(Shaffer et al. 2005). The game SPEAK UP! was intended to assist beginner to low-intermediate
learners in learning vocabulary to recognize parts of speech and use words. At the first test, the
game successfully helped the students understand the vocabulary. After the first test play, SPEAK
UP! was introduced to high school English teachers in a community service program, however the
COVID-19 pandemic forced the teachers to learn how to use SPEAK UP! in an online meeting.
The conditions brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic made the researchers wants to develop
SPEAK UP! into a digital version that could be easily accessed using portable gadgets. The first
prototype had a very simple and plain interface design that needed to be enhanced further so as
to attract the target audience of the game: junior high students. To simplify the game’s physical
devices, reproduce and update content, facilitate access and expand users, the offline or table-top
version of the game was developed into an online game. SPEAK UP! developed into a web-based
and mobile online version under the name SQUARE TALKS! As a consequence, this new version
needed more advanced visual enhancements in order to bring the attractive visual interface for the
players. Until now, SQUARE TALKS! was still under development.
2 METHODS
2.1 Research methods
The research uses the qualitative research method to analyze the visual needs for the game’s prototype. The research did some observations for data collecting in order to figure out what must
be added or removed from the first prototype by running some play tests and interviewing the
players about how they experience the game, what they want to see and play in the game, and their
feedback about the game. Observation was used for understanding the subjects from the curriculum
for making a good game play based on what the subjects teach the students and the visualizations
that are close to the students’ taste. The research also made some comparisons with other games
that were close to this project and in the same genre. Observation was also used for making a
good game play (Aditya et al. 2019). The research learned from some similar words and language
board game’s rules and some board games assets in order to develop board game concepts not only
the suitable in visual language but also for designing the game’s aesthetics and also its dramatic
elements in digital ways.
2.2 Subjects
Initially, the board game SPEAK UP! had been tested to 30 students of Telkom University in 2019.
After playing SPEAK UP! twice, there was a significant difference between pre-test and post-test
vocabulary scores. Thus, SPEAK UP! had a positive influence on improving the vocabulary score
and speaking ability of its players. Feedback from students who played SPEAK UP! is that the
game has a variety of challenges such as variations of the types of questions on the game card.
On April 23, 2020, SPEAK UP! was briefly introduced to some teachers from different schools
in community service activities. Initially, these community service programs would take the form
of a workshop, but due to the social and psychical distance required as a result of the COVID-19
pandemic in the Bandung Region, the program later became an online knowledge-sharing session,
so that new teachers were given examples of syllabi or lesson plans where SPEAK UP! was used in
classroom learning activities. The response from them was very positive and they were curious to
use SPEAK UP! in learning activities in their classrooms. However, due to the Covid-19 pandemic,
the research team agreed to made “SPEAK UP!” become more advanced as a digital platform that
could be accessed easily by the audience.
2.3 Data analysis
Feedback from teachers joining the community service programs had been followed up by the
research team to bring SPEAK UP! online, in order to reach other students to experience the
168
learners in learning vocabulary to recognize parts of speech and use words. At the first test, the
game successfully helped the students understand the vocabulary. After the first test play, SPEAK
UP! was introduced to high school English teachers in a community service program, however the
COVID-19 pandemic forced the teachers to learn how to use SPEAK UP! in an online meeting.
The conditions brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic made the researchers wants to develop
SPEAK UP! into a digital version that could be easily accessed using portable gadgets. The first
prototype had a very simple and plain interface design that needed to be enhanced further so as
to attract the target audience of the game: junior high students. To simplify the game’s physical
devices, reproduce and update content, facilitate access and expand users, the offline or table-top
version of the game was developed into an online game. SPEAK UP! developed into a web-based
and mobile online version under the name SQUARE TALKS! As a consequence, this new version
needed more advanced visual enhancements in order to bring the attractive visual interface for the
players. Until now, SQUARE TALKS! was still under development.
2 METHODS
2.1 Research methods
The research uses the qualitative research method to analyze the visual needs for the game’s prototype. The research did some observations for data collecting in order to figure out what must
be added or removed from the first prototype by running some play tests and interviewing the
players about how they experience the game, what they want to see and play in the game, and their
feedback about the game. Observation was used for understanding the subjects from the curriculum
for making a good game play based on what the subjects teach the students and the visualizations
that are close to the students’ taste. The research also made some comparisons with other games
that were close to this project and in the same genre. Observation was also used for making a
good game play (Aditya et al. 2019). The research learned from some similar words and language
board game’s rules and some board games assets in order to develop board game concepts not only
the suitable in visual language but also for designing the game’s aesthetics and also its dramatic
elements in digital ways.
2.2 Subjects
Initially, the board game SPEAK UP! had been tested to 30 students of Telkom University in 2019.
After playing SPEAK UP! twice, there was a significant difference between pre-test and post-test
vocabulary scores. Thus, SPEAK UP! had a positive influence on improving the vocabulary score
and speaking ability of its players. Feedback from students who played SPEAK UP! is that the
game has a variety of challenges such as variations of the types of questions on the game card.
On April 23, 2020, SPEAK UP! was briefly introduced to some teachers from different schools
in community service activities. Initially, these community service programs would take the form
of a workshop, but due to the social and psychical distance required as a result of the COVID-19
pandemic in the Bandung Region, the program later became an online knowledge-sharing session,
so that new teachers were given examples of syllabi or lesson plans where SPEAK UP! was used in
classroom learning activities. The response from them was very positive and they were curious to
use SPEAK UP! in learning activities in their classrooms. However, due to the Covid-19 pandemic,
the research team agreed to made “SPEAK UP!” become more advanced as a digital platform that
could be accessed easily by the audience.
2.3 Data analysis
Feedback from teachers joining the community service programs had been followed up by the
research team to bring SPEAK UP! online, in order to reach other students to experience the
168