steve isaacs - game design and development in the studio

Game Design and Development in the Classroom

Presentation resources: http://bit.ly/gamedev_seriousplay

Steve Isaacs, William Annin Middle Schoolstevei2071@gmail.comtwitter: @mr_isaacshttp://gamesandlearning1.blogspot.com

BioSteve 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

What I’m playing

What are you playing?

Evolution of a Game Design and Development Curriculum

● Summer camps / After school program● Unit in G & T program● Full semester elective - Game Design and

Developmento GameMakero Portal 2o MineCraft

● Extension activities / Quest Based Learning● 6 week cycle / exploratory course in Game

Design and Digital Storytelling

Why is Game Design and Development Important?

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"

Designing for an Audience (Client)

This is hard for middle schoolers!!!!

Design Thinking / Iteration

Evaluate

Play Test

Conference

Refine

Engaging in process from conceptualization to finished product

Desig

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Collaboration / InterdisciplinaryComputer Game

DevelopmentCSC 5930-002Dr. 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).

Computer Science ConceptsNaturally emerge in construction of game resulting in genuine, applied introduction to programming:

Debuggingo It didn’t work...why?o Authentic problem...not just

hypothetical

Cultural Capital / Agency

“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 Learninghttp://littlestartlearning.blogspot.com

Scaffolded Learning

** Scalable **

So, what does game design in class look like?

Student-Driven Learning● Open-ended

● Democratic learning environment

● Studio setting

● It doesn’t have to be an “educational game”

Setting up the classroom

● Studio environmento Teacher as facilitator / partner in learningo 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)

Setting up the classroom

Quest Map:

Video Game Design and Development

Main Quest-lines

Game Design Tools

Modding -- creating content for existing games often with in-game level editors /engines

Cameron

Development ToolsGameMaker Studio

o 2D game engineo All objects programmed with events and

actionso Drag and Drop (or coding) environment o Ability to use existing resources or create your

owno GameMaker has built-in sprite editoro Strong introduction to Programming

http://www.yoyogames.com/learn

Side Quests

Student Blogs

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)

Reflection and Debriefing

“Debriefing is the processing of the game experience to turn it into learning.”

---Crookall, 2011

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