Information Systems International Conference (ISICO), 2 – 4 December 2013 Copyright © 2013 ISICO Evaluating Educational Mobile Games for School Children Sarmad Soomro, Wan Fatimah Wan Ahmad, Suziah Sulaiman Sarmad Soomro, Wan Fatimah Wan Ahmad, Suziah Sulaiman Department of Computer and Information Sciences, Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS Keywords: Mobile Games Pedagogical Playability Learning Evaluation ABSTRACT Computer and mobile games are being used as a tool to increase students’ productivity and efficiency. It is necessary that educational games should be in balance with the elements of game and knowledge. However, it is not clear what features in these two elements that should be in place to produce an effective and efficient educational game. To address this, a study was conducted to evaluate four android mobile games based on different educational subjects. The target group of this study was school children age ranging from 7-12 years. A questionnaire was formulated based on heuristics for educational computer games. 58 participants participated in this study. The study results reveal that educational mobile games have potential to improve students’ productivity. Even though knowledge and fun features should have a proportionate balanced, the game should not drop the essence of fun and entertainment. This study also suggests a framework for developing educational games should be created in the future. Copyright © 2013 Information Systems International Conference. All rights reserved. Corresponding Author: Sarmad Soomro, Department of Computer & Information Sciences, Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS, Bandar Seri Iskandar 31750 Tronoh, Perak Darul Ridzuan, Malaysia. Email: sarmad.iu@gmail.com 1. INTRODUCTION Video game industry is growing very fast with an increasing demand of casual and serious games. Casual games provide fun, entertainment, and enjoyment whereas serious games are developed for education, training and research [1]. The use of serious games in learning environment has gained higher interest among schools, communities, and offices. Serious games deliver an approach of experimental learning, where knowledge results from interaction and feedback, are entertaining [2]. With the experimental learning approach, video games are playing an important role in modeling new learning techniques for children. In schools, video games are used as a tool for children to increase the productivity, efficiency and to deliver knowledge in an interactive way. Not only schools but colleges and universities have also adapted serious games to train students in major subjects like “City Planning”, “Business Management”, “Aeronautical”, “Electrical” and “Computer Engineering” [2]. Game based learning addresses the methods of traditional learning more effectively. Incorporating educational elements in games are engaging students towards expressive learning than traditional learning tactics [3][4]. It is reviewed from literature that educational games provide sufficient knowledge to involve in discovering knowledge, while at the same time it helps in improving skills [5]. In the last decade, Educational Computer Games (ECG) became very popular in classrooms, and commonly used to improve the skills of students in an effective manner [6]. Currently, mobile phone technologies are advancing and replacing computers in educational institutes by having the advantage of the mobility features. It is claimed by [7][8], that the mobile phone technologies can be an effective tool for students in this era, where there are possibilities of motivating probable and conceivable learning advances of games played on mobile phones [1]. Considering the importance of games in the classroom, it is necessary to ensure that the design and integration of pedagogical elements are in suitable order to develop an effective education game. It is also suggested that the fun and pedagogical elements should be well-ordered and balanced for producing good quality educational games [6].