Simuli-Spring 2020

Overview

  • Type of study: Focus Group Analysis.

  • 12 students – 9-10th Graders, ages: 14-16, from Grand Rapids Public Museum School.

  • 3 males, 9 females, 6 white, 6 African American

  • All 3 scenarios were tested.

Production Values

  • They thought the graphics were fine and understood that the simplified style is necessary to run on the phones.

  • 2 of the 3 phones were high end Pixel brands and 1 was an inexpensive Motorola phone. There was a significant difference between the Pixels and the Moto with the Pixel's quality being much better and preferred but not by that much.

  • Four have played games with much higher production values.

Meeting The Goal of Building Empathy

  • When asked to express what they may have learned, the students were unable to find the language to explain it. They each individual (outside of the group) use the term "important" to describe the content.

  • The word empathy is not in the lexicon of these students natural language. However, when asked if they felt empathy, they understood the term and agreed that they did.

Age Appropriateness

4 students thought 8th -9th grade

4 students thought 4th -9th grade

2 students thought 9th-12 grade

2 student thought 6th-8th grade



Function

  • In every case, the students were able to find and follow the scenario protagonists and antagonists.

  • Most of the students did not know what kind of experience was being simulated until they saw the explainer at the end. They indicated that a title card with a brief intro explaining the condition being simulated would have created a better experience.

  • Even through the production values were low, the scenarios themselves seemed realist to the students

  • 3 of the students thought additional scenarios from the helpers point of view would help model appropriate behaviors.

Impact

  • The players indicated that they did not know other persons affected by the conditions simulated in the app. But, indicated that is likely because people that have those conditions are "hiding it".

  • All of the students felt a strong emotional and stressful response during the experience.

  • 14 of the 16 students said they had a better understanding of anxiety, dysexia and OCD experiences in social settings and that they might be able to recognize those symptoms in the future.

  • During the experience the, the students were hyper-engaged and looking around, but expressionless.

  • The students each responded most to one of the scenarios and each scenario was chosen by at least 1 student as being most impactful.