Consolarium

September 28th, 2008

Dr Kawashima Challenge at SLF ’08

Derek Robertson

Comments: 2 Comments » Tags: Tags: Consolarium, Nintendo, SLF08, SLF2008
 : Categories Nintendo, SLF08

To celebrate the impact that this work has had in Scottish schools and to test the ability of teachers and pupils alike we decided to have the Dr Kawashima (how fast can you do your sums) Challenge at this year’s Scottish Learning Festival? This event was supported by Nintendo and they kindly donated 30 DS plus games to us to offer as prizes in this competition. We asked the delegates at this years conference if they were the fastest sums expert in Scotland! We were unsure if teachers would avoid this because they might have felt a little compromised because they couldn’t quite remember things like 7 x 8 under pressure.

Over the course of both days the LTS stand was extremely busy with teachers undertaking the x20 challenge in the game in order to get on the leaderboard so that they had a chance of getting in the top eight that would compete at the Gamezone Challenge at the end of the day.

The final involved the top 8 teachers directly competing against each other in the x30 download challenge. The teachers that did compete did very very well and they contributed to a great session at the end of both days., The winners were:

• Wednesday: Steven Beattie, Dens Road PS, Dundee (15 DS plus games)
  
• Thursday: Vicky Mackenzie, Lairdsland PS, Kirkintilloch (15 DS plus games)

Well done to both winners and we hope that you enjoy and make good use of your newly acquired games/learning devices.

September 28th, 2008

Scottish Schools’ Sonic Olympics Champion ’08

Derek Robertson

Comments: none Tags: Tags: SLF08, SLF2008
 : Categories Dundee City, East Dunbartonshire, SLF08, South Lanarkshire

The Consolarium’s attempts to bring games based learning to the Scottish Learning Festival culminated in the final of the Sonic and Mario at the Olympics competition at the Gamezone Challenge. The past month has seen Scottish schoolchildren attempting to qualify for the finals by playing the trampolining game and their expertise left me with a little bit of egg on my face… I had thought long and hard about which game to set as the qualifier and after much deliberation I chose the trampolining because I thought it was far too difficult to get a perfect 10 and that the children’s efforts would be a real spread of scores that would allow me to get my 8 qualifiers for the final. Great thinking on my part because on the final day of qualifying no less than 19 children had registered a perfect 10 on the leaderboard! As a result of this four of the qualifying schools had their own play-offs to select the two children who would represent their school at SLF ’08.

The event itself was brilliant. Children from Lairdsland PS & Woodhill PS (East Dunbartonshire), Clepington PS (Dundee City) and Cathkin HS (South Lanarkshire) came to compete and compete they did. A large crowd had gathered to see the competition and they gave superb backing to all the competitors with Simon Tait from Cathkin HS just taking the title in the last game. Simon won an Xbox 360 with Guitar Hero plus a Nintendo Wii with Mario Kart and a Wii Fit for his school.

The Gamezone Challenge proved to be a real hit and hopefully it will become a fixture of the Scottish Learning Festival in years to come. Well done to all who participated.

September 25th, 2008

Scottish Schools Guitar Hero ’08 Champion

Derek Robertson

Comments: 2 Comments » Tags: Tags: Consolarium, Guitar Hero, LTS, SLF08, SLF2008
 : Categories SLF08

Congratulations to David Whyte from Baldragon Academy in Dundee who yesterday swept all challengers aside to become the Scottish Schools Guitar Hero for 2008. Congratulations also to Craig Davidson, Shaun Caldwell and Lewis Bayne for making it to the semi-finals and for giving such a spirited and skilled performance at the Gamezone Challenge.

David thoroughly impressed the viewing delegates at the conference with his expertise at the game. Whilst playing the song: When We Were Young by The Killers he managed to hit a 500 note streak on expert level. Superb!!!

Thanks to all who supported this event by either participating over the course of the last month or by coming along to the venue to support the boys and to support the unusual addition of something like the Gamezone Challenge at an educational conference.

Thanks also to Microsoft and Nintendo for the donation of prizes for the competitions that we are running in the Gamezone Challenge.

September 24th, 2008

Dr Kawashima Challenge at SLF’08

Derek Robertson

Comments: 1 Comment Tags: Tags: Consolarium, LTS, SLF08, SLF2008
 : Categories Glow, Nintendo, SLF08

As part of this year’s Consolarium inspired Gamezone Challenge at this year’s SLF we have the DR Kawashima Challenge: How fast can you do your sums? Delegates are invited to take the x20 challenge within this game and see if their score gets on the leaderboard! If a score features in the top eight by 3:30pm on the Wednesday or 2:30pm on the Thursday then the talented delegate will be invited to take part in the x30 download challenge to see if they are the fastest sums expert in Scotland! This title will come with 15, yes I said 15 Nintendo DS plus Dr Kawashima’s Brain Training for the DS.

August 15th, 2008

Games based learning at SLF ’08

Derek Robertson

Comments: 5 Comments » Tags: Tags: Consolarium, LTS, SLF2008
 : Categories SLF08

Established in 2006 The Consolarium was Learning and Teaching Scotland’s initiative to explore the potential, worth and manageability of games based learning in nursery, primary and secondary classrooms. Last year’s Scottish Learning Festival allowed a number of these projects to be shared and celebrated and it is with great delight that I can say that this year’s event, SLF ’08 has given us the opportunity to show what has continued to happen in Scottish classrooms.

What’s on then you may be asking? A full Games pathway brochure is available but as a quick ready reckoner here’s what’s going on over the two days:

Wednesday 24 September

11:30am Please Miss, my Nintendog needs fed! Cross-curricular learning in P2 with virtual pets: Anna Rossvoll, Aberdeenshire Council Education Village

12:30pm Using the Sony PSP as a learning tool in the primary classroom, Tess Watson & Alicia Macfarlane, East Lothian Council seminar code N1B

1:30pm Scotland’s Got Game: How Scotland has embraced games-based learning: Derek Robertson, LTS seminar code N1C

1:30pm Thinking out of the Xbox: if a picture really did speak a 1000 words: Ewan McIntosh, LTS seminar code C2C

4:00pm Consolarium Challenge: Derek Robertson, Education Showcase

Thursday 25 September

9:30am Can Nintendo’s Dr Kawashima impact on mental maths? An extended study: Derek Robertson & Dr David Miller, LTS & University of Dundee seminar code N1F

10:30am Get in training for the Mario Olympics on the Wii (and get enthused about writing too!): Jo-Anne Bell, Dundee City Council seminar code N1G

12:15pm Wiimbledon, anyone for tennis? Using Nintendo’s Wii Sports as the contextual hub for a cross-curricular project: Vicky Mackenzie, Lairdsland PS Education Village

1:30pm The Winning Game: Can a computer game contribute to the development of a culture of success and self-improvement within a school?: Jim Scott, Perth & Kinross Council seminar code N1G

3:00pm Consolarium Challenge: Derek Robertson, Education Showcase

We hope to see you there and at as many events as possible. They promise to be very interesting and I’m sure worth your while.

August 15th, 2008

Turn it up to eleven at SLF ’08 with the Guitar Hero Challenge!

Derek Robertson

Comments: 4 Comments » Tags: Tags: Consolarium, games based learning, Glow, Guitar Hero, LTS, SLF2008
 : Categories Consolarium, SLF08

Rock and Roll is helping the Scottish Learning Festival ’08 turn it up to eleven this year in the form of the Scottish Schools Guitar Hero Challenge! If you think that your pupils have the potential to win this then get involved in this year’s Game Zone Challenge at SLF’08. All you need is one of the following: a PS2, PS3, XBox360 or Nintendo Wii along with a copy of Guitar Hero III (with a guitar).

Over the next few weeks we are asking you to let your children play When We Were Young by The Killers. Pupils validated scores should be emailed by their teacher to [email protected] and we will then upload this to the leaderboard The competition heats will end on Friday 12 September when the top four on the leaderboard will be identified and invited to Glasgow to compete in the Game Zone Challenge. Travel costs will be covered by LTS. This event will take place at the SLF’08 on Wednesday 24 September, 4:00pm.

It promises to be quite an event what with the finals being held on a stage with a PA, large screens, lights AND a dry ice machine…eat your heart out Spinal Tap! Oh, and the champion can win computer games goodies for their school.

We have established a Guitar Hero Glow Group for schools to share the associated curricular work that can go on around a game such as a Guitar Hero but if your school is not yet in Glow don’t worry you can still participate…send your high scores to me and I’ll add it to the leaderboard. If you like you can send me any other material your class may have done in relation to Guitar Hero and I’ll post it in Glow.

The song that we want you to play does not immediately appear in the game so you have two ways of accessing it.

1. Play the game until it opens the song
2. Use a cheat. If you don’t know how to do this then follow these instructions:
   1. To enter cheats, from the main menu in Guitar Hero III go to Options -> Cheats -> Enter New Cheat. For each code, you have to strum while you press the given buttons. Notes in parenthesis are held together while you strum .i.e. (RY) denotes Red and Yellow buttons held at the same time and strummed once.
   1. The cheat code is as follows: GRBO, GRYB, GRYO, GBYO, GRYB, RYBO, GRYB, GYBO, GRYB, GRYO, GRYO, GRYB, GRYO

Please contact us if you have any difficulties with this. Good luck and maybe we’ll see you and your pupils at SLF’08!

August 15th, 2008

Scottish Schools Sonic Olympics Challenge at SLF ’08

Derek Robertson

Comments: 1 Comment Tags: Tags: Consolarium, LTS, Nintendo, Scottish Learning Festival, SLF2008, Sonic and Mario at the Olympics, Wii
 : Categories Consolarium, SLF08

Do your pupils have what it takes to be the Scottish Schools Sonic and Mario at the Olympics Champion for 2008? If so, then get involved in the Mario Olympics Challenge at this year’s Game Zone Challenge at the Scottish Learning Festival ’08. All you need is a Nintendo Wii, a copy of the game and up to four Wiimotes (the handset that you use to play the Wii).

Over the next few weeks we would like your pupils to enter the trampolining heat. They must try to get the highest score they can on the trampoline event in the game. Their validated scores should then be emailed by a teacher to [email protected] and we will upload this to the leaderboard.

The competition heats will end on Friday 12 September when the top eight on the leaderboard will be identified and invited to Glasgow to compete in the Game Zone Challenge. Travel costs will be covered by LTS.

One school in Dundee has already piloted this game and not only was this great fun but it led to enthusiastic learning around the associated curricular areas. This work will soon appear on the Consolarium’s website in case study format.

We have established a Glow group for those who want to collaborate and share their work and experiences in this venture. If your school is not in Glow then please do still feel free to join in and compete….

Please note that the finals will comprise of the 100m sprint, the swimming and the trampoline so get cracking with it. They will be held on a stage in the Education Village (Thursday 25 September, 3:00pm) so that an enthusiastic audience can cheer on the competitors. The champion will win some computer games goodies for their school and this prize will be presented by one of Scotland’s best rugby players of recent times, Gregor Townsend MBE who now works with the Winning Scotland Foundation.

Please contact us at [email protected] if you have any queries about this. Good luck and maybe we’ll see you and your pupils at SLF’08!