IMPROVING COGNITIVE SKILLS USING GAME BASED COGNITIVE EXERCISE
MOHD A’MIRUL HAZIQ B. ZULKIFLI
BORANG PENGESAHAN STATUS TESIS* JUDUL: __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ SESI PENGAJIAN: Saya
mengaku membenarkan tesis Projek Sarjana Muda ini disimpan di Perpustakaan Fakulti Teknologi Maklumat dan Komunikasi dengan syarat-syarat kegunaan seperti berikut:
1. Tesis dan projekadalah hak milik Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka. 2. Perpustakaan Fakulti Teknologi Maklumat dan Komunikasi dibenarkan
membuat salinan untuk tujuan pengajian sahaja.
3. Perpustakaan Fakulti Teknologi Maklumat dan Komunikasi dibenarkan membuat salinan tesis ini sebagai bahan pertukaran antara institusi pengajian tinggi.
4. ** Sila tandakan (/)
________ SULIT (Mengandungi maklumat yang berdarjah keselamatan atau kepentingan Malaysia seperti yang termaktub di dalam AKTA RAHSIA RASMI 1972)
________ TERHAD (Mengandungi maklumat TERHAD yang telah ditentukan oleh organisasi/badan di mana penyelidikan dijalankan)
________ TIDAK TERHAD
__________________________ ___________________________
(TANDATANGAN PENULIS) (TANDATANGAN PENYELIA)
Alamat tetap: __________________ ___________________________ ________________________________ Nama Penyelia
________________________________ Tarikh: ___________________ Tarikh: ___________________
CATATAN: * Tesis dimaksudkan sebagai Laporan Projek Sarjana Muda (PSM). ** Jika tesis ini SULIT atau TERHAD, sila lampirkan surat daripada pihak berkuasa.
2013 / 2014
IMPROVING COGNITIVE SKILLS USING GAME BASED
IMPROVING COGNITIVE SKILLS USING GAME BASED COGNITIVE EXCERCISE
MOHD A’MIRUL HAZIQ BIN ZULKIFLI
This report is submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Bachelor of Computer Science (Multimedia Interactive)
FACULTY OF INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY UNIVERSITI TEKNIKAL MALAYSIA MELAKA
DECLARATION
I hereby declare that this project report entitled
IMPROVING COGNITIVE SKILLS USING GAME BASED COGNITIVE EXERCISE
is written by me and is my own effort and that no part has been plagiarized without citations.
STUDENT : ___________________________________ Date: __________ (MOHD A’MIRUL HAZIQ BIN ZULKIFLI)
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DEDICATION
Alhamdulillah, praise to the almighty Allah S.W.T. I would like to dedicate this thesis to my beloved parents, Huzanah binti Basiran and Zulkifli bin Mohd Miswan
for the support and unending love. To all lecturer, especially my supervisor, Syariffanor binti Hisham, my friends, Muhammad Afiq bin Rosli and Mohamed
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
First of all I would like to give my thanks to my project supervisor, Syariffanor binti Hisham for her support, guidance, encouragement and patience during the whole process of completing this project. Thank you so much for all the help and acceptance as your PSM student.
Special thanks Muhammad Afiq bin Rosli and Mohamed Azharudin bin Habeeb Mohamed for being a great partner by helping out, inspire the idea and giving constructive critics throughout the project. Not forgetting to the other friends, Mohammad Taufik bin Mohd Noh and Muhammad Firdhaus bin Rahmat that involve with the testing part of the project.
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ABSTRACT
ABSTRAK
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER SUBJECT PAGE
DECLARATION II
DEDICATION III
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS IV
ABSTRACT V
ABSTRAK VI
TABLE OF CONTENTS VII
LIST OF TABLES XI
LIST OF FIGURES XII
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS XIV
CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION
1.1 Project Background 1 1.2 Problem Statement 2 1.3 Objectives 2
1.4 Scope 2
CHAPTER II LITERATURE REVIEW AND PROJECT METHODOLOGY
2.1 Introduction 5 2.2 Facts and Findings 5 2.2.1 Domain 5 2.2.2 Existing System 7 2.2.3 Comparison of Existing System 7 2.3 Project Methodology 13 2.4 Project Requirement 16 2.4.1 Software Requirement 16 2.4.2 Hardware Requirement 16 2.5 Project Schedule and Milestones 17 2.6 Conclusion 18
CHAPTER III ANALYSIS
3.1 Introduction 19 3.2 Current Scenario Analysis 19 3.3 Requirement Analysis 20 3.3.1 Project Analysis 20
3.3.1.1 Requirement
Gathering 20 3.3.1.2 Technical Analysis 24 3.4 Conclusion 24
CHAPTER IV DESIGN
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4.4 User Interface Design 30 4.5 Conclusion 42
CHAPTER V IMPLEMENTATION
5.1 Introduction 43 5.2 Media Creation 43 5.2.1 Production of Text 43 5.2.2 Production of Graphic 44 5.3 Media Integration 45 5.4 Product Configuration Management 45
5.4.1 Configuration Environment
Setup 45 5.4.2 Version Control Procedure 46 5.5 Implementation Status 46 5.6 Conclusion 46
CHAPTER VI TESTING
6.5.5 Second Game Test Result 62 6.5.6 Usability Test Result 63 6.5.7 Result Analysis 63 6.6 Conclusion 66
CHAPTER VII CONCLUSION
7.1 Observation on Weaknesses and Strengths
Strengths 67 7.1.1 Weaknesses 67 7.1.1.1 Interaction 67 7.1.1.2 Engagement 68 7.1.2 Strengths 68 7.1.2.1 Feedback 68 7.1.2.2 Ease of Use and
Interface Design 68 7.2 Propositions for Improvement 69 7.2.1 Interaction 69 7.2.2 Content 69 7.2.3 Game Design 69 7.3 Contribution 70 7.4 Conclusion 70
REFERENCES 71 APPENDIX A 72
APPENDIX B 73
APPENDIX C 74
APPENDIX D 75
APPENDIX E 76
APPENDIX F 77
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LIST OF TABLES
TABLE TITLE PAGE
2.1 Description of existing games/training 12
2.2 Features comparison of existing games/training 13
2.3 Project milestone 17
5.1 Configuration environment setup 45
5.2 Time period planned for the project development process
process 46
6.1 Integration test 51
6.2 Integration test 52
6.3 Integration test 53
6.4 Integration test 54
6.5 Usability question divided by sections 56
6.6 Integration test result 57
6.7 Integration test result 58
LIST OF FIGURES
DIAGRAM TITLE PAGE
2.1 Start Lumosity game 8
2.2 First question 8
2.3 Inside and Outside Memory game 9
2.4 Brain Teaser: Brain exercise for weekend questions 10
2.5 Start Cognitive Fun game 11
2.6 Cognitive tests: Visual reaction time 11
2.7 Prototyping Model 14
3.1 Proposed project Hierarchy level 21
3.2 Skills VS Stress graph 23
4.1 System architecture of proposed game 26
4.2 Flowboard of Second idea 28
4.3 Sketches of main character in game 30
4.4 Main character 30
4.5 First interface of First module for First idea 31 4.6 Second interface of First module for First idea 31 4.7 Third interface of First module for First idea 32
4.8 Start Scene 33
4.9 Choose your mode Scene 33
4.10 Choose your level Scene (Brain mode) 34
4.11 Choose your level Scene (Time mode) 35
4.12 Brain easy Scene 36
4.13 Brain medium Scene 37
4.14 Brain hard Scene 37
4.15 Time easy Scene 38
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4.17 Time hard Scene 39
4.18 Game over Scene 40
4.19 Saved game Scene 40
4.20 Leaderboard Scene 41
5.1 Example of the use of AR CENA and AR ESSENCE font
with different size 44 5.2 Example of vector graphic used in game 44 6.1 Bar chart of Students VS Marks and Students VS
Answered Time (minute) for First Pre-Test result 60 6.2 Bar chart of Student VS Score for First Game
Test result 61 6.3 Bar chart of Students VS Marks and Students VS
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS
DDR3 - Double Data Rate Type 3 fps - Frame Per Second
kbps - Kilobits Per Second MB - Megabyte
CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Project Background
Nowadays, video games have been more popular, moreover with the existence of smartphones, and affordable price for laptop, computer and console. Children are exposed to video games at early ages. Often parents are worried about their children’s learning performance due to have obsession on playing video games. However, not all video games helps them improve their cognitive skills. Although researchers have suggested that video games may help strengthen a range of cognitive skills, from Rick Nauert (2013), their children’s learning performance dropped might because of the weak cognitive skills. Due to this, most of the children feeling frustrated doing school works and find it difficult because they did not have the cognitive skills needed to process the information properly.
This product is focus on developing a game-based exercise to help improve cognitive abilities, which focuses on problem solving and speed processing. Game-based exercise is becoming more widely used over the past few years, since the fast development of technologies and young children that are exposed to new technologies and video games.
1.2 Problem Statement
The problem that have been identified in current cognitive skills training is the lack of interactivity in a certain task. Cognitive brain exercise usually in a form of brain teaser, or a simple task. Moreover, some of the existing task are only focused on single part of the cognitive abilities, and does not combine two or more cognitive training.
1.3 Objectives
The objectives for this project are:
To study on how to improve cognitive skills for children. To develop a game that improves cognitive skills for children.
To evaluate how well the developed game enhances children’s cognitive skills.
1.4 Scope
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1.4.1 Module
This game have two mode included. The first is “How much can your brain calculates?” which test the user’s brain capacity on how long can they keep on calculate random generated questions. This first module have three difficulty level, which is “Easy”, “Medium”, and “Hard”. The second mode is “Calculate before the time runs out!” which test the user’s ability to make a quick decision in time sensitive situation. User have to answer as many questions as they could correctly before the time given is finished. This second mode are also have three difficulty level, which is “Easy”, “Medium”, and “Hard”.
1.4.2 Target User
The target user for this game is primary school student, from standard 4 to standard 6, which aged from 10 to 12 years old. This is due to the compatibility of the questions given in the game with their education level.
1.4.3 Game Content
The game content is focus on operation in calculating, which is plus, minus, multiply, and divide. The digits involve in the operation are only single and two digits. The cognitive skills of user will be test using math questions generated.
1.4.4 Platform
1.5 Project Significant
As this game completed, this game application will be a medium for students to improve their cognitive skills on problem solving skills, which they can calculates figures in their head, and are able to make a quick and accurate estimation decision in a short time, also able to react quickly. Furthermore, since this game trains the user cognitive skills using mathematic questions, this game too are able to improve user’s mastery in mathematics subject.
1.6 Conclusion
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CHAPTER II
LITERATURE REVIEW AND PROJECT METHODOLOGY
2.1 Introduction
The literature review section will provide a background of the proposed study. In this section, past research was reviewed and existing system was compared to each other. This section also will provide about the project methodology that refers to the approaches taken, development planning, techniques used in gathering requirement and development tools used to develop this project.
2.2 Facts and Findings
Facts and Findings section elaborates on the project’s Domain, Existing System, and Comparison in Existing System in their respective section in 2.2.1, 2.2.2 and 2.2.3.
2.2.1 Domain
speed and reasoning (Thurstone, 1938). However, cognitive brain function can decline during aging. It was supposed that normal age-related cognitive decline is due to significant cell loss and dramatic changes in neuronal morphology (Leirer et al, 2009).
Through certain specified training, brain cognitive performance can be maintain, if not strengthen (Stavros Z. et al., 2010). Gao Y. And Mandryk R.L (2013), have conducted a research that shown temporary improvements on concentration, can result from as few of ten minute breaks of exercise. Brain is plastic and can respond effectively to challenges and disciplined exercise. (Kounti et al, 2006) embraced this theory and proved that cognitive training has great value as a method of cognitive rehabilitation.
With the rapid development of technologies in this age, children nowadays are exposed to video games since childhood. With the number of games available through average computer is increasing on regular basis, and computer gaming has become a favoured activity by youth and business around the world. (psychcentral.com, 2013) in its article stated that, video games can help boost social, memory and cognitive skills.
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2.2.2 Existing System
There are several game-based training that exist before this proposed game is develop. A research on existing game is done to determine their objectives and functions. Research is done to find and compare the advantage and disadvantage of the existing game, as the new proposed game to be develop will requires the features found in existing system as a guide.
2.2.3 Comparison of Existing System
This section discusses about existing game-based training used to improve cognitive abilities. Through the comparison made on the existing game, this project count the features and functions had in these existing games.
i. Lumosity
Lumosity is an online game-based training website. Inside this website, user can play a set of exercises that consists of five game-based training. The five game-based training will train user’s cognitive abilities in memory, attention, processing speed, flexibility and problem solving.
Figure 2.1 Start Lumosity game
Figure 2.2 First question
ii. Vigorousmind
Vigorousmind is research website that provides cognitive exercise to senior living home care and hospitals. Most of the exercise were focused on attention and memory cognitive skills, since their targeted user were elderly user, that suffers from Alzheimer.
