Academia.eduAcademia.edu

Outline

Title
Abstract
Introduction
Research Questions
Implementation of Study
Observations and Conclusions
References
All Topics
Education
Other Education

Game Development as a Pathway to Information Technology Literacy

Profile image of Mark FrydenbergMark Frydenberg

2016, Information Systems Education Journal

Abstract

Teaching game development has become an accepted methodology for introducing programming concepts and capturing the interest of beginning computer science and information technology (IT) students. This study, conducted over three consecutive semesters, explores game development using a gaming engine, rather than a traditional programming language, as a means not only to introduce programming concepts, but also to promote the development of information and communications technology (ICT) literacy skills among first-year business students. The paper argues that in addition to learning programming concepts, completing the steps involved to develop and publish an original game requires students to demonstrate a variety of ICT skills. To be successful, they must be proficient at creating and editing multimedia, interacting with multiple operating systems and mobile devices, performing research online, transferring files from one machine to another, and uploading the files for their games to an app store and the web.

Related papers

Introducing Game Development into the University Curriculum
Peter Peer

Acta Graphica Znanstveni Casopis Za Tiskarstvo I Graficke Komunikacije, 2011

View PDFchevron_right
STUDENT PERCEPTIONS ON GAME CONTENT CREATION IN AN IT CURRICULUM THAT INTRODUCED SERIOUS GAMES
SDIWC Organization

The aim of this study is to reflect on the perceptions of IT students on the inclusion of game content creation in an IT curriculum. Until recently, the undergraduate program for a Bachelor of Science degree in Information Technology at the North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus (NWU VTC) purely consisted of theory and practical modules directly related to hard skills such as programming. There has not yet been a need to include any artistic skill training until now. Recently the university has started translating some of the IT modules into educational content for the creation of serious games. This study serves as the first report in an action research approach to determine the need for game content creation skills in the IT curriculum at NWU VTC due to the increased number of modules that now include serious games design.

View PDFchevron_right
Computer science students making games: a study on skill gaps and requirement
Jussi Kasurinen

Computer science (CS) is a field of practical and scientific approach on computation and applications. Consequently, the CS students should be able to adjust to develop different types of software applications. However, even though video games are one type of software, they also impose additional requirements for the developers. In this paper we present the results of our qualitative studies on how prepared CS students are to function as game developers. The paper assesses the knowledge gaps between students majoring in computer science and game developer needs in two ways; a longitudinal study on a game development course and a focused case study on developing a game. Based on our results there are differences in communication and planning approaches between the CS students and game developers, and skill needs for game development content on a traditional computer science course curricula.

View PDFchevron_right
Introducing Game Development into the Computing Curriculum — A Progressive Methodology
Colin Price

Innovation in Teaching and Learning in Information and Computer Sciences, 2006

The Computer Game industry is big business, the demand for graduates is high, indeed there is a continuing shortage of skilled employees. As with most professions, the skill set required is both specific and diverse. There are currently over 30 Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in the UK offering Computer games related courses. We expect that as the demand from the industry is sustained, more HEIs will respond with the introduction of game-related degrees. This is quite a considerable undertaking involving many issues from integration of new modules or complete courses within the existing curriculum, to staff development. In this paper we share our experiences of introducing elements of game development into our curriculum. This has occurred over the past two years, starting with the inclusion of elements of game development into existing programming modules, followed by the validation of complete modules, and culminating in a complete degree course. Our experience is that our adopting an progressive approach to development, spread over a number of years, was crucial in achieving a successful outcome.

View PDFchevron_right
Use of Game Development in Computer Science and Software Engineering Education
Alf Inge Wang

2015

This chapter presents the results of a literature survey on the use of game development in software engineering (SE) and computer science (CS) education. Games and game development has been used in recent years to increase motivation, engagement and learning, and to promote doing career in software and computers. The authors of this chapter wanted to get a bird’s eye perspective on how game development has been used in the recent years to teach other things than just game development. The literature survey includes research articles from the period 2004 to 2012, and it investigates among other things in what context game development has being used, the subjects and topics taught through game development, and what tools and frameworks being used for game development to learn SE and CS. Further, this chapter includes a description of how game development was used in our software architecture course at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, and the gained experiences from ...

View PDFchevron_right
Computer science students making games
Saeed MirzaeiFar

Proceedings of the 13th Koli Calling International Conference on Computing Education Research - Koli Calling '13, 2013

Computer science (CS) is a field of practical and scientific approach on computation and applications. Consequently, the CS students should be able to adjust to develop different types of software applications. However, even though video games are one type of software, they also impose additional requirements for the developers. In this paper we present the results of our qualitative studies on how prepared CS students are to function as game developers. The paper assesses the knowledge gaps between students majoring in computer science and game developer needs in two ways; a longitudinal study on a game development course and a focused case study on developing a game. Based on our results there are differences in communication and planning approaches between the CS students and game developers, and skill needs for game development content on a traditional computer science course curricula.

View PDFchevron_right
Using Game Development as the Focus of Instruction
Frank Kurzel

2013

In this paper, we report on a course offering in 2009 within the media arts area where the development of a Flash game was used as a group project for a cohort that included media arts and computing students. A previous offering of this course in this longitudinal study, identified through a factor analysis of questionnaire data, a metric referred to as Difficulty with the development. A disparity in this metric between student groups became evident and efforts have been employed in subsequent iterations of the course to appease these differences. A project based instructional methodology has been employed witin this course, and an authentic project sponsored by a credit union was used. Flash was used to develop the game and each group member was responsible the production of an equal section. Game structures like the representation of the game actions and associated scoring, were the responsibility of the whole group; students needed to be engaged with the whole process. Peer revie...

View PDFchevron_right
Learning to Make Computer Games: An Academic Approach
Jouni Smed

2008

Anything that combines aspects of play, challenge and conflict can be seen as a game. Therefore, games provide a versatile but demarcated setting for education. From the students’ perspective the concept of ‘game’ is familiar, approachable and diverse, which makes it motivating for them. From the teachers’ point of view, a game can serve as a mixing pot for various study subjects. For example, making a game can concretise study topics as well as work practices and on-the-fly collaboration across many different disciplines. Therefore, games as an educational form seem to suit to situations where the study material cannot be partitioned into strict independent fragments. Because our areas of teaching are digital arts and software development, it is natural to instruct students using computer games projects. However, the selection of a game as an educational form does not solve problems in learning such as misconceptions due to simplification. To deepen the students’ understanding we h...

View PDFchevron_right
The Impact of Game Development in the Undergraduate Curriculum
Katrin Becker

2008

In the past 3-4 years there has been a significant interest in computer games in University and college curricula, as a way to teach early computer science, to attract more students into the program, and to teach advanced concepts and lend vocational weight to a curriculum. In this article we discuss many ways that games can contribute to an undergraduate CS program, and illustrates specific ways that the use of games has influenced the students, the faculty, and the institution. Our claims are supported by numbers based on actual observation and study. We also show how the inclusion of games can add to research aspects and the reputation of a computer science department.

View PDFchevron_right
Digital Game-Based Learning for Information Technology: An Exploratory Analysis
Desmond Govender

E-Journal of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences

Keeping students engaged and motivated is a challenge. Digital game-based learning is considered an approach that can help towards achieving this goal. The study aimed to understand the influence digital game-based learning (DGBL) has on students learning to code in Information Technology. This study used an intervention of digital game-based learning to teach grade eight learners programming in three schools prior to COVID-19. Questionnaires and focus group interviews were used to gather students’ backgrounds and learning experiences. 89 students and three educators participated in the study. The overall attitude towards DGBL is positive with a high mean score of 4.77. Learning real-world skills, in developing simple games, as was done in this in this study, can equip one with the tools essential for success in a workplace. Keywords: digital game-based learning (DGBL), programming, computational thinking learning motivation

View PDFchevron_right

References (15)

  1. REFERENCES
  2. Abelson, H., Mustafaraj, E., Turbak, F., Morelli, R., & Uche, C. (2012). Lessons learned from teaching App Inventor. Consortium for Computing Sciences in Coleges, 27(6), 39-41.
  3. Bayliss, J. D. (2009). Using games in introductory courses: tips frm the trenches. 41(1), 337- 341.
  4. Burton, L. J., Summers, J., Lawrence, J., Noble, K., & Gibbings, P. (2015). Digital Literacy in Higher Education: The Rhetoric and the Reality. In M. K. Harmes, Myths in Education, Learning and Teaching: Policies, Practices and Principles (pp. 151-172). Pallgrave Macmillan.
  5. Catete, V., Peddycord III, B., & Barnes, T. (2015). Augmenting introductory Computer Science Classes with GameMaker and Mobile Apps. Proceedings of the 46th ACM Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education (pp. 707-709). New York, NY: ACM.
  6. Claburn, T. (2014, 04 30). When BASIC Was Young: Great Memories. Retrieved from http://www.informationweek.com/strategic- cio/executive-insights-and-innovation/when- basic-was-young-great-memories/d/d- id/1234939
  7. de Andrade, P. R., Albuquerque, A. B., Frota, O. F., Silviera, R. V., & da Silva, F. A. (2015). Cross platform app: a comparative study. International Journal of Computer Science & Information Technology, 7(1), 33-40.
  8. Frydenberg, M. (2015). Creating Games as Authentic Learning in the Information Technology Classroom. Proceedings of the International Conference E-Learning 2015 (pp. 113-120). Gran Canaria: IADIS.
  9. Frydenberg, M., & Press, L. (2009). From Computer Literacy to Web 2.0 Literacy: Teaching and Learning Information Technology Concepts Using Web 2.0 Tools. Infomation Systems Education Journal, 8(10),
  10. Kemeny, J. G. (1983). The Case for Computer Literacy. Daedalus, 112(2), 211-230.
  11. Lifelong Kindergarten Group at the MIT Media Lab. (2015). Scratch. Retrieved from https://scratch.mit.edu/ MIT. (2015). MIT App Inventor. Retrieved from http://appinventor.mit.edu/explore/ Partnership for 21st Century Living. (2015). Framework for 21st Century Living. Retrieved June 1, 2015, from Partnership for 21st Century Living: http://www.p21.org/about- us/p21-framework/350-ict-literacy
  12. Press, L. (2011, October 24). IT literacy - evolution, curriculum and a modular e-text. Retrieved March 3, 2015, from http://som.csudh.edu/fac/lpress/presentation s/mahyar.docx
  13. Scirra Ltd. (2015, 06 01). Construct 2. Retrieved from Scirra: https://www.scirra.com/construct2
  14. Stephen, C., Dann, W., & Pausch, R. (2003, January). Teaching Objects-first in Introductory Computer Science. ACM SIGCSSE Bulletin, 35(1), 191-195.
  15. Thomas, J. D., & Blackwood, M. (2010). Computer Literacy and Non-IS majors. Information Systems Education Journal, 8(58), 3-12. Retrieved from http://isedj.org/8/58

Related papers

Game Development as a Pedagogical Methodology in Learning Related ICT Skills: Perspectives of Freshmen from FEU Institute of Technology
Manuel B . Garcia

International Journal of Simulation: Systems, Science & Technology, 2019

Video games have been long established to be an effective educational tool to engage learners in the process of active learning. However, few studies have been performed to investigate the outcomes of employing game development, rather than video games per se, in the classroom. This posed a large gap in the existing body of literature of integrating the game industry into the education sector. Thus, this study served to address this gap, and argued that game development could serve as a pedagogical methodology much like video games for introducing related Information and Communications Technology (ICT) skills such as programming and multimedia topics, among other things. Conducted over three consecutive trimesters, this study explores game development as an educational tool in promoting the development of related ICT literacy skills among freshmen students in addition to the learning acquisition of the game development itself. More specifically, this exploratory-descriptive study sought to investigate how game development fits within the realm of learning ICT topics, and which of the following do freshmen find essential in developing their own original 2D web game. The findings show that game development, when used as a pedagogical methodology, poses the same potential just like any other educational tool used in a learning environment. While it warrants for more validation, the results of this study should be enough to give educational leaders and educators something to consider as to whether integrating game development in learning ICT concepts is worth the try or not.

View PDFchevron_right
Creating Games as Authentic Learning in the Information Technology Classroom
Mark Frydenberg

International Association for Development of the Information Society, 2015

Teaching students to create computer games has become a common practice in both K-12 and tertiary education to introducing programming concepts, increasing student engagement, and recruiting majors and minors in technology fields. This study describes a project where first-year college students in an introductory technology concepts course use a visual game creation tool to develop original games to play on their computers and mobile devices. The paper argues that the process of making an original computer game develops digital literacy skills and provides an authentic learning experience as students collaborate to create, publish, and deploy interactive games that they can play on their computers and mobile devices.

View PDFchevron_right
Computer game development as a literacy activity
Heather Lotherington

Computers & Education, 2009

This study examined computer game development as a pedagogical activity to motivate and engage stu-22 dents in curriculum-related literacy activities. We hypothesized that as a consequence, students would 23 improve their traditional reading and writing skills as well as develop new digital literacy skills. Eighteen 24 classes of grade 4 students were assigned to either an experimental or control group. Both groups studied 25 the same curriculum unit over a 10 week period, however, in addition the experimental group developed 26 computer games related to the unit using a game development shell. An analysis of pre-and post-unit 27 scores on two standardized literacy test batteries revealed that the experimental students performed sig-28 nificantly better on one of the subtests, a measure of Logical Sentence construction (p = .002). Field notes 29 and teacher interview data indicated that game development helped improve student content retention, 30 ability to compare and contrast information presented, utilize more and different kinds of research mate-31 rials including digital resources, editing skills, and develop an insight into questioning skills. 32

View PDFchevron_right
HOW TO SUPPORT EDUCATORS WHO WANT TO USE THE CREATING GAMES APPROACH TO TEACH IT COURSES
Gerhard N Sprung

This paper is about the challenges educators face when teaching IT courses using the Creating Games Approach. This approach was developed by our team to facilitate the acquisition of programming skills. It is suitable for children and especially for girls because it does not focus on programming itself or the programming language but on a product which becomes important to the learner. We thereby try to directly implement Papert's constructivist approach. In doing so we are in the process of developing a concept which can be practically applied in schools (i.e. secondary educational institutions). The paper furthermore lines out the development of our approach using the comparison of literature and describing the procedure of our first test-and development phase. Different methods are evaluated and compared with the constructionist approach thus establishing the basis for the Creating Games Approach. In 2010 our concept was tested with more than 100 pupils at Austrian schools. A...

View PDFchevron_right
Using Game Development to Teach Programming
Valeria Farinazzo Martins

Handbook of Research on Immersive Digital Games in Educational Environments, 2019

One of the educational actions used to leverage the acquisition of practical and theoretical knowledge in the classroom is related to the “learn by practice” methodology in which the student goes from a mere spectator to an agent in his/her learning process. This methodology is being applied in the teaching of courses related to programming, fostering the development of digital games as a didactic practice. This chapter describes the digital games development experience in programming courses on the first year of computer graduation courses in a Brazilian private university. The study reveals the opinion of students and teachers on the application of game development in such courses, as well as the methodology applied to each one of them. The results obtained emphasize that the activity intensifies the learning of concepts inherent to programming, along with fostering motivation and commitment that is paramount in the building of their competencies and skills.

View PDFchevron_right

Related topics

  • Computer Science
  • Information Systems education
  • Information and Communications T...
  • Video Game Development
    • 580 California St., Suite 400
    San Francisco, CA, 94104
    © 2025 Academia. All rights reserved