This week we completed three paper prototypes, a digital proof-of-concept, and playtested with our clients at East Franklin.
Paper Prototypes
We created three paper prototypes testing an addition mechanic. The first prototype involved combining screws to fix the robot; the second used stacking blocks to create larger ones; and the third involved plugs with different shapes and numbers.
Playtesting
For our playtest, we had each of the kids play one of our three prototypes and asked them to draw us pictures of robots. We want to engage the children in the development process, so we are taking into account their perceptions of robots. What they think robots look like and what things they’d have a robot do.
For the paper prototypes, we found that the stacking mechanic was most intuitive for combining numbers, while the plugs/shapes were most intuitive for placing/fixing the robot. The teacher, Ms. Ross, has a particular liking of the plug mechanic, due to the shapes.
From these playtests, we think we will combine the stacking and plug idea as we move forward with our addition mechanic.
Challenges
Our current challenges are:
- From our playtesting, we learned that the math competency level of the class varies widely. Moving forward, we need to make sure the game can be adapted to suit all the students.
- We have three more operators to create mechanics for subtraction, multiplication, and division.