Science Buddies: "Ask an Expert"

Hoping someone can help us with this idea project. My son (5th grade) want to create video game for school science fair based on initial studies have already presented the possibility of people gaining anti-dementia and Alzheimer’s disease benefits from playing video games.

He is using CodeSpark academy application. Very simple coding for kid at his age. His ideas are simple interactive puzzles and game design. The puzzles and mini-games cover coding concepts such as sequencing, loops, and conditionals. In addition, different colors of forest scene or a beach scene.

**We have questions if this project consider Engineer project, if yes, how he can create a phototype and recreate/retested and have it present for science fair.
**Any suggestion for game design?
**What’s type of research that need to include in the project? Video game helps delay Alzheimer’s disease and improve memory?

Thank you very much

Hi,

I can probably help answer some, but maybe not all, of your questions. Yes, designing software like a video game would typically be considered an engineering project where you follow the engineering design process. We have guides about the engineering design process and the difference between it and the scientific method:

https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science- ... cess-steps

https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science- ... fic-method

You could do a scientific method problem with a video game - for example if he took an existing video game and did an experiment to compare memory in people who do and don't play the game, that would be a scientific method project. But if he is designing his own game - specifying requirements for the game, prototyping it, and iteratively improving it - that is an engineering project.

We have examples of both types on our site. Here is an app design project (engineering design): https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science- ... dicine-app

Here is a scientific method project that uses driving games to measure the effects of distraction: https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science- ... ame-scores

I'm not familiar with CodeSpark but I would suggest checking out Scratch (scratch.mit.edu) - there are a ton of games on there that may serve as inspiration.

I'm not so sure about the research end since this is not my area of expertise, but it sounds like you're on the right track - do background research about Alzheimer's disease and things that can benefit cognition (doing puzzles, playing games, etc).

Sounds like a cool project, good luck!

@bfinio thank you very much. Very helpful information.

Update: thank you so much for your advice. My son won first place at School Science Fair and he is moving on to District level Science Fair.

That is great to hear! Keep in touch and let us know how it goes!

Hi, my name is Roy. I would like to give you an update that I won first place in the School district Science & Engineering Fair for the computer software category.
I am moving on to Science & Engineering Fair at County level.

Thank you.

Roy

That's fantastic!!! Please keep us posted on your project!

Thank you very much

Good afternoon
I won 1st place in Regional Science Fair and also won Broadcom Foundation Award for combining STEM knowledge in computation/ coding in the project that helps and improves community. Thank you again.

That's amazing! This keeps getting better and better.