PKU
Watch the PKU video
Play Food Zaap
Project Summary: Phenylketonuria (PKU) is a common genetic condition that results in the inability to metabolize phenylalanine (an amino acid which is a component of protein.) The main goal of this project is to produce an educational website that uses interactive play to teach children about their metabolic condition, its effects and management and that also allows parents (and other caretakers) to learn more about nutritional and medical management.
Technology and Software: The website component of this project was developed in Adobe Dreamweaver. The animation and games were coded in Adobe Flash MX and Adobe Flash 8. PHP technology allows children to submit meals directly to their nutritionist for tracking and compliance reporting.
Pedagogy and Technology: The Adventure of Poe and Parker was designed to target children diagnosed with PKU. The children can select to be either a male or female character before beginning the game. In the game, an unruly alien and her/his friends (Livero and Brainy) have been kicked off of the planet of Urhealthia for irresponsible eating. The alien character, Poe, is designed to serve as the naughty alter-ego of a compliant child, Parker. Throughout the game, the child helps Poe learn valuable lessons regarding food selection and meal planning. The learning objectives in this game range from basic knowledge skills (defining terminology) to application skills (creating a meal based on specific guidelines). These objectives are reached through the completion of four games with varying difficulty levels. The first game, Food Zaap, helps the child distinguish between good foods and bad foods. The second game, Checkout, broadens the scope for children to determine foods with high levels of protein, moderate levels of protein and no protein. The fourth and fifth games place emphasis on food selection and meal planning. A procedural animation, memory games, and a rich story line seek to increase compliance in food selection.
Development Team:- Content Experts:
Heather J. Stalker M. Sc., C.G.C.
Robert Zori MD
Helen McCunhe MD - Instructional Designer: Marcela Pineros
- Flash Programmers: Albert Banks, Marcela Pineros
- Flash Animators: Jon Kay, Jim O'Donnell, Marcela Pineros
- Web Developers: Adrian Gritz, Marcela Pineros
