Initial Prototype Ideas

The Purpose Of The Artefact

The job of the artefact will be to teach children the language Mauritian Creole. Though it is not an academic language, I feel that it would be a good opportunity for them to learn something new, solely for amusement purposes.

I feel that this game could be rewarding to a certain extent as it would introduce a child of a small age to new forms of learning, i.e. learning from carrying out mini tests etc. Additionally, they would feel a sense of encouragement if they manage to get a good result by the end of the game, as it would essentially show them that one can succeed in anything if they have the will to succeed.

The Game

The game is basically voyage throughout the continents of the world. The starting point is Europe (The UK). The game consists of a world map that shows the user where they are. A boat symbol is used to display this.

A lesson will be taught then the child would need to carry out a mini test. This will occur during the voyage (to get passed each continent, a user would need to have got the question right) then after each mini test, they are shown their progress (where they are on the map). This is repetitive until they reach Mauritius.

Chosen Platform

The game will be created on a PowerPoint Presentation. This is a good 

application to use as it enables the use of animations, imagery, macros and 

minimal coding to aid with the event driven procedures.

Target users

The artefact will in the main be aimed at children aged 6-8. I felt that this was a good age range to target as it is known that young children adapt to languages faster than older aged children. Some researchers argue that “the earlier children begin to learn a second language, the easier it will be for the child” (Krashen, Long, & Scarcella, 1979).  The artefact will make use of simple and easy to understand vocabulary which should not be too hard for a young child to understand.

Theme: Imagery and Colour Palette

I would be using tropical themed images to match with the climate of the Mauritius Island such as; the sun, palm trees, a dodo or the seaside. This theme should essentially bring out a positive mood as it draws out happiness and excitement from a sunny atmosphere.

The chosen colour scheme will be bright but not intolerable to the user, so no florescent or neon colours will be made use of. If I had chosen a dark colour palette there is a chance that that the child may get easily bored.

 Initially Planned Content

The game will be teaching children a simple selection of useful vocabulary such as; numbers, weather, animals, objects. I might also teach them the way to describe facial expressions.

To teach the facial expressions, the game could show an image of a facial expression and have the describing word either beside it or below the image along with the translated word. Later the user could be tested by being shown the image then asked how to say the expression in creole without any hints provided.