Task: Create an educational game targeting high-school students that supports STEM learning.
Another type of app found on the app stores are educational games. There are immersive full-screen apps that offer a range of learning activities.
For example, there are apps designed for very young children to help improve hand-eye coordination. There are apps that help kids explore various levels of reading, writing, maths, and science. Recently, apps that help children learn to program have become popular.
The task is to design an educational game for high school kids (e.g. years 10-12) that helps them with maths.
Kids of those ages understand how to use GUI interfaces and they expect to be fast with engaging graphics, animations, and sounds. The app GUI design should be intuitive, clear, responsive, and visually interesting.
Moreover, children at those year levels are introduced to a variety of analytical thinking skills and problem-solving skills at school for which traditional teaching styles have become less effective for the modern generations.
The app should include puzzles that rely on some combination of memory, pattern recognition, and the app should promote patience. The app is expected to have four screens: 1) landing page, 2) game screen, 3) settings screen, and 4) high scores screen.
Additionally, the app should include some interesting use of sensor programming, and social network integration.
The app consists of four screens:
1. A main menu or landing page
2. A game screen
3. A settings screen
4. A high scores screen
The game is expected to support one aspect of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics). Some examples are:
• The solar system
• The natural environment
• Environmental issues (e.g. how about a game that promotes awareness of nature disasters?)
• Essential knowledge about computers/mobiles/web
• Basic puzzle games (calculate the answer to a series of math questions)
Requirements:
• Coding style should be appropriate (use of MVC, utility, DAO, etc)
• Apply appropriate GUI design patterns through the app screens
o Make it a "full-screen app" with a GUI design that's intuitive, clear, responsive, and visually interesting
o Use an "action bar" to provide convenient access to the settings and high scores
Use age-appropriate graphics, background music, and sound effects to help make the learning experience fun
o Allow the app to post updates to a Twitter feed, or other similar use of social media (based on settings preferences)
o Also include the use of sensor data (e.g. accelerometer data) as a mechanism to control game-play
o The app should include puzzles that rely on some combination of task memory, pattern recognition, and the promotion of patience while learning (pick at least one of these things)
To support the high scores screen, your app needs to record some measurable quantity (e.g. time taken to solve the puzzle)
o Use a well-designed manifest file, create the minimum required promotions graphics