June 3rd, 2011

Using Hardware Devices with Scratch/BYOB

Brian Clark

Comments: 1 Comment Tags: Tags: byob, cfe, Consolarium, controller, game based learning, games, games design, Kinect, microphone, programming, ps3, Scratch, xbox
 : Categories Added Value, Consolarium, games design

As part of the game design work the Consolarium have been carrying out, we often visit subject leaders meetings and are invited to ISIS days to do some CPD with staff. Recently, I visited a group of computing teachers in Ayr to take them through possible uses of BYOB in their Computing courses as a follow on / extension to Scratch. The session was well received and the teachers seemed quite inspired to take BYOB forward in their schools. However, it was perhaps the use of external devices with Scratch or BYOB that really caught their eye.

Scratch 1.4 and BYOB have the ability to interact with external hardware such as Picoboards through the sensor options. However, it’s not just Picoboards that can interact with Scratch.

Lego Wedo

The Lego Wedo sensors and motors can also be used with the sensors. In particular, the LEGO® WeDo™ Robotics Motion Sensor and the LEGO® WeDo™ Robotics Tilt Sensor can be used to detect the outside world. Note – a Lego Power Functions Extension Wire and Lego USB hub are also required.

What’s really interesting about this in terms of the gaming world is that there is potential for pupils to use these sensors to build their own controller for a game – perhaps linking up with Design and Technology / 3D Modelling courses to design and build their own controllers that could house the lego sensors. I demonstrated about this at a Teachmeet last year.

Kinect

Then we come to the Kinect. Yes, the Microsoft Kinect Motion Sensor can be used with Scratch! Stephen Howell took some time to get the Kinect sensor to interact and work with Scratch as an input device. Watch his demo below:

Scratch and Kinect from Stephen Howell on Vimeo.

Find out how to do this on Stephen’s blog. I have used Stephen’s program and was really engaged and excited by it. I think it would make Game Design with Scratch even more attractive and challenging for our learners.

Console Controllers

If our learners are creating games with Scratch, why not get them to play/control their games with their own console controllers? There are many controller mapping programs available for PC and Mac that will allow users to map their keyboard and mouse presses to a controller. So, if our pupils create a game that uses the arrow keys to move, why not map the arrow keys to the controller allowing the player to use hardware that they are familiar with, that sits within their own cultural domain, to play the game?

Microphone

Finally, what about other modes of control? The sensor blocks in Scratch have a loudness command. Could we challenge our learners to create a game that responds to noise levels? For example, consider this:

Using the loudness sensor we can control the left / right movement of the rocket.

Overall….

While Scratch and BYOB are not specifically deigned to create games, they are often used for this task as they offer a friendly, easy to use environment. However, by using additional gaming hardware, we can create a learning environment that should hopefully resonate with our pupils and encourage them to engage with the game design process further.

February 23rd, 2011

Game To Learn Conference

Brian Clark

Comments: 1 Comment Tags: Tags: cfe, Consolarium, cross-curricular, exergaming, eyepet, game based learning, games based learning, games design, gametolearn, GBL, Kodu, Learning, LTS, Nintendogs, Professor Layton, Wii
 : Categories Conferences, Consolarium, Glow, cross-curricular, game based learning, games design

The Consolarium in partnership with JISC are delighted to be bringing the Game To Learn conference to the University of Abertay Dundee on Saturday 19th March.

The Saturday Programme offers both a fun-packed CPD event for teachers as well as a celebration of the diverse and innovative practice in games-based learning and game design that has been happening in schools across Scotland. Over the past few years the LTS Consolarium initiative has been working with partner schools across Scotland to help nurture the idea that commercially available computer games, that have been developed for entertainment, can be used to help create appealing, purposeful and challenging contexts for learning.

Game Design also offers learners of all ages to engage with the creative process in an engaging and contemprary way that really can facilitate effective CfE delivery. Throughout the morning seminars and afternoon workshops, delegates will have the opportunity to hear from practioners and their use of game design and get some hands on time with game design tools.

Half of the sessions are already fully booked so book your place now to avoid disappointment.

Sessions that are still available include, but not limited to ….

Game Based Learning in the Lower Primary School With Nintendogs

• Nintendogs in the Classroom. Best in Show?
  Anna Rossvoll, Glow Development Officer, Aberdeenshire Council
• Can Nintendogs Enhance Learning? A Research Perspective
  Dr David Miller, University of Dundee

Read about our work with Nintendogs and the Nintendogs case study

Game Based Learning in the Primary School with the Kinectimals and Professor Layton

• Making Friends with the Kinectimals in a Nursery Setting
  Louise Reid & Judi Regan, Menzieshill Nursery School, Dundee City Council
• ‘Profesor Layton and the Lost Future’ Finds Use in the Classroomn
  Jim Coyle Depute Head Teacher, St Andrews RC Primary School, Dundee City Council

Read about our work with the Kinectimals and our Professor Layton case study.

Game Based Learning in Primary School with the Eyepet and other Games

• Augmented Reality? Real Life Learning with the Eyepet for the PS3
  Brian McLaren, Depute Head Teacher, Clackmannan PS, Clackmannanshire Council
• On a Mission to Engage all Learners with Games-based Learning
  Gerry Munro, Head Teacher, Longhaugh PS, Dundee City Council

Read about our work with the Eyepet and Gerry’s experiences with Game Based Learning, and others’ experiences in the futurelab report

Game Based Learning and the Whole School

This may be especially of interest to languages teachers, active school coordinators, PE teachers, class teachers and deputes from Primary and Secondary schools who are interested in seeing how ‘subject specific’ game based learning projects can impact on the whole school.

• Just Dance and Help the Whole School Become Active!
  Fiona Ferrie, PE Teacher, Doon Academy and Alison Crawford, Development Officer, East Ayrshire Council
• Modern Foreign Languages – A Games-based Learning Approach
  Helene Clark, French Teacher, Firrhill High School, Edinburgh City

Read about our work with Just Dance and My French Coach.

And there’s more …..

Phew! What a start to the day!  Follow up your morning seminar with a spot of free lunch, the chance to talk to industry exhibitors then on to a practical, fun filled hands on session.  Workshops still available include, but again not limited too..

Using RPG Maker VX to Help Tell Stories & Make Connections Across Learning
Mathew Reid, English Teacher, Garnock Academy, North Ayrshire

“If you’re asking, I’m dancing!” – Join Us for the Just Dance-athon!
Fiona Ferrie, PE Teacher, Doon Academy
Derek Robertson, National Adviser, Consolarium, Learning and Teaching Scotland

Purple Mash: Glow Resources and Game Design with 2DIY
Alan Yeoman, 2Simple Software

Playful, Outdoor and Blended Learning Using GPS
Ollie Bray, National Adviser for Emerging Technologies in Learning, Learning & Teaching Scotland

What are you waitng for?  Get your game on now … for FREE!

Hope to see you all on Saturday 19th March 2011

February 3rd, 2011

NESTA : Livingston Hope Skills Review

Brian Clark

Comments: 1 Comment Tags: Tags: cfe, games design, Kodu
 : Categories games design

Learning about word, excel and powerpoint is not going to give you a career in the high tech creative industries.

At the Consolarium, we have been developing resources and capacity throughout Scotland in the area of Game Design. We were delighted to have one of our pilot schools, Girvan Primary School involved with this project. This is the trailer that has been produced for the Livingston Hope Skills Review. Near the start of the film, teacher Avril Denton and her class celebrate their achievements in Game Design with Kodu from Microsoft. You can read more about the pupils experience in Girvan Primary School here

The review itself illustrates the need for building capacity in digital creation from an early age in schools in the UK. Our new Curriculum for Excellence recognises this, and has explicit outcomes relating to game design and digital creation. We really need to embrace this area and give all our learners the opportunity for culturally relevant creativity and challenge. At the Consolarium we will continue to develop resources to support learners and teachers in Scotland in game design tools and techniques.

The NESTA report can be found on the NESTA home page.

January 13th, 2011

Competition Winners – Islands of Elemental Evil

charlielove

Comments: none Tags: Tags: Competition, games design, RPG Maker VX
 : Categories games design

Islands of Elemental Evil

What can come out of a great novel writing club? A computer game! This project was the brain child of pupils from Garnock Academy in North Ayrshire and their English Teacher, Matthew Reid. They put together the first level of an epic adventure game/RPG using content which was originally intended for their novel. The game was created using RPG Maker VX (which is available as a 30-day free trial) and involves the hero, Ben, undertaking a quest to save the kingdom from a dragon in return for the hand of the princess in marriage. Ben has to solve riddles, explore the island to retrieve objects and talk to the inhabitants to gather information.

The reasons we liked this game

From the very start it was clear that here was a computer game with a strong focus on literacy and the design of simple adventure puzzles. This game is a very good example of collaboration, literacy and language, design and technology and demonstrates clear connections across learning. The pupils from Garnock Academy have demonstrated very clearly how games design can play a key role in the development of a Curriculum for Excellence by producing a title which draws on so many areas of skill.

A complete walk-through of the first island is shown below and you can download it here:

All the Winners

Primary Group Winner – AnEmSha
Secondary Group Winner – Islands of Elemental Evil
Secondary Individual Winner – T. Greep and Co.

January 12th, 2011

Competition Winners – T. Greep and Co.

charlielove

Comments: none Tags: Tags: Coding, FPS Creator, Game Programming, games design, Online Communities
 : Categories games design

For this next entry we’ll say nothing until you play this video (double click to play).

T. Greep and Co.

Wow! This game is the work of Jonathan Hay of Whitburn Academy. You play as Ryan Walker, a criminal for hire for an underground organisation, called T. Greep & Co. after its founder. The game follows this character on a series of missions, in a variety of locations around the world, over the course of 3 years, incidentally 3 levels. You have to complete objectives, for example delete information from a computer server to progress to the next level. There are also obstacles, such as enemies (gang members, security officers, etc…) and puzzles to hinder your progress, but ultimately once all of the objectives are complete you can progress to the next level or complete the game.

The reasons we liked this game

This game is the work of one pupil who constructed the game using FPS Creator (a game engine written in Dark Basic Pro). Each level is cleverly constructed with a number of puzzles to be solved and enemies to defeat. Jonathan reused a variety of resources sourced from the web to create the game such as 3D models, AI code and other dynamic objects. FPS has a good developer community and Jonathan tapped into this community to ask questions and seek help for creating aspects of his game. This is an excellent example of how online communities can provide great support. One of the forums which he used is http://forum.thegamecreators.com/?m=forum_view&t=168918&b=25.

We loved the opening credits for the game which perfectly set the game’s spooky, creepy mood from the very start and this is continued into the lighting for the levels and the voice instructions which you receive throughout the game. Jonathan also used his programming skills to edit the AI and the non-player characters in the game will investigate noises, explosions etc. adding a very real feel to the gameplay.

You can download the game (380MiB) from here. Jonathan has launched a web site for the game too at http://www.thistlems.co.uk/greepandco.html.

Check out this brief game play video to see the game in action.

All the Winners

Primary Group Winner – AnEmSha
Secondary Group Winner – Islands of Elemental Evil
Secondary Individual Winner – T. Greep and Co.

January 12th, 2011

Competition Winners – AnEmaSha

Brian Clark

Comments: 1 Comment Tags: Tags: #dgd, Competitions, games design, Scratch
 : Categories SLF10, games design

In February last year we launched the first LTS Consolarium Games Design Competition and the level of interest from teachers and learners across Scotland was fantastic. When the competition closed on September 3rd 2010, we were very impressed by the quality of the entries and the professional manner in which entrants had prepared their games. We’ve now made arrangements for these games to be hosted online and for you to download them so lets have a little look at what made these games so good and what they are all about in this series of three blogs posts.

AnEmSha

Uh-oh! AnEmSha has crash landed on Earth on her way home! Can you help her gather all the parts of her spaceship from different environments around the world, avoid the dangers that lurk in the forests and oceans of the Earth and keep her energy up by eating the right sort of food? If you are up for the challenge, then this Scratch game is for you. AnEmSha is the product of three pupils from Shapinsay Primary School in Orkney. It was submitted as a group entry for our Game Design Competition and was judged the best in its category.

Learn more about this project

The reasons we liked this game

All three pupils had specific and detailed roles during the project – project manager, programmer and designer. The project was started in school, but most of the communication was done via Glow and email in the learners own time at home with the girls sending each other sprites, ideas, versions of the game and feedback.

The game itself has elements that are found in the most popular and successful adventure games today such as

• Clearly defined user instructions
• Introduction animation to set the scene
• All original artwork and sprite animations
• Ability to ‘skip’ levels if you have the correct code
• 5 levels to work your way though – each with appropriate backgrounds and enemies.
• Cut scenes between levels 3 and 4
• A winning state (AnEmSha gets to fly home) or a losing state (if you get caught by one of the creatures)
• Instructions for animation, scoring, energy, movement and level progression all coded in the Scratch environment.

This type of activity really engages pupils with Game Design. This project has demonstrated that the 3 gilrs are TOPCODERs!

• Target Setting set their own objectives / defining the project
• Organisation people and time management skills
• Peer / Self Assessment what did we do well? How could we make it better? What do we need to do next?
• Collaborative Working communicate using variety of media
• Ongoing Evaluation develop quality control mechanisms for the game eg repeat[create,share, feedback, improve ]
• Develop / Share Skills learn new or improve existing skills in IT, art and design and teamwork
• Encourage investigation “I wonder how I would do ….”

All the Winners

Primary Group Winner – AnEmSha
Secondary Group Winners – Islands of Elemental Evil
Secondary Individual Winner – T. Greep and Co.

November 29th, 2010

Scratch – itching for more?

Brian Clark

Comments: 5 Comments » Tags: Tags: build your own blocks, byob, cfe, computing, Consolarium, curriculum for excellence, game design, games design, GBL, LTS, network games, Scratch
 : Categories Added Value, Consolarium, Glow, games design

Build Your Own Blocks

MIT’s Scratch program has become a firm favourite in Primary and Secondary schools all over Scotland.  It is a great tool to create a variety of interactive media resources such as games, art, simulations and stories.  You are only limited by your imagination!

However, as more and more pupils are experiencing Scratch in their Primary classes or through their own curiosity at home, many secondary subjects that currently use Scratch (usually Computing departments) may be wondering how to build on these skills gained pre-secondary school.

One opportunity for extending the learning opportunities with Scratch lies with the BYOB mod of Scratch.  BYOB has all the features of the regular Scratch program, but has a couple of very exciting extras.  Including:

1. the ability to build custom blocks 
2. use recursion
3. create first class lists and procedures
4. ability to share sprites over a LAN
5. ability to pass variables over a LAN

For the purpose of this post, I would like to demonstrate points 4 and 5 – the ability to pass information between 2 or more computers.  Lets look at an example:

The BYOB software, used in this way, provides us with a tool for learners that immediately promotes, and indeed requires, cooperative working and discussion.  Charlie and myself have been demoing this implementation with Computing teachers at CPD events over Scotland in the last month or so.  We have been delighted to see the discussion and cooperative working that needs to take place in order for learners to create what is,essentially, a multiplayer networked game.

Using the technique above of hosting a mesh and reading in variable data using the sensing option, user can quite quickly create a 2 player tennis style game as illustrated below.

These videos are a little rough around the edges, but I intend to re-do them as a set of tutorial videos to be hosted within our game design Glow group. This tutorial set will take users through the steps to make the tennis game.

Please get in touch if you have already been using BYOB with your classes and share your experience with us.

November 21st, 2010

New version of Kodu Game Lab

charlielove

Comments: 2 Comments » Tags: Tags: Consolarium, game design, games design, Kodu, microsoft
 : Categories Consolarium, games design

Those clever people at Microsoft’s Fuse Labs have released a fantastic new build of the Kodu Game Lab software which we have been using throughout Scotland.  There are many new features and fixes in the software but the main ones to draw your attention to are:

• New tutorial systems which makes it even easier to get started using Kodu
• New shortcuts to allow easier use of the keyboard in games
• New “fabric” terrain (so no more blocky terrain – unless you want it)
• Must faster rendering and performance overall

The new tutorial system makes it much easier than ever before to follow a tutorial as the instructions now appear in an overlay pane at the top of the screen.  These instructions very clearly direct the learner as he/she begins to use Kodu for the first time. The new tutorials take a learner right from adding his/her first character and programming it through to building worlds, scoring and adding filters to Kodu programs.

Kodu's new tutorial system

The new terrain system allows you to create blocky and smooth terrain in the same world. So a game which looked like this…

Previous "Blocky" terrain in Kodu

Now can look like this…

New smooth terrain in Kodu

Visually, it makes quite a difference and it’s possible to mix the terrain types so you can have blocky “cubic” look and the smooth “fabric” look in the same world! It’s also easier to add keyboard controls as support for using the arrow keys and the WASD key combination are built into the new version.  This means that you can add control using these keys using one command instead of four.  Exporting your programs is easier now (in windowed mode) as you get a standard windows file dialogue and can save your exported game files where you want on your computer. So no more hunting around to see where they are! And if you want to print your program you can just press Ctrl+P in the edit mode and it will print to your default printer.  You can now also create games which shoot at the Kodu cursor (so missle command fans will be happy).  The launch command can now launch objects towards characters as well!

There are lots of great enhancements to the software and we recommend that you upgrade to it if you can.  You can download Kodu Game Lab from here and read the full list of changes on the Kodu Team Blog. Remember, you can follow the Kodu Team on twitter using the tag @koduteam for great updates and information.

October 20th, 2010

Unity 3 Game Development

charlielove

Comments: none Tags: Tags: Android, cfe, cross-curricular, game design, games design, Glow, iOS, Unity
 : Categories Consolarium, Glow, Nintendo, cross-curricular, games design

Unity 3 is a cross platform development environment (PC or Mac) which provides users with a set of tools to create games for PC, Mac, Wii, iOS devices (such as iPodTouch, iPhone and iPad) and Google’s Android Mobile operating system.  It’s a jack of all trades system and the core software is free for all to download and use.  This video shows just a few of the games that have already been created with Unity.

We’ve been spending some time at the Consolarium looking at Unity 3 and we’ve been very impressed with what is possible with the software.  The level of support available online from the Unity site and from the developer community (including the great game tutorial videos at 3DBuzz) is excellent and this wealth of quality resources can really support learners as they take their first steps with this software.

Our plans to support game design in the senior phase require quality tools which provide learners with opportunities to produce games similar to the ones they play.  Also, game design in the senior phase must build on the CfE experiences and outcomes and our work on game design at level 2/3 with Scratch and Kodu. Given the recent developments in game design qualifications, it is important that we look for and develop resources which support learners undertaking these new courses.  Unity provides a versatile platform which can help us achieve all of these things.

With practicalities in mind, Unity will run on a variety of computer systems including those which are getting a bit old.  It requires Windows XP Service Pack 2 OR Mac OS “Leopard” 10.5 as a minimum spec and a graphics card with a minimum of 64MBs (which should cover any graphics card made in the last  6/7 years).  Other demands on your computer system just depend on how complex your game project becomes.

One of the really great features that we hope to make use of is Unity 3′s ability to create browser based games which play from the web.  Have a look at blurst.com to see some of the great web based games created with Unity.  Jetpack Brontosaurus is my personal favourite.

Moving forward our plan is to make the best of these resources available in the Consolarium Game Design Glow Group and to develop further resources and support for schools which adopt Unity as a development platform.  Already in our Glow group are resources for Scratch, Kodu, Blender and Microsoft XNA Game Development.  There are also a number of background resources which deal with the game development process and were filmed at the Denki Studio in Dundee.

September 16th, 2010

Consolarium at SLF10: Seminars and on the LTS Stand

Derek Robertson

Comments: 2 Comments » Tags: Tags: Consolarium, game based learning, games based learning, games design, SLF10
 : Categories Consolarium, SLF10

This year at the Scottish Learning Festival LTS’ Consolarium team offerings in the game based learning field are quite extensive. We have been busily working away with local authority partners over the course of the past year and have many interesting and valuable experiences and ideas to share with our delegates at SLF10.

The LTS Consolarium team are delivering three seminars and they also have a programme of events on the LTS stand. We hope that you may find the time to attend a seminar or even come along to one of our inputs at the LTS stand.

Seminars:

Using Computer Games to Support Literacy and Numeracy

Wednesday 22^nd September, 15:45-16:30

Ollie Bray will share examples of how Consolarium game based learning initiatives have been used to support the development of Numeracy and Literacy within Curriculum for Excellence. His presentation will draw on a range of examples from Primary and Secondary schools. He will also explore how applications such as Google Earth can support the cross cutting themes of CfE.

Using Computer Games to Support Learning in the Early Years

Thursday 23^rd September, 10:30-11:15

Derek Robertson will share some examples of how computer games have been used to engage young learners and support their development within the context of Curriculum for Excellence. He will also show how young learners can raise to meet the demand and challenge presented to them when asked to make their own computer games.

Creation and not just Consumption: Games Design in Scottish School

Thursday 23^rd September, 14:00-14:45

Charlie Love and Brian Clark will share the work that they have been leading on in relation to helping build the capacity within schools to help nurture and grow a culture of creation and not just consumption of digital content. They will discuss the position of games design within Curriculum for Excellence and in so doing will share their experiences in leading computer game design in Scottish schools. They will also showcase the resources available in Glow to support schools as they take this forward.

LTS Stand Programme

Wednesday 22^nd September

10:30-11:30 Game design using Kodu

Come along to see how the Kodu application can be used to make games that can be played on the Xbox or PC. A demonstration will be given as well as the chance for you to begin making your own game.

12:30-13:30 Just Dance/Dance on Broadway

Bring your dancing shoes and feel free to join in as the Consolarium team demonstrate just how games such as Just Dance or Dance on Broadway can make you move! Open discussion about the place of such resources in schools will also take place as well as the opportunity for you to get up on the stand with us and get down!

13:30-14:30 Wedo Lego Scratch

Come along to see how the Lego Wedo kit can be used to enhance the Scratch computer game building experience. You will see how you can build an input device (joypad) that will control the games that you make! A demonstration will be given as well as the chance for you to use this reource.

15:30-16:30 Meet the Eyepet

Come along and meet our Eyepets. You may think that something strange is afoot when you see us stroking and speaking to, what might be appear to be, an imaginary pet….it’s there, but virtually! Come and meet this amazing augmented reality creature and give some thought to how it might find a home in an early years setting near you. (Good news, you don’t need to clean its cage!)

Thursday 23rd September

10:30-11:30 UDK/Unity

The Consolarium team will give a demonstration of how freely available software such as UDK or Unity can raise the bar of expectation and demand of learners by enabling them to build 3D computer games that look and feel almost as good as those that are available commercially.

12:30-13:30 Little Big Planet

Little Big Planet is the hugely successful PS3 game has taken the game experience to a new level. Not only can you play the game but you can also build your own dynamic and complex levels that others can play. Come and see what you can build and engage with the discussion about how this might play a part in offering challenge and demand to your pupils.

14:30-15-30 Endless Ocean

Many games now offer immersive worlds that the player/learner can get lost in without any desire for high score attainment or skill development. Games such as Endless Ocean present low cost immersive worlds that a teacher can use to create the most engaging and beautiful learning experiences. Come along, dive in, splash around and see if you could make this idea float in your class!

Looking forward to seeing you there!