How to design games for education? Step 1: Problem identification

Today, my student asked how to design a courseware for learning integer at Form 1. To me courseware is a form of games for education. So I share my answer to her here: "You should begin with problem identification, by answering the following questions:

1. Why do students need to use your courseware (read as game here) to learn Integer? 
2. What are the intended learning outcomes under this topic?
3. Who will use this courseware (students or teacher)?
4. When and where will they use the courseware (in classroom or at home)?
5. How teachers normally teach integer in the classroom?
6. How would teachers teach if they choose to use courseware?
7. How do you want the users (teachers and learners) to feel when using the courseware?
8. What are the learning contents and design materials you need to deliver the contents and the feeling they expected?

I adviced her to work with an actual Math school teacher, or at least a trainee teacher. Let's wait and see what are her answers...

Two types of multimedia elements in GBL

I had a chat over FB with a student under my supervision this morning:

She asked me, "Dr, the format and multimedia element mean the storyboard content??"

Herewith my answer:

There are two types of multimedia elements: learning content that should be provided by subject matter expert, in which you need to work with a Math expert, or at least of BEd Maths student; and design elements which are text, audio, video, animation and still graphics that you need to DESIGN for you to author (means deliver the learning content for effective and efficient learning).

The storyboard is a series of visual documents you create to demonstrate how you have designed (using multimedia elements to deliver learning content) the course ware. 

Having answered her question, I think she did not memorize what she was taught in the class. Or, worse, she forgot what she had memorized for exam right after the exam. I think for mastery of knowledge and skills, we should memorize enough basic concepts in our field of study, to the extent that we can construct our own definitions if not revising existing definitions of key concepts. When we realise we can actually define concepts in our field of expertise, we are becoming a Master in the field.