Program Idea: Learn, Quest, Play: Game Design with Kodu Game Lab |
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Submitted by: Kelly Czarnecki, kczarnecki@cmlibrary.org
Library: Charlotte Mecklenburg Library
Audience: Teens, Children
Group Size: 10-15
Season: YALSA Teen Tech Week (March), ALA National Gaming Day (November) or any time of year
Researcher James Paul Gee has argued that gaming can profoundly impact literacy among 21st century learners. At Charlotte Mecklenburg’s ImaginOn, the nation’s only combination youth library and children’s theater, librarians are putting this approach to work with their innovative Learn, Quest, Play program series. Using Kodu Game Lab, participants are able to craft their own game designs, experiment with digital storytelling and share their creations with others. Best of all, Kodu uses a simple, icon-based programming language, so there’s no coding.
Activities
Extra Hints & Tips Kelly Czarnecki from Charlotte Mecklenburg Library recommends: "Just do it. You don't have to be an expert in Kodu. Your players will help you!"
Kodu includes some pre-built games you can use as demonstrations. However, to get a better sense of how to play and to tailor games to the specific goals of your program, it's better to create your own game when starting out.
When running your first Kodu program, use the experience to learn more about the software and its capabilities. This is also a great opportunity to create some starter games and foster a community of Kodu users at your library.
Once you become more experienced, Kodu Game Lab is also a way to experiment with digital storytelling using the visual programming language to form "sentences" that progress action within the environment. Consider combining this activity with book discussions or lessons on narrative structure (i.e. rising action, climax, falling action, etc.).
When refining your program, there are many ways to direct participation, such as using reading materials as inspiration and directing game play as a reading response activity. Be creative and have fun!
Additional Resources
For more information on Digital Media and Learning: http://www.macfound.org
If you're really excited about the idea of game design in libraries, consider participating in or promoting The National STEM Video Game Design Challenge, which is open for individual students, classrooms, and educators.
Also check out a great list of other game design tools and resources from the STEM challenge website: http://www.stemchallenge.org/resources |
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Posted - Mon, Feb 20, 2012 at 2:57 PM. This article has been viewed 37615 times. | ||||||||||||||||
Online URL: https://kb.demcosoftware.com/article.php?id=379 |
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