1. Inspiration
Collaboration:
Teamed up with Kaleena Smith (M.A.Ed. Instructional Design & Technology)
Problem Statement:
Elementary curriculum lacks motivation for the targeted audience, resulting in reduced engagement, attention, and retention which could be improved through game-based learning.
Design Challenge:
Teaching nutrition decision-making to young children aged 5-13 years through a farming AR board game.
Target Persona Interview:
What is your name?
How old are you?
What is your favorite subject in school?
What makes this subject so fun for you?
Do you like to play games?
What are some of your favorite games?
Do these games have characters?
What character do you like to be?
Why?
Do you like to play by yourself or with friends?
What is your favorite thing about your favorite game?
Do you play any games at school?
If so, what kind?
Do you like learning this way?
Have you ever planted anything before?
What have you planted?
What is your favorite thing about gardening?
Do you enjoy learning about how and why things grow?
Do you like to plant flowers or things you can eat?
Would you be interested in a game about gardening?
What type of characters would you like to be?
What would this game look like to you?
SECONDARY RESEARCH:
Gonzalez, C. (2022). Learning and Dynamic Decision Making. Topics in Cognitive Science, 14(1), 14–30.
Lundberg, S., Romich, J. L., & Tsang, K. P. (2009). Decision-making by children. Review of Economics of the Household, 7(1), 1–30.
Huang, Y.-C., Backman, S. J., Backman, K. F., McGuire, F. A., & Moore, D. (2019). An investigation of motivation and experience in virtual learning environments: A self-determination theory. Education and Information Technologies, 24(1), 591–611.
Hofer, M. (2003). The Games we Played: The Golden Age of Board and Table Games. Princeton Architectural Press.
Euteneuer, J. (2019). Defining games, designing identity, and developing toxicity: Future trends in game studies.
Laine, T. H., & Lindberg, R. S. (2020). Designing engaging games for education: A systematic literature review on game motivators and design principles. IEEE, Transactions on Learning Technologies, 13(4), 804-821.
Chiuve, S. E., Sampson, L., & Willett, W. C. (2011). The association between a nutritional quality index and risk of chronic disease. American journal of preventive medicine, 40(5), 505–513.
Bartfay, W. J., & Bartfay, E. (1994). Promoting health in schools through a board game. Western journal of nursing research, 16(4), 438-446.
Willingham, D. T. (2009). Why don't students like school? : a cognitive scientist answers questions about how the mind works and what it means for your classroom (1st ed.). Jossey-Bass.
2. Ideation
Framework:
Divised a gameplay framework for user journey, using theories of Color, Motivation, Retrivel/Testing Effect, Autonomous Decision Making, Contingency Support, Feedback, and Real-Life Demonstration.
Functional Components:
Three Dimensional Board
AR App: It will project animated graphics onto each player's respective squares at the center of the board, displaying their progress. The app will read the position of the pawns and track the player's progress, presenting decision prompts based on their history and previously shown facts.
Card pack: Goal Cards, Resource Tokens, Pawns & Dice
Colored Blocks : They will determine the gameplay and will be arranged in a random/ AI designed arrangement freshly at beginnnig of each game around the board. Types:
Black Blocks: Catastrophe - can result in a penalty
Blue Blocks: Advancement - can result in a reward
Pink Blocks: Community - exchange resources or goal cards
Yellow Blocks - Learning - education related to the theme
Green Blocks: Decision Making - (based on the facts that the player has previously learned through the yellow blocks)
Visualisation:
Using 3D tools for desigining the board and other elements of interactivity catering to the affordances and limitations of Augmented Reality.
3. Prototyping & User-Testing
Fabrication:
3D Printed and colored Pawn prototypes for Farming Game Pack
Used C&C with foam to create baord prototype.
Used Table-Saw to cut foam into various sizes of blocks and colored them.
Play Test:
Hosted test gameplay with adult users to for feedback.
4. Rethinking Design
Downloading Learnings:
A value hierarchy for resources
A transaction cost with the bank
Chance for a losing player to recover and possibly win
Implications of physical proximity of individual blocks
Proportionate count of Colored Blocks
Interaction for more than four players
The need for a story/narrative for retaining engagement
Storage/logistical concerns
Tools Practiced...
CNC
3D Printing
Autodesk Fusion 360
Blender
Credits...
Harshal Pilania, Creative Technologist / Digital Fabrication / 3D Models
Kaleena Smith, Instructional Designer / Game Theory
Dr. Glenn Holmes, Interactive Learning Media Design Professor
Samuel Blanchard, Digital Fabrication Professor
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