Concept Ptoject + Research publication

Gamification of Education

The Indian school systems still do not use interactive methods of teaching. This can actually help students of all learning capacities develop their skill. Let us explore the use of a gamified learning environment in skill development.

VIew Prototype

See Paper

My Role

I researched the Indian education system and created an active learning environment with the help of a board game.

Project Type

Research based UI/UX project.

Duration

3 Months

End Goal

To enable all types of students grasp the basic concepts of Chemistry using Gamification as a tool.

An overview of Indian Education system

Education in India has inevitably placed more importance on certain subjects like Maths & Science.

Indian schools follow a traditional method of teaching where teachers communicate information to students.
A passive learning environment cannot guarantee equal grasp of knowledge by all kinds of students.
"What makes chemistry difficult" shows that most students who do not grasp basic chemistry concepts earlier can grow to fear the subject and score less.
Indian schools are essentially missing an active learning environment which facilitates experience based learning.

What is Gamification?

Applying elements of gaming in other fields and activities, such as education, technology, public awareness and so on.
Lee Sheldon was the first user of a gamified learning environment

Learn more about Gamification here.

Case Study of Board Games

Purpose: To reach the right kind of solution, sometimes understanding the users alone is not enough.
So, I studied a total of 11 Board games ranging multiple genres and broke them down in terms of the 2 major frameworks - MDA ( Mechanics, Dynamics, Aesthetics) and DPE ( Design, Play, Experience)

Genres: Racing, Strategy, Mystery, Battle,

‍Games: Cluedo, Dungeons and Dragons, Battleship, Scrabble, Monopoly, Survival

View the framework breakdown example here

MDA Framework

It is a tool to help developers understand the game through different perspectives, alongside examination of existing games to figure out their credibility

DPE Framework

An expansion of the MDA framework, DPE address the need for a serious game design, targeted at learning and experience.

Relating Game elements with Chemistry

Based on the studies done and data collected, I drew parallels between chemistry syllabus and game elements?

Debates & Discussions

Otherwise seen missing in a passive classroom, games allow students to clear misconceptions and misgivings about Chemistry through debates.

Understanding Gameplay

In the process of understanding rules, students recognize the most basic aspects of Chemistry.

The drive to win

They are motivated to learn by their own need to win, not the pressure of marks or the need to take exams.

Game Dynamics

Dynamics allows students to take their time understanding the game and make decisions based on their level of comprehension.

Curiosity & Unpredicability

Students develop curiosity for the subject content which facilitates internalizing of concepts.

Insights from student survey

I conducted a survey to find out problems related to learning in the current classroom scenario and teaching methods in indian schools.

15%

students

Felt that they were not spoken to in a classroom

26%

high schoolers

Deemed science to be the hardest to study subject

20%

graduates

Felt pressured to rote learn concepts in order to score

Ideation of concepts for a chemistry board game

Guidelines followed:

To ensure basic chemistry concepts of entry level high school curriculum is covered in the game.
Balance between intrigue and educational content.
Relatable theme and story line to keep the students engaged.

Using the One Page Design technique, gave me a clear direction to tie loose concepts into a concrete educational game. Areas of focus were:

1. Educational aspect- Periodic Table and their properties, Elements discovery, Basic Neutralization reaction and basic anion/cation recognition.

2. Theme- Kids entering high school are big on fictional novels. So I decided to go with the theme of "Greek Mythology" to relate the concepts of chemistry to. Characters of Ares, Athena, Poseidon and Apollo are the key player roles.

3. Goal- The main goal of the game is to help students internalize the properties of complicated elements and have fun while doing it.

THE GAME IDEA

The final design

Lab City - A chemistry Adventure

The final game follows the theme of Greek Mythology, where each character must finish a neutralization reaction to prevent the city from burning down.

Testing the results

I conducted 3 levels of testing with different batches of students in a nearby school which chose to remain anonymous.

Learnings from Project

Key takeaways

As a high school student, I myself had an impending fear of the subject chemistry. Working on this project was a task in itself because I had to teach myself the concepts I was designing for.
Through this project, I learnt how important it was to test your concepts. The final iteration of the game was a product of multiple tests conducted with friends and peers who educated me on important aspects missing from the game.
I learnt the importance of having a mentor. Whenever I felt dejected or frustrated, my mentor Ganesh Sadashiv was there to instill some direction to my project.