Dropping in to game design. Iterations of a skatepark physics game for a children’s museum exhibit
| Pages | 663-678 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/ILS-03-2019-0023 |
| Date | 14 October 2019 |
| Published date | 14 October 2019 |
| Author | Benjamin M. DeVane,Jeremy Dietmeier,Kristen Missall,Salloni Nanda,Michala Cox,Ben J. Miller,Ethan Valentine,Deb M. Dunkhase |
| Subject Matter | Library & information science |
Dropping in to game design
Iterations of a skatepark physics game for a
children’s museum exhibit
Benjamin M. DeVane and Jeremy Dietmeier
Department of Educational Psychology and Learning Sciences, University of Iowa,
Iowa City, Iowa, USA
Kristen Missall and Salloni Nanda
Department of School Psychology, University of Washington, Seattle,
Washington, USA
Michala Cox
Department of Educational Psychology and Learning Sciences, University of Iowa,
Iowa City, Iowa, USA
Ben J. Miller
Department of Learning Design, Leapfrog, Santa Rosa, California, USA
Ethan Valentine
Department of Psychology, KirkwoodCommunity College, Iowa City Iowa, USA,and
Deb M. Dunkhase
Iowa Children’s Museum, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
Abstract
Purpose –This paper aims to present an iterative approach to creating a collaborative design-and-play
skatepark videogame for a children’s museum physics exhibit. Intended for children of 5-8 years old and
accompanying adults,this interactive tabletop game encourages players to builda skatepark and then skate
through it with a skater character.This case study describes the authors’design perspective shift to make the
game’s possibilitiesfor tinkering more “perceptible.”
Design/methodology/approach –This paper presentsa case-based design narrative that draws on the
project’s iterative playability testing with parent–child dyads and reflections from the design team’s
endeavors. Thisanalysis draws on methodological elements adaptedfrom agile game development processes
and educationaldesign-based research.
Findings –The initialgame prototype inhibited the collaborativetinkering of parent–child dyads because it
used interface abstractionssuch as menus, did not orient to the task of tinkeringwith skatepark design and
did not help players understand why their skatepark designs failed. Subsequent game versions adopted
blocks as a metaphorfor interaction, gave players explicitdesign goals and models and provided playerswith
more explicitfeedback about their skater’s motion.
Originality/value –Museum games that provide tinkering experiences for children are an emerging
medium. Centralconcerns for those designing such games are presentingmultiple modes of play for different
The authors are indebted to the work of Chad Juehring, Joseph Frederick, and Kendra Anthony for all
their work in game design and development. The authors would also like to thank the staffof the
Iowa Children’s Museum for their exhibit design work and their logistical help with the study. This
material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 1611685.
Skatepark
physics game
663
Received24 March 2019
Revised16 August 2019
Accepted10 September 2019
Informationand Learning
Sciences
Vol.120 No. 9/10, 2019
pp. 663-678
© Emerald Publishing Limited
2398-5348
DOI 10.1108/ILS-03-2019-0023
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at:
www.emeraldinsight.com/2398-5348.htm
players and contexts and clearly and quickly communicating the possible activities and interactions. The
design approach in thisstudy offers players the opportunity to –at both short and longtimescales –take up
game-directedchallenges or explore the skatepark physicsthrough self-generated goals.
Keywords Collaboration, Game design, Intergenerational learning, Interface design,
Informal learning environments, Learning games, Library and information science,
Librarianship/library management, Library and information services
Paper type Case study
Introduction –design-and-play gaming in children’s museums
In this paper we present our iterative approach to creating a collaborative design-and-play
skatepark videogame that gives players the opportunity to build a virtual skatepark in a
physics-centered exhibit at a children’s museum. We describe how an agile framework for
game development led our design perspectives to shift after parent–child dyads tested the
game across several prototypes. Played on a 128-cm-wide multi-touch interactive tabletop,
the game invites users to work together to design their own skateparks, explore physics
concepts, and then test their designs by playing through them. A partnership between
learning scientists, child development scholars, children’s museum practitioners and game
developers, thisongoing project aims to create a game-based learningexperience that:
helps children develop interest in physics-related tinkering and design activities by
seeing their relevance to real-world practices; and
supports family engagement in intergenerational learning and collaborative
problem-solving.
Funded by a grant to develop and investigate early informal STEM experiences, the larger
museum exhibit endeavorsto help visitors from ages five to eight, along with accompanying
adults, make connections between physics, skateboarding, and skatepark designactivities.
Examining findings from pre-installation playability tests, this paper describes an initial
design approach embodiedin a game prototype and explains our subsequent shift in design
approach, focusing on “lessons learned”from our pursuits. In particular, this analysis
attends to how we shifted our core interaction design perspective to make the game’s
possibilitiesfor tinkering and creation perceptible to visitors.
Many educational videogames are designed for a single player working alone, tackling
designed problems in virtual worlds. Children’s museums, however, endeavor to support
joint and collaborative playfor adults and children. When incorporating a videogameinto a
children’s museum, it is important to design for collaboration, joint play and learning that
will bridge generations of players. Our approach builds on research in information and
learning sciences about supportinglearning in museums with multi-touch tabletops (Lyons
et al., 2015;Horn et al., 2012), but it is uniquely aimed at younger children engaged in
learning alongside adults. Additionally, while existing research has examined computer-
supported collaboration (Dillenbourg and Evans, 2011;Meier et al.,2007) and
intergenerational game-based learning (Siyahhan et al.,2010;Siyahhan and Gee, 2017),
scholarship examining designparadigms at the intersection between the two is still nascent
(Banerjee and Horn, 2014).
Design goals –tinkering in play
Research on learning in informal environments has been concerned with “integrating
learning experiences across settings to develop synergies”that build upon and further
develop “ecological connections among learning experiences”(Bell et al.,2009, p. 40).
ILS
120,9/10
664
To continue reading
Request your trial