304742
Usability Testing of “The Secret of Seven Stones”, An Innovative Home-Based Online Game to Prevent HIV/STI and Pregnancy In Middle School Youth through Parent-Child Communication
Purpose: To describe game development, functionality, and prototype usability testing results.
Methods: A stepped development process (Intervention Mapping) guided the application of behavioral theory, empiric data, and qualitative (focus group and semi-structured interview) needs assessment from a collaborative parent-youth advisory group. Design documents and an SSS prototype level were developed. Usability tests were conducted using “talk aloud” and rating (survey) protocols with youth (n=6) under laboratory conditions to assess a range of usability parameters including user satisfaction, ease, comfort, credibility, understandability, and motivational appeal.
Results: The SSS game addresses over 1300 learning objectives in 15 behavioral domains (covering responsible decision making skills about friendships, dating relationships, and sex) to provide sexual health and life skills training, and improve parent-child communication, monitoring and connectedness. Youth rated the single level prototype as easy to use (67%-83%), comfortable to play (100%), satisfying (67%), understandable (67%), credible (50%-83%), and motivational (50%-83%). Testing identified important interface and functional design strategies to improve the player experience.
Conclusions: Further development and feasibility testing is indicated for this innovative collaborative game-based approach to home-based sexual health education.
Learning Areas:
Administer health education strategies, interventions and programsCommunication and informatics
Implementation of health education strategies, interventions and programs
Planning of health education strategies, interventions, and programs
Public health or related education
Social and behavioral sciences
Learning Objectives:
Describe the development of a home-based parent-mediated online game and its translation from theory to application.
Explain the protocols for game usability prototype testing and interpretation of results.
Discuss significance and utility of a home-based sexual health and life skills development program.
Keyword(s): Adolescents, Family Involvement
Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am one of the Principal Investigators and primarily responsible for development of the system technology and program media. My scientific interests include the development of interactive media strategies for HIV/STD/pregnancy prevention in adolescents.
Any relevant financial relationships? No
I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.