Games for Change Festival 2010. STEM and Game Development

Game Design and STEM Learning
Rafael Fajardo, P4 Games
Scott Leutenegger, P4 Games
Karen Michaelson, Tincan

Game Education via Making @ DUPixels, Programming Play & Pedagogy (P4games)
High School Summer Game Camp
Teacher Game Institute
School Year Implementation
2

3
Game Camp (P3)
2 week residential OR 1 week school
Rising 9th and 10th graders
2.5 hrs / day each Programming, Pixels, Play
Last days: workshopping and programming

STUDENT GAMES

13
Teacher Game Institute
Designing learning environments
Project based learning
Performance based assessment
STEM education

14
TGI Continued
Same curriculum as students but additional pedagogy component
Adapt curriculum to specific environments
120 hours of professional development
Graduate credit from College of Education

TEACHER GAMES

Tincan Game Development Programs
Supported by National Science Foundation ITEST grant and U.S. Department of Education Women’s Educational Equity Act Program

Tincan Game Development Programs
Teen Summer Workshops
One week each
Boot Camp and Advanced Topics
After School Programs
After school multi week boot camp
Middle school girls program integrating biotech/CSI and game development
Teacher Institutes

Teacher Institutes
3 week summer institute with one week of practicum in a student game camp
Goal is to integrate game development into the regular classroom
Teachers bring curriculum to the workshops and have time for development and peer feedback
Same curriculum as students but additional pedagogy component

Implementation
Contexts of implementation varied
Projects included:
an end of year project where students researched an organism in the PNW and made a game showing how it would evolve
made MMF part of my core curriculum…able to tie in parts of what students are doing in science class and use that as a theme
1/2 year developing games with an applied science class.
had the 9/10 physical science class use MMF to make a presentation.

Twisted Creek
Re-Evolution
Mars-The Search for Life
Trash Planet
Energy Farm
www.tincan.org
Genetic Colonization

From the Teachers

What are the advantages of game development for STEM learning?
exemplar of project-based learning
students WANT to make a game => willing to work to do it
game designs can be tied into any core subject, not just technology
reluctant learners become excited about research and story design
Increases interest in STEM careers

What specific skills do you see game development as supporting in the STEM classroom?
Math 1: coordinate system, variables, percentages
Math 2: trig, approximate models (physics), linear relationships
Math 3: detailed models, physics, simulation, Linear Algebra

Computing 1 (Scratch): variables, conditional statements, iteration, broadcast, logic
Computing 2 (Greenfoot, Flash): All normal CS1 topics

Background subject research (Science) for game design
Must use the scientific method in order to troubleshoot their game
MMF: Computational thinking: patterns that emerge from computer science but that are useful in much broader contexts

Why do Art and Design matter? How do they help teach STEM?
Both are the part of the "magic" that make game creation engaging
Paper games way to quickly engage students
Game design has rules/logic that transition directly to code
Art can renew students suppressed voice
Game design requires more personal responsibility for learning

How does game development support diversity (gender, ethnicity) in STEM?
Girls play games in equal numbers, hence, an equalizer
Many girls and minorities NOT okay with depiction of women/minorities, opportunity to make a game for themselves(examples from game camps: glass ceiling, reverse fairytales, babysitting game)
Potential for a career in games motivates students into technology
Girls enjoy creating avatars and other representations of self embedded in a science context

How do teachers react to games being used to teach STEM?
Our (self-selecting) participants have been VERY positive
Half or more not confident or knowledgeable about games: need encouragement
Truly excited when they see the whole picture
Teachers reported that learning game development changed some of the ways they approached the learning process in their classroom – more collaboration, inquiry.
Helped make them stronger teachers

Games for Change Festival 2010. STEM and Game Development

by Rafael Fajardo

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