Exploring Collaborative
Game-making within
Geography
Susan Bermingham, James Duggan, Nicola
Whitton (Manchester Metropolitan University)
Nathalie Charlier, Lien van der Stock (KU Leuven)
Francesca M. Dagnino, Jeffrey Earp (Istituto per le
Tecnologie)
Kristian Kiili (Tampere University of Technology)
Beyond game playing…
• Growing use of games for learning
– Behaviorist and constructivist
– Motivation and engagement
– Playfulness and freedom
• However…
– Developer-centred game design
– Limits to development of creativity
– Limited potential for collaboration
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Geographical Association Annual
Conference 'Crossing Boundaries' 15th April
2014
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The MAGICAL Project
• EU LLP project
• Started Jan 2012, 28 month duration
• Four partners
– Manchester Metropolitan University
– KU Leuven
– Tampere University of Technology
– Istituto per le Tecnologie, Genoa
• Fostering 21st century skills through
collaborative game-making.
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2014
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Fostering 21st century skills...
• Collaboration:
working with others to achieve a goal
• Problem-solving:
identifying an effective way to reach a goal
• Creativity:
developing new ideas or objects that have value
• Digital literacy:
critical engagement with digital technologies
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Research is ongoing...
• Case study design (2 for each partner)
• Multiple perspectives
– Teacher/ Mentor
– Trainee teacher
– Pupils
– Researcher
• Qualitative and quantitative
– Questionnaires
– Interviews, observations, reflection
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3 Training modules
• Theories of games and learning &
teaching with games
• Game design workshop (today)
• Game development workshop (digital)
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Games Design
Workshop
Adapted from a Workshop by
Alex Moseley & Nicola Whitton ECGBL 2012
Introductions
Pick up a playing card
• Groups of 4 (1 Diamond, 1 Spade, 1 Club
& 1 Heart)
• In 30 seconds introduce yourself to your
group...
– What’s your name?
– What’s your favourite game?
& Name your group - Nationality
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Geographical Association Annual
Conference 'Crossing Boundaries' 15th April
2014
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Aims of the game design
workshop module
During this workshop, we will:
• show that cheap and simple games can be
effective;
• introduce a simple model that can be
used to guide game design;
• help you work through the process to
generate and share your own ideas;
• have some fun!
7/14/2017
Geographical Association Annual
Conference 'Crossing Boundaries' 15th April
2014
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Ten-step model of game design
Context
Grand
Design
Refine
Design
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Conference 'Crossing Boundaries' 15th April
2014
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Stage 1: Context
• Step 1: Learning objectives (Spades)
• Step 2: Constraints (Hearts)
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Time
Money
Skills
Student characteristics
Student numbers
Technology
Accessibility
Subject
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2014
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Stage 1: Activity (5 minutes)
• Learning objectives
– Spades select a context card and lead the
discussion
– Determine up to three objectives
• Define constraints
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Who is the game for?
How long have you got to play it?
How much money do you have?
What expertise do you have as a team?
Hearts select a constraint card and lead the
discussion
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2014
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Stage 2: Grand design
• Step 3: Type of game
– Board, card, quiz, physical, puzzle, web-based, role
play, mobile App, console, computer …..
• Step 4: Core mechanics
– Goal, rules, scoring, progression, win states
• Step 5: Game balance
– Playing time, difficulty, level of chance, collaboration
and competition, seriousness, physical vs. mental
• Step 6: First prototype
– Playing space, artefacts
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Conference 'Crossing Boundaries' 15th April
2014
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Stage 2: Activity (6 minutes)
• Develop your first prototype
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Marketing Prototype / Gaining
Feedback
• In game design it is important to carry out
market research and to test out your ideas
at an early stage
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Activity (3 minutes)
• Hearts & Diamonds move to another
group, market your prototype & gain
feedback
• Return to your original group
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2014
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Stage 3: Refine design
• Step 7: Add story - Clubs
– What is the game context, who are the
players?
• Step 8: Add sub-mechanics
– Conflict, chance, sabotage, tension, risk and
reward
• Step 9: Check learning
– Review against learning outcomes
• Step 10: Create final game
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Geographical Association Annual
Conference 'Crossing Boundaries' 15th April
2014
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Stage 3: Activity (6 minutes)
• Clubs – select a story layer and lead the
discussion.
• Refine your game!
• Diamonds – you have a secret mission
select a card (you can pass on this card to
any group)
• Prepare to share your game you will have
just 30 seconds to summarise your ideas
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Step 11: Play your game!
• Teach your game to the rest of the workshop
delegates
(30 seconds per team)
• After playing all games
• Use your playing card to vote on your
favourite idea
• And the winner is...
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Conference 'Crossing Boundaries' 15th April
2014
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MMU PGCE Geographers
• Sept 2013 - Training modules
• Dec 2013 - 2 Case Studies using Sploder
game building with pupils
• Jan/Mar 2014 - Peer teaching training
modules PGCE cohort
• Mar-May 2014 – Curriculum Making
Assignment
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Conference 'Crossing Boundaries' 15th April
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Geography Exemplars
Sploder Platform Game
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Sploder game for pupils
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Lessons learned so far
• Design support
– Time is crucial
– Start on paper
• Collaboration support
– Assign roles
– Different levels of technical/gaming experience
• Teacher support
– Provide examples
– Lesson planning
– Timing of training
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Case Studies
Case Study 1
Case Study 2
Geography KS3 Focus
Burgess Model, features in
2 zones
Day in the life of Rosa,
Textile worker
Learning focus
Location, place, mapping,
land values, differences
Empathy, challenges, home
– work, time, factory
Classroom space
Computers located around
edge of classroom, pupils
facing walls
Computers located in
groups, pupils facing centre
of groups
Platformer game
2 levels representing 2
zones, move through a
zone
Levels represent challenges
in 24 hours, move from
home to work, and through
time
Trainee
Male
Female
Mentor
Male
Female
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Conference 'Crossing Boundaries' 15th April
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Next Steps - Papers
•
•
•
•
Sue – Space & Gender
James – Time
Nicola - Learning through games
All – Impact of Collaborative Game Based
training on practice
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Conference 'Crossing Boundaries' 15th April
2014
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Thank you for listening
Any Questions?
Sue Bermingham &
PGCE Geographers
http://www.magical-project.net/?q=about
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2014
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