After the user testing was conducted last week, we discovered a new obstacle, which is in every question the child is required to to remember a lot of data.
This problem was most significant in the more complex games for example rhyming detection. In this game the user required to remember 5 different words (main word and 4 answers), their position while trying to solve them. Tasks like those are a though toll to ask from a 5 years old without supervision. Even in the more simpler tasks the children didn't pass with flying colors.
After reviewing the results, we have decided to make things simpler. During our initial planning we have discussed the possibility of adding levels of difficulty to the given tasks. We have decided to check few ways to make things easier, hence, we discussed levels of difficulty, and those will be checked in the next user testing.
1) In our next prototype (V3) we removed the number of possible answers from 4 to 2. This change is crucial due to the testing used. We have also discussed the possibility of adding more buttons as the child progresses. This change also enables the option of using yes\no questions, we know that by giving a verity of different types of questions we can verify the child's knowledge rather than his memory.
2) We concluded that the word shouldn't be sesquipedalian, rather the words should be easy. We can increase the difficulty as the child progresses but to a certain extent. We divulged the word the cards say, the correct and in correct answers, to have words with 1-2 syllables with a rare occasion we used 3.
3) The similarity of phonemes. During our debate we understood that we need to build the child confidence during the gameplay.
Using distinguishable phonemes in the more easy levels, and make them less distinguishable phonemes and words as the child continue to play. We will give an example, distinguishing the 'ga' and 'pa' is easier than 'pa and 'ba' which is easier than 'pa' and 'fa' or 'pa' and 'po' etc.
We also continued to developing the product in the technological aspect, we have decided to not change the technological requirements as of right now, so we are developing 4 button machine. The basic scenario which is read chip and play question + answers is almost complete.
Stay tuned,
Tal, Noam, Or, Or and Dorin
