You can click the link here to play Erik's game on Tessellations
1. Title : Video Game Design with Patterns and Tessellations.
2. Targeted learning outcomes (instructional objectives).
A) Learn video game design basics
3. NETS-S and SC curriculum standards aligned to each learning outcome.
Outcome A: Visual Arts VA6-6.2
| 5. | Digital Citizenship | ||||
| Students understand human, cultural, and societal issues related to technology and practice legal and ethical behavior. Students: | |||||
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| 6. | Technology Operations and Concepts | ||||||||
| Students demonstrate a sound understanding of technology concepts, systems, and operations. Students: | |||||||||
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| 1. | Creativity and Innovation | ||
| Students demonstrate creative thinking, construct knowledge, and develop innovative products and processes using technology. Students: | |||
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Outcome D: Visual Arts VA6-5.2
| 3. | Research and Information Fluency | ||||
| Students apply digital tools to gather, evaluate, and use information. Students: | |||||
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4. Rationale for instructional design—
I chose Gamestar Mechanic as it is a free and flash based program that allows my students to access it from their home computer and it teaches video game design through playing, earning and creating.
The skills required are taught through the "quests" of Gamestar so that the students will make a game with basic game design elements (challenge/objective/map). They will also learn programming skills as they modify elements within a game and how individual elements/sprites interact with each other as a gaming system.
I made my decision to promote the students to do artwork based from home to instill a little bit more independence on them, but also to do it through engagement (playing video games)
One of my requirements for the students to submit their final game was that they had to play through roughly 30 levels in the program, complete handouts that showcase their understanding of game design, and finally publish their game to Edmodo.
I chose Edmodo as a classroom management tool to send them files, grade assignments, create a safe environment for the students to share their work and for me to easily grab their posted link so that I can put it on my blog arcade.
The great thing about this site is that it allows the students to work on their own pace, gave them short obtainable goals (levels), awarded as they complete levels (sprites) and has the ability to share their work with their friends from around the world using social media (quick posts to Edmodo, Facebook and Twitter)
By using this tool, we avoided issues on email access or file access on the student drives. All of the files they needed for assignments were uploaded to Edmodo, and everything the students needed to make their game was within the flash based web site. Some students navigated through the site easier than others based on their home internet access or students who had previous semesters with me using Edmodo and/or Gamestar Mechanic.
5. Summary of significance—How does the artifact demonstrate your instructional
technology competence, and which program learning outcomes are
evidenced by these artifacts?
The product that my students will create will be a video game that showcases influence from pattern and Tessellations in their game design. There is no limit on how big or detailed a students video game may be, as long as they can feature somewhere within their game a pattern and/or a Tessellation.
I did make a suggestion for students to make a minimum of three levels and that each one demonstrates understanding of what Pattern and/or what a Tessellation is via block and game sprite arrangements.
This will be demonstrated by the fact that the student can clearly publish their game through all of their quests on Gamestar Mechanic. Each quest has various levels of game play that teach the students about game design, interactive sprite elements, and rewards. A student will only receive their publishing certificate once they complete the five quests.
The students will be creating their game through the various days of the quest. I showcase images of patterns and the work of MC Escher so that the students will have an understanding on how to create tessellations and patterns out of blocks.
I tell the students that I will not play their game nor feature it on my class arcade web site until they post it to Edmodo. Once they post it on Edmodo, I can grade it so that they will receive a numerical score instead of writing it down on paper and sending it back.
Learning outcomes evidence:
7. Demonstrate knowledge of technology and use technology to support effective teaching, enhance student learning, and monitor student progress.
By using Edmodo I was allowed to communicate with my students, see where they were on their assignments and used it as a safe publishing platform. Gamestar allowed the students to learn game design while they played with that same technology.
1. Demonstrate knowledge of the content that they plan to teach as well as the professional, state, and institutional (conceptual framework) standards related to content knowledge.
I myself had to go through the same quests in order to publish my game, so I had to guide some of the students along if they were stuck or frustrated. I also collaborated with the Math teachers at my school to help plan the project and to also use the students' games as teaching tools for other Math students studying Tessellations and/or Pattern
3. Provide a student-centered learning environment by applying professional and pedagogical knowledge and skills as delineated in professional, state, and institutional (conceptual framework) standards and by engaging in ongoing reflective practice to improve teaching and learning.
I feel Edmodo and Gamestar are both student centered. Edmodo is similar in scope and design as their other social media tools like Facebook. Gamestar appeals to the students through a Japanese comic book narrative and it uses the engagement of game play through learning. I have participated in the reflection of this site by hosting staff developments on it for Horry County and TLC at the Beach
