Main Users & Requirements

Main Users of Design

Middle and Elementary School Aged Students:

This design targets students between the ages of eight and twelve. Although children within this age range will have differing levels of experience, ChemQuest caters to those with a low level of familiarity with chemistry and video games to be accessible to the majority of students.

Teachers and other Educators:

Teachers and other educators work directly with the student users. The teachers will be facilitators of the game, so it is at their discretion about how they will implement the game into their classrooms. ChemQuest should be appealing to these secondary users, as educators are the group that will obtain the game.

Parents and Guardians of Direct Users:

The parents of the children are also stakeholders in the design, as parents are impacted by and interested in their children's education. Parents and guardians are also indirect users if ChemQuest is downloaded and played within homes in addition to schools.

For more details on each of the above groups, refer to the first interview featured in Appendix A: Primary Research Interview and Appendix C: Project Definition.

Main Requirements

Ability to Entertain Target Audience: The primary purpose of this design is to engage children between the ages of eight to twelve and encourage their interest in future chemistry learning. Ultimately, the design must capture the attention of users and provide a pleasurable play experience. The game mechanics must be intuitive for children with limited video game experience. The components of an effective video game are discussed in more detail in Appendix A: Project Definition.

Cost-Effective: The game must be inexpensive to develop and produce. The game must be accessible to all school districts, regardless of the district's income level, so ChemQuest should have low purchase and distribution costs.

Accessibility: The game must be playable by students of varying abilities. The mechanisms within the game must be intuitive and easy to learn. The design must also incorporate elements to make the game accessible to students with auditory or visual impairments, such as color blindness.

Incorporation of Accurate Chemistry Content: Although the design is meant to primarily entertain rather than educate, the scientific content in the game must be completely accurate to prevent the spread of misinformation. The chemistry content in this game must be consistent with the standards for scientific learning set by the Illinois State School Board [1].

For more details about requirements, see Appendix C: Project Definition.

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