I had the opportunity to attend and participate in the Global Game Jam. I had a wonderful time, and if you didn’t have the chance to join in this year, I highly recommend checking it out next year. I mention the Global Game Jam because it relates to the topic of this post, rapid prototyping. [...]
Once you have an idea for a game, you’re going to need funding and support to make the idea into a finished product. How do you gain this necessary backing? There are several ways to accomplish this goal. I’d like to discuss two key components of this process: the game pitch and rapid prototyping. Let’s [...]
One topic I will be discussing in the very near future is rapid protoyping for games and simulations. In the meantime, there’s an event coming up this weekend called Global Game Jam. Participants work in teams to design and rapidly prototype games. You don’t have to be a programmer, because every team needs someone to [...]
The strategies for creating and using serious games has advanced. No longer confined to rote learning at the end of a tutorial or even to the desktop, serious games come in all shapes and sizes. While the desktop is still a primary delivery method, today’s experiences can be much more immersive. And, there are some new and evolving ways to design, deliver and experience games for learning.
For the concluding post in this series, the topic is adult learning and intrinsic motivation. This concept means that adult students learn most effectively when motivated by internal, rather than external factors. Unlike younger learners, adults generally are not mandated to attend school or seek further education. Even if the education is part of a [...]
The principle of application of knowledge is closely related to the concept of changing societal roles, which I mentioned in my previous blog post. The knowledge and skills that adult students learn must be relevant and applicable to the challenges they face in real life. Task-oriented instruction, rather than rote memorization, helps to create a [...]
One of the principles of andragogy is that adult learners need education that can help prepare them for changing societal roles, which can include new jobs and additional responsibilities at work. Adult educational must provide learners with fast, efficient and effective task readiness to take on new roles. Games and virtual worlds inherently allow players [...]
Tom Chatfield discusses methods for transforming the levels of engagement in testing and training in this inspiring TED video. About the talk We’re bringing gameplay into more aspects of our lives, spending countless hours — and real money — exploring virtual worlds for imaginary treasures. Why? As Tom Chatfield shows, games are perfectly tuned to [...]
In Malcolm Knowles’ theory of andragogy, one of his assumptions about the characteristics of adult learners was that adults have a wealth of experience that serves as a resource for learning. Familiarity often leads to knowledge and at least some degree of understanding. Even previous basic exposure to a subject can increase a learner’s comfort [...]
As a game designer and programmer, one of my goals for any of my games is to make them fun. For commercial games, obviously fun is one of the most important ingredients; after all, if your game is not fun, it won’t make money, and that’s bad business. While fun is also an essential component [...]
