Cobos, Miguel
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Preferred name
Cobos, Miguel
Main Affiliation
Quito
Email
miguelcobos@uti.edu.ec
ORCID
Scopus Author ID
58019707300

Research Output
Now showing 1 - 7 of 7
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Publication

Validating Narrative in Educational Videos: A Practical Analysis Tool

2024 , Cobos, Miguel

This study presents the development and validation of a practical tool for evaluating narrative elements in educational videos. Based on previous research on narrative analysis and its application in educational contexts, we developed an Excel tool that allows educators to systematically evaluate the narrative structure of videos before using them as educational resources. The tool incorporates key elements such as audiovisual narrative, dramatic structure, narrative flow, and other factors that affect comprehension, and generates automatic reports with recommendations. The validation process involved 30 participants from the educational field, including professors and education students. The results showed high acceptance rates, with more than 90% positive evaluation on usability, functionality and usefulness of the automated reports. This tool represents a significant contribution to the field of educational technology, providing educators with a practical means to select and validate educational videos based on their narrative effectiveness.

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Publication

Narrative of Videogames, Automation of a Proposed Analysis Model

2023 , Salvador P. , Cobos, Miguel

Videogames are cultural products that are immersed in practically all social dynamics. These products convey messages, stories, facts, etc., created and reaffirmed by the context that surrounds them. Therefore, it is important to identify their narratives to take advantage of them. At Indoamerica University, students produce videogames starting from a story, from the literary narrative to the interactive game narrative. Achieving effective links between the narratives and the player's experience is fundamental within the design process. This work is based on previous research, where a model was proposed to identify the relationship between literary narrative and narrative in videogames. This proposal, of a qualitative nature, consists of 4 steps: 1. Context, 2. Literary narrative, 3. General description and 4. Relationship between literary and video game narrative. We proceeded to review the model to determine if the videogame narrative is present and appropriate according to the identified story. Workshops were conducted based on a participatory practice, taking advantage of the university academic context, with experts in the areas of videogames, digital design, psychology, education, literature, together with the creators of these products. This allowed correcting certain aspects and finally improving the original model adjusted to emphasize the narrative in videogames. This result was adapted to a quantitative approach for automation, following the recommendations of Adams and Dormans, as well as the use of the Scrum methodology. The automation was achieved using Microsoft Word with the support of Visual Basic for Applications, thus generating an accessible tool, easy to apply and with immediate results. It is planned to include the use of this tool in future projects and to highlight the importance of videogame narrative in the corresponding syllabus. © 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.

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Narrative in videogame design. A starting guide

2022 , Cobos, Miguel , Salvador P.

The narrative is a literary genre that occurs silently in video games, as a present element that narrates the events while playing. When we decide to develop a video game, many things happen, from getting the idea, thinking of a story, defining rules, designing mechanics and programming, to name a few. At Indoamerica University, we have been developing video games for some years, using the latest trends in graphic and video game design, as well as the necessary software. In this way, after an analysis of the products generated, we have realized the absence of narrative in the design process. Based on this, we wanted to incorporate this genre from the beginning, so that it is considered in the design of each of the elements that constitute it. This work aims to guide those who begin this wonderful world of video game development, in a simple, understandable way, taking the first steps starting from the idea, the story, and incorporating the narrative for its design. © 2022 IEEE.

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Development of an Educational Video Game to Promote Recycling in Children

2025 , Cobos, Miguel

This work is based on a project to connect with society, in which an educational video game was proposed as a contribution to environmental conservation among children. Design students looked for a way to apply the knowledge acquired in the subject of video games to connect with the target audience, children between 7 and 10 years of age in the northwest of Quito. An information survey was carried out to analyse the possibilities for development, starting with the GDD (Game Design Document); from this, prototypes were built to get closer to the idea and to start testing and waiting for feedback from the students. Characters were placed on a stage built with cardboard and toys on which the mechanics were tested, which finally allowed them to move on to the development phase. Using the Scrum methodology, progress was made directly in Unity with C# programming. Having a first computer-playable prototype, adjustments were made considering the comments of the beta-testers. Finally, an evaluation of the product was made to check the experience obtained by the children through the application of the principles of usability and heuristics in several interactions. The video game product of this work consists of a superhero who teaches children how to recycle waste properly.

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Narrative as a Key Element for Learning Through Videos

2023 , Salvador P. , Cobos, Miguel

This article explores the role of narrative in video-based learning and its impact on comprehension. The authors conducted a mixed research study, combining qualitative and quantitative analyses, to determine the influence of narrative on students' comprehension of educational videos. Several videos were selected and presented to students from different disciplines, and their comprehension and perception was assessed using questionnaires and observational techniques. The analysis focused on identifying narrative elements in the videos and assessing their presence and impact on students' comprehension. The results showed that videos with a stronger narrative structure had higher levels of comprehension among students. In addition, factors such as video length, content type, video type, and language also influenced comprehension. These results highlight the importance of incorporating narrative techniques, such as story arc and character development, into educational videos to improve learning outcomes. The study underscores the potential of videos as effective educational resources that stimulate critical thinking and provide a more dynamic and meaningful learning experience. © 2023 IEEE.

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Proposal for the Inclusion of Narrative in the Video Game Design Process

2023 , Cobos, Miguel , Salvador P.

Narrative is a literary genre that is developed in video games; it is presented as an element that narrates the events that take place while playing the game. When you decide to develop a video game, many things happen, from getting the idea, thinking about the story, defining the rules, designing the mechanics, programming, to name a few. At Indoamerica University, we have been developing video games for several years using the latest trends in graphic and video game design, as well as the necessary software. In this way, after analysing the products created, we noticed the absence of narrative in the design process. As a result, we wanted to incorporate this genre from the outset, so that it would be considered in the design of each of the elements that make up the game. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2023.

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Dataset of video game-based assessments in digital culture courses at Indoamerica University

2025 , Cobos, Miguel

This dataset contains evaluation results from video game-based assessments administered to first-level university students across six different academic programs at Universidad Indoamérica from October 2022 to August 2024. The data were collected using an adapted version of Pacman through the ClassTools.net platform, where traditional quiz questions were integrated into gameplay mechanics. The dataset comprises 1418 assessment attempts from students in Law, Medicine, Psychology, Clinical Psychology, Architecture, and Nursing programs, documenting their performance in digital culture and computing courses. Each record includes attempt number, timestamp, student identifier, gender, academic period, section, career program, and score achieved. The dataset enables analysis of student performance patterns, learning progression through multiple attempts, and comparative studies across different academic programs and periods. This information can support research in educational gamification, assessment design, and digital learning strategies in higher education.

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