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Põhja konna needus (The Curse of the North Frog) is a digital learning game designed for 7th grade Estonian language classes.
The project explores how game-based learning can make difficult grammar topics more engaging for students while remaining practical for teachers to use in everyday lessons.
The game focuses on consonant clusters, a topic many students find confusing and uninteresting. By combining mythology, collaborative play, and short interactive tasks, the goal was to transform a dry grammar rule into a playful classroom experience.
Year: 2025
Type: Bachelor’s thesis, EKA
Mentor: Rene Rebane
School partner: Tartu Catholic Education Centre
THE CHALLENGE
Grammar topics such as consonant clusters are often perceived by students as dry and difficult.
At the same time, teachers are already overloaded and rarely have time to prepare complex digital materials.
The challenge was to design a learning game that:
makes grammar engaging for students
is simple and quick for teachers to use
works within the technical limits of real classrooms
WHAT I DID
Role
UX Research
UX/UI Design
Educational Game Design
Prototyping
Research methods
8 classroom observations
9 interviews
1 nationwide survey
1 teacher workshop
Tools
Figma
Bolt.new
Classroom testing
Outcome
tested with 4 classes
RESEARCH
BACKGROUND
Games have strong learning potential but are often only used as a motivator or a prize, not for learning.
Research highlights several advantages of game-based learning:
games provide immediate feedback
they encourage experimentation and exploration
failure can support learning rather than discourage it
According to Triinu Jesmin, 93% of teachers already use games in lessons and 64% use digital tools — but these are mostly quiz platforms such as Kahoot or Quizizz.
The main design challenge is balance:
too much “fun” weakens learning, but too much “education” reduces engagement.
My approach follows inductive teaching, where students first observe examples, formulate the rule, and then verify it with the textbook.
TARGET GROUPS
Students (grades 7-9)
playful tools are rarely used in higher grades
concentration and reasoning skills have decreased
engaging materials are needed to maintain motivation
Teachers (especially older and less digitally confident)
36% of Estonian teachers are over 55
many feel overwhelmed by digital tools
teachers report high workload and limited preparation time
any solution must be clear, simple, and quick to set up.
FIELD RESEARCH
To ground the design in classroom reality, I combined several methods:
8 classroom observations
grades 5–9 across three schools revealed how different class dynamics and teaching styles can be.
9 half-structured interviews
3 teachers (everyday challenges),
3 experts (game-based learning),
1 psychologist (motivation and attention), and
2 publishers (economics of textbooks and games).
Nationwide questionnaire
identified the most difficult topics in Estonian language teaching.
Workshop with 5 teachers
validated consonant clusters as a focus topic and confirmed phones as the most practical device (BYOD). Teachers emphasized: “If you know the basic rule of consonant clustering and the four exceptions, you’re on top.”
KEY INSIGHTS
DESIGN CHALLENGE
HOW MIGHT I CREATE A ...
high-quality and accessible digital learning game
that supports Estonian language teachers
and helps students more effectively master complex and dry grammar topics,
while taking into account teachers’ lack of time, digital skills, and the limitations of technical and financial resources?
PRINCIPLES
Must be clear, easy to use, adaptable, free, and require minimal planning.
Students should learn the consonant cluster rule as well as or better than with traditional methods.
Must be fun for both students and teachers.
Phone-centric, but used for no more than a third of the class.
DEVELOPMENT
THE GAME
NARRATIVE
Based on Kreutzwald’s "Põhja konn". A curse spreads across the land, twisting words. Students ally with Trükiveakurat (Typo Demon) and Arvutitrükipõrguline (Computer Typo Demon) to collect crystals, cast spells, and face the Põhja konn (North Frog).
Structure: chapter-based, like an RPG.
GAMEPLAY
The teacher sets up the game and starts it on their computer. Students join the virtual room by entering the PIN on their phone.
Progression: Each student makes individual choices, but the group progresses together.
Correct answers award points.
Incorrect answers offer another attempt, with the chance to still earn points.
At the end of the session, all points are tallied.
The class collectively unlocks either a spell or a companion.
Board view: story and progress projected at the front of the class.
Phone view: students solve short interactive tasks.
OUTCOME
FINAL SOLUTION
At a glance, Põhja konna needus is:
A classroom game blending grammar, mythology and play.
Board + phones: story projected, tasks on students’ phones.
Quick, visual, collaborative exercises that fit into a 45-minute lesson.
Simple, free, and accessible for teachers.
Built to make a dry grammar rule engaging and memorable.
PROTOTYPE
TESTING & RESULTS
Tested with 4 classes at Tartu Catholic Education Centre and sent documentation to teachers and experts.
Students: positive, some disappointed they couldn’t finish the story and face Põhja konn. Enjoyed mythology theme and cooperation.
Teachers: relieved a dry topic had a playful format; liked that it connected to literature lessons.
Experts: stressed importance of individual feedback and ensuring all students experience success.
REFLECTION
This project strengthened my skills in research-driven design, co-design with teachers, and educational game development.
It also taught me how important it is to balance ambition with scope. While earlier prototyping could have improved the polish, the extensive research created a strong foundation for future iterations.
Testing at the Tartu Catholic Education Centre.
LINKS
Google Sites
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