Reflection Week - Term 1

Criteria D

Test against design specifications:

Strand 3:
Strengths, Weeknesses, Improvements:

Strand 4:

For this project I have made an animated video addressing the global issue of water pollution. The aim was to inform small children about the negative effects of water pollution, I wanted to make the video as informative as one for adults but engaging at the same time. I think the audience would understand the issue and its solutions well. during this project, I could meet the design brief very successfully as all the criteria were met in terms of appeal, though I could have simplified the instructions and made the game more user friendly. My brief was also met as I could convey information and ideas using Scratch well. Over the course of the unit I could learn many techniques on coding on scratch which I think will help me in the future, by using this application as well as more complex versions.

I do not think that there are any negative sides this informative video could have as it was giving information about both sides and it did not show anything too violent if the correct thing (recycling) was done. In terms of the game it doesn’t have many negative impacts as it is short and will not be addicting as a game would be and it does not include violence at all. 

Due to this game I, have met the statement of inquiry as well as the key concept, the statement of inquiry was met because I had used creativity and knowledge to develop a game that was intended to affect the audience's perspective in a positive manner. The key concept was development and I have met this criterion throughout the term, I had developed my knowledge and understanding of the issue of water pollution, the design cycle, and about scratch and coding in general. I have developed various new skills in scratch, and they are all going to be useful eventually

To go further into this project, I had made young children at the age of 5- 7 see this video, at the end of it they found it very entertaining to watch, one of their comments was that it was easy to understand because of the voice-over. As the aim was to make sure they understand the concept I asked them a few questions at the end of the game, they were able to answer all of the successfully and this proves the fact that the video was successful.

Criteria C

Planning for the Criteria:

Reflection:

For the planning of my creation I worked from the background towards the sound, As we had 2 weeks to complete this project and so i was able to provide enough time for all the required components. I spent 2 half an hour sessions on getting all of my backgrounds done, and one lesson to get my sprites completed. I spent 3 days to code the sprites and backgrounds as it was time consuming and a little complicated to use. I then proceed to do my sounds which i had to record at an even tone, and i spend the last day adding them into my codes and making sure that my game met my design situation and requirements. I think for the creation of this project i have spent my time wisely and was able to create a good animated video on time.

The animated video (product/ solution):

Justification (Strand 3):

Why i choose scratch?
I think my animated video was successful on Scratch, i had made the right decision to choose scratch as my software as i provided me with many options in terms of coding and the codes were simple to understand. Making the game was time consuming but this was because i was using a new software, but the codes and style of working in Scratch was quite explanatory.
Justification for any changes made to my design:
I made some changes in my game compared to my design, i decided to make the audio of talking instead of sounds like animals and humans because i thought this would be much easier for my target audience which is little kids. Other than this i followed my plan and the animation turned our to have positive results.

Criterion B

Criterion B-Developing Ideas 

The strands in this criterion are:- 

i.   develop a design specification which outlines the success criteria for the design of a solution          based on the data collected

ii.   present a range of feasible design ideas, which can be correctly interpreted by others

iii.  present the chosen design and outline the reasons for its selection

iv.  develop accurate planning drawings/diagrams and outline requirements for the creation of the chosen solution.

Strannd 1: Design Situation


Strand 2: Design Ideas

Design Idea 1:

 ANNOTATIONS:

the first image shows a beach which will be a hand drawn picture on scratch, then the bottles and cans will be scratch sprites that will be movable. The bottles will then go into the ocean using motion commands, where the message will appear for a long period of time, so the kids can read as well as this it will be spoken to allow ease of understanding. then next images will come in a row which will be also drawn to make it more interactive for the kids, they will have plastic on the animals and plants. next will come a message that will be spoken, there will aslo be a few animated pictures. then a boy that is throwing plastic into the bin will appear and so will the message. Then there will be a picture of a clean beach showing the positive effects of throwing plastic into the right bins.

Design Idea 2: 

ANNOTATIONS:
In this the first picture will be of a clean beach, and when the screen is clicked the beach will be full of plastic bottles which will all be sprites. Then when the screen is clicked again there will be a message saying "If you throw these in the ocean then lots of fish will die" then the sprites of alive fish will appear, then they will slowly die. after this the question will appear, then another message will appear saying that if we don't want this then we need to throw plastic bottles into recycling bins. To emphasize this the image of bottles in the correct places will show, and along with this will appear live fish. Then the moral/ end lesson will appear saying "don't throw plastic into the ocean or on the beach, and we will have lots of fish and plants will die."

Design Idea 3:

ANNOTATIONS:

In this game the fist background will be of a dirty beach and the ocean and the other half will be a recycle bin. The kids will then get to choose which option they think is right, if they choose the ocean the the title will show "fish die" or if they choose the bin then the message that "fish live" will appear showing happy and living fish.

Reflection for story boards:
In these lessons i made three story boards, showing different ways i can create my games in order to make them good for the audience, and make it creative as well as interactive. I tried to make my game creative and enjoyable as well as this i tired to visualize different ideas that many be better than the previous and existing one.

STRAND 3 & 4

For strand 3 & 4 i will compare my design sketches to my design specification that i created a s a part of criteria B:

FINAL DESIGN/ JUSTIFICATION:
As some of my designs didn't consist of all the components i decided i would require to make this effective i have decided to make another design that will be the one i follow and make my scratch out off.

I have decided to use this design as it meets all the components that i thought i required to make my game effective and attractive for my target audience. This is very clear and shows all the components that i need to achieve and it will be easy for me to follow on scratch as i have included when to put in music, when to change background and which sprite i need to use. This story board has the same annotations as the previous designs but this is more clear and therefore i will use it.

Term 1- Design 2016-2017

Introduction:

My name is Hiya Grover and i have been taking digital design for the past two years, in my previous year i studied about tinker cad, which is designing software online. And along with this i made a tech fair project using scratch programing. With the software’s i used basic but important programs like PowerPoint, word, blogger, excel, and a video software called Powtoon. As i am a part of an IB school i use the various learner profiles every day, in the digital design class i think i am an inquirer as i independently research any quarries that i have, as well as this i am reflective as i do detailed reflections on my blogs and i use what i have reflected as "need to do" and apply those things in my next projects, hopefully i can improve that in this year. I think i am also balanced as i can manage time quite well and i am able to hand in projects before and on the deadlines. in this year i hope to improve the skills i have gained in grade 8 like designing using Photoshop and scratch even more. i also want to improve ib skills like communicator, and risk taker. i want to be a risk-taker by using new software’s as well as using old ones in a more advanced, challenging and creative way. i would like to be a communicator by working more in groups and participating more vocally in class as i can be open- minded to other people's ideas. By the end of this year i hope to become more knowledgeable about digital design in general as well as individual software’s like Photoshop, scratch and any other topics that we cover through the course of the year. To conclude I hope to meet my expectations as well as the ones my teacher sets for me as well.

Lesson 2- design cycle

The MYP Design Cycle

My design Cycle

Reflection:
I have made this design cycle using the original copy for help, i think i have made it more understandable for me to use. I made this using smart art in word which i think helped for the basic structure better than it would have if i used Photoshop. i hope i can use this design cycle successfully for my upcoming projects in year 9.

MY SMART GOAL:

Global Context: orientation in space and time

Key Concepts: Development

Related Concepts: form and perspective

Statement of inquiry: Creative computing and design based learning involves creativity, computing, personalizing and collaborating that has evolved through out time and space to influence audience's perspective

Criteria A- Inquiry and analysis:

- What does programming in computers mean?

Creating a set of instructions in the format that the computer understands that enables the computer to do something (an action)

-How has it evolved?

They have exited for the past 200 years, and as they evolve they become easier to use and their popularity increases as well.
- What are the different ways you interact with computers?
1) sending commands through the keyboard
2) using the mouse 
3) using software
4) making softwares
5) editing
6)programming using soft-wares
-how many of those involve you creating with the computer?
everything


My First Scratch code

Reflection:
I made a very basic code for this, where i choose moves from the motion section, the command section. As this was my first code it was small though it did complete the task i wanted my sprite and background to do. I think scratch is a little complicated but when the commands are familiar they become easy. The background of this code is the picture that follows. My scratch Background:

Reflection:

I made this background by drawing the clouds and sun, but the dragon was an image that was already existing. Making a background was comparatively easy, and enjoyable as well to play around with the possible designs.

3/10/2016- exploring scratch:
today i made my scratch start at one background, then change background, play a sound, welcome the player and move.
my codes were as follows:

Reflection:
In this code i used sounds that were already available on the scratch software. Putting in the sounds was one of the easiest codes to put in, i think this is one tool that i can easily play with and that would help in making my game more applicable to my target audience.

Parts of a flower:

 

Maze:
       
Reflection:

For this maze i used a slightly more complex series of codes that would make my game work, i found making this hard as the commands had to be very specific. But this game did give me a feel of how my real game would take more time and effort to make.

Inquiry and Analysis:
The four strands:
1)Explain and justify the need for a solution to a problem for a specified client/target

audience.

2) identify and prioritize the primary and secondary research needed to develop a solution to the problem.

3) Analyse a range of existing products that inspire a solution to the problem.

4) Develop a detailed design brief which summarizes the analysis of the relevant research. 

Design Situation:

The issue that i want to raise awareness about is putting plastic into the ocean, i think this is an important issue to raise at a young age because that is when people learn and remember the stuff. This is an important global dilemma as people throwing large pieces of plastic disrupt boats and ships. Small pieces of plastic that may or may not be heavy go down deeper into the ocean towards pools of fish, or marine animals and they eat it, this will ultimately lead to the death of these animals. In a more direct way the trash will come up to the surface and where there is an overly large amount of litter it will take away the beauty of the sea. Plastic may also start to produce toxins, if this happens the choral and animals will be polluted and will die because of us littering their natural habitat. I think this is a valid issue and requires a solution because it is a global dilemma that is growing and leading to larger issues like global warming. I think if i try to enforce the idea of not putting plastic into the ocean to a young audience it would help them learn about this issue and not do things like this. I they learn this from a young age they will tell their siblings and families to do the same. I think i can use scratch to make a game or inspirational video to motivate the target audience (kids) to stop throwing stuff in the water. 

As this graph shows there is water pollution almost everywhere in the world, us being in UAE also contribute to this issue, as our water pollution rates are more than ten. This shows that we are unfortuantely a part of the higest pollution catagory. This means that every person in dubai should take the innitiative to make the ocean cleaner. We already know that this is an issue as we are destroying the animals that are a part of nature. This will also ultimately come to us because if the ocean is dirty then we will not have sea food to eat, the water will become extreemly un hygenic and people who live near the sea will have health issues. also that water from the oceanwill need a lot more cleaning to make it useable and because of this we will be using factories leading to the global issue of global warming. 

Swot Analysis:

Primary research:

for my primary research i have decided to interview my peers that are my age because as this is directed to a younger audience asking them would not work as their opinion would not be as solid and knowledge based as the people of my age. This is the data i collected:

Action plan:

Secondary research:

http://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/earth/oceanography/great-pacific-garbage-patch1.htm

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_pollution

From these websites i learned about the ever-growing dilemmas and consequences about water polluting. In the first website i saw that information about the plastic patches in the oceans, and why they are a problem. I also learned about how it harms animals and marine wildlife, this gave me the idea of making a game that includes animals to make a larger impact. The second website was Wikipedia and though its not very trusted it did give me information that i required about this ever growing dilemma. It told me about possible pathogens that could be spread, about ground water pollution because of ocean contamination and many more consequences. In this got a few ideas about how to make my game more effective and informative.

Design Brief:

Water pollution using plastic is a constantly growing issue that needs to be resolved, i feel that informing kids about this issue is very important. I feel that we should make someothing to inform the kids so they can start doing this from a young age, as well as thins if we tell them they will actually become influenced and will always adhear to it. To make the target audience learn about this dilema and how to solve it i will make a video, this video will consist of animate characters that will make the small kids be more attracted to it. it will help them learn quicker and apply it faster. It will be simple for them to undersatand but not neccecarily a simple project to code. 

This game may contain both sides of the coin, it will show what happens if we do or do not throw plastic into the ocean, i will try to make the negative side more bad so it can make the kids realize what will happen if they dont do what they are supposed to.

Peer evaluation: