Using Alice 2.0 to Design Games for People with Stroke

Computer and videogames are gaining in popularity as rehabilitation tools. Unfortunately, most systems still require extensive programming/engineering knowledge to create, something that therapists, as novice programmers, do not possess. There is software designed to allow novice programmers to create storyboard and games through simple drag-and-drop formats; however, the applications for therapeutic game development have not been studied. The purpose of this study was to have an occupational therapy (OT) student with no prior computer programming experience learn how to create computer games for persons with stroke using Alice 2.0, a drag-and-drop editor, designed by Carnegie Mellon University (Pittsburgh, PA). The OT student learned how to use Alice 2.0 through a textbook, tutorials, and assistance from computer science students. She kept a journal of her process, detailing her successes and challenges. The OT student created three games for people with stroke using Alice 2.0. She found that although there were many supports in Alice for creating stories, it lacked critical pieces necessary for game design. Her recommendations for a future programming environment for therapists were that it (1) be efficient, (2) include basic game design pieces so therapists do not have to create them, (3) provide technical support, and (4) be simple. With the incorporation of these recommendations, a future programming environment for therapists will be an effective tool for therapeutic game development.