional alignment, technical fidelity, and user experience. The evaluations also reflect Bond University’s strengths in immersive media, virtual production, digital learning innovation, and applied research translation.
| Period | 13 Nov 2025 → 21 Nov 2025 |
|---|---|
| Event type | Conference |
| Location | Orlando, United States, FloridaShow on map |
| Degree of Recognition | International |