Date

 Topic

Challenge

Game Evaluation

Group Game

Topic: Define Game

Readings

Speed Gaming (in-class)

Storyboarding & brainstorming:

Sample storyboards:

• Fireman_Frankie.<ppt>

• Storyboard suggestion.<ppt>

Creative brainstorming How-to <doc>

Brainstorm example: 6th grade math <doc

 Date

 Topics

Challenge

Game Evaluation

Group Game

Topic: Play, Flow, Fun & the User

Readings 

Just for Fun: Visit the“Fluxus Indian Museum”

Use a game a well-known game and brainstorm 10 ideas for how you could use it in a classroom setting to meet a specific learning goal of your choice.

Play, and critique the design.

• How lucery or flow enabling are they? 
• What characteristics are engaging?
• How might you improve these?
• What might you use for learning games?

Typing of the Dead: Demo Version (PC)
Loop
MadLibs (must be played with 2 others)
or
MadLibs (for geeks)

Team Play:  You Don’t Know Jack 

Team 1:  TV
Team 2:  The Road

Demo Version (for future reference)

See also Demo Version of “That’s a Fact, Jack”for K-12 English classes

Game Show Presenter <link>

 Date

 Topics

Challenge

Game Evaluation

Group Game

Games in Education

Readings

Just for fun:

Karr, Rick.  (2004).  D&D Turns 30: Fantasy
Board Game Inspired a Generation of Game
Designers.  National Public Radio
(also listen to audio of play)

Use all or portions of the following objective, for 6th grade Science:

The student will investigate and understand the organization of the solar system and the relationships among the various bodies that comprise it. Key concepts include:

• the sun, moon, Earth, other planets and their moons, meteors, asteroids, and comets;
• relative size of and distance between planets;
• the role of gravity;
• revolution and rotation;
• the mechanics of day and night and the phases of the moon;
• the unique properties of Earth as a planet;
• the relationship of the Earth’s tilt and the seasons;
• the cause of tides; and
• the history and technology of space exploration.

Brainstorm 10 ideas

Storyboard 1 idea

Critique the design using our evaluation rubric.

• Build a Fish
• Shedd Aquarium's Build-a-Fish
• Osmosis Jones
• Make a Quake
• Mars Quest: Drive a Rover
• Mars Rover
  (may not work in Netscape—try Internet Explorer)

 Date

 Topics

Challenge

Game Evaluation

Group Game

Sept 19

Challenge, Storyline, Goals & Rules

Readings

Buy a comic.  Brainstorm 10 ways that it might be turned into a game.  Select one way and cut up the comic to storyboard the game.

Can you remain true to the story?  How does it change the nature of the story?  What is the balance between the creator’s control and the user’s control? 

Select and review two Games To Teach proposals, from MIT:

• Critique using the rubric (to the extent possible, imagine game play)
• Identify most successful elements
• Identify least successful elements

Break the Safe (cooperative board game)

 Date

 Topics

Challenge

Game Evaluation

Group Game

Sept 26

Storytelling

Readings

Just for fun:

Contribute one line to a poem, written with “exquisite corpse” techniques

55 Fiction: A mini short story contest

Bulwer-Lytton wretched writing contest

Explore creative story-evolution techniques:

Visit the Oblique Strategies website

• Click to generate five random Oblique Strategies cards. 
• Write down the contents of each.
• Consider a “Hero’s Journey” framework for the story (mouseover for components): 

• Re-arrange the card contents in a way that leads to the story ending you drew in class last week. 

• Write a very short story based on the cards and your ending. 

• Extract a 50 word mini-novel or synopsis to share with the class as we "go-round."  We don't have the time, in-class, for you to read each of your stories (but they will be there on TappedIn for later review).  If you are feeling ambitious, or want to get the most out of the creative experience, you can even use a powerpoint slide or other graphic means to set the stage for your story  (show what an ad or promo for the idea would be like, including art suggestions and catch phrases).

MYST
This is a fairly deep game, so we will be allowing you additional time for playing this game (review posted and discussion NEXT Monday meeting).  Use this time to get a substantial experience in playing this kind of fantasy exploration and problem-solving game.  You may want to begin your evaluative comments now and use the master evaluation rubric

Hidden Agenda

Sept. 12th Game

(see related article in Wired )

and possibly World Game

 Date

 Readings

Challenge

Game Evaluation

Group Game

Oct 10

Creativity & Fantasy

Readings

Just for Fun:

Take a field trip to a business, institution, or public setting:

• Use Tharp’s Techniques #5 and #14 (and any others you like)
• Spend at least 30 minutes observing the activities of people in that setting (ideally select a location where people are encouraged to linger, so you won’t arouse concern). Identify and observe activities with the attention and curiosity of an alien who recently arrived on this planet.
• Brainstorm 10 ways that the activities of people in that setting can be accomplished in  a (preferably learning) game.
• Storyboard your favorite brainstormed idea.

Possible locations (to get you thinking!):

• Skating Rink
• Sporting arena
• Shopping Mall
• Museum
• Train or bus station
• Musical venue

If you’re really hard up for time:

• Coffee shop
• Library

But be especially observant in these all-too-familiar locations…

Conflict & Engagement

Readings

• Just for Fun:
  The Sims 2 Hands-On (1)
• The Sims 2 Hands-On (2)
• Wright, W.  Lessons from game design.(podcast)

Research possible games to pursue:

• Target audience
• Learning needs
• Funding agents

To see others’ ideas for educational games, take a look at: 

Education Arcade (link 1)
Education Arcade (link 2)

To see last year's final proposals, click here:

2004 703 Proposals

• Post ideas on the above to TappedIn by the end of the day, Monday, 10/17.
• Form teams (2-3 people) for game proposal development.

Zoombinis

Zoo Tycoon

 Date

 Topics

Proposal Development

Game Evaluation

Group Game

Oct 24

Gameplay & Interactivity

Readings

Teams use brainstorming and creativity exercises to develop at least three possible game-based approaches to meeting the learning goal.  Submit brief descriptions of each.

To help spur additional ideas, review the creativity cards selected for you, from: 

von Oech, Roger.  (2003). Creative Whack Pack.  Stamford, CT:  U.S. Games Systems.<jpg> 

Teams develop and submit (see proposal handout):

• Vision Statement
• Learners
• Instructional Objectives
• Game Play

PBS Kids

Play all the games listed (they’re short, and I’ve eliminated the less successful ones from a total of 4 times this number across PBS sites). 

Select two favorites and be ready to discuss the following:

• Activity type; target audience; learning objective
• Strengths and weaknesses
• How it could be improved
• One way to adapt for other audience and need
• Pick out the best examples of exploratory, strategic,

• Boobah
• Teletubbies
• Connect the States
• Cyber-Pattern Player
• Global Goovin’
• Thumb Piano Tunes
• You’re in Charge
• Create a Pop Star
• Design a Cereal Box
• Go George Go!
• School Daze Crazy Maze
• Where’s Buster?
• Kitchen Chemistry

Play Station 2:Dance, Dance Revolution 2

Hullabaloo

Twister

 Date

 Topics

Proposal Development

Game Evaluation

Group Game

Oct 31

Kinesthetically Active Games

Readings

Just For Fun:

Aubrey, Allison (2005, July 5th).  Health researchers take interest in dance games.  National Public Radio.   

Kreimer, Susan (2004, October 1).  Active Video Games Help Dance Off Pounds.  DOC News. 

ABC News.  (April 6, 2004).  “Surgeons who play video games err less.”

Collect and describe reactions to last week’s work:

• Target population?
• Stakeholders?
• Revise as needed.

Teams develop and submit:

• High Level Flow Charts

Selectone new-to-you game of your choice. Mable has an extensive collection of games that you may check out (see this page).  Other class members also have game titles to share.

• Critique the game using our rubric.  Be ready to show the class the most effective aspect of play.

• Identify possible modifications to advance a specific (make it real) learning goal. 

Describe the:

• goal of the revised game
• the nature of game play
• the interface elements that would make play possible

NO LAB

Begin game evaluation for next week

 Date

 Topics

Proposal Development

Game Evaluation

Group Game

Nov
7

Mobile Gaming

Readings

Just for Fun:

Kauffman, W.  (2005, May 2).  Cell phones transform into multipurpose entertainment units.   National Public Radio, available at: 

Collect and describe reactions to last week’s work (High Level Flow Charts); revise as needed.

Teams develop and submit:

• Methods for Interactivity
• Technical Elements

Select another new-to-you game (as for 10/31)

Geocaching: Speed Cache in the Dell

 Date

 Topics

Proposal Development

Game Evaluation

Group Game

Nov 14

Multiplayer Gaming

Readings

Collect and describe reactions to last week’s work

• Target population?
• Stakeholders?) to previous work
• revise as needed

Teams develop and submit

• Setting, Look & Feel

Civilization III

Civ III multiplayer (meet in the Lambeth lab)

 Date

 Topics

Proposal Development

Game Evaluation

Group Game

Nov 21

No Readings

Collect and describe reactions to last week’s work:

• Target population?
• Stakeholders? to previous work;
• revise as needed

Teams develop and submit

• Resources
• Timeline

None

None

 Date

 Topics

Proposal Development

Game Evaluation

Group Game

Nov 28

Computer-based Game Assets & Production

Optional Readings

Collect and describe reactions to last week’s work

• Target population?
• Stakeholders?) to previous work
• revise as needed

Teams develop and submit:

• References & Supporting Documents
• Completed Proposal

None

Team Meeting time

Dec
5

Final Presentations

• Teams present Game Designs to IT and Curry colleagues (see details on proposal handout).

None

No Tuesday meeting