Design Brief - Developing and e-learning tool

What you are going to do?

I will be creating a short clip (video or animation) using one of the softwares that we have been using e.g Scratch, Flash. The product will be used  by 8 – 9^th graders to improve their understanding on Ohm’s Law and how it related to electricity.  The product should be short, concise and interesting.

Whom (your client and potential users)?

The e-learning tool, I’m creating is for Ms. Sheema Dolafi, the senior school physics teacher. My product will help her teach the Ohm’s Law, which is one of the topics in the Physics syllabus. The Potential users will be herself and her students.

Why are going to make it (the motivation of the client)?

I chose my client because she teaches a subject I’m exceptionally strong at. Ohm’s Law was hard to grasp when I was first learning, but I eventually understood it. By making this product, I will prove myself that I can teach what I have already learned through an e-learning aid, and Physics is a subject where my strength lies.

Scratch – Self-Evaluation and Reflection

After working on Scratch for a few weeks, I have created a quiz game for almost all ages. If I were to score it would give it a 4. This is because t is not properly finished. With the previous busy week and a few holidays, I was unable to finish my Scratch project. I’m assured if I had more time; I would be able to produce an exceptional Scratch project. Using Scratch has been a great learning experience. I think I have generally performed well, though time management has been a problem.

As usual, I followed the steps of the design cycle for this technology project. I started off with the research, this involved watching other Scratch projects created by other students, and testing the software. The designing and planning process involved drawing out a storyboard of my game, as well as gathering essential parts like fonts and backgrounds. Finally the creation of my project involved putting together what I’d learning about Scratch and creating a game. I think the creating part of the process was the most difficult. Being new to the software, it was difficult using the different applications, especially when you wanted to command something to happen at a certain time. Before the design cycle, I thought Scratch was going to be an easy software to use and function, though after working on  it for a few weeks, I have found it very challenging and in some areas difficult to use. The design cycle really helped. It helped me keep organized.

My storyboard served as an outline to my project. It helped me gather the things I needed for the game. I followed it for the most part, though I modified and changed a few things. I’m sure I changed them for the better. I changed I few things because I thought they were not clear enough to the player.

I was unable to complete my Scratch project; therefore I did not include all requirements, like sound effects and credits, though I included a number of sprites and backgrounds. I think the sprites and backgrounds I chose were suitable for the game.

If I were to improve my Scratch project I would had sound effects between questions and make the ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ animations shorter or faster.

I think I should have worked on the assignment at home as well as school because I found my project to be a lit bit challenging hence needing more time.

For students who will be working on this project, I would advise to take time and understand Scratch, because it is trickier than it looks. I have enjoyed working on Scratch very much; it has taught me a little more on game making.

This was my first time using the Scratch, and I found it quite difficult at first. Scratch unlike Flash has no timeline. When I wanted something to happen during the game and stop when something happened, I had to use a number of functions. With Scratch you have to keep trying different techniques and use the one that’s the most suitable.

Depending on the complexity of the game you want to create, Scratch could be good software to use, but it has its limitations. Scratch has no timeline, so you don’t have a clear picture when things are happening. It also has no pause buttons, if you want to view an animation from a certain part, you have to start again.

Similarities

·         All have editing settings

·         All have layers (in Scratch: sprites)

·         All can be used to make animations

Differences

·         Scratch has no timeline

·         Scratch provides sounds, backgrounds, etc

·         Scratch has lists of already built in commands

·         Photoshop and Flash have more and better editing tools

My Scratch Project Idea

Video Game

1.

·         I will need several sprites for my game. The game will have 8 questions, 6 different ‘right or wrong ‘animations, a cover page and score page. My estimate is I will need around 16 sprites for my game. Though many of my sprites will have a similar concept to each other.

·         For my game I will need: 8 different backgrounds for each question, 6 ‘nature’ backgrounds for each ‘right or wrong’ animation, 1 cover page, 1 score page.

·         The audience will use the mouse-pointer or the keys on the keyboard to play the game. They win by answering all the questions correctly. I will use the variable and motion blocks to keep score of the game. The variable block will allow me to increase a score by a certain increment when a question is answered correctly. The motion and control block will allow me when to change the score.

2.

·         The name of the game is ‘Are you really that smart?’

·         The purpose of the game is to determine how smart you are using a scale from 1 to 4 depending on how many questions you answered correctly. The questions are on general knowledge. So it is a quiz anyone of any age can take.

·         I would not consider my project a game but a quiz or a test. You play the quiz by answering the question with the answer you believe is correct.

·         To win or score highly, the player must answer as many questions as they can correctly, inorder to receive a high intelligence score.

·         Scoring will be kept within the game.  With each correct answer, the player receives 5 points. If the player answers the question incorrectly the player doesn’t gain any points.

Creating animations – Self-Evaluation and Reflection

I think my animation clearly reflects the skills I have learned in this semester in the Technology class. If I were to grade my animation I would give it a 5. I met the requirements that were asked of me. And I think my animation is creative and well produced. In general performance, I did exceptionally well. My animation followed logical order as well as had a storyline.
I followed the Design Cycle in chronological order, beginning with the research. The research helped a lot; I learned a lot about Flash and animation in general. When designing, I thought about the audience I wanted to target. I decided that I would create an animation for children, so I chose an already existing children's story 'The Monkey and the Turtle'. I created a detailed storyboard to help me create my animation of Flash. This helped in the creation, because I had a guide that I could follow. The creating was the most difficult part of the cycle, but the most interesting too! Throughout the project I have learned a lot about the animation process, and learned to like it more too. I think the Design Cycle helped me create my animation, without it, it would have been very difficult creating an animation on Flash with no knowledge on the software.
The storyboard served as an outline to my animation. With the story board, I knew exactly what to do on Flash. It also gave the details like time, setting and characters. I did follow my story board for my storyboard, though I did add details that weren’t already in the plan. Added more settings to make the story line flow better, and make more interesting. I think my changes were for the better.
As mentioned earlier, I met all requirements that were requested, like sound characters and setting; though I didn't include music. In my final animation I may have exceeded the time I had planned for in my story board. I found that when I was creating my animation on Flash I needed more time on each scene than intended, so to make the story flow. If I had followed my initial plan, the story may have been too rapid. I included three characters, two of which were the main characters (Turtle and Monkey). I think my final animation met all the requirements.
If I were to improve my final animation, I would improve on the movement of my characters. I think at times they were a bit to abrupt. Moving the character around was the trickiest part of the process.
I wouldn’t change anything in the cycle, though I would create all the settings and characters of my animation beforehand. I created my settings as I produced my animation on Flash which caused me to spend longer on the creating part.
For students working on a similar project, I would advise to manage your time better, especially on the creation part. As said prior organize everything you need for the project beforehand, it is easier that way. Also pick a topic that you know can finish with in the time frame given.
Before beginning this project I didn’t know about Adobe Flash. It was my first time to use Flash this quarter. Now I know how to create an animation.
When I began to work on Flash I found difficulty using and maneuvering the layers. Over time I got used to it and it became easier. I think Flash is a very good soft ware for creating animations. It has many applications that help design and create motion pictures. I’m glad I got to work on Flash; I hope to use it again in the future.
There numerous similarities and differences between Adobe Flash and Adobe Photoshop. They both offer editing tools, though Photoshop offers more. You can change the appearance of an image using Photoshop, such as adjusting the saturations or adding effects which you can’t do on Flash.
On both programs you can create animation, though Flash you can add sound and morph images which can’t be done on Photoshop. I think Photoshop is more of an image editing program and Flash is an animation or video creating program. I found much easier to create my animation on Flash, it had better tolls that helped me with the production, though I still used Photoshop to edit my pictures.

Task 3 - Creating an animated GIF

Did you know how to create an animation before doing this task?  Did the task help you understand how to create an animation?

This was my first time creating an animation. I had never used a software to create an animation. Using Photoshop did help me understand how to create animations. I learned about frames and how to move images from one location to another. After a few trials on Photoshop, I was able to create my own short animation.

Did you find any difficulties in the use of Photoshop?  How did you solve them?

Yes, I found a few difficulties while using Photoshop. My animation involved a lot of movement, so i needed several layers. I found it difficult to move one element without changing the shape or position of another.  To limit my movements, i had to remove some elements for my animation and create a simper one.

Did you find Photoshop a good option for creating animations?

I don't think Photoshop is a good option for creating animations. It is more of software for editing picutres and images. I think in Photoshop, you are limited to a few tools to use when creating animation. After using Flash, I think flash is a better alternative than Photoshop.

Below is the animation, I created in Photoshop.

My Story in Flash

For this unit, I will be creating a short animation on a story I chose. "The Monkey and the Turtle".
Plot
A turtle and a monkey a friends, they have both not eaten in days so they decide to go look for some food in the forest. They walk and walk. The monkey spots a banana tree, but the turtle being short-sided can not see it. They approach the tree and the turtle tells the monkey to climb the tree and throw down some fruit. The monkey climbs the tree but forgets about the turtle. The turtle gets and mad and plans for revenge. He gathered sharp pieces of glass and placed them around the banana tree. After having enough bananas the, monkey climbs down and cuts himself on the glass pieces. The turtle giggles from behind the tree. The monkey, furious threatens to kill the turtle. But the slow helpless turtle pleads for help and says 'please don't through in the river'. The monkey picks the turtle and chucks him into the river. The turtle laughs and says 'this is my home'. This angers the monkey, so he jumps in, but drowns.

Characters:
Turtle
Monkey

Location:
Forest