learning by making: it's all fun and games

Learning by Making

Elizabeth Goins

Games in the Classroom•Make Your Own Games

• Use serious or commercial games

• Let students to build their own games

COTSCommercial Off The Shelf games in the classroom

Learn with PortalsPhysics and Critical Thinkinghttp://www.learnwithportals.com/

Surgeon Simulatorhttp://www.surgeonsimulator2013.com/

COTS: Practicalities

1.Teacher owned copy for playing on screen

2.Students each purchase their own copy

3.Have library copies that they can check out

Serious/Educational Gameshttp://www.playsweatshop.com/

A Selection of titlesLayoff Game

http://www.tiltfactor.org/play-layoff

Pox and the Cityhttp://scholarworks.rit.edu/jih/vol1/iss1/5/

Darfur is Dyinghttp://www.darfurisdying.com/

History of Biologyhttp://www.spongelab.com/game_pages/hob.cfm

High Teahttp://www.wellcomecollection.org/whats-on/exhibitions/high-society/high-tea.aspx

DIYUsing Templates

Free Game templates and Ideas

http://people.uncw.edu/ertzbergerj/msgames.htm

https://www.superteachertools.net/jeopardyx

/http://

www.edtechnetwork.com/powerpoint.html

http://www.classtools.net/http://classroom-aid.com/educational-resources/play-and-learn/game-building

/

LEARNING BY BUILDINGStudents as Game Designers

BASICsFocus on Process

Not the product

ResearchEducational Goals and OutcomesPracticalities

Platform/technologyArt workNarrative and text elementsGame Mechanics and art

ExamplesReview

Trivia Game

• Divide students into teams

• Each team makes up Trivia questions to try to stump the other team

• Open book/notes

Discussion, Research and Reflection

Create a design document

• Require bibliography and references

• Student teams?

• Give plenty of time in class to work on project

• Teams present game ideas to the class for critique

Back to YOU!Design your game exercise• General Topic

• Assignment parameters

• Educational content (what will they build?)

• Platform or tools (how will they build it)

• Time frame

• Assessment

• Discussions

• Critiques (important to give feedback during the process)

• Final project

Step 1• Pick your topic

• Educational goals (one or two)• What do you want students to

learn?

IntersectionsNarrative (dramatic elements)Mechanics/formal (what will players

do?)Agency (how much choice will

players have?)Educational Goals: tie everything

together

Example:Layoff Gamehttp://www.tiltfactor.org/play-layoff

Player

designer

formal

dramatic

Example: ChemistryCreate a design and paper

prototype for a game about:

• Organic chemical reactions

• The history of organic chemistry

• Why organic chemistry is important in everyday life

• Organic chemistry

Step 2:Refine topicDefine audience

Or not you can require students to specify

BUILDINGPrototypes or documents?

Tools of the tradePaper and penRole playingPowerpoint presentationsDesign documents (Word)Interactive Tools

TwineStoryNexusVaryTale

Game buildersGame MakerRPG Maker

ResourcesGame Maker

https://www.yoyogames.com/studio

Twinehttp://twinery.org/

VaryTalehttp://varytale.com/books/

Story Nexushttp://www.storynexus.com/s

How to Write a Game Design Dochttp://www.stemchallenge.org/students/game-design-documents

/

Step 3Decide on format

What will students build/deliver?Design document or treatment?Prototype and presentation?Document + prototype?

What components MUST they include?

Examples:Educational goalsResearch/references/bibliographies

ASSESSMENTFocus expectations

Example Rubric• Theme/thematic statement: 10• Equivalent of educational goal

• Narrative elements: 35

• Narrative Treatment: 30

• Research and Analysis: 25

Example guidelineshttp://www.slideshare.net/ElizabethGoins/anime-final

Step 4Sketch out guidelines and rubric• Make sure students know what is

important to you

• Important to give feedback during the process

• Critiques and presentations

Questions to ask

• How does this (mechanic, character, etc) help me understand your educational goal or add to my knowledge?