Pre-MEGa: A Proposed Framework for the Design and Evaluation of Preschoolers' Mobile Educational Games Laila Shoukry Digital Media Engineering and Technology German University in Cairo Egypt Christian Sturm Hamm-Lippstadt University of Applied Sciences Germany Galal H. Galal-Edeen Department Of Computer Science & Engineering The American University in Cairo Egypt Abstract ---With the spread of mobile games targeting preschoolers there is an increased need for the creation of high- quality, research-based content for this age group. But how can "quality" be defined here? To answer this question, an extensive review of literature and available rating systems was needed which resulted in a detailed set of attributes which constitute a fun, usable, beneficial and, above all, successful mobile learning game targeting preschoolers. The resulting framework (Pre- MEGa) is presented in this paper with the aim of facilitating the process of translating research into concrete, measurable characteristics for designing and evaluating this type of software. Index Terms---educational technology, user-centered design, user interfaces I. Introduction Games are the most popular digital activity for children from age two, especially on mobile devices [25]. In the USA, on a given day, approximately 40% of all preschoolers play video games on consoles or mobile devices [4]. One of the most special advantages of educational digital games for children is their potential to positively affect their attitudes toward learning [17], [31], [33], [16], [28]. This is due to several factors: • Graphics, sound and movement capture children's interest more than text and still pictures in books and flashcards. • Challenge and competition experienced with games wrap the educational content with more excitement than the passive nature of non-interactive media. • Random access and parallel processing free young chil- dren, who naturally have a short attention span, from the constraint of a single path of thought. • The immediate reward is a motivation for perseverance which is more meaningful to young children than long- term rewards. • The low level of threat associated with failure in games builds self-confidence and positively connects the child with the learning experience. • Fantasy and stories of game characters attract young children to indulge in an emotional experience similar to their beloved fairy-tales. All of the above factors contribute to the outcome that children would rather spend more time playing games than studying using traditional media: The long time children can spend playing games makes games an incredible opportunity for learning. Touch screen devices allow children to interact with technology at a younger age than ever before. Very young children who used to have problems using a mouse as an indi- rect pointer to hit a target or playing using joysticks can now navigate a tablet touch screen intuitively and with ease [9]. Mobile Games-Based Learning joins both playful education and mobility to achieve an even more natural environment for learning and is among the most recent growing research areas as apps are rapidly emerging as a new medium for providing educational content to children. According to a study carried out this year, 2012 [30], over 80% of the top-selling paid apps in the education category of the iTunes Store target children. Unfortunately, when deciding to develop serious mobile games for preschoolers, the designer is faced with many challenges: • Research in this area is still immature and there is (to our knowledge) no comprehensive set of guidelines dedicated to this category of software and targeting this age group. • Wrapping educational content in a fun and appeal- ing game which preschoolers will prefer over non- educational games is not an easy task. • Keeping preschoolers' interest to repeat playing the game over a long period of time to benefit by reinforced learn- ing is a major requirement otherwise the whole project will be useless: Unlike older school children, preschoolers will not play with it as part of a curriculum or even with the incentive of learning. Under no circumstance should the fun aspect be sacrificed in this kind of project for any other consideration. • The inability of preschoolers to read requires a big audio library to be created which adds to the cost and time needed for the already expensive project and the overhead might grow due to late corrections. • Testing with preschoolers is difficult and time- consuming, thus it is vital to know in advance what to expect to design accordingly.