Designing Location-aware Nature Games: Widening Participation in Informatics and Product Design

Kate Howland (Informatics)Cathy Grundy (Product Design)

Background•Widening Participation • Location-aware games

Why game design?

•Design vs. Play•Motivation• Complexity• Authenticity

•Design vs. Play•Motivation• Complexity• Authenticity

Context• Real world challenge area:• older children not engaging in Sussex Wildlife

Trust activities• make a game that would encourage older

children to engage with nature in Stanmer Park

Project logistics• June 2013 and June 2014• 24 pupils from a local primary school (all

aged 9-10)• Activities (on campus, at Stanmer Park and

at school):• Park visits for inspiration, content gathering

and testing – using iPad minis• Character and narrative design activities• Implementation of games –using school and

university laptops

ARIS

ARIS Editor

Morfo

• Simple animation software