This is not a UI Project, but a user focused solution. I understand how it is to make a new product from the scratch - going into chaos, confusions, decisions and testing.
This is a project where I make a new product by following the user and identifying what is needed by following the process - Research, Ideation, Prototyping and Testing (nothing done linearly) in this project. And this time, my context called for a tangible product. Here is when I learnt to make a board game by myself, moving out of my comfort zone.
Decision Making
Critical Thinking
Research and Synethesis
Moving out of comfort zone
Constant Playtesting
Learn what it is like to run a kingdom
By taking on the roles of Kings, this makes students understand the complexities of running a kingdom and the importance of conducting admin measures as well as building infrastructure like temples
12 Weeks
Research , Game Design
Solo
My Drive
My Solution
Integrated Curriculum
“In an age where knowledge is easily accessible, the ability to synthesize information from various disciplines and apply it to solve real-world problems has become paramount”
What is it?
In integrated curriculum, 2 or more subjects are blended together to solve real world challenges.
This boosts engagement and helps them retain information for longer and directly connects learning to student's lives, making it relevant. It also helps to inculcate necessary 21st Century skills like collaboration, problem solving, critical thinking,
Examples of PBL
This is best done for STEM Subjects - primarily science and maths.
Usually done through project based learning and class activities - where students work on real projects and in the process, engage in applying concepts from various different subjects. For Eg: Recreating windmills, creating AR glasses requires knowledge from different disciplines, understanding latitudes using derivation.
This gives an opportunity to have games as an activity space.
Gap I'm targeting
This method is not introduced in CBSE/ICSE schools, just IB Curriculums. Thus, I am focusing on CBSE Schools to make this kind of learning accessible to all kinds of boards.
I am choosing CBSE over ICSE as the textbooks are freely available on the website.
Video Game Learning
“Play is the best way to learn. That's why 10 yr olds memorise 118 pokemon abilities and retain it for a lifetime but can't do the same from a textbook”

Minecraft
There is so much you can learn from Minecraft about Geography just through curiosity and the reason for applying that knowledge to achieve something.
A world where you can visualise and build things is a great way to learn. It could be a way to execute a project as well as a visualising tool, hence incorporate various disciplines.
Limitations:
Knowing how to use it for each subject, and a lesson plan with instructions to the student is required so that a sandbox and open world mechanism doesn't distract the students too much.
A reflection session is extremely important to tie the learning back to the studies else, learning could get lost in the gameplay.

BrainQuake
BrainQuake has concreted abstract algebra equations into representative puzzles such as gears and keys, which helps students understand maths in a representative manner first. These kinds of obstacles would be a way to incorporate Maths, if I have to.
Integrated Learning through Video Games
A digital game where one could engage in building a city and overcome obstacles which resemble real world problems similar to SimCity as shown above.
Subjects and Learning
To build anything, you would need to apply the concepts of Science and Geography to make the right decisions, else you will face the impact of it. This is how the relevance of studying these subjects can come out while also revising the knowledge.
For Eg: You need to choose which power source for your city is better considering the circumstances, cost and other factors, the understanding of which comes from Geography textbook.
Video Games could be something as an assignment to play at home as students don't touch textbooks once they go home.
Linear Flow
Due to the limitations of Minecraft being a sandbox game, this could be more linear, following a narrative.
Concerns
This was the kind of games that I played growing up, however I needed to know the kind of games that students enjoy, and then possible make a game for that mechanic.
Currently, I have thought of the game and decided what subjects can fit in, but the reverse needs to be done - understand what subjects to fit in and then think of the game.
On the Field
16
Students
4
Schools
4
Teachers
Research Technique for Students
1
Why?
2
How did I meet them?
3
What activity did I do?
I asked them them to play a game to answer basic questions about their opinions on subjects, games and motivations. I also asked them to rank subjects on various scales.
How was it?
As I questioned these groups of students, some agreed and some disagreed whenever someone answered, making it a very fun experience. This gave me varied insights and different perspectives, and allowed me to question "Why so?" whenever I found something opposite or interesting.
Earlier, it was hard to speak to students out of the blue, but I learnt that Introduction of yourself plays a huge role.
There could have been a better way to do this, such as chart paper and asking them to bucket the information themselves,
On asking them to name subjects that could be categorised as Boring, Interesting, Tough and Irrelevant, I got these answers. Some are collective answers, some are individual.
Clearly, 3 subjects are in every negative association.
(Affinity Mapping)
On asking them to rank subjects from most to least interesting, got this spectrum with them.
“ All subjects in 7th and 8th are easy, but history is quite vast and elaborated, and has a lot of rote learning. It just gets worse when Civics is introduced.”
Positive Outlook:
The students already had a positive outlook on Science and Physics. It was the most fun subject as it was extremely practical. However, biology was considered extremely boring.
Negative Outlook:
Students mostly found history, civics and maths to be the most boring, tough and did not find real life application of anything, Some also mentioned language subjects. Some students did find it interesting as a story as well.
“ We try to conduct activities in class periods such as debates, quizzes and use storytelling to inculcate interest, but it's hard for each chapter”
It would be better to integrate History or Civics with Maths as this is where students lack interest and find it difficult, rather than doing science and geography as students already have a positive outlook to the subject.
What will students learn?
Why do we study History?
“ History is not the study of the past, but the study of change. It’s not about what happened, but why it happened.”
Activities while going through Textbook
Reflection and Learnings
Learning To Make a Game
Tableau Building
This could represent building a kingdom. I did this by increasing tax for more loyalty points.
Area Influence
Might move away from the goal of administration and cause and effect
Action Cards
Could be a great way to incorporate actions and strategies of government
Multiple Actions
A choice of multiple actions in a turn inculcates strategy and thinking
Co-operative
Playing together against a board would add collaboration. However, on playtesting - this led to low drive as no competition.
Dungeons and Dragons
Could be time consuming and need training of teachers to be DM. 40 people would not be feasible
This gameplay involved playing roles of the same kingdom, taking actions and achieving set objectives such as building certain no. of temples and expanding to a certain extent. Everyone had cards and they could place it down to take the action.
Simulation on Figjam playing as mutliple players. Simply playing the actions and obstacles to understand how it will work.
Simplified Action Cards by categorising them and having the maths in paying the cost or receiving the reward
Revamping Event Cards to have modern impact and effect of your actions than just famine and invasions.
When showing a rough prototype of my game to the school principal
“Can design this game according to our textbook and get it to our school? It would be great to see students immerse in history”
Initial Gameplay Testing and Solutions
I played the actions using action cards and adding maths to it. However, this was not working as the maths was too much to solve, making it overwhelming in my simulation with myself.
Hence, I completely removed fractions and integers from the action cards.
Although my desk research told me to go for a collaborative thing where people solve it together, it failed as there is no problem to solve together or figure out together.
Building together is not as fun as there is no competition involved.
Yes, people discuss things together, but it needs people with different roles, powers and actions. Plus, a tableau game mechanic cannot be collaborative.
Hence, to win the game I tried implementing higher population happiness points, later called Loyalty Points, similar to Victory Points.
As the cards were randomly distributed, people didn't have the ability to do something as they didn't have the card.
This could be fixed by giving set cards, giving them permanent actions they can take regardless of card. Here, the idea of having tax and recruit soldiers as permanent actions was born.
Best way to integrate math, as well as show consequences of their actions
Special Abilities for Kingdoms
Equal information about all kingdom is not available in textbooks.
Need Penalties not just rewards from Event Cards
Event Cards too penalising
Introducing event cards later in the game could be more fun and less penalising.
No Winning Objective
Having Victory Points as a way to win the game could bring in incentive. Could be tied to population and rent.
Fixing the Tax
Can't connect to Modern World
Other ways to increase loyalty that don't require money
Such as performances at temples
Attack
Attack feature to make it more fun. Alliances would be more fun.
Arrange Cards
Might get too many cards which have prior requirement, hence give prerequisites earlier.

Using the correct cost and reward points, with prerequisites to perform certain actions, there could be a flow to the game.
Playing the game with CBSE School Students
Attacking friends, looting wealth and strategising is fun
They understood how it's not just about feeding people but also about managing money and people's loyalty.
Through gameplay, they saw how maths is used in historical settings.
Through gameplay, they understood to have a balance of money, construction and soldiers
Hard to remember the names
Very few could recall the content of the cards such as temple names and admin actions as students focused on gameplay, loyalty points and cost.
Due to pre-requisities, they remember having 'Ur' government to build, nothing else, no rationale also.
Although this game succeeded to explain the administration of a kingdom, complexities involved and importance of collecting tax, recruiting army and more, it failed to bring out the connection with modern world.
Maths was not only seen in event cards but also in calculation of loyalty points, adding soldier strength
This game did make history more fun as it was playing it than learning it.
Immediate reflection on actions such as "Without tax how will you function the government" and other comments and prompting questions would make learning history more connected. Need reflections for each action - giving rationale behind why, it's impact and more.
Should be played in teams of 2 so they can discuss and give rationale to each other rather than solo. This could bring in collaboration.
Administrative Actions and Constructions