Playful Cleverness Revisited: open-source game development as a method for teaching software engineering Mart Laanpere Centre for Educational Technology, Tallinn University Kaido Kikkas Institute of Informatics, Tallinn University Estonian Information Technology College

The A-Ha! Experience „ In that instant, I as a Christian thought I could feel something of the satisfaction that God must have felt when He created the world“ - Tom Pittman at MIT after successfully running a computer program; around 1975 „ IT WORKS!!! :) Our campaign really works! Well, it´s not an extremely huge piece of coding-art, but at least it´s playable. Feels funny to play it :) I was quite sure it would never reach this point.. If there was more time it would be nice to develop it further” - Sonja Merisalo at TLU after completing a campaign for Battle for Wesnoth; Dec 2006

„ In that instant, I as a Christian thought I could feel something of the satisfaction that God must have felt when He created the world“ - Tom Pittman at MIT after successfully running a computer program; around 1975

„ IT WORKS!!! :) Our campaign really works! Well, it´s not an extremely huge piece of coding-art, but at least it´s playable. Feels funny to play it :) I was quite sure it would never reach this point.. If there was more time it would be nice to develop it further” - Sonja Merisalo at TLU after completing a campaign for Battle for Wesnoth; Dec 2006

Playful Cleverness A characteristic of the hacker culture (in its original sense) Doing serious work in a not-so-serious manner Originality and creativity dominate over routine A manifestation of the Linus' Law on motivation: Survival Social life Entertainment

A characteristic of the hacker culture (in its original sense)

Doing serious work in a not-so-serious manner

Originality and creativity dominate over routine

A manifestation of the Linus' Law on motivation:

Survival

Social life

Entertainment

The roots MIT Tech Model Railroad Club 1946 The Signals & Power Subcommittee First computer science classes in 1959 (TX-0), PDP-1 in 1961, Project MAC in 1963 MIT AI Lab in 1970 Formation of the culture For more info: Hackers by Steven Levy

MIT Tech Model Railroad Club 1946

The Signals & Power Subcommittee

First computer science classes in 1959 (TX-0), PDP-1 in 1961, Project MAC in 1963

MIT AI Lab in 1970

Formation of the culture

For more info: Hackers by Steven Levy

Not business as usual “Computer science” ~ “rocket science” Too few people to form a market Military undertones Software was machine-specific Hackers kept apart from managers => Playful Cleverness: original display of creativity unhindered by market motives

“Computer science” ~ “rocket science”

Too few people to form a market

Military undertones

Software was machine-specific

Hackers kept apart from managers

=> Playful Cleverness: original display of creativity unhindered by market motives

Decline and return 80s: business growth, microcomputers, software as a proprietary product 1984: Richard M. Stallman founded the FSF 1991: Linus Torvalds created Linux 90s: Internet, Linux, LAMP, KDE, GNOME.... 2000s: The hackers have returned

80s: business growth, microcomputers, software as a proprietary product

1984: Richard M. Stallman founded the FSF

1991: Linus Torvalds created Linux

90s: Internet, Linux, LAMP, KDE, GNOME....

2000s: The hackers have returned

The hacker way Two major aspects Open Source: public development, flexible and unhindered participation, no external burden Playful Cleverness: informal management, “ha-ha, only serious!”, grassroot innovation Technology and management – both are important

Two major aspects

Open Source: public development, flexible and unhindered participation, no external burden

Playful Cleverness: informal management, “ha-ha, only serious!”, grassroot innovation

Technology and management – both are important

Case Study: the courses Two courses at Tallinn University Open Source Management : autumn 2007, Master level, 6 students with backgrounds in education and media Methods and Practices of Free Software : spring 2008, Bachelor level, 23 students with background in IT (incl. software development) Both courses used teams of 3-5 people

Two courses at Tallinn University

Open Source Management : autumn 2007, Master level, 6 students with backgrounds in education and media

Methods and Practices of Free Software : spring 2008, Bachelor level, 23 students with background in IT (incl. software development)

Both courses used teams of 3-5 people

Case Study: the tools Environment: Trac (wiki, ticket-based workflow), Subversion Target: The Battle for Wesnoth Each team had to build a mini-campaign for the game, using web-based teamwork

Environment: Trac (wiki, ticket-based workflow), Subversion

Target: The Battle for Wesnoth

Each team had to build a mini-campaign for the game, using web-based teamwork

The Battle for Wesnoth One of the best free/open-source games Turn-based strategy (single or multiplayer), lots of different units, day/night cycle, XML-like markup language, central server for campaigns, large active community

One of the best free/open-source games

Turn-based strategy (single or multiplayer), lots of different units, day/night cycle, XML-like markup language, central server for campaigns, large active community

A screenshot

A snippet of WML [event] name=prestart [objectives] side=1 [objective] description= _ "Resist until the end of the turns.“ condition=win [/objective] [objective] description= _ "Death of Ryan" condition=lose [/objective] [/objectives] [/event]

Why Wesnoth? Initially, for the OSM course, it matched better the diverse background of the participants it allowed for a wider range of different sub-tasks it sparked the hacker-ish innovative creativity Yet it worked with the IT people as well

Initially, for the OSM course,

it matched better the diverse background of the participants

it allowed for a wider range of different sub-tasks

it sparked the hacker-ish innovative creativity

Yet it worked with the IT people as well

What does it teach? Developing a scenario for the BfW requires elements from three different areas: artistic/visual (units, maps, screens etc) narrative/verbal (story) technical/logical (WML) For comparison: “How To Become A Hacker“ by Eric S. Raymond

Developing a scenario for the BfW requires elements from three different areas:

artistic/visual (units, maps, screens etc)

narrative/verbal (story)

technical/logical (WML)

For comparison: “How To Become A Hacker“ by Eric S. Raymond

The building process Storyline , events, scenarios Main characters and related unit types For each scenario Design (objectives, events) Map design (terrain ,starting points) Units and recruitment scheme Coding Coding the campaign summary Testing and balancing

Storyline , events, scenarios

Main characters and related unit types

For each scenario

Design (objectives, events)

Map design (terrain ,starting points)

Units and recruitment scheme

Coding

Coding the campaign summary

Testing and balancing

The results Well-received by the diverse group Lots of creative solutions (including some non-standard campaigns) Tools were adequate, but more Web 2.0 could help in a full distance setting The Playful Cleverness was grasped well The game approach helps non-tech students

Well-received by the diverse group

Lots of creative solutions (including some non-standard campaigns)

Tools were adequate, but more Web 2.0 could help in a full distance setting

The Playful Cleverness was grasped well

The game approach helps non-tech students

Ideas for the future Test the same approach on other IT and media courses Try other free/open-source games (also from different genres) Combine the experience with social software, 3D virtual worlds (OpenSim, SL) and other distributed environments

Test the same approach on other IT and media courses

Try other free/open-source games (also from different genres)

Combine the experience with social software, 3D virtual worlds (OpenSim, SL) and other distributed environments

Thank you! Further contact: Kaido Kikkas kaido.kikkas@kakupesa.net Skype: kakuonu Server@home: http://www.kakupesa.net