Engaging Students Through Video Game Development

Educational Ideas for Today, Tomorrow and the Future

Mitzi PlunkettAndrew Bigby

Orelle Anderson

Rayfield C. Henderson and Joyce C. Ferguson, Co-PrincipalsBoyd H. Anderson High School, Lauderdale Lakes, FL

Objectives on Target Identifying how video game

development engages students.

Understanding how video game development elevates higher order thinking skills.

Acquiring programming skills through video game development..

Increasing literacy through the use of video game development.

Today’s Generation Interactive and visual products

24-7. Students demanding engaging

material because they it fast and they want it now.

Majority of students regularly play video games and want to be video game designers.

Education Research and Video Games

Since 2002, increase in minority students with learning and emotional disabilities.

“There is evidence indicating that minority students who are most at risk for failure in the traditional classroom setting also spend an average of twenty-seven minutes per day more than their counterparts using video games .”

“Video games allow teachers to share learning experiences with the students and to label and extend the student's learning in such a way as to truly prepare the child for future challenges. “

Resource: Elizabeth S. Simpson, Association for Educational Communications and Technology http://www.aect.org/Publications/index.asp .

Video Game Design Video

Making Real World Experience!

Video game curriculum provides for a real world project.

Students have an online mentor/supervisor. Student have to identify the customer’s criteria and

constraints. Students create a video game that can be played

anywhere within a few weeks!

Project Based Learning

Working in a collaborative team. Completing phases of the project jointly and individually. Curriculum includes online worksheets and quizzes. Students work as a team to create a video game

from a game template Students work on various parts, i.e. programming, graphic

design, sound, etc.

Project Based Learners

Stages of Project Based Learning

PlanningPlanning DevelopingDeveloping DesigningDesigning ImplementingImplementing•Brainstorming

•Assessing student’s prior knowledge

•Selecting project manager

•Establishing group norms

•Division of tasks

•Setting timeline

•Reading phases with graphic organizers

•Practicing command line interface

•Viewing videos

•Worksheets

•Quizzes

•Writing code

•Designing graphics

•Importing sound

•Testing and error checking

•Quality assurance checklist

•Creating an executable game file

•Oral presentation

•Peer review assessment worksheet

•Oral presentation to peers

Video Game Development…

Video Game Development Projects

Dark Basic Editor: Students Manipulate Coding

Gaming Concepts to Teach

Game Engines

Loops

IF/THEN StatementsAlgorithms

Variables/Logical Operators

Camera Positioning X,Y, Z axis

PrototypeRandom &

Real NumbersBETA Testing

Results of Project Based Learning Students are focused. Less discipline problems. Students work from bell to bell. Students with low reading levels can increase levels with

supporting video which helps with reading text. Increased literacy and vocabulary due to real world

experience. Graphic organizers used in conjunction with videos and

text increases comprehension. Increasing reading endurance.

Development of Higher Order Thinking Skills

1. Acquiring knowledge about game design through reading and testing.

2. Applying knowledge for problem solving, designing and developing video game.

3. Refining knowledge for analyzing and writing code.

4. Adapting the skills learned to create solutions and take action to further develop thinking skills.

5. Synthesizing information and making process changes.

6. Becoming problem solvers and thinkers

Conclusions

Through video game development, teachers can increase student learning and grab their attention.

Creating a relationship between learning and how it can be applied in the real world.

Motivating students with an interactive program. Engaging students with rigor and relevance in the

classroom and elevating higher order thinking skills. Students will become better competitors in a global

marketplace.