VAFUG: A Model for Designing Educational Activities grounded in Game Studies and Aesthetics

This paper introduces VAFUG, a model for designing learning activities that draw on the expressive and affective dimensions of commercial video games. Developed through a Design-Based Research process (DBR), VAFUG offers a set of indicators organized into three analytical components —Visual and Auditory Environment, Fictional Universe, and Core Gameplay— that guide educators through a descriptive phase and a subsequent process of identifying relevant educational questions. The model aims to support the design of dialogical activities that are both sensitive to the emotional and symbolic depth of games and adaptable to diverse classroom settings. This first design cycle covers the initial DBR phases, namely: 1) analysis of practical problems (the lack of analytical models available to educators for examining video games and designing meaningful educational activities); 2) development of solutions (our proposed model, influenced by both Game Studies and Aesthetics); and 3) testing and refinement (through an application of the model to the game Neva (Nomada Studio, 2024), a visually and emotionally rich indie title). The application enabled a preliminary validation of the model’s descriptive and heuristic dimensions and allowed for the formulation of early design principles to guide future educational interventions. Preliminary results suggest that VAFUG can facilitate a more deliberate and context-aware incorporation of video games into educational contexts, particularly in relation to civic and socioemotional competences. Moreover, the model encourages a form of pedagogical engagement that recognizes the cultural, artistic, and affective potential of video games as meaningful learning objects. In this sense, VAFUG also contributes to the broader dialogue on how Game Studies and Aesthetics can inform educational innovation.