Sketch and Learn: a sketch-based game framework for studying images

Art history students see hundreds of different images and must memorize the significant details of each one. Their learning would be increased by combining the pleasures and addictive properties of a video game with a mechanism to interact with the images while learning the details. This thesis describes the design and implementation of an educational framework, called Sketch and Learn, that applies effective game mechanics to motivate the player to spend more time viewing images and remember the accompanying details. We had 25 students participate in a game using Sketch and Learn images and textbook-style images. Our results showed that participants spent three times more time on Sketch and Learn images and remembered 60% more of their details. The Sketch and Learn framework has great potential as a learning tool to help students of any language develop skills and knowledge in any subject matter that involves images.