In the sessions students took surveys and interacted (as a group) with the eighth grade version of CRYSTAL ISLAND to provide
a concrete point of comparison. The sessions began with participant surveys that included demographics and game playing
experience. Then the students interactively brainstormed features of the new learning environment. Finally, a discussion was
facilitated regarding which topics in the curriculum that students found to be the most challenging to learn in typical classroom
activities, what would they find to be most helpful in learning this content, and what activities might work well in a
game? At the conclusion of each session, the team showed the students brief videos of games that were popular with elementary
school age students and discussed the relative attractions of various features.
The study yielded a broad range of design recommendations. It was found that the students had substantial game playing
experience. Almost all of the students indicated that they frequently played games on personal computers, most of the