tCOFELET: Conceptual Framework for Team-Centric e-Learning and Training

Despite the advancements in cyber security serious gaming, team-centric approaches have not been explored and the effectiveness of such approaches remains largely untapped. In this light, the main design trends and considerations of multiplayer and collaborative serious games are analyzed, along with weaknesses we identified in the field. Based on this analysis an extension of the Conceptual Framework for eLearning and Training is introduced, named Conceptual Framework for Team-Centric eLearning and Training (tCOFELET). The tCOFELET framework emphasizes the significance of team-centric learning and training and proposes a structured gameplay involving the distinct collaborative phases in planning, performing actions, and reflecting on achievements. tCOFELET integrates COFELET’s main elements along with new concepts aiming to create immersive and engaging learning experiences that convey technical knowledge with practical application of skills and development of soft skills such as communication, teamwork, and strategic thinking. Based on the tCOFELET framework a blueprint of a prototype collaborative cybersecurity serious game was elaborated, named mHackLearn. A systematic presentation of mHackLearn’s design, analyzed under the prism of the Activity Theory Model for Serious Games (ATMSG), is presented. Finally, a preliminary evaluation of the mHackLearn’s game design is performed providing an initial estimation of its potential impact. The findings of the evaluation show that mHackLearn seamlessly integrates several key design considerations of collaborative games, providing promising insights into the tCOFELET’s capability to facilitate effective team-centric cybersecurity serious game approaches.