Game making: working towards the technology objectives in a Curriculum for Excellence

1. Game making: working towards the technology objectives in a Curriculum for Excellence Judy Robertson Cathrin Howells Heriot-Watt University

2. What we’ll cover • Relevant Curriculum for Excellence objectives: why gaming is CfE in a box! • Software packages you could use • Hands-on playing with software: Adventure Author • Info about further training opportunities (We’ll put copies of these slides on www.adventureauthor.org)

3. Your experience with making games?

4. C f E in general: four capacities

5. Technologies objectives C F E: Technologies objectives

6. Integrated projects with other subjects • C f E English Language principles: “a text is the medium through which ideas, experiences, opinions and information can be communicated” Including “…films, games and TV programmes”.

7. List of possible game making tools Scratch Gamemaker Adventure Author Phun Crayon physics Second Life Are there others? Of course! (Alice, Toon talk, Mission Maker, Thinking Worlds...)

8. Scratch http://scratch.mit.edu/ Free PC or Mac Don’t need high spec machines Fab visual programming language – based on years of research Good teaching resources Can be used for animation Used in loads of schools already

10. Gamemaker http://www.yoyogames.com/ Free download for PC or Mac Excellent text book and tutorials: http://book.gamemaker.nl/frames.htm Slightly more complex – for older kids?

11. Crayon Physics and Phun Like a cross between sketch pads and physics simulations. Phun: free, mac or PC http://www.phunland.com/wiki/Home Crayon Physics: $20 http://www.crayonphysics.com/ PC (or iPhone!)

12. Second Life Free download For older kids Need to use Teen Grid Need PCs with graphics cards Why? 3D – good for teaching scripting We use it in first year at HW Ask Kate for more info!

21. About Adventure Author Based at Heriot-Watt University Funded by EPSRC until Dec 08 Aims to study the creative process learners go through when making their own computer games Have worked with schools in Edinburgh, Dundee, and East Lothian to design and refine game making software Have also holiday workshops since 2003 Worked with ~450 kids to date

22. More about Adventure Author • The software is a plug-in for a commercial game making package called Neverwinter Nights 2. • We have taken out the trickier aspects of the software and added educational aspects • The plug-ins are free at www.adventureauthor.org

23. Neverwinter Nights 2 You can buy it on Amazon for ~£8

24. Game making toolset Comes free with Neverwinter Nights 2 game

25. Fridge Magnets: brain storming Free standalone version at www.adventureauthor.org/fridge-magnets.html

26. Conversation Writer: dialogue

27. Conditions, choices, actions in dialogue

29. Comments Cards: self and peer review Free standalone version at www.adventureauthor.org/ comment-cards.html

30. My Tasks – monitoring progress

31. Classroom experiences with Adventure Author • See Campie Primary School teacher’s blog: http://edubuzz.org/blogs/campiep7b/2008/08/11/nile-2008-talk/ • Susan and Judith at St Augustine’s have used it with their first years

32. Now you try it!

33. Plenary • What did you think of the software? • What was it like to be a learner again?

34. Making Games in Schools: Free teacher training • We have an 18 month project to provide teacher training about making computer games in the classroom. • Teachers who join in will get free 2.5 days of CPD training and a university student helper to help out in class. • This is available to schools within ~100 miles of Heriot-Watt who have the necessary hardware. We have a small budget to upgrade computers. • Get an application form here

35. Further details • Over to Cathrin – see handouts

36. Any questions? • Judy.Robertson@hw.ac.uk • C.Howells@hw.ac.uk