Category Archives: Project 19

Project19week16

After more than five months have been spent working on this project, now it is time to post the final draft of this work. The game The Secret of a Healthy Diet has as  learning objective teaching students who attend New middle schools about the significance of following a healthy diet in order to boost their ability to learn. In the game the dominant form of interaction is reading. Students who was selected to play the game had to read the information that are written on many cards that are used to build the game. This method supports the learning objective it allows players to learning about what constitute a good or a bad diet.

Cogintive and behavior of the participants are the two systems that the game affected the most. The cognitive system is affected because the game deals with the process of learning. In the other hand, it affects the cognitive aspect because it leaves players with the possibility to choose between what constitute a good  or a bod diet.  In term of the number of players that are engaged in the game, it could goes from 2 to 5 players.  They interact with the game cooperatively.

The primary objective of the game is to win and learn about good diet. However, the better you do when playing the game, the more positive feedback you would receive. You will receive reward that can be money, trips, bike, gift card, etc. The game objective reinforce the leaning objective. The feedbacks and the rewards are all intended to promote  players’ tendency to follow good Diet. The rules of the game are very simple. Each player has to roll 3 dimes, and the total number of the 3 dimes correspond to the question they will have answer on the card. The  rules do not conflict with the game learning objectives because they are  what makes game functioning.

The game is engaging. The elements support learning in the sense that the player learn about the benefits of making good choice when it comes to food. He will observe his improvement in the domain of learning and food choice.

The game ends when one player wins. It is very easy to play. All a player will need is a basic learning about healthy food. The good part is that while you are playing the game itself will teach you about this basic knowledge. It will take a few minutes to learn the game and become an very efficient player.

 

 

 

project19week15

Contrary to the blogs that we have posted before, this blog will focus on the discussion of the experiment conducted by using the game ” The Secret of a Healthy Diet.” The thesis stated that a healthy diet has a positive effect on children ability to learn. This discussion focus on how  the game the Secret of a Healthy Diet support the thesis.  A large sample of middle school students in the New York state was subject to play the play the game.

There were an experimental group and a control group in the experiment. The experimental group played the game over a period of time. When they finished playing the game, we observed that their attitude towards food choice changed. They became more aware about the type of food they would have for breakfast, and lunches by avoiding junk foods. The most significant method of measurement that has been considered is the performance of these students at school. Students who played the game not only did better than those in the control group, but they also perform way better at school.

Many journal articles (peer review) were considered in order to  learn about the progress that have already made in the field. The conclusion made about them was not disappointed. Even though they did not propose any solution to the diverse challenges that children are facing in order to learn about good choice of food, they make it easier to pinpoint the problem. This experiment solves the problem by proposing a good method that could discourage children to eat unhealthy food in a pleasant manner. While playing the game entitled the Secret of a healthy Diet, children learn very quickly about good food.

This contribution opens doors for many other experiments that could use game in order to teach children or even adult about how to learn a material quickly and efficiently. Socially this work reveals a significant importance. Our future society is based on the quality of education that our children are receiving now.  This work was designed to help children whom 111will constitute the future society to develop a better ability to learn at school. The ability to learn represents the cornerstone that would make a child a better teacher, doctor, or president.

project19week14

In this blog more details will be provided about the game entitled The Secret of a Healthy Diet. In fact, the game was subject to a lot of modifications. In the previous version of the game, the players did not have any controls over their choice. It was totally random. In the last version, the designer create a set of 18 cards and each of them has two choices. The players can choose between A or B which one he or she considers to be the right answer.

The designer also introduced dices in the game. Three dices are used which would give a total number of 18 when a  player has 3*6 in one flip. The choice of the question players will have to answer depend on the total number of the value of each dice.

Just as the original game, players will be rewarded according the answer they give. The rewards are the same as in the previous version.

The designer used the same materials for collecting data. The presentation is also the same. The responses were measured in accordance to performance of the players at school after playing the game.

The result of the experiment was very interesting. In the outcome, a normal curve distribution representation with the mean of 100, students who kept playing the game had scores that fell on two standards deviation above the mean. However, those who did not spend too much time playing had scores that fell at one to two standard deviations below the mean.

 

project19week12

Today is another great opportunity to address some important points concerning the game The Secret of a Healthy Diet. As we mentioned in the previous blogs, a lot of propositions were made in order to modify the game. We were in a process of trying in analyzing the proposition, now we agreed on one proposition that allowed us to make some interesting modifications in the game. The same methods were still applied. For the apparatus, we still use paper, marker and  pen to make up the game. For collecting data, we used computers, notebook. Modifications were made in the presentation of the game. Players have the opportunity to choose which one of the two answer is correct. The rewards, the we mentioned in the previous blogs are still applicable. Responses are still measured according the players performance at school after playing the game.

The game is now presented  on a set of 18 cards. Now, instead of one card having one answer writing on it, now each answer card has two answers (A and B). Players have the opportunity to choose which one of the two answer is correct. There is a separate sheet on which players can read the instructions provided by the designer. To measure the responses, the performances of the players at school after they’ve played the game were considered. The conditions that were created and compared were students that have played the and those who did not. The experimental group was asking to play the game and the control group was not assigned to do anything. The data were still collecting on computer or notebook.

For the result of the experiment, a normal curve distribution representation with the mean of 100 were used. Students who kept playing the game had scores that fell on two standards deviation above the mean. However, those who did not spend too much time playing had scores that fell at one to two standard deviations below the mean.

project19week11

This blog is another edition of  game “The Secret of a Healthy Diet”. Some propositions were made by players about how to change the game. We considered all of them, now we are trying to incorporate which one would be the best.

The title of the game is always the same. I think some considerations will be made in order to make the game more interesting. For example, one critic of game suggested that the game could be a competition game. This suggestion was analyzed by the designer, and found that it could work. However, any modification that might be made in the game will be focused on how to reinforce the learning objective, that is how to facilitate middle school students making good and healthy food choice that would boost their learning ability.

As we mentioned earlier, the game is now in a phase of test. We already conducted several tests. Most of the players found the game playable, and does supports the learning experience. However, we know that the game is not perfect, and that is why we really give a lot of interest to the critics. For, they are the only mean that could help us to attain our goal.

 

project19week10

In this blog there are some interesting points of the game entitled The Secret of a Healthy Diet that are pinpointed. The blog addresses the number of subjects were used in the game. In fact, several participants were recruited. As a method of recruitment, school’s database was used. However, students that were not in  New York middle school were excluded. As a mean of collecting data, computers were used.

The game was presented  on a set of 50 cards, and there is a separate sheet on which players can read the instructions provided by the designer. To measure the responses, the performances of the players at school after they’ve played the game were considered. The conditions that were created and compared were students that have played the and those who did not. The experimental group was asking to play the game and the control group was not assigned to do anything. The data were still collecting on computer or notebook.

For the result of the experiment, a normal curve distribution representation with the mean of 100 were used. Students who kept playing the game had scores that fell on two standards deviation above the mean. However, those who did not spend too much time playing had scores that fell at one to two standard deviations below the mean.

 

 

project19week9

This blog is a continuity about the game “The Secret of a Healthy Diet”. You are not going to read a lot today because there is no major modifications that have  been done in the game during the last few weeks. The game is in the phase of testing. Some propositions are made by players about how to change the game. We considered all of them, now we are trying to find which one would be the best.

As you may see, the title of the game is always the same. I think some considerations will be made in order to make the game more interesting. For example, one critic of game suggested that the game could be a competition game. This suggestion was analyzed by the designer, and found that it could work. However, any modification that might be made in the game will be focused on how to reinforce the learning objective, that is how to facilitate middle school students making good and healthy food choice that would boost their learning ability.

As we mentioned earlier, the game is now in a phase of test. We already conducted several tests. Most of the players found the game playable, and does supports the learning experience. However, we know that the game is not perfect, and that is why we really give a lot of interest to the critics. For, they are the only mean that could help us to attain our goal.

 

project19week8

This blog addresses some more profound details about the game entitled The Secret of a good Diet. As we already discuss and our previous blog, two subjects or players are engaged in this game. However, the game is considered to be modify in order to make it a competitive game and more interesting. To return to our principal topic, the subjects were recruited randomly. Some criteria were excluded in order to participate to the experiment. Subjects cannot be in other school level beside middle school students in New York.

Apart from paper, marker, pen, other materials such as computers are used for collecting data. The game is designed or represented on a set of fifty cards. To measure the responses, the performance of the subjects after playing the game was kept into account. Conditions that were created and compared were for the subjects to read carefully the cards they drew. Some of the cards worth ten points while others are equal to zero point. The subject received the instructions verbally before they start playing the  game. All the Data are collected and saved in a computer.

The outcome of the experiment is very interesting.  A normal curve distribution representation with a mean of 100 are used. Students who kept repeating playing the game had scores that fell on two standard deviation above the mean. However those who did not spend too much time playing had scores that fell at one to two standard deviation below the mean.

 

project19Week7

Sometimes it could be very annoying to try doing something that you not really like or you do not feel to you have any interest from doing it. The same thing could be applied when it comes for learning. When considering school or learning, you cannot just give up, as it would be for something that does not really have a major importance. Particularly for children, they cannot just choose to abandon a class just because the material is difficult to learn. Considering those factors, researchers believe that problem could be solve by adopting another alternative that would make the learning process more pleasurable for kids. To do so they proposed a method of using games that help children learn faster, and more efficiently. This blog is about a game that is designed in order to help child learn about the importance of following a good diet, which could improve their capacity to learn at school. The title of the game is The Secret of a Good Diet. As a form of interaction, the player has to draw cards and read them. This supports the leaning objective of the game because about diet while reading the cards. When children play this game, it would have an impact on their cognition and their behavior. Cognitively, it would help them learn and think about how to choose a good food whenever they are at school or somewhere else. Yet their behavior would change since they learn what foods are good for them and what are not. Later on, when they will have to buy something to eat, they would not think about the taste only, but they would consider what would help them to stay healthy and boost their intelligence.  

             To play this game, two players are required. These players will interact with the game cooperatively, and they may need someone to assist them, like a referee for example. The primary objective of the is to win because it is a competitive game. Nevertheless, either you lose or win the game, you will still learn about diet toward the feedbacks that will have according to the cards that you draw. The rules are simple. Each player has to draw 20 cards from a set of 50 cards. The first on pick all of the cards, mixes them, than make his choices. The second repeats the same thing. The one who has the highest score wins. If a player draws three cards with foods that is good for leaning, he or she will earn bonus. Same thing will happen if the player picks five consecutives cards with good food names written on it. The items that are accrued during the game are points, money, gift cards, and comments about physical and mental health. The conflict of the game is resolved by having one player to win the game.

            The game prevents players from behaving in the sense that I would be playful if only you respect the limit set by the designer. The limitation is fun because when the player picks the right cards, he will be rewarded. If the player cheats by violated the limit, he would get any outcome from the game. The game ends when the players are done with their choice, and the outcome would not conflict with the objective, it will rather lead player to toward the objectives. There are no main character in the game. The game is playful in the sense that it is rewarding when the player make the good choice, it provokes a feeling of contentment. To build the game system pen, makers, and papers were used. There is no dominant strategy in the game because it is a well-balanced game. The game is very engaging. The elements support learning in the sense that the player learn about the benefits of making good choice when it comes to food. He will observe his improvement in the domain of learning and food choice. It is very meaningful when the player draw the right card. It relates to the objective because depends on the card the player chooses, he would get feedbacks that relate to the learning process.

            The game has no broken parts. They are not stagnant or boring. Finally, it is extremely easy to play the game. It does not require a lot of time to learn how to play. Five minutes will be sufficient to learn how to learn playing the game. You will learn it while you are trying to play it.

project19week6

Eating habit among children has been a topic of great concern for either parents or society in general. Children, who are able to use money to buy food, tend to choose junk foods that do not have any nutritive value. Based on these criteria, I found that it is important to conduct a study about this concern. I am living in New York, so I chose to conduct the research on the population constitutes of middle school students in New York City. However, it would difficult for me to include every single middle school student in New York In my study. To make it possible, I chose a sample of participant comprised by a certain number of students from each middle school. To proceed the recruitment of these subjects comprised of boys and girls, I randomly collected their student ID from the schools database, after having access to do so.

            I had two group of students, an experimental group, which was assigned to play a game about diet, and a control group that was not allowed to play the game. There were no specific screening criteria used in order to determine if a subject was eligible or not to play the game. The participants were chosen randomly, however they must be middle school students in New York. Students who were not in middle school level were excluded from the study. I did not choose to limit the study to a specific gender or ethnicity, the only requirement was that you had to be a middle school student.

            Student were volunteered to participate in the study. They received course credit for their participation. I used materials such as computers, iPads, chairs, and headphones to allow students to play the game. To stimulate them, when students win the game by choosing foods that promote learning ability, they were rewarded by receiving cash, and positive comments about their physical and mental health. The rewards are showing in the screen of the computers. Yet, they also represent the assets that would allow the player to move to a higher level while playing.

            Responses were measured by the choice of foods students made and their performance at school, after finishing playing the game. I compared the choice of food and the performance of children before and after they play the game. In each condition, subjects were asking to play a game or not playing. They were asking to come to their school lab, which provide all the instructions needed on the screen once you start playing the game. I collected data by using school database. Students’ ID number were selected randomly from the database.