From Board Game to Digital Game

Abstract

Invasive species are species that cause economic and ecological harm and/or harm to human health. One challenge to managing invasive species is the lack of awareness about these species and the threats they pose. To mitigate this problem, the University of Florida Center for Aquatic and Invasive Plants developed a classroom board game for children to learn about trade-offs in managing invasive species. The game is effective in increasing knowledge about invasive species and promoting collaborative discussions. However, this board game is only accessible within the classroom. We created a mobile digital game that expands on the goals of the board game. In this paper, we discuss the design of the board and digital versions of the game, and provide some guidelines for designing digital learning games that address real-world problems that have no optimal solution, like the management of invasive species. Future work will evaluate the effectiveness of the digital game in enhancing children's knowledge about invasive species.