NEW Intro and Orientation - Scholastic1].pdfJan 05, 2011 · The Toolbox is the free-form game creation area of Gamestar Mechanic, where users can build new games from scratch, as

Home Welcome! Gamestar Mechanic is a game-‐based digital learning platform designed to teach the guiding principles of game design and systems thinking in a highly engaging and creative environment. The game and the accompanying Learning Guide are designed to foster critical 21st century skills such as: systems thinking problem solving creativity collaboration digital media literacies motivation for STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) learning

1. INTRODUCTION The following introduction to the Gamestar Learning Guide describes the audience of Gamestar, both teachers and students, and the pedagogy that informs the design of the game. We also outline the skills that Gamestar can cultivate, and the technical requirements that you need to use Gamestar in your classroom.

1.1 Who Plays Gamestar? The target audience for Gamestar Mechanic is students in the 4th to 9th grade range, but that segment is by no means restrictive. It is designed to appeal to both boys and girls and does not assume any prior game design/programming experience for the students. 1.2 Who Teaches with Gamestar? For educators seeking to build a curriculum around Gamestar Mechanic, there are no requirements for previous study in game design. The guide introduces all key concepts and their external uses without the necessity for further reading. We have provided an optional reading list for educators interested in continuing their exploration of this emerging field, located at the end of the Introduction section.

Gamestar Mechanic is suitable for use in a variety of formal and informal learning environments across the following curriculum areas: 21st Cen-‐ tury Skills, STEM Learning, Digital Media, Art, Science and Language Arts. It has been designed to work in both formal and informal learning environments including: Schools, After-‐School Programs, Home Schools, Libraries, Community Centers, Tutoring Centers, Museums and Camps.

1.3 What is the pedagogy behind Gamestar? Gamestar Mechanic was designed with the belief that game design is an activity that allows learners to build technical, technological, artistic, cognitive, social, and linguistics skills suitable for our current and future world. The built-‐in curriculum in Gamestar Mechanic lets learners exercise these skills by creating games. Knowing how to put together a successful game involves system-‐based thinking, problem solving, collaboration, art, storytelling, and digital media literacy. This Learning Guide offers a flexible curriculum based on prototyping and iteration, a key game design methodology. Students work through multiple versions of any idea or solution, integrating ongoing feedback into the learning process, and reflecting on the strengths and weaknesses of their design solutions. The Learning Guide complements and expands upon the curriculum developed in the game itself.

Across the both the learning guide’s and the game’s shared curriculum students create playful systems—games, models, simulations, stories, etc. Doing so allows students to learn about the way systems work and how they can be modified or changed. Through designing play, students learn to think analytically and holistically, to experiment and test out theories, and to consider other people as part of the systems they create and inhabit. Game design serves as the pedagogy underlying this work.

1.4 Skills Learned in Gamestar Systems-‐Thinking: Students design and analyze dynamic systems, a characteristic activity in both the media and in science today. Interdisciplinary Thinking: Students solve problems that require them to seek out and synthesize knowledge from different domains. They become intelligent and resourceful as they learn how to find and use information in meaningful ways. User-‐Centered Design: Students act as sociotechnical engineers, thinking about how people interact with systems and how systems shape both competitive and collaborative social interaction.

Specialist Language: Students learn to use complex technical linguistic and symbolic elements from a variety of domains, at a variety of different levels, for a variety of different purposes. Meta-‐Level Reflection: Students learn to explicate and defend their ideas, describe issues and interactions at a meta-‐level, create and test hypotheses, and reflect on the impact of their solutions on others.

1.5 Gamestar Mechanic is a pathway to programming Beyond their value as entertainment media, digital games and game modification are currently key entry points for many young people into digital literacy, social communities, and tech-‐savvy identities. Because of its emphasis on game design rather than computer programming, Gamestar is a great starter tool for students wanting to learn to make games. Once they have mastered game design’s core concepts and vocabulary, it will be easy for them to move into programming-‐oriented game design tools such as Game Maker, Stagecast Creator, or Scratch.

1.6 Technical Requirements to run Gamestar To use the Gamestar Mechanic program, there are certain technical prerequisites. Because the software is web-‐based, the students must have access to at least one computer with Internet access that her permissions to contact the www.gamestarmechanic.com site. The computer must also have the Flash 10 player installed, which can be downloaded from www.adobe.com. If the Flash 10 player is not installed, you will get a prompt to install it automatically upon visiting the front page of the program. No additional purchases or downloads are required.

2. ORIENTATION TO GAMESTAR

Learning Guide Home > Orientation to Gamestar >

Registration Screen

Registration Screen

New users must go through a three-step registration process, the third of which is the receipt of an email with an activation link to

complete the registration process. Contact us about how to register a large number of student accounts or if your students don’t have

an email at which to receive the registration link.

https://sites.google.com/a/elinemedia.com/gsmlearningguide/h...

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Workshop

The Workshop is where players design games with their Toolbox and Sprites. Each player starts with a default set of Sprites and earns

more as he/she advances through the Quest. Players also have Template Games that include sets of Sprites that come with the

Templates.


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Learning Guide Home > Orientation to Gamestar > Workshop >

Toolbox

The Toolbox is the free-form game creation area of Gamestar Mechanic, where users can build new games from scratch, as well as

modify games created by other users. As players proceed through the Gamester in-game curriculum they earn "Sprites", which appear

in their Toolbox inventory. The more advanced a player is, the more Sprites they will have to build games with.


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Level Settings

Every game is composed of one or more Levels. A level is a self-contained unit of gameplay with a defined goal. Think of this window

as defining the “world” that the game takes place in.

The Level Settings are used to control the overall qualities of the game space. Users can choose and adjust a variety of parameters

that define this space.

The first three fields in the Level Settings window allow the user to create a name for the level, write text that is displayed when a

player begins playing the level, as well as text that is displayed when players complete it.

The Perspective of a Level indicates whether the Player is viewing the play field fro either a “top- down” or “platformer” perspective.

The platformer perspective really means the player is watching the play from in front. The reference comes from Platformer Games, a

game genre where the player controls an avatar that jumps from platform to platform.

The designer can control the Space determines the size and nature of the playfield. Single-screen means the game is restricted to the

size of one visible game screen—a 16 x 12 grid of Sprites. We recommend starting out with this setting, as it can help focus new game

designers. Scrolling means the game screen will move with the player, revealing previously unseen areas as they move towards the

edges. Wraparound means that when the player leaves one edge of the playfield, her avatar will reappear at the opposite edge.

Choosing Scrolling opens up a submenu that lets users determine the total size of the playing field, up to a grid of 160 x 120 Sprites.

Gravity determines the amount of downward force placed on moving Sprites in the game. For games that are viewed from an

overhead perspective, such as mazes, gravity should be set to None. Increasing the gravity increases the speed at which objects fall,

and allows avatar sprites to jump and fly.

Edge Bounding determines how the edges of the playfield behave in Single Screen and Wraparound mode. Some edges can stop the


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player’s motion or allow the player to pass freely. If the player moves off of the edge of the screen in Single Screen mode, they will

automatically lose the game.

Background and Music let the user choose from backgrounds and musical themes (or silesnce) that will play during the level.


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Work Area

The work area is divided into two main sections:

At the top of the menu to the left, Levels in the current game are displayed. The player can move freely between levels to edit them.

Clicking and dragging the level icon to a new position within the window allows players to reorder the levels in their game.

The menu to the left also contains all of the player’s Sprites. Sprites are the essential building blocks of Gamestar Mechanic games. As

players proceed through the eight arcades in the Fac- tory, they are awarded new Sprites to use in their games. Once a player has

earned a Sprite, it can be used an unlimited number of times.


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Sprites

Sprites are divided into five basic groups:

Avatar Sprites are the objects in the game that are under direct control by the player. Only one Avatar may be placed in the playing

area at a time. When the game is played, the arrow keys on the keyboard and the Space bar control the Avatar. Left-handed students

can use the WASD keys to control Avatars as well.

Enemy Sprites are objects that exist to hinder the player’s progress by causing damage to the Avatar. Enemies come in a variety of

types, and each one has a number of settings that determine its behavior.

Block Sprites are used for creating the environment of games. They do not move once they are placed in the playing area. Most

blocks are used to create terrain for the player to explore—mazes to sneak through, platforms to jump on, and obstacles to hide

behind.

Item Sprites are objects that the Avatar can collect and is rewarded by. They can modify the behavior of the Avatar by granting it

new abilities, as well as modifying System sprites.

System Sprites control aspects of the game, including monitoring the winning conditions for each Level. They are not physical objects

in the Play Area, but rather sit on top of the game space and monitor what is going on inside, providing feedback to players on their

play.


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Tools

At the top right of the Editor are the Editor Tools.

When the Arrow button is selected, designers can drag Sprites out of their Inventory to the grid, as well as picking up and dropping

sprites that have been placed.

The Wrench button allows designers to change the parameters of the Sprites they have placed. Each Sprite has an individual set of

parameters that govern its behavior. These parameters include things like movement speed, damage, point value, etc.

The Eyedropper button allows designers to copy Sprites placed on the grid. This is especially useful when the designer has changed

the parameters of the Sprite with the Wrench tool because using the Eyedropper will create a clone of the Sprite with the changed

parameters, making it easy to duplicate customized Sprites.

The X button allows designers to delete Sprites placed on the playfield. This action is permanent.

The Edit/Play toggle switch to the top left of the Editor controls the behavior of the console. In Edit mode, the game is not “playing”

—everything stands still. In Play mode, the mechanic can test that their game is working as intended. We recommend encouraging

designers to test their games frequently.


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The Quests

Quests contains the “story” of Gamestar Mechanic. Cast as a young aspiring game

mechanic, the player is pulled into an exciting story of adventure and discovery. In

the Quests, mechanics learn about different Sprites and their behavior, and upon

finishing each game, they are awarded Sprites for addition to their Toolbox.


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Learning Guide Home > Orientation to Gamestar > The Quests >

Episodes and Missions

A Quest is divided into Episodes. Each episode contains a number of Missions, in one of three types: Play, Repair, and Build.

Play Missions require the user to successfully complete the play of a pre-designed game by accomplishing the set objectives. Play

Missions usually serve to introduce users to the behavior of Sprites.

Repair Missions present the user with a game that is in some way broken and cannot be successfully played. The user must deduce

what is broken about the game and use the Gamestar Mechanic console to place or remove objects. A set of requirements will be

presented that the repaired game must include, such as “Place 10 enemies.” The missions is completed when the player has

successfully played and accomplished the objectives of the repaired game.

Build Missions present the user with a blank slate to build a new game on. A set of requirements will be presented that the game

must include, such as “Place 10 enemies.” The mission is completed when the player has successfully played and accomplished the

objectives of their created game.

After each mission is completed, the player is rewarded with sprites and other rewards such as backgrounds and music to use in their

Toolbox.


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Game Alley

Once games are published, they appear in Game Alley for other Mechanics and visitors to the site to

play.

At the top of the Game Alley screen is the “Featured Challenge,” which spotlights a designer challenge

that designers can take to demonstrate their design skills within a carefully chosen set of design goals.

The screen also displays categories of games such as “Featured”, “Popular” or “New”.

Game Alley is also where players can review each other’s games and provide helpful critical feedback

as part of the iterative design process. These reviews have both Ratings and a simple text Review

Rubric to guide comments.


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3. ORIENTATION TO TEACHING GAMESTAR What's Inside this Guide? The body of the guide is composed of lessons and activities, each designed to address a certain subset of concepts related to learning game design. There are many ways of using this guide, so feel free to experiment and expand on what is presented here.

• The Approach to Teaching Gamestar provides sample trajectories showing different ways lessons can be sequenced. It also offers suggestions on student assessment and comments on the role of teachers when working with Gamestar Mechanic.

• Game Design 101 focuses on game design basics, as they are explored within the

Gamestar world. These lessons run in parallel to the in-‐game curriculum offered by a series of play, repair, and design missions players must complete as part of the first Quest. The lessons can be followed from start to finish, or used in a modular way.

• The Field Guide showcases ways of connecting more traditional academic

content to game creation. Each entry contains a story written by a Gamestar character, with observations about the real world that then take shape within game creation activities. Subject areas such as math, science, ELA, social students, visual art, design and music are referenced as part of the guide. A brief “teacher activity” outline offers ideas for ways of engaging students in game creation around the narrative entries. Because it is expected that different educators will have different goals in mind for their students, this guide has been designed for maximum flexibility. Lessons are ordered in a simple trajectory from beginner to more advanced concepts; lessons within units can be covered sequentially or in an order of your own choosing. All activities include game recommendations, big ideas, essential questions, and key definitions. Many include worksheet materials or suggested ways of supplementing the lesson off the computer. Systems-‐thinking skills have been highlighted throughout.

• Challenge Cards create a series of jumping off points for students in the creation

and discussion of games. The challenge cards included in this section allow educators to target interests and passions of students or to connect to particular themes they’d like the class to explore. The cards and accompanying Sprite stickers can be Xeroxed and cut out to create either shared or individual decks for use in the classroom. We have included several game frameworks that you can use in conjunction with the cards—these frameworks add a game spin to the

use of the cards and are optional. Keep in mind that Challenge Cards can be used by students interested in designing non-‐digital or social games, as well.

A Note on Digital vs. non-‐digital games The approach to game design presented within this learning guide embraces the design, modification, and play of all games—videogames, board games, card games, social games, tabletop games, role-‐playing games, etc.—as key learning tools. Most of the lessons incorporate the play or analysis of a non-‐digital game, and the concepts highlighted within lessons can be applied to the design of almost any kind of game, not just those created in Gamestar Mechanic. Non-‐digital games allow students to see processes at work that are often hidden in their digital counterparts and the social nature of games allows kids to quickly observe the importance of social dynamics in the design of play experiences. So even if you are not a hard core gamer, remember that almost everyone is a casual non-‐digital gamer—Poker, Solitaire, Go Fish, and crossword puzzles definitely count!

4. Approach to Teaching Gamestar

4.1 Sample Sequences COMING SOON! How to sequence your class around a topic: Game Design, Art, STEM, etc.

Approach to Teaching Gamestar: How to Use Gamestar in the Classroom

Getting Started

Get to know the world of Gamestar What is a game? What is game design?

Build motivation to design games

Level Up from Player to Designer

Explore the elements of game design Fix broken games

Design your first game

Students are empowered by designing

The Iterative Design Process

Take on design challenges Give and receive feedback

Improve your games

Students understand the cycle of reviewing and iterating

Dive Deeper

Follow a curriculum sequence on a specific concentration

Take a closer look at particular areas of game design

4.2 Assessment

COMING SOON! Suggestions for grading and rubrics.

4.3 Role of Teachers and Mentors

Teachers using Gamestar Mechanic in the classroom do not need to be experts in game design. The built-‐in curriculum can be used to scaffold a class, with teachers taking a role of guide and mentor. The activities in this guide are designed to spur a range of interactions between students and the game, and students and each other. Teachers should serve as facilitators for student discussion, reflection, and ideation.

Game design can also empower students to teach each other—the act of playing

and making games for each other moves learning into a collaborative sphere. Kids can show other students what they discovered by playing and creating games, giving them a chance to act as experts. We recommend that educators try to support students taking on these roles in the classroom, serving as teachers and mentors to their peers.

All of the activities in this guide include a set of key questions that can be used

while working with students to help shape their process of reflection and ideation. These key questions are optional to the lesson, but can be used to further customize the curriculum to the needs of each individual group of students. 4.3.1 Creating Content for Classes Follwing is a list of methods teachers and facilitators can use to create content for group activities using Gamestar Mechanic. 1. Teacher created content Many of the sample activities in this guide begin by calling upon students to play a game—digital or otherwise. Although there are already various types of games built into Gamestar Mechanic, we encourage teachers to create model games for use in their classes. Teacher-‐made games can be used to highlight certain game design principles, to simulate real world ideas, or to provide additional games for your class to play and discuss. 2. Create a game for someone else One of the more exciting activities in Gamestar Mechanic is to see a game you’ve designed come to life. But beginning game designers often overlook the fact that game design is focused on the design of games for others—for players. In order to encourage

budding game designers to consider their audience we suggest challenging students to regularly create games for other people, including classmates, friends, or family members. 3. Pass it on In order to encourage cooperation and taking on the perspective of others, try using a “pass it on” method in class. This method encourages students to work piecemeal on projects by accomplishing certain design goals before passing the project on to a classmate, who will continue the design process. Be warned though! Your students may become attached to the work they have done and any change in that work may cause tension among the group. If you use this method make sure you encourage teamwork and offer groups the chance to negotiate their ideas with one another around a shared set of criteria. 4. Class suggestions Not sure what to do next? Ask your class. Involve students in creating content for game design challenges. Keep a list of these challenges and reuse them when you see fit. 5. Creating class criteria for peer evaluation One of the assessment methods established at the onset of this project was having kids co-‐create a list of qualities that they felt described a good game. A sample list of criteria is included in this guide, (p. 48) but every group of kids will come up with a slightly different list. Establishing a clear and shared set of criteria by which students evaluate games—both their own and those made by their peers—is a critical part of the learning approach offered here. 6. Don’t forget the community One of the great things about Gamestar Mechanic is that it rewards students for posting user-‐generated content—the games they make. Encourage students to play other people’s games. You never know what kinds of great examples they’ll find. Don’t forget that you can also follow individual student mechanics on the Gamestar Mechanic community if you run across someone whose games you want to track. Students can also share the games they make with people outside of the Gamestar community. How to export games to other websites Games created in Gamestar Mechanic can be freely exported to other sites by providing the game’s link. Players do not need to be logged in to Gamestar Mechanic to

play these games. Players can share their games with people outside the Gamestar community by clicking the “Share” button to the right of their published game in Game Alley. 4.3.2 Classroom Set up The lessons included in this guide are adaptable to a wide variety of classroom situations. We emphasize cooperation and collaboration throughout the curriculum, stressing that a game is not complete without an engaged conversation between player and designer. Only one student should be logged into Gamestar Mechanic on a computer at a time. Depending on the number of computers available in your classroom, students may have to take turns operating the game. If the number of students is greater than the available computer stations, students can be grouped into pairs or small teams around the computers. The collaborative nature of Gamestar Mechanic lends itself well to what we call “hotseat” play, where students switch off controlling the program, creating games for others to play and then observing the play and receiving feedback. Many of the lessons in Game Design 101 offer additional suggestions for organizing students into groups.

NEW Intro and Orientation - Scholastic1].pdfJan 05, 2011 · The Toolbox is the free-form game creation area of Gamestar Mechanic, where users can build new games from scratch, as

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