NutriQuest game: User experience of Grades 2 and 3 children in two Philippine private schools

Introduction: This study presents the user experience (UX) of Grades 2 and 3 schoolchildren with a nutrition mobile game, NutriQuest, developed by DOST-Food and Nutrition Research Institute. Methods: The evaluation of user experience was based on the UX Honeycomb framework developed by Morville (2004). For this study, four aspects of the UX Honeycomb, namely usefulness, usability, findability, and desirability, were determined among study participants through a guided, selfadministered questionnaire. Results: Study results revealed that approximately two-thirds (33 out of 49) of children were unable to correctly identify the food groups due to unfamiliarity with food items. For usability, children found that the words used and instructions of the game were just right. For findability, the majority of students (76% or 37 out of 49) answered that the buttons were easy to find and the game was easy to use (78% or 38 out of 49). For desirability, the sound effects used were just right (86%), pictures were good (84%), and 88% liked the light colours used. Children cited the lesson or information (57%) learnt through experience or by playing the game. Conclusion: The NutriQuest game was acceptable to children; it can create awareness and knowledge on healthy eating. The findings provide vital inputs to game design, taking into account user interaction and experience when designing game interfaces. The impact of game-based learning on children’s knowledge of healthy eating can be considered for future research. Additionally, studies can also examine the interplay between conventional teaching modes and game-based strategies.