User-Centered Mobile Games as an Interactive Learning Platform

Abstract

Many elementary school kids struggle to stay interested when learning through traditional methods. Sitting through lessons or reading from textbooks often feels boring, making it harder for them to develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills. To keep them engaged, learning needs to be more interactive and hands-on— something that makes education both fun and effective. To address this problem, we created an interactive mobile learning platform that makes use of tactile learning, object detection, and gamification. YOLOv8, a real time object detection model, is integrated into the system, enabling students to finish tasks like identifying particular objects within a time constraint. A task-switching function on the site allows students to select different assignments if they find a particular one too challenging. Additionally, parental monitoring tools assist parents in keeping tabs on their child's development. The Python back-end, which uses machine learning libraries like PyTorch, OpenCV, and NumPy for real-time image processing, is powered by the Java front-end Testing results showed that students were more engaged with the platform than with traditional learning methods. The gamified challenges made learning fun while sharpening their cognitive skills and decision-making. The task-switching feature kept them interested without overwhelming them, and parents could track progress easily through built-in monitoring tools. Overall, the platform turned out to be a fun and effective way to learn.