Los Kin

Developing Didactic Game for Ethnic Children Rodna Marrufo Segura

Berenice Morales Pisté

Levy Juarez Dorantes

Facultad de Matemáticas UADY Mérida, Yucatán, México Email [email protected]

Facultad de Matemáticas UADY Mérida, Yucatán, México Email [email protected]

Facultad de Matemáticas UADY Mérida, Yucatán, México Email [email protected]

Rodrigo Fernández Novelo Facultad de Matemáticas UADY Mérida, Yucatán, México Email [email protected]

INTRODUCTION

Abstract

Nowadays exists a wide range of educational tools such as encyclopedias and interactive media. Had a major impact on the learning process of the kids. But most of these tools aren’t avaible for all kind of people due economic factors or the tool aims for another cultural group. In Mexico the education has become a social problem according to the INEGI[1] 53% of a population in range between 14 to 18 years old do not assist to school anymore due economic problem or lack of preparation on their early years at elementary school. Knowing this we develop an education tool to help Mayan communities in Mexico especially children through didactics games which can help them to complement their education and getting a better Spanish. The main on this article is to show the process in how we develop this tool an ethnic group.

The actual educational tools are wining the battle against the traditional ways of teaching because it is way more dynamic and entertainment than stay and listen a professor 4 hours nonstop. Behind all of this educational tools or a computer general interface are techniques of new and raising discipline called human computer interaction or HCI and adding an user center design deliver a powerful new ways of interaction that’s why we base our develop in this two disciplines. The development process was for about 4 months we dived the process in four of steps: •

Choosing he project

•

Requirements

•

Development

•

Testing

These were the process that we been through the entire development process.

Keywords INEGI : Instituto

nacional de estadística y geografía.

(National center of statistics and geography) CCA: Centro

comunitario de aprendizaje

(Learning community center)

The Team

We are currently students taking the third semester in the Faculty of mathematics of UADY this paper it is for a HCI class.

DGEI: Dirección General de Educación Indígena (General direction of indigene education)

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1-Choosing the Project

denied them tools to help them to improve their learning just because language barriers it seems unaccepted

The development takes place in Mérida Yucatan. Yucatan has a big speaking Mayan population communities outside the city have shown in the Figure1.

able for us. And motivated and encourage us to work with this issue even is just a little help, it has an important social relevance.

Factibility

One of the many question we had consider was how factible the project was, as mentioned before we saw the that population was big and according to DGEI[2] has for about 645 indigene schools and every town outside the city has a CCA which is open for all the community to learn how to use a computer or access information and is regular use by the school to take the students there. This information was what we looking for this gave and idea of what are we working on. The plan

Figure 1. Mayan speaking people density INEGI.

After watching the data of the people in Yucatan whom speak Mayan we push ourselves to work and choose some project related to this community. One of the author of this paper Berenice proposes to create a didactic tool to improve the Spanish of the children of Mayan communities who already in school in a range of age between 7 – 8 years old. We present our idea to the professor and it was accepted. So we begun to point out the important that this project could and the benefits from it.

Social Relevance

Thinking in just the fact of helping communities who are constantly forgotten by the government only because they speak a different language or fail in school because they never had the same preparation level, and

The next step on the process was to create a work program, we set dates to take the process in order to avoid problems that could be found, we manage to take the process very well as we use software engineer techniques to recollect requisites.

2-.Requirements

The first step on making requisites was to create ideas of how we want to application behave and what are the mains functionality of the project to do this we use a an affinity diagram in class and it gave us clearly idea of what we want the project to be. The second step on this stage was to identify the main users of the application that we trying to create, we identify three main characters who can use the application and classified them:

On primary secondary and tertiary user. •

Primary user.

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The children Secondary user.

•

The admin of the CCA. •

Tertiary user. The parent related to the children.

Once we already identify and classified our user we started to creating persona scenarios and users profiles. This is the user profile a persona and scenario of the main user. User Profile. Age: 7-8 years old. Gender: female or male. Location: Mostly outside the city. Social-economic Status: low income. Education: Elementary School. Computer experience: none or basic experience. Specific product experience: They have experience with some related interfaces(games). Technology available: In their communities centers they can find these computers. Attitudes and values: some of them fear of technology, they mostly are willing to learn. Learning style: Visual games)

learners(through didactic

Persona Name: Pedro Pech May. Age: 7 years old. Type of user: Primary User. Disabilities: he can’t fully speak Spanish. Location: Kinchil, Yucatan.

their homework. He enjoys playing with games who had cards involve, one of is favorites games it is called Loteria(Bingo) but he recently found out that in his community center a new type of PC games that he can use to learn new words from it in Spanish with his favorite games, he was so excited at moment that he ran out to tell her parents and friends the new type of games that he is gonna use at this center. Scenario One day Pedro told to his parents that he was having problems with some of the Spanish words , so Pedro’s parents talk to his professor and he told them that the community center is waiting for a new type of didactics computer games that Pedro can used to expand his vocabulary and knowledge he just to wait until arrive. One week later Pedro was randomly walking on the street when he was told by his friend Jorge that a new type of Pc games arrived in their community center , so they went to ask what exactly is this game about, when they arrived they were assigned to a computer, Pedro already know how to use a computer , Jorge’s skills are null so he needs to be assisted, Pedro run the program and he saw that he can choose between Mayan interface or Spanish interface, he also saw a brief tutorial how to play these mini-games, so he start to play the memorama mini game he realize the games is different from the game original memorama he actually can relate the Spanish words and incorporate into his vocabulary, he was quickly expanding his vocabulary, he found that if he make a correct movement he’s gonna to be reward by the interface. after playing 30 minutes he discover that as he advance in the game the words became more complex so he save his advance after doing this he look up for other games, he enjoy the reward system and the figures in the games after 1 hour of playing he had to give his place to another kid so he close the program and left.

Skill set: he speaks a fluent Mayan, he has a basic knowledge using a PC and Spanish, and he can read and write. Hobbies: Playing with his friends, reading. Goals: getting good grades at school be a doctor.

We recollect our data through Open interviews Closed ended surveys and observation, we choose this methods because it was best option for the group that we were taking information.

Pedro is a normal kid who enjoys playing all the time with he also loves to read and helping his friends doing

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We had and open interviews the professors of the children The most important information that provided to us was that “the children don’t have any support at home, when tried to do the homework if they gets stuck the parent cant help them, because they lack of basic knowledge” so we find out that generation over generation has the same problem, so this was a social problem we address, the professor mentioned other problems that the children have. they cant pronounced “RR” or some other word outside his vocabulary, this was confirmed when we apply the closed ended surveys to them. When the survey was apply we told them to make a relation between two concepts, the vast majority weren’t unable to do so, and we discover their lack of vocabulary and their orthography was really bad, all of this data was addressed in to the requisites of the project. Table1. Numbers of participants when recollecting data

Professor interviewed.

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Surveys taken.

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Figure2. Early prototype

As we were analyzing the data we encounter that the interface lack of all elements the user need such as the most important thing the help to user, we weren’t considering the user abilities to identify and map the application so we quickly discard this wire frame and we create considering all the data at moment the wire frame in figure3.

Once we had this information we started to analyze it, we create more affinity diagrams and selecting the priorities on the project.

3-.The Development

In the development stage we consider all data and the previous analysis, in a sense we needed to build a simple and consistence interface based on didactics games, thus we consider pedagogy point of view so we extend the concept of user center design to learner center design[3] knowing this we came into a most have in the interface Simplicity Visibility and Freedom witch are the elements of user center design taking this approach we came to first wire frame of the interface.

Figure3. More complete wire frame.

When we agree in how the elements on the wire frame should look we started to fill the interface with elements and colors. We had in mine that our primary user is 7-9 years old so try to deferments colors on the interface as shown in figure 4.

Our early prototypes were made as a wire frame to help us to organize our subjects and making all accessible, the very first attempt to make an interface is shown in the next figure.

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The main windows The main widows has an attractive iconography to any primary user according to our surveys, a carnival theme was the chosen one by the users. As you can see We already considering a minimalist design in the interface to make it more intuitive to the primary user.

Figure4.The first welcome windows.

We weren’t aware about the colors that we use in the first prototype that background was yellow we realize that it will make the user puke just for watching the colors so we immediately change the colors to the basics colors mostly used in web design. After we discard the colors from the prototype we and adopt a name “YAGO” which is end word of Maya – juego, and reorganize the color set we came with a good interface.

Figure6. Choosing the games

The Interface

Choosing a game

Once we adapt the interface as we want we start it to add on icons previously tested on the user and the result in figure5.

Once the user plug a name he will enter into this windows, we try to make it visible and simple as possible according to the heuristics suggestion of jakob to Nielsen[5] in this picture we tried to minimize the object on the interface so the user can focus just on the 3 main objects in this case the game selection as well we provide information to user to know where is he and what he can do. Figure6.

Figure5.Main windows of the interface

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the main cards of the game. The point of the games is to hear a card name and take bean and put the bean on the top of the card table, as well we provide a feedback to the user if they make a mistake they one life on the interface, they have a life counter the little green men in figure 7, this is to promote a better understanding and they can focus even more of what is he doing.

Figure6. Background providing consistence.

Background This the main windows of the interface we mix the basic colors to make it a easy and friendly, we total fail on making the prototype as mentioned before, and we basically remove the brightest colors of all and replaced by the favorites selected on the surveys, as well we provide to this interface good consistence the program wont chance if the user want to access another game. Figure 6.

The Games

Figure8. Memo-o-rama Game.

Memorama: Memo-o-rama is a well common know game in every culture, it based on flip cards until you find the equal cards, this was the best option for us in a pedagogy point of view since the kids are visual learners. In this interface the kid won’t have a life counter or will have any penalization for a mistake. Figure 8.

Figure7. Loteria Game

Lotería: This is the most popular traditional game on Mexico is based on Mexican culture, but we modified the current project of an institution INDEMAYA[4] and use it has

Figure9. Etiquetalos Game. Etiquetalos:

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We based our game in game called tag-it which is used as entertainment in the UK at elementary schools, the main reason of why choose this is because it promotes to user to relate concepts and new words, the system gives a word and the user has to plug it on the tag of image provoking dynamic visual learning. As well the user will count with a life counter. Figure 9. Dictionary One of the many cool features is the dictionary we add it because it helps the user to recover from errors it is crucial in a learning environment to ensure the learning is correct, and making more comfortable the interface. we used and icon who was the most identified in the surveys a simple book with the later A and Z, as well the object is visible at any time. Figure 10

Figure11. Help.

Entry to another game As we mention before we develop a consistence interface so changing a game to another it is really simple ,the object shown in Figure12 helps the user to access any game even if he already interacting with another game.

Figure10. Dictionary. Help Figure12. Option menu. Providing help it is crucial in any interactive system, so we added and familiar icon represented by a lifeguard the icon was choose due result of the surveys ,after the user interact with the object the object will display a sub-option menu who deliver instruction about the games explaining rules, and to use it. Figure 11.

Notes We consider this feature because we want them to have a freedom especially more advanced user when using the interface, where they can add words to the pad and remember it later provoking the user to write

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in there and relate it system, in this case the feature is not a mandatory to use. Figure13.

the task that they have to accomplish and share the copies to the participants, before that we selected a couples of task that we find very important for every primary user to use. That’s why we measure the time when the user is: •

Choosing a game.

•

Understanding the Interface.

•

Find out how to change a game.

•

Understanding how to interact with the games.

Our estimation before the test is shown in table2. Table2. Estimation on Usability test.

Figure13. Notes

Test

Time

Choosing a game.

12-20 seconds

Understanding the Inter- 20-40 seconds face. 4-.Testing

Testing the work obtained is hard work to do we divide our testing stage in to two sub areas. •

Developing use cases

•

Usability test

We develop for about six uses cases and trying to avoid the happy path on the cases, when creating the use cases we consider only the primary user because he’s the one who has full interaction with interface considering the cases when fail in completing a task for us was the most important uses cases of all, when he feel lost and some system issues as well. Usability test are critical in any interface when we analyze the data of the observation we saw the that users had problems on mapping a concept or sometimes a basic symbol So we set a plan in how are going to plan the usability test, when the usability test was planned we were considering the first week of 2009, but when we came back to the school they haven’t came back! from the winter break, so we have to apply the test to only 4 kids, The day when we apply the usability the we photocopy the interface and explained to the participants

Find out how to change a game

20-40 seconds

Understanding how to in- 10-20 seconds teract with the games.

The results obtained after the test are shown in Table3. Table3. Results from the Usability test. Kid1 12-15 sec

Kid 2 12-15 sec

Kid 3 13-16 sec

Kid 4 12-15 sec

Find out how 16-20sec to change a game

25-30 sec

20-25 sec

22-26 sec

7-12 sec

10-12 sec

10-14 sec

8-12sec

12-10 sec

9-14 sec

8-18 sec

Understanding the Interface.

Choosing game.

a

Understanding 6-10sec. how to interact with the games

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We were shock by the results, the estimation was correct almost every test was in the range proposed by us we currently planning on making more usability test to make a validation on the results.

[4]Indemaya[Online] http://www.indemaya.gob.mx/sobre-indemaya/index.php [Accessed: November, 2008].

Future work

[5]Jakob Nielsen [Online], Ten usability Heuristics

When we present our interface to the public a lot of question were asked , but the most significant was a question made by a professor she asked us why is the interface only to help Mayan children to complement their education and not for promoting and learning the Mayan language ? It looks like a good idea to involve the community into learning another language that already considering.

Conclusion

The development of an educational tool especially for an ethnics groups is more complex than working with larges groups, but there is no excuses after watching the social remainder that Latin America is living, we need to keep research on ethnics groups and the educational tool that they need instead of stay at home watch a country going down due a educational issue who can easily solve by promoting developers in general to work with them.

http://www.useit.com/papers/heuristic/heuristic_list.ht ml [Accessed: November, 2008]. Reference who weren’t quote on the text but we used as reference of topics. Wilbert O. Galitz, The Essential Guide to User Interface Design, year 2002. Jeff Johnson, GUI Bloopers 2.0: Common User Interface Design Don'ts and Dos (Morgan Kaufmann Series in Interactive Technologies) ,year 2007. Catherine Courage, Kathy Baxter, Understanding Your Users: A Practical Guide to User Requirements Methods, Tools, and Techniques (Interactive Technologies), year 2004, chapter 3-7.

REFERENCES [1]Norma Luz Navarro Sandoval, Marginación Social Entre los jóvenes.[Online] http://www.inegi.gob.mx/inegi/contenidos/espanol/pren sa/contenidos/articulos/sociodemograficas/marginacion.pdf [Accessed: October, 2008]. [2]DGEI Dirección General en Educación Indígena [Online] http://basica.sep.gob.mx/dgei/flash/mapa-dgei30JUNIO.swf [Accessed: December, 2008]. [3] Amy Bruckman ,Alisa Bandlow,The Human-Computer Interaction Handbook, Eds. Julie Jacko, Andrew Sears, ,HCI for Kids, year 2002

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