Conducting Evaluation Studies of Mobile Games with Preschoolers

Conducting Evaluation Studies of Mobile Games

with Preschoolers Laila Shoukry

• Challenges

• Educational games which compete with “real” non-educational games

• Keeping interest to repeat playing over a long time period

• Requires big audio library as they cannot read

• Testing with preschoolers

• Opportunities

• No complicated learning theories

• No complicated game strategies and scoring

• Not required to to master a large amount of learning content, only some

indirect learning

Designing Learning Games for Preschoolers

Designing Mobile Educational Games for Preschoolers

Fun

Usability

Learning

Mobility

Preschoolers’ age

Design Requirements/ Heuristics

Pre-MEGa Framework

Pre-MEGa

Screen Design

Navigation & Control

Ease of Use

Responsiveness

Game Design Learning Potential

Instructions

Feedback

Difficulty Level

Pedagogical

Agent

Content

Delivery

Customization

Safety & Security

Accessility

Value

Usability Playability Learning Mobile

Adapted for Preschoolers

Smartphone Specifics

Hamza Arabic Alphabet Game

Story of the game: •Hamza has lost his beloved letters and wants to collect them. •The player should help Hamza pick all his letters again. •This is done using several games and then they play together with the letters. •All this repetition is meant to teach them the Alphabet in an indirect way.

Demo of Hamza Game

•Intro: •Intro captures child’s attention using animation and side effects. •Gender Choice: •The whole game is adaptable to Gender with graphics and words. •The Character •Hamza is called a pedagogical agent. •Gender as specified. •Chosen related to the context of the learning material and the game. •Uses a language easily understood by the child.

•Uses a song to make it more entertaining and easy to remember. •Uses animation. •It establishes a social relationship with the child. •It tells a story full of fantasy. •It doesn’t command but rather asks for help. •It defines a goal and instructions on how to reach it.

Demo of Hamza Game

•Choose Alphabet Range: •Can choose one of four ranges as well as concatinating any number of ranges: all games and songs are adapted accordingly. • Easy instructions. •Flat menu • Still some usability problems… •Back button to change Gender choice •Considering different device sizes.

•Sliding Menu •Good way to represent different sub-games in the total context and sequence of the game. •can play several iterations of the game using the choices made once at the beginning of the game. •Enables jump to a sub-game which the child prefers. •Back button to change previous choices.

Demo of Hamza Game

Racing Game: •As if child is steering the car with Hamza to catch the letters. • Environment design reflecting Egyptian culture. • Speed of the car chosen with caution and changed after evaluation with preschoolers. •Fosters Eye-Hand Coordination. •Gender-specific, randomly generated, “natural” positive and negative feedback.

•Repetition of Alphabet sound. • Use of sound effects and music (A problem for some Arab users). • Letters are personified. •Random direction of letters. •Parents can hold the device with their children and “steer” with them. •The pause button is far from their fingers. • Interruptions like phone calls act like clicking on pause. •Only Alphabet Range to make it short. Fireworks Reward at Finish.

Demo of Hamza Game

Transition Animation: •Hamza thanks the child for help (motivation). • Gives instructions for next game. • Uses a song again. Bag Drag and Drop Game • Bag is personified and gives instructions. • “Magical” bag sound effects. • Natural Environment: Garden.

• Repition of Alphabet name . • Different movement, using fingers. • Large area for selection to make it easy. • According to alphabet range selection. • Fireworks reward.

Demo of Hamza Game

Alphabet Song: •According to Alphabet Range. • As a surprise to catch attention. • Bag is singing the letters while getting them out again. • Clicking anywhere on the screen pauses the song and you can skip it. • You can repeat the song after it’s finished.

Demo of Hamza Game

Bag Test: • Reinforcing learning • Gender-specific Instructions & Feedback • Also depends on Alphabet range selection. • Fireworks as reward.

•Closing Animation • A song by Hamza again. • Encouraging to play again. • Link to Evaluation Form or repeat playing from beginning.

Demo of Hamza Game

Choosing the girl: • Customized character design • Customized car design • Customized Background in Racing • Customized instructions and Feedback in all games. Skipping Animations & Games: • All animations and games can be skipped easily

•Choosing the whole Alphabet range • By directly clicking on the car.

• Sliding Menu •Allows jumping to desired game. •Represents all sub-games in their context and sequence

Field Study

Hamza on Google Play

User Reviews

More than 100 responses!

Online Evaluation Form

Online Evaluation Form

Some Results

Best Ratings for Idea, Design, Usability and Fun!

Some Results

Game Updates: Navigation

Hamza 2

• About Me:

Laila Hussein Shoukry

Research Associate

KOM- TU Darmstadt

Germany

[email protected]

http://guc.academia.edu/LailaHussein

Thank you

Conducting Evaluation Studies of Mobile Games with Preschoolers

Education

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