A Child-Centred Design Evaluation of a Learning Game to Improve Children's Legal Capability

This child-centred design evaluation examines a first prototype of a law-based learning game for children aged 3 to 16, developed under the FORTITUDE project to strengthen children's legal capability. Its purpose is to gather formative evidence from young users so that the design can be refined before a beta version is produced. The study draws on forty-five children from UK schools and early years settings, combining thematic analysis of field notes and open responses with Fisher's exact tests applied to Likert-scale data.

Overall reception was positive, with about 89% of participants rating the game as very easy or easy to play. However, findings were mixed across age groups. Younger children in the Early Years Foundation Stage struggled to understand the game's objectives, its lawometer feedback mechanism, and its navigation, whereas older participants completed tasks with relative ease. Enjoyment showed a strong association with perceived learning about rights (Fisher's exact test = 25.191, p<.001). Around 36% reported liking the game and 44% liked it very much, and 62% expressed a wish to replay the final version.

The authors identify interactivity, clearer instructions, multisensory elements, and replayability as priority areas for development. They acknowledge that the small sample and the simplicity of the prototype constrain how far the findings can be generalised, positioning the results as directional rather than conclusive. The study's framing reflects established work on co-designing digital tools with children and on the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, situating the evaluation within a broader commitment to involving young people in the design of learning technologies.