Digitalized and gamified reading for children through Co-design

Abstract

Video games have never been as popular as they are today with children all over the world playing them. In many cases young children spend more time playing video games than they do reading recreationally or working on their homework (Wilson & Casey, 2007). Fast-paced games which utilize an award-loop type of gameplay are providing young children with a stimulating and addictive experience. In the last few decades, many experts believe that while playing these games is enjoyable, they are attributing to the decline in literacy which has been taking place among children (NEA, 2004). Literacy is one of the most important things for a child to learn since it forms the foundation for future education. Children today are becoming digital learners and traditional print-based reading no longer captures their attention. There needs to be some sort of middle ground between reading a book and playing a video game.The problem could be the lack of solutions which utilize modern techniques like gamification and “learning by doing”. These methods provide children with an effective way for seeking education that is more relevant in today’s technological landscape than traditional paper-based learning. Therefore, the research question for this project is the following: RQ: “What are the most effective ways to use gamification in teaching material for children?”The research is structured as a three-phase Agile development. Agile was chosen as it is the dominating software development methodology today and results in a functional prototype after each of the research phases. Each phase consists of a few sub-phases which represent some of the stages Agile iterates through. Analysis, where the data is gathered and analysed. Design, where the data analysis from the previous sub-phase is used to design or improve a prototype. And finally evaluate, where the prototype is compared to previous iterations. By utilizing this method, the prototype continuously evolves and adapts to the input received from users and stakeholders. The end-product being a prototype that ensures inclusivity, and the usability goals of each stakeholder group. The results of this project can be beneficial to anyone wishing to improve or develop an educational game for children.