Content area
Full Text
Abstract: Introduction: Worldwide, childhood obesity puts children at risk for co-morbidities and early death. Despite innovative interventions to enhance healthy nutritional choices, effective, sustainable outcomes are lacking, and unhealthy behaviors persist. Gamification shows promise in increasing child engagement, motivation and learning, while minimizing teacher burden. With child input, we designed an interactive digital game focused on basic nutrition knowledge for children to foster healthy nutrition choices. Our purpose is to describe the process, challenges, and lessons learned while designing MountainQuest, a multi-level, action/adventure, digital game engaging school-age children in decision-making through a game narrative incorporating mechanics. Method: Four design, implementation, and playtesting/user iterations were completed to assure acceptability, feasibility, and rigor of MountainQuest: 0.0) preliminary design; 1.0) initial prototyping with 2D platformer; 2.0) 3D platformer; and 3.0) 3D redesign. At least five SA children (8-14 years old) played each version for 3-5 days and provided feedback through semi-structured interviews. Affinity diagram analysis was used and informed each iteration. Inter-rater agreement on common themes was > 70%. Results: Common themes were mapped into two prioritized lists: issues/bugs and game features wish list. For iteration 0.0, children collaborated with the research team to develop the game narrative and characters. Iteration 1.0 was evaluated as too "simplistic," "short," preachy," and "cartoonish." Iteration 2.0 had scenes deemed too long with difficult mechanics, and disruptive food management scenes; suggestions included incorporating more exploration and mazes. Iteration 3.0 yielded a game where school-age children manage food inventories influencing hunger, thirst, and energy metrics to successfully navigate a mountain, defeat trolls, and save a village. Conclusion: The children's input was direct, precise, and challenged the game designers. Inclusion of children as direct informants guided the development of MountainQuest into an engaging, interactive, and educational game to enhance healthy nutritional choices, preparing it for an experimental trial.
Keywords: game-based learning, serious games, nutrition, game design
1.Introduction
Worldwide prevalence of childhood obesity has increased greatly during the past several decades. The consequences of overweight and obesity among children contribute to many co-morbidities such as type 2 diabetes, hypertension, elevated cholesterol, bone and joint problems, and obstructive sleep apnea. Given this rise in childhood obesity over the past few decades, methodological approaches and interventions have been introduced to stem the obesity epidemic.
Most healthy...