Role-Playing in Teacher Education with InCoLearn and its Qualitative Usability

InCoLearn functions as a multiplayer online role-playing game specifically engineered to cultivate professional competencies in student teachers, particularly regarding classroom inclusion and the management of student heterogeneity. By bridging the gap in vocational teacher education research, the platform serves as a serious game environment where pedagogical theory meets simulated practice. The primary objective is to evaluate the usability of this digital tool to ensure that technical interface design effectively supports, rather than hinders, the acquisition of essential teaching skills.

A mixed-methods study involving 46 student teachers reveals that while users generally perceive the game as conforming to their expectations, significant friction exists regarding technical execution. Qualitative focus group analysis highlights that suitability for learning and controllability are the most critical dimensions of the user experience. Participants frequently noted that while the educational content is robust, navigation challenges—specifically regarding mouse controls, camera movement, and the clarity of quest objectives—impede the learning process. These findings demonstrate that high frequency in qualitative feedback often signals specific usability bottlenecks that require immediate design intervention.

The research establishes a clear roadmap for iterative development, emphasizing the need for improved onboarding, more intuitive interface controls, and refined feedback mechanisms. By aligning these qualitative insights with international standards for human-system interaction, the study provides a framework for optimizing serious games within professional training contexts. Ultimately, the findings suggest that for educational simulations to be effective, the technical interface must achieve a level of transparency that allows the user to focus entirely on pedagogical decision-making rather than navigating the game environment itself.