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Steve Isaacs - Game Design and Development in the Studio

Game Design and Development provides an authentic introduction to computer science concepts. Developing these skills with upper elementary and middle school students enables them to explore computer programming and problem solving within a design framework. The goal of this session is to provide a framework for teaching game design and development in a school setting. Game design and development is an underutilized, but powerful tool in terms of creativity and design thinking. Video game design provides a valuable context for creating a constructionist learning environment where students are provided with great flexibility in both the learning path and the content as students become creators of content rather than consumers. Developing games puts students in a position to utilize technology as a design tool. Throughout the process, students have opportunities to work in a studio like environment while participating in a variety of activities including graphic design, programming, and sound engineering.

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Steve Isaacs - Game Design and Development in the Studio

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  1. Game Design and Development in the Classroom Presentation resources: http://bit.ly/gamedev_seriousplay Steve Isaacs, William Annin Middle School stevei2071@gmail.com twitter: @mr_isaacs http://gamesandlearning1.blogspot.com

  2. Bio Steve Isaacs, @mr_isaacs Teacher, Video Game Design and Development ● Masters in Education, Online Teaching and Learning ● Owner/Operator, Liberty Corner Computing, an Interactive Training and Gaming Center ● 21 years in the classroom ● Passionate about game based learning, particularly Game Design and Development

  3. What I’m playing

  4. What are you playing?

  5. Evolution of a Game Design and Development Curriculum ● Summer camps / After school program ● Unit in G & T program ● Full semester elective - Game Design and Development GameMaker Portal 2 MineCraft ● Extension activities / Quest Based Learning ● 6 week cycle / exploratory course in Game Design and Digital Storytelling o o o

  6. Why is Game Design and Development Important?

  7. Constructionism / Creativity "Children don't get ideas, they make ideas" "Better learning will not come from finding better ways for the teacher to instruct, but from giving the learner better opportunities to construct"

  8. Designing for an Audience (Client) This is hard for middle schoolers!!!!

  9. Design Thinking / Iteration Play Test Refine Evaluate Conference Engaging in process from conceptualization to finished product

  10. Collaboration / Interdisciplinary Computer Game Development CSC 5930-002 Dr. Tom Way Innovative open studio approach to game development, simultaneously team-taught with a section of the course at Villinova and The College of New Jersey (TCNJ).

  11. Computer Science Concepts Naturally emerge in construction of game resulting in genuine, applied introduction to programming:

  12. Debugging o It didn’t work...why? o Authentic problem...not just hypothetical

  13. Cultural Capital / Agency

  14. “In a fishing analogy, landing the fish would be mastery for the child, and once taught, we let them move on to be fascinated by some other enticing concept or to use their new knowledge to scaffold to the next higher level. They move on, with greater knowledge and experience, to build upon what they now know.” ~Connie - Little Stars Learning http://littlestartlearning.blogspot.com

  15. Scaffolded Learning ** Scalable **

  16. So, what does game design in class look like?

  17. Student-Driven Learning ● Open-ended ● Democratic learning environment ● Studio setting ● It doesn’t have to be an “educational game”

  18. Setting up the classroom ● Studio environment o Teacher as facilitator / partner in learning o Quest Based Learning (3dgamelab)  Main Quest Lines  Side Quests o Collaboration  Options in terms of working alone or with others  Build in mechanism for peer evaluation and feedback  Community goal: help peer make game better (not critique)

  19. Setting up the classroom

  20. Quest Map: Video Game Design and Development

  21. Main Quest-lines

  22. Game Design Tools Modding -- creating content for existing games often with in-game level editors /engines

  23. Cameron

  24. Development Tools GameMaker Studio 2D game engine All objects programmed with events and actions Drag and Drop (or coding) environment Ability to use existing resources or create your own GameMaker has built-in sprite editor Strong introduction to Programming o o o o o o

  25. http://www.yoyogames.com/learn

  26. Side Quests

  27. Student Blogs

  28. Empowering Learners in the Maker Age ● Wood / Sheet Metal Game Controller ● Makey Makey Game Controller Box ● Makey Makey Power Towel Roll Flute ● Minecraft Automatic Chicken Generator ● Student Created Version of Flappy Bird (code.org) ● Student Created Version of Flappy Bird (GSM)

  29. Reflection and Debriefing “Debriefing is the processing of the game experience to turn it into learning.” ---Crookall, 2011

  30. Reflection and Debriefing What does good reflection look like? ● Game design principles ● Storyline / Character development ● Game Mechanics ● Replayability factor ● Challenge level vs. frustration ● Aesthetics / Sound ● Scoring mechanisms ● Winning / losing scenario

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