Content Specifications

Purpose and Use

The primary purpose of each game is to improve student understanding of the given topic.

Games will be used in the classroom for the following purposes:

  • Introducing topics and engaging students in the topic

  • Teaching topics through experience and exploration

    • Games are a powerful way for students to see context for the topic with accessible, hands-on gameplay

  • Having students apply what they know about a topic

    • Students should use knowledge of the topic when making strategic gameplay decisions

    • Hold students accountable to demonstrate their knowledge of the topic. They should not be able to simply read prompts and click through the game without practicing their knowledge with the possibility of failing / losing.

  • Games will not be used in the classroom for the following purposes:

    • Repetition of practice problems from the topic

    • Games of this structure will not be approved when submitted.

Creative Style

Creative freedom is left to you! Stay inside the general bounds outlined on this page, and from there we will provide feedback on your implementation when we see the design proposal.

Curriculum Document

Each LO has its own Curriculum Document. These concept documents contain the overall scope of the LO in more detail, as well as a specific list of concepts that must be covered in a game.

At least 5 or ⅔, whichever is higher, of the concept count are required to be included in a game. Example: If a LO has 10 concepts, at least 7 should be included in the game. If a game has 6 concepts, 5 need to be included. If a game has 15 concepts, at least 10 need to be included.

For science LOs, focus on concepts labeled "core" over those labeled "peripheral."

  • You can find the concept document for your selected LO in one of two locations in the LO Spreadsheet

  • The LO DESCRIPTION is the primary learning goal for the student for the topic. For example, if your LO is “States of Matter and their Structure” (middle school science, PS1.A-4), the LO description is “In a liquid, the molecules are constantly in contact with others; in a gas, they are widely spaced except when they happen to collide. In a solid, atoms are closely spaced and may vibrate in position but do not change relative locations.”

    • If your game does not adequately cover this primary learning goal through the main concepts, then your game will not be approved for the platform. This description is the primary academic idea your game will be addressing, and the main concepts will be your tools to help you achieve this.

Universal Content Specifications

  • We are looking for INSTRUCTIONAL games that teach students through gameplay integrated with academic content. As in, the gameplay IS the learning. The adventure the student is going on or the puzzle they are solving includes academic material that reinforces the concepts, and holds the student accountable for practicing the concepts and demonstrating their understanding of the LO as a whole. The game should NOT be a game where the only learning is through instructional text, or text-based quiz / assessment. If a student is playing a platformer, and is stopped periodically to answer an academic question that is unrelated to the platformer gameplay itself, this game is not what we are looking for, and will have a difficult time getting approved.

  • Please do not include multiple-choice questions that are generic to the LO and not related to the specific gameplay. Evaluation-type assessment questions are okay as long as it is asking them about the portion of the gameplay they just completed and it's academic integration in that portion.

  • The gameplay objectives should be related to the academic objectives, reinforcing each other and both playing a role in challenging and motivating the player.

  • When possible, provide multiple representations to help learn a topic. It is helpful for students to understand that they can arrive at the same answer in different ways.

  • As you can see in the below chart, the optimal game duration is between 12 and 21 minutes.

Equity and Inclusion

This applies to the gameplay content and the game name, thumbnail, and description.

  • Players of all backgrounds should feel comfortable, welcome, and represented when using Legends of Learning.

  • When possible, use non-human characters. For example: robots, aliens, animals, other sci-fi or fictional characters, etc.

    • If using a human character to represent the player, please make sure the main player is not a white male.

    • The player should be allowed to customize their avatar based on body type, skin color, and hairstyle.

    • Body types are not gendered - at least two body types available, with no male/female designations. If the player can customize their avatar, the default avatar should NOT be a white male.

    • When using NPC human characters in the game experience, please make sure characters are diverse in gender, race, culture, and ability. Stereotypes are avoided.

    • If you have any questions about this policy and how it might impact your game submission, please email us and we can help.

Game Text

Localization

Language selection will happen outside the game, via teacher or student settings. A game should be able to handle multiple languages, but only one language will be passed in at a time. When designing your text boxes and font choice, consider how other languages’ characters will render. Make sure to include call-to-action buttons in the language JSON file so they can be translated. Spanish is the most common secondary language in the United States, and it is the most important one to have compatible text UI in the game. See below for some examples of font mishaps when a non-English language is passed into a game. Legends of Learning will complete all necessary localization translations.

Rich Text

If you elect to use rich text in your game to highlight words with colors or bold or italicize, please use hex codes. This will prevent the translation from breaking the rich HTML text and showing it as plain text.

Game Metadata

Creativity with the game name, tile, and description will help the game stand out on the platform. All of these are things the teacher sees first when looking through our game library, and they can make a huge difference for teachers deciding which games to choose for their students. For the wording of the game's description, avoid using the words student and teacher as we are expanding our offering outside just the school setting. Instead of student or teacher, use the word "players".

Game Instructions. Please keep the teacher in mind as the target audience so they can help their students play the games. Instructions are submitted as plain text in the developer portal, which is supported on the teacher platform. However, we encourage you to send a PDF instructions file to gamedevs@legensdoflearning.com. Use screenshots from the game to put the instructions in context. Legends of Learning will handle uploading PDF instruction files to the teacher platform.

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