Umema Khan
ST 8C
Mr. Christodoulou
April 21st 2011
Investigation:
Background:
Significant Concept: Learning to learn with games is fun.
Unit Question: How can Computer Games help students learn difficult concepts?
Problem/Situation:
What is the Problem? (General)
The problem is that there are a lot of fun games, and a lot of educational games, but
there are no games that are fun and educational at the same time. Also the thing is that
games have a very bad history, and now teachers do not trust the students to be
playing games, even if it was an educational game, the teacher tells the student to turn
it off. Also the educational games are not really good at helping students learn really
hard concepts. This is a huge problem that really needs to be solved.
What is the Problem? (Specific)
Well I explained it generally, so now I am going to give some examples.
One time I was playing an educational game, for studying because we had a test
coming up in Science, and because I am not too strong in electricity, I thought that if I
play a game I might understand the concepts better, but when the teacher saw me, she
told me to turn it off, and when I said that it was educational she got mad. This is
actually a typical reason that teachers don’t even look at the game before judging that
the student is misusing the computer. The AOI of this is environments and I think that
the way that this project relates to environments is the fact that
Advantages and Disadvantages of Educational Games:
Advantages:
- Can increase vocabulary
- Help students to learn concepts in a fun way
- Reinforce learning
- Can help students understand different concepts
- Can be used as a studying tool
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090121080645AAaWxT6
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090225013747AAVIeQM
Disadvantages:
- Can cause back and neck pain if played for too long
- Can hurt eyesight
- Educational games can affect children mentally. For instance, children may want to
play until they win or advance in the game. According to studies done at Newman
University College in Birmingham, England, this determination can cause low self-
esteem or aggressive behavior, especially if students keep losing at the game.
http://www.ehow.com/list_6569922_disadvantages-using-games-learning-
tool.html
But as you can see here there are more advantages than disadvantages, I mean
nothing and nobody is 100% perfect, so everything has its advantages and
disadvantages but I think that this is good to do because it has many advantages
and not as many disadvantages.
Design Brief:
What will you create?
I will create a game that is educational yet fun at the same time. It will somehow
convince the teachers that there are such things as educational games. Also my game
will actually teach concepts that are actually hard, and this will really help the
students a lot so that they can get better grades in even the hardest subjects like math.
What General Function will it perform?
My game will be an educational tool for the students to use when studying for a test
on something they really do not understand at all. This will help them to learn
difficult concepts that are truly hard to understand such as Factorization for math or
electricity for science, or maybe even note reading for music.
Who will use it?
My main audience that I will be aiming for are people that are about my age like
grade 7 or 8, where we almost learn the same things. I will be aiming for those
students that are kind of like me and have some difficulties in many different subjects
so that they don’t get so bad grades, just because of the fact that they didn’t really
understand what to do, or how to do it.
When will it be completed?
I am aiming to complete my game before the end of this year, and term. I will try to
get it done before the create deadline which is June 9th so that I can be done on time
and still have some time to do my evaluation.
Why are you making this product?
As I said before this is a huge problem that really needs to be solved, and I am going
to try hard to make this possible by making a really good game that will help those
students to get better grades, and to understand the difficult concepts better.
Analysis of previous solutions:
Describe how a similar problem has been solved by you.
Last term in IT with Mr. Jones we had to solve this problem, “The problem is that
kids are constantly bored during class and are tempted to use the computer for games
and social networking sites like twitter or face book. Therefore, most teachers do not
trust students when on computers.” Also in this problem I have already said that the
teachers do not trust the students even if they are playing an educational game and tell
them to turn it off. So these two tasks are actually pretty similar. But in the previous
task we had to convince the teachers that emerging technologies could actually help
you, and in this task we have to make a game to prove it. This is the link to our
project about game enhanced learning:
http://www.wix.com/nawal_m/gameenhancelearning
How effective was it at solving the problem? Include if it was positive, negative and
possible improvements.
The previous task was actually very effective when solving the problem, and I got a
very good grade. I think that since this is similar I will also be successful in this task
as well. I don’t mean to boast at all but I personally think that there were no negative
outcomes in the previous task that I did. I think that all of them were positive and
happened for the best. This is why we were so successful, but I think that the best
thing was the fact that we had such a good group with different abilities, and we used
all of those abilities, therefore our group was very balanced.
Design Specifications:
Must Haves:
Spec # Specification Purpose Testable? [y/n]
Description
1 It must be fun It should be fun so that Yes
the students actually
are entertained
2 Helps students learn Because if it just No
difficult concepts teaches easy stuff what
is the point?
3 Questions must get Because if they don’t Yes
harder and harder get harder then the
game will be too easy
4 At least 5 levels Because if there is only Yes
one level it will be too
easy.
5 Must not send a bad or Because if the game is Yes
violent message all about shooting and
stuff then the teachers
may not believe the
students that it is
educational. Also it
kind of will make
students think that
shooting people in real
life is ok.
Would be good if had:
Spec # Specification Purpose Testable? [y/n]
Description
6 Good Graphics Because games usually Yes
aren’t really fun with
bad graphics
7 Good Story If it has a good story Yes
the game becomes a
bit more entertaining.
8 About an actual To make it more fun I Yes
cartoon could make it about a
story of an actual
cartoon like
SpongeBob
9 Some actual action in I think that I there is Yes
the game rather than something that the
just a quiz player does besides
just answering
questions would be
fun
Testing:
Spec # Method for What will be Who will perform
performing test measured test?
1 I will make a survey or The “funness” if it is a People in the class will
ask people to play my word Or how fun do the test because I
game and to tell me the game is want people my age
how fun it is from a not younger or older
scale of 1 to 10 people
2 There isn’t really a The difficulty I will because as I said
way to test this before different people
because different have different
students have a opinions on what is
different opinion on hard.
what is difficult, so I
guess I will just make
it according to what I
think is difficult.
3 What I will do for this The difficulty of each Here again people in
specification is I will question my class will do it
make a survey for because the questions
everyone, when they are meant for eighth
play the game and on graders, and if
that survey I will have someone younger did
for each question the it, they would think it
numbers 1 -10 and for is harder and if
each question someone older did it, it
everyone has to circle would probably be too
the one that most suits easy.
the question, 10 being
the hardest.
4 This one is obviously The number of levels I will do it because all I
capable of being tested need to do it make at
because it is just a least 5 levels and I
matter of counting. think that it would be
really dumb if I were
to ask everyone to
count how many levels
there are.
5 Also in this one I will The message Some people in the
make a survey for the class, this is because
people to tell me if it they might find a
doesn’t encourage message that is bad
anyone to do anything that I haven’t noticed
bad. when making the
game.
6 I will make a survey The graphics The class again, and
for the people to tell maybe even other
me how good the people in my family or
graphics are on a scale something, or my
from 1 to 10. friends that are my age
older or younger.
7 I will again do a survey The story The classes because
asking the people how they can tell me best
good the survey is on a about the story and
scale from 1 to 10 and how suitable it is and
why. stuff like that.
8 This one I think that it The cartoon being I will do this one
is testable but I will used in game story. because it isn’t really
not do a survey or the kind of
anything, because it is specification that can
just the fact that it will be tested by others
be more entertaining if and stuff.
it is a bout a cartoon
everyone knows and
loves.
9 Also like the previous Actual action in the Again I will do this test
one this specification game besides just a because it is also not
is also different so I quiz. your average
will not do a survey or specification and isn’t
anything like that. really easily done with
surveys.
Bibliography:
Adams, Chanel. "The Disadvantages of Using Games As a Learning Tool |
EHow.com." EHow | How to Videos, Articles & More - Trusted Advice for the
Curious Life | EHow.com. Web. 18 Apr. 2011.
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"Advantages of Educational Games? - Yahoo! Answers." Yahoo! Answers - Home.
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"Child Recreation and Entertainment, Games, Development, Educational and
Intellectual Games Information, Resources, and Advice - by ParentingInformed."
Parenting Directory of Resources and Forums Offering Parents Advice, Tips, and
Skills. Web. 18 Apr. 2011.
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"Educational Game." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 18 Apr. 2011.
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Mubeen, Nawal, Umema Khan, Arshia Jain, and Ghaida Odah. "Wix.com
GameEnhanceLearning Created by Nawal _m Based on Play Store." Game Enhanced
Learning. Wix Free Website Builder. Web. 18 Apr. 2011.
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"What Are Advantage and Unadvantage Educational Games? - Yahoo! Answers."
Yahoo! Answers - Home. Web. 18 Apr. 2011.
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"Wix.com - Website Built by Suregurl Based on Blank Website." Free Website
Builder | Create a Free Flash Website at Wix.com. Web. 18 Apr. 2011.
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