Gannt Chart

I have a total of 450 minutes. That's seven hours and a half. Our project is due on October 11, so I need to organize myself to finish the product.

9/29 - Day One - 3 designs - 60 min

9/30 - Day Two - create product - 60 min

10/1 - Day Three - create product - 60 min

10/2 - Day Four - test product - 60 min

10/3 - Day Five - test product - 60 min

10/4 - Day Six - create survey - 30 min

10/5 - Day Seven - evaluate product - 60 min

10/6 - Day Eight - create chart - 60 min

INVESTIGATION REFLECTION

     The problem in this investigation is to find a way to teach the design cyle to a sixth grader.  I was aware of this problem throughout the investigation, and I investigated it in detail. I answered a set of questions our teacher gave us to make sure I understood the purpose of this product. After taking the time to ask some of my 6th grade cousins how they would learn best, I came to the conlclusion that an arcade game would be a good idea. I compared two game websites thoroughly. I created an account on one of the websites to explore all the different functions and made sample games to see how the games were. I checked for simplicity, creativity, backgrounds, and quality. I wrote four paragraphs, with atleast eight sentences each, for each source to evaluate the product against the design specification. I made sure the websites were user friendly as well as how simple it would be to create a game. I checked the ratings on both websites and saw the amount of people subscribed. I compared every single function for both websites. For all of these reasons, I think my investigation was at a level 5.

My 3 Designs :]

Design 1:
Part 1: Background with the names of the different design cycles
Part 2: Definition of the stage asked at the top
Part 3: Student matches up the stages to the definitions

Design 2:
Part 1: Background with the definitions of the stages
Part 2: Stage asked at the top
Part 3: Student matches up the definitions to the stages

Design 3:
Part 1: Make a multiple choice game with both matching up stages to definitions and matching definitions to stages.
Part 2: Student answers all the questions during the time designed for the game
Part 3: Student plays until they win and learn the design cycle

Design Brief :]

Design Brief

10. Write a short statement of what you are going to make, why you are going to make it, and for whom you are making it.

I am going to create a game. I am creating this game to teach sixth graders about the design cycle. I chose to create a game because in sixth grade we were really into games, and I’m pretty sure it’s the same for most of the sixth grade generations.

Formulate a Design Specification

11. What are the requirements for this assignment?

• For this assignment, we are required to teach a sixth grader about the design cycle. 
• We have to do a good job, but we have to do our project in a way that a sixth grader will understand what we are trying to say.
• Game should be played in 3-5 minutes. 

12. What are the limitations you have with this assignment?

A limitation for this assignment is to be creative enough to have a sixth grader play your “educational game”. Many will not want to play a game knowing it’s educational, but you have to find a way that they will want to play your game and that they can memorize what they’ve been learning about the design cycle.

13. How will you "test" your presentation?

Maybe I can have some sixth graders play my game and have them tell me if they liked it and what they learned from it. I can create a 5 question mini quiz. I will be successful if 6th grades get at least 3/5 correct. I can also take a sophomore and have them play my game. Then I can ask how easy they thought it was and make changes to my game from there.
DESIGN SPECIFICATIONS

• 3-5 minutes
• simple and effective for a sixth grader 
• interesting enough to catch a sixth graders attention 
• easy-to-use functions
• able to access it from anywhere with internet

REFLECT ON YOUR LEARNING

There are a lot of things you have to think about when designing something. You have to really compare all your different options and go with the one you think will do the best performance. You need to have an idea of what it is exactly that you want to do and then improve your ideas.

Class Tools :]

     Creativity- Class Tools is not very creative, so I scored it a 2. There are only 5 game options you can choose from.  One of the options is a flashcard game. Another one of the options is just a matching cards game. The third option is a little robot that you control with your keyboard that has to chase the answers. The fourth option is a cannon that you point toward the right answer. Then you try to hit the right answer with a cannon ball using the space bar. The fifth option is based on the space invaders game. If it is not creative enough for me, sixth graders will not think it is creative either and will not want to play the game. There is nothing you can customize on class tools. Everything is pretty much set for you. All the creator has to do is make the questions.

     

     Backgrounds- I scored backgrounds a 0. This is because since you choose from pre-set options, you can’t choose your background. Background is what catches the players attention. It goes back to the theme of the game. One of the pre-set backgrounds is a sky with little clouds, another is a star background. The third is just plain white; the fourth is plain black; and the fifth is green. The background is something you should be able to customize, especially if you are the creator of the game. What is the point of saying you created your own game, if you can’t even say that you designed your game’s background?

     

     Simplicity- Even though this website lacks creativity and doesn’t let you customize your own background, it is very easy to use for both the creator and the user. All the creator has to do is visit the website which directly takes you to the page where you insert the questions you want to include in your game. After that, you just click on create. All the user of the game has to do is click on the set of questions you designed for your game, and it will take them to the different options of the game. They will choose between 5 different options. The game will then take them to the instructions. After they read the instructions, they click play and start playing the game. This website is very simple which is good for a sixth grader. That’s why I scored it a 4.

     

     Quality- What I don’t like about this website is that it gives the player plenty of chances to get the question correct. This doesn’t assure me that the sixth graders are actually learning about the design cycle. If they have many chances to get the answer right, they will just keep on guessing until they hit on the right answer. This doesn’t benefit me or the sixth grader. I would have just wasted my time on creating a game, and sixth graders would be wasting their time on playing it. But this may not be the case for all students. Some students will still try their best on trying to learn the design cycle. I decided 3 for quality because possibilities of students learning the design cycle with this game can go both ways, and 3 is an in between number.

Purpose Games :]

      Creativity- I scored creativity a 4. This is because you have the option of customizing your game. First you get the choice of multiple choice games or place-it-on-a-map game. From there, it takes you to a page that formats your game. You can choose between different colored backgrounds, different font styles and sizes, game title, timers, hints, etc. You then insert the questions you want in your game and create your game. This page is more creative because you actually have the option of customizing your game.

     

     Backgrounds- I scored backgrounds a 3. This is because, unlike the other website, you now have the option of choosing your background. The reason I didn’t give it a 5 was because there isn’t many backgrounds to choose from. That doesn’t really matter though because you can choose backgrounds from different colors, and colors influence the player’s attention. You can research what color would be best for a game, and you have the choice of putting that color as your background.

     

     Simplicity- I scored simplicity a 4. This is because the website automatically gives you the steps you have to follow in order to create your website. It’s not a complicated process you have to go through or anything like that. As you complete the different pages you have to fill out, the website automatically puts the next step on the screen. It’s the same thing for game users. All they have to do is choose the game they want to play. The instructions will then pop out. Once they read the instructions, they will click play and play the game. This website is very simple to use and that’s good for sixth graders.

    

     Quality- I scored quality a 4. This is because many people are subscribed to this website and the reviews of the games are good. This tells me that there is possibility of creating a good game on this website. Also, unlike the other website, this website allows a timer, or only a certain amount of chances to answer each question. It also allows you to insert hints and things like that.  This lets me know that sixth graders actually have to try and use their brain to answer the game questions correctly.

Design Stage :]

Design Brief

10. Write a short statement of what you are going to make, why you are going to make it, and for whom you are making it.

I am going to create a game. I am creating this game to teach sixth graders about the design cycle. I chose to create a game because in sixth grade we were really into games, and I’m pretty sure it’s the same for most of the sixth grade generations.

Formulate a Design Specification

11. What are the requirements for this assignment?

For this assignment, we are required to teach a sixth grader about the design cycle. We have to do a good job, but we have to do our project in a way that a sixth grader will understand what we are trying to say.

12. What are the limitations you have with this assignment?

A limitation for this assignment is to be creative enough to have a sixth grader play your “educational game”. Many will not want to play a game knowing it’s educational, but you have to find a way that they will want to play your game and that they can memorize what they’ve been learning about the design cycle.

13. How will you "test" your presentation?

Maybe I can have some sixth graders play my game and have them tell me if they liked it and what they learned from it. I can also take a sophomore and have them play my game. Then I can ask how easy they thought it was and make changes to my game from there.

REFLECT ON YOUR LEARNING

There are a lot of things you have to think about when designing something. You have to really compare all your different options and go with the one you think will do the best performance. You need to have an idea of what it is exactly that you want to do and then improve your ideas.

Day 2 reflection :]

One of my options is to create an arcade game. This is a web based tool, so I can access it from wherever. This website only has certain game options. You can only choose between 5 different games, but you get to create your own questions. There's not many room for creativity in this website. 

Another one of my options is purpose games. This is also a web based tool, so it's easy to access. With this website you can create many different types of games. You can choose your topic and there is more room for creativity. There is more people following this site than other game websites. 

Questions 1-9 :]

INVESTIGATE: (Write in complete sentences) Identify the Problem

1. What is the problem you need to solve?

Explain to a 6^th grader what the design cycle is in a presentation.

2. How does the Design Cycle apply to the real world?

Before you complete any product, you have to go through a process. That process is the Design Cycle.

3. How will this project serve my community?

This project will allow us to teach other people our knowledge about the design cycle.

4. How can my learning help my community?

My learning can help by sharing it with other people.

5. How do we live in relation to each other?

We all know different things so we need to share what we know.

6. How does this help others?

It helps because that way sixth graders will also know what the design cycle is, and they won’t have problems going over it when they get older.

7. What are the requirements for this assignment?

You will read your section of the design project. Then we will make a 2-minute presentation about whatever we got.  

8. What is the Design Cycle?

The design cycle is a process in which a product is created. Includes investigation, design, plan, create, and evaluate.

REFLECT on your learning.

I understand that we have to do a project that explains the stages of the design cycle that is easy to understand.

Day 2

9. Spend one day experimenting with DESIGN CYCLE your presentation. List five things your learned about the Design Cycle:

There are many steps to the design cycle. You have to experiment with the different choices for your project. You have to analyze each one carefully and decide why it would be a good idea or why it wouldn’t be a good idea. You have to have reasons of why you think this way. This helps you be organized and be sure that you’ve made the right decision.