Designing Educational Computer Game for Human Circulatory System: a Pilot Study

Abstract

Recently, digital games have been becoming popular and integral part of our society. The benefit of digital games is not only for fun but also for supporting learning by adding educational purpose into the games called educational games. In this study, we identified 12th grade students’ alternative conceptions of human circulatory concept by using two-tier test to design a game served as their alternative conceptions-based learning material. The tests consist of multiple-choice and confident scale. The results show that the students hold alternative conceptions (false-positive and false-negative group) in every concept of human circulatory system, especially homeostasis. From students’ alternative conception findings, in this study, an educational computer game was designed and developed, for example the Blood Donor game. To study the effectiveness of Blood Donor game, we explored the 11th grade students’ motivation and perception of learning before providing them game (pre-test) and perception after taking game (post-test). The results show that game can enhance students’ perceptions. Moreover, students’ motivation did not correlate to their perception, indicating that the developed game could be used for students who have low or high motivation in science.