Testing

Testing
I. Introduction
On the morning of May 8th 2008, Sarah Guthrie, Matthew Kipel, Andrew Feiter, and Ashley Persie (see right) went to Howell Memorial Middle School to run a pilot of the game Healthy Choices. The classes involved had only been learning about nutrition for about a week so this game served as a pre-test
to their nutrition unit.

II. Testing Procedures
1. Locate flat surface to play on that is clear of any obstructions
2. Take board game, game pieces and directions out of box
3. Read instructions thoroughly
4. Each player roll die
5. Whoever gets highest number goes first, then go in clockwise order
6. As each player lands on game pieces, read and answer questions corresponding with piece you landed on
7. Continue answering questions and going around board until first person fills their placemat
8. At end of game, each player must fill out questionnaire

III. What Happened
1. Locate flat surface to play on that is clear of any obstructions
· Matt, Ashley and Andrew set up the games before the students came into the classroom.
2. Take board game, game pieces and directions out of box
· Matt, Ashley and Andrew set up one game per table. They laid out all the pieces neatly on each table, as seen in Image 2 below.


3. Read instructions thoroughly
· Students filed into room looking excited. They sat around the games. Sarah introduced everyone and explained the rules and regulations of the game. Andrew, Matt and Ashley were each assigned a game station to monitor. All students read the instructions provided with each game.
4. Each player roll die5. Whoever gets highest number goes first, then go in clockwise order


6. As each player lands on game pieces, read and answer questions corresponding with piece you landed on
· Students took turns answering questions and asking questions. They all were very excited about the game. There was a lot of laughing and excitement. Students who landed on activity spaces had to do activities such as jumping jacks, push ups (as seen below), toe touches and sit ups.

Above:
A 7th grade girl picked the activity card that read “Pick any player to do 10 push ups with you”.

7. Continue answering questions and going around board until first person fitheir placemat
8. At end of game, each player must fill out questionnaire
· At the end of the period, two of the three groups were able to finish the game with a winner. The winners received their choice of candy. The third group had five players and seemed to be moving slower than the other groups. Nearing the end of the period, everyone playing filled out a survey. The students responded in their survey that they were able to learn and have fun at the same time. Nikki M, age 13, wrote in her survey that she thought the questions might be easier if all the questions were either multiple choice or true/false. Kelsey B, age 13, wrote in her survey that she thought that a few words on the question cards were hard to pronounce.

Marking Period 4 Calender

Week of April 28
28- Work on Marking Period 4 Calender, Email Bob Dennis about printing
29- Finish Calender, email Bob Dennis about printing, talk to Dr. Christopher, Comment on Blog
30- Rude Awakening
1- Begin Self & Design Evaluation, Type survey for students testing game, Email mentor about progress
2- Continue planning exhibit, Comment on Blog
Week of May 5
5- Work on exhibit
6- Continue working on exhibit, Comment on Blog
7- AP Calculus Exam
8- Test game at Howell Memorial Middle School, Testing Due. Pictures taken at the school, evaluate comments made by the students about the game., Comment on Blog
9- Naval Ball Set Up
Week of May 12
12- Continue working on Self & Design Evaluation
13- Continue Self & Design Evaluation, Comment on Blog
14- Self & Design Evaluation Assignment due, Formal Progress Updates begin, Email mentor about Exhibit night
15- Formal Progress Update Presentations
16- Formal Progress Update Presentations, Comment on Blog
Week of May 19
19- Formal Progress Update Presentations
20- Work on exhibit, Comment on Blog
21- Complete exhibit for presentation night
22- Presentation Night
23- Begin Journal Article, Comment on Blog
Week of May 26
26- Work on Journal Article
27- Work on Journal Article, Comment on Blog
28- Work on Journal Article
29- Work on Journal Article
30- Work on Journal Article, Comment on Blog
Week of June 2
2- Begin compiling mentor contacts
3- Continue mentor contacts, Comment on Blog
4- Mentor contacts due, continue working on Journal Article, Weblog Due
5- Work on Journal Article
6- Insert pictures into Journal Article, Comment on Blog
Week of June 9
9- Finish Journal Article, Proofread and Edit
10- Complete Journal Article, Comment on Blog
11- Write wrap up email thanking mentor
12- Finals
13- Finals

Construction

Above is a picture of me cutting out the Question Cards on the paper cutter.

Above is an image of the materials used to create both the game boards and the boxes. Below is an image of Matthew Kipel helping me to measure out material for the boxes.

Above is a picture of the one of the boxes that I was constructing.

Marking Period 3 Calender

February
Week of February 4-8
4: Continue forming calendar for blog, Comment on blog
5: Calendar due, email mentor formal update report. Begin typing game questions. Email mentor midterm project.
6: Continue forming and typing game questions. Materials needed: computer
7: Continue forming and typing game questions. Materials needed: computer
8: Continue forming and typing game questions. Materials needed: computer. Comment on blog
Week of February 11-15
11: Begin typing activity cards. Materials needed: computer
12: Continue typing activity cards. Materials needed: computer. Comment on blog
13: Continue typing activity cards. Materials needed: computer
14: Continue typing activity cards. Materials needed: computer
15: Continue typing activity cards. Materials needed: computer. Comment on blog. Email mentor
Week of February 18-22
18: No school
19: Print activity and question cards on CAD color printer. Cut out all cards using paper cutter. Comment on blog
20: Print all character cards and game instructions on CAD color printer. Cut out cards using paper cutter.
21: Begin laminating all question, activity and character cards and instructions. Take picture of progress. Comment on blog
22: Begin cutting out packaging for box top, bottom and cardboard insert. Materials needed: Cardboard, ruler, box cutter. Email mentor
Week of February 25-29
25: Fold and construct packaging box top and bottom. Insert cardboard piece into box bottom. Take picture of progress. Materials needed: Cardboard cut outs, hot glue
26: Begin construction on game boards. Cut out cardboard, bind cardboard together with duct tape. Cover with colored paper. Materials needed: Cardboard, tape, glue sticks, box cutter, scissors, paper. Comment on blog
27: Continue construction on game boards. Continue cutting out cardboard and paper as necessary. Materials needed: Cardboard, tape, glue sticks, box cutter, scissors, paper
28: Begin putting game boards together. Materials needed: Cardboard, tape, glue sticks, box cutter, scissors, paper
29: Continue binding game board halves together using duct tape. Then, continue covering the boards with paper. Take picture of progress. Materials needed: Cardboard, paper, tape, glue sticks, scissors, paper. Comment on blog. Email mentor
March
Week of March 3-7
3: Complete construction of physical boards. Take picture of progress. Plot game board graphics on 20” x 20” paper. Materials needed: Plotter, computer, paper cutter.
4: Continue plotting the needed 4 game graphics. Materials needed: Plotter, computer, paper cutter. Comment on blog
5: Begin plotting graphics for packaging top. Materials needed: Plotter, computer, paper cutter
6: Finish plotting graphics for packaging top. Begin cutting out all plotted pieces. Materials needed: Plotter, computer, paper cutter
7: Begin to attach graphics to board game and box top. Take picture of progress. Materials needed: Plotted graphics, game boards, box tops, spray adhesive. Comment on blog. Email mentor
Week of March 10-14
10: Complete attaching graphics to board games and box tops. Materials needed: Plotted graphics, game boards, box tops, spray adhesive.
11: Put all materials inside each game box. Complete any necessary aspects of the game.
12: Begin working on press release. Materials needed: Computer
13: Continue working on press release.
14: Continue working on press release. Materials needed: Computer. Comment on blog. Email mentor
Week of March 17-21
17: Insert images onto press release. Materials needed: Computer. Comment on blog
18: Complete all work on press release. Materials needed: Computer.
19: All construction must be finished. Press Release due.
20: Annual Military Inspection. Email mentor
21: No School
Week of March 24-28
24: No School
25: No School
26: No School
27: No School
28: No School
April
Week of March 31- April 4
31: Begin compiling mentor contacts. Comment on blog
1: Continue and finish compiling mentor contacts. Comment on blog
2: Create outline for Formal Progress Update.
3: Formal Progress Updates begin. All Logs due. Mentor Contacts due.
4: Formal Progress Update.
Week of April 7-11
7: Formal Progress Update.
8: Formal Progress Update.
9: Formal Progress Update.
10: Formal Progress Update. Last day of marking period 3

Final Design

Box Design

Exploded Isometric of Box

The game box will be made out of cardboard. The top of the box will lift vertically off of the bottom. The box will be glued together with hot glue and glue sticks. Glue will be applied to the tabs on the corners of the box. Inside the bottom of the box will be two vertical strips of cardboard. This will designate a place for the question and activity cards and other game pieces to go when not in use. The game board will fold in half and rest on top of these cardboard strips in the box.

Placemat & Game Pieces

In order to win the game, a player must collect all six food pieces shown above and attach to their placemat.

Supply, Material, and Parts Lists

Math and Science Report

Intro
For my Capstone Senior Design Project, I am designing and constructing a fully functioning board game and package. The board game focuses on nutrition, with the intention of testing the nutritional knowledge of middle school students, ages 11 and up. Figure 1-1 is a picture of the most recent model of the game board.

Figure 1-1: Game Board Model

Science
When I was brainstorming the different ways to test the knowledge of nutrition in students aged 11 to 15, many possibilities were evident. However, I chose a board game because of research I had done pertaining to certain psychological connotations that are associated to this type of game. According to Steve Nichols, most activities can be approached with either a playful or a non-playful attitude. Regardless of which attitude you hold, children’s game playing demonstrates an underlying system based on repetition and rules. So when children play games, they are stimulating their use of language and the games have a strong influence on constructing the children’s sense of reality. According to Jean Piaget, a psychologist, one category of game playing is called “playing with rules”. This stage of competition begins at the time that children begin their schooling. This stage is when children begin to understand cooperation and competition, and begin involving themselves in team or group activities. “Game playing removes the constraints of real life” (Nichols).
When I was designing my board game, I researched the psychology relating to emotions evoked by seeing different colors. Although perceptions of color is subjective, many colors have universal meaning. Pick a color from Figure 2-1 and think of the emotion that first comes to mind. Warm colors are colors in the red area of the color spectrum, including red, orange and yellow. The warm colors evoke emotions from warmth and comfort to anger and hostility. Cool colors are the colors on the blue side of the spectrum, including blue, purple and green. The cool colors often evoke feelings of sadness or indifference.

Figure 2-1: Different Colors
Evoke Different Feelings.

Chromotherapy is an ancient practice coming from the Ancient Egyptians and Chinese where the use of certain colors was used as a healing mechanism. In this way, red was used to stimulate the body and mind to increase circulation, yellow was used to stimulate the nerves and purify the body, orange was used to heal the lungs and to increase energy levels, blue was used to soothe illnesses and treat pain and finally, indigo was used to alleviate skin problems. Psychologists continue to further examine the feelings associated with certain colors. Green symbolizes nature and also represents tranquility, health and can help improve reading ability. The color blue often creates feelings of calmness, serenity and security. Orange is considered an energetic color. This color evokes feelings of excitement, enthusiasm, warmth and is often used to draw attention. The color orange is used in the real world to catch the attention of drivers, such as in traffic signs. The color yellow represents cheer and warmth. However, due to the high amount of light reflected by the color yellow, it is often the most wearing to the eye. Yellow is the most attention-grabbing color due to its high visibility. When designing the coloring of the board game, I wanted to use as little of the color black as possible. This is because black is used to represent evil, death and mourning. When playing a board game, I want the players to feel happy and safe, not emotionally drained from the overuse of the color black.
Nutrition is the science that examines the relationship between diet and health. There are seven main nutrients found in the human body, including carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals, fiber and water. You must consume all seven of these nutrients on a daily basis. An excess or an overabundance of these nutrients can lead to various health problems.
Depending on the number of sugar molecules, a carbohydrate can be classified as monosaccharide, disaccharide or a polysaccharide. Polysaccharides are often called complex carbohydrates because they are made up of chains of sugar molecules. Complex carbohydrates take longer to metabolize than simple carbohydrates because they are processed one by one. Simple carbohydrates are processed quickly and immediately raise blood sugar levels causing rapid increases in blood insulin.
Protein is composed of amino acids which are the body’s structural material. The process of gluconeogenesis converts protein into carbohydrates.
Fats are classified as either saturated or unsaturated. In saturated fats, all of the carbon atoms are bonded to hydrogen atoms. In unsaturated fats, most of the carbon atoms are double bonded to themselves. Saturated fat is usually solid at room temperature and unsaturated fat is usually liquid at room temperature. When the process of hydrogenation occurs, adding extra atoms of hydrogen to unsaturated fat, Trans fat forms.
Minerals are the chemical elements required by living organisms other than the four elements which are present in common organic molecules. The four common elements are carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen and oxygen. Minerals can be added to the diet separately from food in the form of mineral supplements. Macro minerals which are a variety of elements required to support the biochemical processes of life include calcium, chloride, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium and sulfur. Calcium is needed for muscle and digestive system health, to build bone, neutralize acidity, clear toxins and to help the blood stream. Another type of minerals which are required in trace amounts in the body (usually less than 200 mg/day) are called trace minerals. These include cobalt, copper, chromium, iodine, iron, manganese, molybdenum, nickel, selenium, vanadium and zinc.
Fiber is made up mainly of cellulose which is not digestible because there are no enzymes to digest it. Foods which are rich in dietary fiber include fruits and vegetables. Dietary fiber provides bulk to the intestinal contents and it also stimulates the rhythmic muscular contractions which pass along the digestive tract. If one does not consume enough dietary fiber, it leads to constipation.
To function properly and avoid dehydration, the body requires between eight to ten glasses of water per day, which is approximately two liters. About seventy percent of the non-fat mass of the human body is made up of water. 20% of daily water intake comes from food, while the remaining 80% comes from drinking water and other beverages,.
Since the Industrial Revolution, the food processing industry has changed drastically. New technologies have been created to help keep foods fresh longer. Heating techniques such as milling, centrifugation and pressing cause foods to loose their nutritional value. As a result, processed foods have to be ‘enriched’ with the nutrients which were lose during processing. These processed foods therefore have substandard nutritional value compared to their fresh food counterpart. These processed foods also often contain harmful matter such as trans fatty acids and oxidized fat.
Math
On the board game I designed, there are 32 spaces. 24 of these spaces are question spaces. There are 7 activity spaces and 1 free space, which is also the starting point for the game. Every time a player roles the die, they could roll a 1 through 6. There is a 16.667% chance of rolling each number. From the starting point, there is 16.667% (1 in 6) chance of landing on an activity space. There is a 83.33% (5 in 5) chance of landing on a question space.
The length of play for this board game has to be less than the average school period because the intended audience is middle school students in their classrooms. I determined this time by gearing each question to last approximately two minutes from the time read to the time answered. If there are six players who each need to receive six food pieces to make a balanced meal, and the questions take two minutes a piece, this would be 36 minutes. However, only one player will receive the needed six pieces and each player will land on activity spaces. So my approximation of 36 minutes will be a little off, depending on the exact situation. Also, depending on the level of knowledge of each player, they will get some questions wrong and have to land on more than six question spaces.
Math relating to the nutrition aspect of my board game pertains to caloric consumption. The caloric consumption per day varies from person to person and body type to body type. However on average, adults should consume approximately 2,000 calories per day. 55% of the calories should come from carbohydrates, 15% of the calories should come from protein and the remaining 30% should come from fats. During a typical day, everyone should read the nutrition facts, located on all products available. See Figure 3-1 for an example of a nutrition facts label located on most products.

Figure 3-1: Sample Nutrition Fact Label

Technology
My Senior Design Project incorporates a wide variety of technology. All of the graphics for my game board, game pieces, and game box were created on the computers at MAST, such as the computer seen in Figure 4-1. The graphics were created by me in the AutoCad program.

Figure 4-1: Technology used to

create graphics

Conclusion
After researching topics pertaining to psychology, board games, colors and nutrition, I decided that a board game was the most practical solution to the problem at hand. This board game will focus on testing the nutritional knowledge of middle school aged students. When designating the color schemes for the game board, I consulted sources to determine different psychological connotations associated with each color. I want to create a game that gives the players a sense of happiness as well as a sense of friendly competition.



Works Cited
Nichols, Steve. “Game Psychology: Part 1”. Games Monthly. October 1988. 9 January 2008. .
“Nutrition”. Wikipedia. 9 January 2008. .
VanWagner, Kendra. “Color Psychology: How Colors Impact Moods, Feelings, and Behaviors”. About.com. 9 January 2008. .
Pictures Cited
“Color Psychology” About.com. 9 January 2008. .
“Computer”. Maycomb County Library. 2007. 9 January 2008. .
“Nutrition Facts Label”. Answers.com. 2007. 9 January 2008. .