Endangered Adventure Process Book
by Rachel Sweat
Endangered Adventure Process Book
by Rachel Sweat
Special THanks to: Michelle Carpenter Ray Sams Travis Vermillye Erin Von Feldt-Slaughter Elena Martinez Alisha Yarnall
Table of Contents
1. Research
1
2. Subject Matter Experts
9
3. Personas
10
4. Design
13
5. Conclusion
19
6. Works Cited
21
Research
“How can a video game be used to educate special education students about endangered animals?� Video games and electronics are becoming
overcome their disabilities. I decided to use
popular experimental learning tools in classrooms.
Endangered animals as the subject for the video
I was curious whether or not a video game for the
game because endangered animals are a key theme
tablet could be a helpful tool for special education
in the fourth grade life sciences and are a subject
students because children have been found to
that expands on other biology subjects as they
learn information faster when a tablet was used
progress through school. It is also very easy to get
along traditional teaching methods. Special
young children excited about animals so it was a
education is a program that could benefit from
good subject to start with.
additional resources to help the kids learn and
2
Top 5 Disabilities in Classrooms 1. Individual Learning disabilities 2. Serious Emotional Disorders 3. Speech and Language Disoders 4. Other Health Impairments 5. Autism
3
How video games can help kids with disabilities. Video games seem like they would be more
as self control, to be mindful of their emotions
suitable to a child’s free time than class time,
and the emotions of others, and adapting to
however video games are very valuable tool in
changing situations without becoming
the classroom. Video games provide
frustrated. These skills are learned through the
motivation in students, are less intimidating
game’s narrative and gameplay. For example, if
than standardized tests and quizzes, and can
a game has enemies and bosses with certain
provide teachers and parents data that
weaknesses, or encounter a difficult puzzle they
evaluates the child’s performance.
have to adjust to the new situation and not rely on the same old rigid techniques they’re used to.
According to Learning Works for Kids, video
These skills that the kids practice in video games
games can also be used to help children with
can be applied to situations outside of school
disabilities exercise critical thinking skills, such
helping them to overcome their disability.
4
The Importance of Role-Playing My biggest inspiration for the game play
endangered animal games and found they
behind Endangered Adventure was a
were very quiz and trivia based. While this
role-playing game called Wolf Quest 2.7
was educational there wasn’t an emotional
made by a company called eduweb who
connection after playing. It was a feeling of
create educational games and apps. In the
“Okay, now what?” The games didn’t make
game the player customizes and plays as
me want to learn more about animals and
a two year old wolf and experience wolf
didn’t create sympathy for the animals from
survival struggles in an immersive 3D world.
that emotoinal connection.
After the game was released the company conducted a survey and found 75.6% of the players felt more emotionally connected to wolves and wanted to learn more about the
help children to want to learn more about the animal and develope an understanding of why the animals are endangered, which is
animals. Some of the players volunteered at
one of the concepts they will have to
wolf sanctuaries and rehabilitation centers,
understand in fourth grade life science and
which actually benefits the animals cause.
expand upon in later science courses.
To further help my design I researched other
5
Having these emotional connections will
Wolf Quest 2.7 Gameplay
6
Subject Matter Experts
Elena Martinez Elena is a special education teacher who has worked with young children. She’s familiar with special education teaching practices as well as teaching techniques that are more effective with special education children.
Erin Von Feldt-Slaughter Erin is a school councilor psychologist who has experience working with children to try and help them overcome their disabilities. She’s helped me in understanding the most common disabilities in classrooms and what they have difficulty with.
Considerations When I interviewed my subject matter ex-
Elena gave me was to keep in mind that
perts they both a had positive feed back for
disabilities vary from individual to individual,
me and encouraged me to pursue my idea.
so the game would have to have the ability to
Elena had even considered using the game
adjust it’s difficulty and settings based on the
in her class should it ever be produced.
child’s individual disabilities. The game should use positive reinforcement when a child
Some considerations they gave me for my
completes a task in the game. Special
designs were to avoid using flashes of light,
education children respond very well to
and bright contrasting colors, such as red on
positive reinforcment and any calls to action
blue, as these can have negative effects on
should be short and exciting.
children with sensory disorders, especially children with seizures. Another suggestion
8
Personas
Name: Anne Age: 48 Occupation: Special Education Teacher
Goal: Anne wants to incorporate new a creative teaching techniques to her students, to make learning easier and more fun for them.
Anne is a fourth grade special education teacher who’s teaching her students about life sciences as apart of the fourth grade curriculum. She’s wants to incorporate new and innovative teaching tools to her classroom to help her students learn while keeping them engaged, however because all her students have different needs she wants to find something that everyone will have with and can participate in.
Name: Taylor Age: 9 Occupation: Student
Goal: Have fun and learn at a pace she feels comfortable with. Taylor is a fourth grade student in special education class due to her disability. Like many kids she enjoys playing games and loves animals However, she sometimes has a difficult time focusing in class and tends to get stuck in her own little world when class becomes to difficult to follow.
10
Design
Titles/Headings Sub-headings Body Text
Buttons
R: 140 G: 198 B: 62
R: 56 G: 180 B: 73
R: 81 G: 122 B: 55
R: 144 G: 71 B: 31
R: 251 G: 175 B: 63
R: 195 G: 154 B: 107
R: 168 G: 123 B: 79
R: 116 G: 76 B: 40
When designing Endangered
question mark floating in each of the areas that
Adventure I had to consider what the goals of
when tapped will pop-up interesting
the game should be, how to keep the kids
information about the animal and explain in a
interested and engaged in the game, and how
little more detail why the animal is endangered.
to show that they’ve learned. The solution I
Information on these question marks have will
came up with was to create a 3D world
be on a quiz that will be presented at the end
similar to the animal’s habitat in the wild, and
of the level when all of the question marks are
have areas that showed the kids visually why
found. The child’s answers will be submitted to
the animal is endangered. I would have a
the teacher to show if the child has learned.
12
Rough Sketch Ideas
13
Gameplay Task flow Main Menu New Game Single Player
Load Saved Game
multiplayer
Options
Credits
Quit
Select Game
Select Animal
Go back
Customize
Continue
Begin Free Roam Mode
Begin Game
Pop-up: Instructions
okay
Question mark tapped
okay
Search for Question Marks
All 5 Marks Found
Great job: Take quiz
okay
Take Quiz
Check Answer
Review Answers
Submit Pop-up: Keep Playing?
Yes
No End: Return to Main Menu
14
15
User Testing and Revisions For the games interface I drew up wireframes on
Other major revisions to the wireframes were
graph paper and paper prototyped them for user
mainly in the quiz portion of the game. Elena
testing. Elena volunteered to do the user testing
suggested that I use a variety of questions in
as she wasn’t really familiar with playing video
the quiz such as multiple choice mixed with true
games, and could point out anything that should
or false and yes and no questions to keep the
be changed about the design.
quiz more interesting for the students. She also suggested that I use “next” buttons when going
The first wireframe designs were too text heavy,
through the quiz questions instead of scrolling
and because children don’t like to read, the
down on the tablet. For some obscure reason
informational overviews that show up in animal
special education children like the action of
customization and pop-ups were shortened to
button pushing, and the next buttons would
brief paragraphs.
making navigation more natural for them.
16
Unity Screenshots
17
Building the Scene While creating the revisions for the wireframes
for free from the asset store and the tiger was
of the games interface I went into a game
available for $30.00. I chose the tiger for the
development software called Unity to create
games character because it is an endangered
the 3d scene, which will be separate from the
animal that I could show case in the game, and
games 2D menus and pop-ups.
because this particular model had the animations already rigged I wouldn’t have to
The most appealing thing I found about Unity
spend months creating new animations from
is that the majority of the character controls,
scratch in another software. After adding a third
models, and textures are easily imported
person character controller and defining the
from within the game engine, or are available
animations controls the tiger was ready to play
for download from the Unity asset store. The
with very minimal coding and could be adjusted
trees, rocks, and terrain textures were available
without interfering with other game features.
18
Conclusion
By using a 3D role-playing game for the tablet special education children can learn about endangered animals. When kids play as an endangered animal they get the opprotunity to explore the animal’s habitat and discover why these beautiful animals are endangered.
20
Works Cited
•
CU South Denver “Wonders of Living Things Teaching Trunks”.
•
Schaller, David. “Game Mechanics and the Museum: Designing simple gameplay around complex content.” MW2014: Museums and the Web 2014. Published January 31, 2014. Consulted April 28, 2016.http:// mw2014.museumsandtheweb.com/paper/game-mechanics-and-the-museum-designing-simple-gameplay-around-complex-content/
•
Schaller, D., From Knowledge to Narrative – to Systems? Games, Rules and Meaning-making. In J. Trant and D. Bearman (eds). Museums and the Web 2011: Proceedings. Toronto: Archives & Museum Informatics. Published March 31, 2011. Consulted April 28, 2016. http://conference.archimuse.com/mw2011/ papers/from_knowledge_to_narrative_to_systems
•
Gonzalez José Luis, Cabrera MArcelino J, and Gutiérrez Francisco L. “Using Videogames in Special Education” Software Engineering Department. University of Granada. 2007. pp 360-367
•
Schaller, David. “What makes a learning Game?,” http://www.eduweb.com/schaller-games
•
Bidwell, Anne. “How video games can help struggling students.” Nov. 2013. http://www.usnews.com/ news/articles/2013/11/26/how-virtual-games-can-help-struggling-students-learn
•
http://learningworksforkids.com
•
http://www.eduweb.com
•
http://www.wolfquest.org/wordpress/index.php
•
http://www.museumsandtheweb.com/mw2009/papers/schaller/schaller.html
•
http://tablets-textbooks.procon.org
22