H2O-EduK, A Serious Game for Children to Educate on the Urban Water Cycle

Abstract

Various educational resources have been incorporated into school curricula to support water education and related topics. In this paper, we present and test H2O-EduK, a serious game designed to introduce the urban water cycle to school children. H2O-EduK comprises seven mini-games designed to simulate the journey of pollutants generated from household activities and their impact on water quality. The game replicates this journey through pipes, wastewater treatment plants, and into rivers. To evaluate the game, we implemented two testing scenarios. In the first scenario, during last year's Science Week, H2O-EduK was installed on two devices for children to play voluntarily. After playing, 18 participants aged 10 to 12 (that passed all the mini-games) answered three questions focused on game enjoyment, mechanics, and clarity of instructions using a smiley face rating system representing five levels of satisfaction. In the second scenario, 74 students aged 10 to 12 from two schools were divided into groups of 10 to 15 members. During one-hour sessions, they individually played the game and completed pre- and post-tests. A t-test was used to evaluate answers collectively and question-by-question independently. In the first test focused on game enjoyment, mechanics, and instructions, nearly 90% of participants expressed high satisfaction with the game, while approximately 70% indicated an understanding of their tasks. The results from the school tests indicate a significant improvement in students' understanding of water cycle principles after playing the game. Post-test scores averaged 1.054 points higher than pre-test scores. Additionally, the question-by-question evaluation highlights areas of particular efficacy within the game, underscoring its potential to address specific learning needs H2O-EduK demonstrates its suitability for educational purposes, offering an engaging and effective platform for learning