Presentation on the successes and challenges use of game design and virtual worlds by Macquarie ICT Innovations Centre in an school setting to engage students in learning.

1. A NSW Department of Education &
Communities case study
Using game design and virtual worlds for creation
of interesting and engaging learning projects.

2. Macquarie ICT Innovations Centre
collaborative
agreement
MacICT mission is ‘to develop, implement and evaluate innovative ways
of enhancing learning through the application of dynamic and
emerging information and communication technologies.'

3. 2011 Projects: Clients:
Game2Design - K – 12 teachers & students
- Public & private systems
Virtual Worlds – Trinity
We provide:
Mobile Learning
- Project-based approach
Robotics - Authentic context
- Teacher training
Learning Design workshops
- Student bootcamps
- Student showcases
- Ongoing support for
duration of project

4. Design thinking underpins all projects
A methodology that teaches people to creatively solve problems
d.school bootcamp.2008
Promotes action orientated behaviour rather than discussion based work

5. Why Game Design? The heart of 21st Century learning is not about
the tools, it is about learning how to learn.
Game design offers students and their teachers a unique platform to address
essential skills in becoming independent learners
while meeting curriculum outcomes.

6. Key Issues in Gamification:
Through video games,
players attain:
Positive Emotions
Relationships
Meaning
Accomplishment
P.E.R.M.A
Dr. Martin Seligman

7. 10 powerful positive emotions games activate:
10. Joy 5. Curiosity
9. Relief 4. Excitement
8. Love 3. Awe & Wonder
7. Surprise 2. Contentment
6. Pride 1. Creativity
Jane McGonigal

8. The Project: Invasion of the Shadow Plague
A narrative based metagame centred in a Wordpress blog
teaching students to design and build using
Microsoft Kodu Game Lab

9. Good Game Design Workshop
Students & teachers
completed these activities:
Deconstructed games
Reviewed real games
Designed a game level
Built a game level
To learn the following principles:
Clear goal
Story
World
Challenge
Player feedback
Difficulty curve Krill & Zed from Little Space Heroes
www.littlespaceheroes.com

10. M
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12. Training and Resources Provided
• Good Game Design workshops for teachers & bootcamps for students
• Students design documentation
• Access to 140 video tutorials
• Fully moderated blog
• Ongoing support via Edmodo, email, school visits

13. Trial of prototype:
5 x schools
- 2 x primary
- 3 x high schools
600 students, Years 3 to 10
549 posts in 1½ weeks
2nd iteration:
4 x schools
- 2 x primary
- 2 x high school
Total students:
- 886 in project
- Additional 356
completed bootcamps

14. What worked:
• Workshops & bootcamps, particularly 2 day immersion program
• Software was free & accessible from school and home.
• Real – world links with Indie game development community
• High levels of participation (1300 students, 60 teachers)
• High levels of engagement from both male and female students.
• Curation of a large number of student reflections & games

15. “When we are designing games we are learning to solve problems in
context. We come across a problem like a crash message, we have to
recognise the problem, understand the problem, and its source and
work out a solution. I’d rather fix a crash than some abstract scenario
that I can’t relate to.” Year 6 student

16. Successful 3dedrats
Game On festival
Indie Game Designer’s showcase
Info sessions presented by students,
teachers, academics & parents.
Game Design Speed Challenge
Minecraft multiplayer world
Mobile phone QR code hunt, Mario Kart
challenge, Retro gaming, Battle Tetris,
Kinect dancing, Microsoft xbox kinect
trailer & zombie live action nerf game
ABC’s Good Game field reporter, Goose
and robot D.A.R.R.E.N. covered the day.
Game On festival was the feature story on
Good Game Spawn Point
http://3dedrats.wordpress.com/2011/11/2
1/game-on-festival-wrap-up/

17. What we learnt:
• Inconsistent student expectations and monitoring by teachers
• Instructions not always read
• Manual moderation of mission posts was time consuming
• Scalability - better hosting solution e.g. Drupal, bigger budget (web
design, graphics, support staff etc)
• Commitment of teachers to a long term project
• Teachers need to be key stakeholders in the development of the
project

18. When 2050
A virtual world is a 3D computer
environment.
Users are represented as avatars.
MacICT’s world, Trinity is The Hab
constructed using an open source MacICT’s virtual world - Trinity
software called OpenSim

19. Year 10 students designed and constructed architectural prototypes for
Australian cities for the year 2050. Designs incorporated:
- ideas such as, sustainability, function and aesthetics.
- needs such as communication, energy, food, housing, recreation &
transport.

20. “Trinity (3D Virtual Worlds) has changed the way I design … I will now
design with a very open mind. This project has pushed me to work harder
to develop my concepts and ideas.” Year 10 student

21. What we learnt:
• Powerful
collaborative,
immersive tool
• Technology
constraints
• Bandwith
• Scalability
• Exhibition at SCA &
School Spectacular
http://3dedrats.wordpress.com/201
1/12/09/virtual-worlds-collaborative-
design-challenge/
“The technology provides for the quick activation of ideas, construction
of shapes, use of textures all within a 3D space. Students are fully
engaged in the whole process of having the power to create major
structures, to move around, in and out, above and below their building
structures. This is total immersion.” Teacher comment

22. Contact Details
catherine.howe@det.nsw.edu.au
http://au.linkedin.com/pub/cathie_howe/12/852/760
@cathie_h
Part of a Kodu game storyboard
by Jenna age 7