Testing a Game with Kids, Teacher Feedback and a Minor Identity Crisis
Figuring out What Our Service Actually IS
Testing a Tag Game
We were not permitted to take photos at this session.
We tested the tag game at the Falk School during the Kindergartener’s gym class. We observed as Laura Hunt, the PE teacher, flawlessly delivered our instructions. The session was invaluable because we learned:
- The children have to play multiple rounds of tag in their half hour gym class so that everyone gets a turn to be multiple roles.
- Adding creative elements like a pharmacy for the inhalers to get refilled or a hospital for kids to go to for “treatment” keeps the game interesting as the children play over and over again. It also also drives home the concepts.
- The badge prototypes we designed were not useful for a tag game. The foam hand pictured above is more ideal for tag because the children can hit each other forcefully without hurting each other and without accusing other children of “hitting.”
“Can you tell me what all the triggers for asthma are?”
Laura prompted the children to recall what they learned about asthma through the game, and they were able to name all five asthma triggers as a result of a half hour of tag.
Feedback from Chelsea and Jennifer
After much success during gym class, we met with the students’ kindergarten teachers again. We wanted to get more feedback on our book prototype, the app wireframes, and understand more clearly how kindergarteners in their classroom learn.
Imagination is Important
We were concerned that the white background on our book was too minimal, but they told us that children use their imaginations more effectively when they have just the characters without backgrounds. They also drove home the idea that they should not be using stickers, stencils, or any other aid in drawing because they are supposed to be developing their skills and imaginations.
The App Should Be Simple — but Customizable
Feedback on our game picker app underscored the idea that their needs are simple: they want something that gives them easy-to-understand game instructions, reminds them to bring inhalers, and warns them about asthma triggers. The calendar function and notes section was too much because they have other systems in place for that sort of information.
They also mentioned that it would be nice to be given a framework for games that could easily be modified to fit other parts of their curriculum. For example, if the children are reading Harry Potter, a Harry Potter themed asthma game might be appropriate. They wanted the ability to save their own games in the app as well.
The Elements of the Service Should Fit into their Curriculum
The Falk School already assigns jobs, and when we proposed allowing the “Healers” to wear badges for the week, Chelsea and Jennifer told us that all other jobs would also have to have badges so no one felt left out. Thus, the job would stay, but the artifact was not necessary.
The Characters need to be Neutral
In our original book design, we made the asthma triggers “angry” so they would be evil, but Chelsea stressed the idea that they needed to be more neutral because the children might start to make negative associations with dandelions or peanuts, and that is not the goal of the work. Our goal is to help children understand that seemingly innocuous things in their world could be asthma triggers, not to make children afraid of them.
This is all great…but is it a service?
We wanted to create a system that co-creates value by:
- Builds empathy between children
- Reduces bullying due to asthma
- Encourages responsibility and independence
- Increases confidence in exercise
- Raises awareness about asthma in educational professionals
- IS FUN!
We had all the elements to create a good service — it is proven to teach children about asthma effectively — but we needed to make sure designing a toolkit was not just a product that facilitated curriculum development.
Insight
We realized through our research and co-design efforts with Laura, Chelsea, and Jennifer at the Falk School that we could not design a one-size-fits all game picker app and associated supporting curriculum materials for all schools. Every school has unique practices and needs, such as the temperament of the children, the needs of the children (does anyone have asthma? what about diabetes or autism?), the needs of the teachers, etc. Our touch points work well for the Falk School, and we realized quickly that our value would be as a health curriculum game development service that co-creates games and the associated supporting curriculum materials for each school. We can come back on an on-going basis and assist the school with their specific needs, adjusting the materials as necessary for each school.
Next Steps
- Create Service Blueprints from Multiple Perspectives
- Our Service is delivered by the teachers, students, gym teachers, and our co-design services, so it needs to be illustrated from multiple perspectives in a 360 degree view.
2. Finish journey maps
3. Create Prototype Video
4. Pitch
5. Case Study
6. Iterate and Refine High Fidelity App Mock-Ups, Book, Badges, and Tag Toys
