GIRLS CAN BE VIDEO GAME DESIGNERS TOO!: GENDER DIFFERENCES IN GAME CREATION AND ADULT INFLUENCE ON THE DESIGN PROCESS

Jolene Zywica

University of Pittsburgh

Research Team

Kim Gomez – University of Pittsburgh Brigid Barron – Stanford Nichole Pinkard – University of Chicago/

Depaul Paula Hooper – SF Exploratorium Kim Richards – University of Illinois at

Chicago Kimberly Austin – University of Chicago Caitlin Martin – Stanford

Overview

The Digital Youth Network Video games & learning Gender differences in game design Importance of mentors Methods Results & Discussion Q & A/ Feedback

The Digital Youth Network

6th-8th grade charter school Pilot year + 3 years of data collection Afterschool pods (video game design,

radio, digital queendom, digital music, robotics)

Media Arts classes (digital storytelling, iRemix, video game design)

Video Games in DYN

Pod ~ 7 females, 20 males Classes – video games & science Mentors Opportunities:

Storyboarding, sketching, designing Graphic design Programming, math, computational

thinking Meet and interview game designers

Video Games & Learning

Video games are “powerful tools for learning” and a means to develop digital literacies (Squire, 2003: 6; Giorgi & Myers, 2007; Papert & Resnick, 1995; Salen, 2007)

Situated understanding, development of “social practices, powerful identities, shared values, and ways of thinking of important communities of practice” (Shaffer, et al., 2005)

Participation, reflection, collaboration, and continuous feedback (Giorgi & Myers, 2007)

“seen as one way to address the lack of women’s involvement with technology” (Kafai, 2008: pp. 1) **

Gender Differences in Design

Boys Adventure hunts & exploration Characters with fantasy names (Zork or Sparzi) Evil characters Actions and weapons

Girls Adventure, skill, puzzles, problem solving, sport,

teaching/education, stories Fewer characters (1-2) More personal characters (“you”) Relationships and emotions Prefer collaboration

Kafai, 1996, 2008; Gorriz & Medina, 2000; Peppler & Kafai, 2007; Peppler, 2008

Role of Mentors

“The lack of strong female role models is believed by some experts to be yet another reason for the gender gap in technology use between males and females.”

“the lack of female role models and female peers willing to engage in technical courses dramatically limits the number of girls willing to pursue activities that require technological abilities” (Pinkard, et al., 2008; pp. 3).

mentors play an important role in video game instruction by encouraging and instigating collaboration, reflection, and activities

Pinkard, et al, 2009; An Educator’s Guide to Gender Bias Issues; Squire, 2003; Hawley et al., 1997

Research Questions

What types of video games do girls design?

How do video games designed by girls differ from those designed by boys?

How does the DYN program support and encourage girls to become game designers?

Methods

Observations 3 years (~80 hours) in afterschool pod Classes observed in the spring of 2007 and

in 2008 (~13 hours) Pilot year not included in this analysis

Artifact-based interviews (14) Mentor interviews (~20) Student artifacts Social network site archives

Analysis

Coded games by genre Coded observation data thematically:

types of video games designed by girls how DYN encourages and supports girls

through the video game design process via discourse and instructional practices

Results

53 games created 40 afterschool or outside of school 13 in classes (2007)

Example 1 – 6th grade female

I love simulation. I love human games, you know, like you can move the people around and everything”

Example 2 – 6th grade male

Games created in class (2007)

Mentor Influences on Game Design Supporting females in game design &

creation Technical support Developing interests and making

connections Encouraging girls to be game designers Praising girls’ designs

Technical support

Rachael is trying to have a car hit the woman. Sam tells Rachael that the costume should change when the car reaches a certain point. He says she could also have it so when one sprite touches the other sprite the costume changes. [He is referring to when the car touches the woman the woman's other sprite should appear. The woman goes from standing to a falling position].

Sam helps Rachael so the car is moving into the woman character. He showed Rachael how to reset the car to the beginning, so it starts in the same position each time. He also shows her how it should change costumes when the woman and car touch. John helps Rachael. He says, "Set costume"... and "go to arrow". (5/16/08 Video Game pod)

Developing interests & making connections

Megan: what’s fun to you?Kelsey: doing hairMegan …ms pacman at the beauty store. Dan says that most games have a person, place or thing and a goal or

objective.Dan: you’re the girl with the hairDan suggests having a really expensive brush or something similar and the

character has to collect gold brushes or mirrors.Megan: you gotta get to the checkout.Dan suggests having two characters. One with a fro and they have to get

all of the brushes. Dan: when you win it changes characters [the hair goes from an afro to a

different hair do].Kelsey mentions having the character lose their hair. Dan says to

exaggerate whatever she chooses.  

Encouraging Students

When I arrive Megan is walking into the science room with Amy and Jen. Megan stops and makes a comment to the girls about how they need to represent the girls and show the boys that girls can make video games too. (9/20/07 Video Game pod).

Megan comments on how there are 3 girls and only one boy [from 7th grade]. She says the games don't have to be shooting and it can be something the students like. (11/15/07 Video Game pod)

Megan: the only way you're going to get games that girls want to play is what? A student says the need to be created by girls./ Megan says if the games are good enough they can sell them. (4/9/08 Video Game class).

Conclusions

Video games are becoming more recognized and accepted as tools for learning and teaching.

Girls create video games that look different than those of boys, but require equal levels of skill

Conclusions cont.

How does the DYN program support and encourage girls to become game designers? Mentors play a role in getting girls

interested in game design Praise and encouragement without

stereotyping

Next Steps & Further Research What implications does this work have

for encouraging teachers and afterschool instructors to use game design to teach content?

What literacies are students developing by designing video games? What content knowledge are they learning? How does an instructor balance teaching content and digital literacies?

Questions?Feedback?