Usability Heuristics for Mobile Educational Games: A Case Study of the English Vocabularies Game

An educational game is an engaging and interactive tool that integrates entertainment with the learning process to enhance the knowledge of learners. Considering that Thai students often face challenges in English proficiency, educational games present a potential tool to enhance their English skills. To guarantee the effectiveness of educational games, the user interface, and the overall experience are the important factor. Therefore, this study aims to examine the usability of a vocabulary-enhancing game for Thai secondary school students, focusing on English language acquisition. The game’s user interface and user experience were evaluated using Jakob Nielsen’s ten usability heuristics. The research involved three stages: game design, implementation, and evaluation. A demographic questionnaire was used to collect data on participant characteristics and gaming habits. The heuristic evaluation revealed that heuristics, such as visibility of system status, match between the system and the real world, and user control and freedom received favorable responses. However, certain aspects, such as consistency and standards, error prevention, and help and documentation, require enhancement. The study highlights the importance of user-centered design concepts and error recovery mechanisms in improving gaming experiences. The findings contribute to the field of game-based education and emphasize the importance of user-centered design in augmenting learning experiences.