Making Health Education Palatable: A Usability Study of a Digital Game about Nutrition

Abstract

Nutrition is a component of elementary health education that can influence children’s health and well-being. Unfortunately, when educating children about nutrition, many schools face challenges that limit the quality of health instruction. To help address these challenges, a video game called Monster Mealtime was designed to supplement fourth grade health instruction. The game was intended to teach fourth graders about nutrients’ role in maintaining the human body. After the game was developed, it was evaluated through three rounds of usability testing. Twelve adults (n = 12) with elementary teaching experience played the game to assess its ability to support students’ learning of the game and its core concepts while providing a satisfying play experience. After each round, revisions for the game were made to enhance its design. Data were collected through a questionnaire, a usability protocol, and a post-survey. By the end of round three, the game was perceived as satisfying. However, problems persisted with the game’s learnability. While learnability issues related to the game’s visual design were corrected, misconceptions about the game’s mechanics remained prevalent throughout the evaluation period. To enhance the quality of future educational video games, strategies for communicating game instructions clearly must be explored further.