Putting Pacman in the Classroom

Karen Anderson

Putting Pacman in the Classroom

There’s a thin line.....

Introduction

Karen Anderson

CP3 2007: It’s Not Just A Game – totally different

Currently teaching – independent boarding schoolPreviously – state sixth form

Successfully introduced games design into both Differences – gender, ages, enthusiasm

Putting Pacman in the Classroom Karen Anderson

Learning Objectives

1) To explain what games are and why they are important

2) To show how games can be used in education – in all subjects and for all ages

3) To show how you and your pupils can make your own games for education


What is a game?

What is a game?

Powerful media form – interactive

Huge range – massive worlds to single screens, immersive to casual

Part of culture – characters part of contemporary psyche

Being used in more fields – entertainment, education, advertising,

Powerful media form – interactive

Huge range – massive worlds to single screens, immersive to casual

Part of culture – characters part of contemporary psyche

Being used in more fields – entertainment, education, advertising,


Why are games important?

Exercises the brain

Encourages problem solving and choice-making

Builds confidence (difficulty curve)

Improves dexterity

Improves multitasking

Exercises the brain

Encourages problem solving and choice-making

Builds confidence (difficulty curve)

Improves dexterity

Improves multitaskingPutting Pacman in the Classroom Karen Anderson

Why are games important?

Helps children learn pattern recognition

Practice for the real world / encourages real world activities

Fun without real consequences

Demonstrates choices have consequences for characters

Helps children learn pattern recognition

Practice for the real world / encourages real world activities

Fun without real consequences

Demonstrates choices have consequences for characters


The questions I’m always asked...

Do computer games promote violence?

Should we be encouraging children to stay indoors, sitting slouched in front of the TV playing games?

Do computer games promote violence?

Should we be encouraging children to stay indoors, sitting slouched in front of the TV playing games?


How can games be used in education?

Pupils making games- as a discrete area of ICT/Media- as part of any subject

Pupils playing games

Support teaching methods – not replace them

Pupils making games- as a discrete area of ICT/Media- as part of any subject

Pupils playing games

Support teaching methods – not replace them


Off-the-shelf games

... available in all good games shops...

Barriers

I don’t play games...

It will be difficult to manage the lesson...

It’s difficult to set up...

It’s expensive...


Break the Barriers

I don’t play games...

• This workshop will give suggestions• Only need to play the one you plan to use• Pupils may suggest future ones


Break the Barriers

It will be difficult to manage the lesson...

• Have a plan•“If you misbehave, we won’t play games ever again...”


Break the Barriers

It’s difficult to set up...

•Most consoles – 3 cables – only fit in one socket• IT Technicians• Use pupils equipment e.g. DS


Break the Barriers

It’s expensive...

• Don’t have to use latest equipment• Original Xbox – about £20 - games - 4 for £20• Free games online• Emulators


FREE!!!!CHEAP!!

Setting up

It’s this easy...


Bespoke games

... made by YOU and your pupils...

How can they be used?

You make games• Specific to your subject• Specific to your pupils• Make ‘boring’ topics interesting• New approach to difficult topics


How can they be used?

Your pupils make games• Further understanding of a topic• Help each other learn • Encourage creativity• Play each other’s games• Work in groups


Barriers

Surely it’s really hard?• Designed to be as easy as possible• Most designed for children • Try in this workshop

But maybe it’s expensive?• The games design software I will

show you is FREE!!!


FREE!!!!

Scratch

scratch.mit.edu/

Made by MIT

Designed for 8 year olds and olderI’ve used with 11, 15, 17

This is what we’ll use today

Adrift

www.adrift.org.uk

Creates text adventures (aka interactive fiction)

Easy to use – games depend on creator’s imagination

Many examples available on internet – search for interactive fiction (esp Lost Pig aka Grunk and 9:05)

Hot Potatoes

hotpot.uvic.caby Half-Baked Software Inc (University of Victoria)

Hot Potatoes 6 becomes free on 1st September 2009

Creates quizzes, gap-fills, crosswords, jumbled sentences, matching exercises, etc

While we’re talking puzzles ...

A couple of websites I used recently:

www.puzzle-maker.com/CW/

www.teach-nology.com/web_tools/word_search/

PowerPoint

Made by Microsoft, probably something you have already

Although made for presentations, using hyperlinks and a bit of creativity, can make games

Example...

Web 2.0

Use their existing interests in your lessons

FacebookMany games available e.g. puzzles, logic, shapes

Second LifeThe EduIslands, Foul Whisperings (Macbeth), Genome Island (science), International SpaceFlight Museum

Don’t forget... Board Games

• Great way to get pupils sitting round, doing something together

• Use the same elements as computer games• Could have different ones on different tables• Need communication, strategy, etc

• Examples: Game of Life – Twists and Turns (Hasbro), Cluedo – Discover The Secrets (Hasbro), Cranium, Dingbats, Risk, Chess, etc

Scratch

We will try the basics together

Then, in your pairs, you will each make different games

If time, you can play each others’ games

Take a copy of your games

We will try the basics together

Then, in your pairs, you will each make different games

If time, you can play each others’ games

Take a copy of your games


Scratch

Open the software....

Scratch

Scratch

Click on Control in the top left

Scratch

Select and drag it to your script area

Scratch

Click on Motion in the top left

Scratch


Attach it to the yellow block of script

Scratch

Click on the green flag

Your sprite should move forward each time you press the green flag

Scratch

So we’ve made your sprite move

Let’s now make it walk

ScratchClick on the Costumes tab

Notice how there are two costumes for your sprite

Scratch

Click back onto the Scripts tab

Click on Looks in the top left

Scratch


Attach it to the blue block of script

Scratch

Test that by clicking on the green flag

Scratch

Choose the Control tools

Add this block:to your other blocks

and change the number to 0.5 secs

Scratch

Choose the Motion tools

Add another ‘move 10 steps’ block to the others

Choose the Looks tools

Add another ‘switch to costume’ block

Change it to say ‘costume 1’

Scratch


(while the script is outlined in white, it means it is still running)

Scratch

Now we have the sprite taking two steps, we need to have it continue to walk

Open the Control tools and drag the ‘repeat’ block on your script area

Scratch

Pull the repeat block so it is around everything except your start block

Scratch


How can we make it walk faster?

How can we make it walk further?

How can we make it take more steps?

Scratch

Our sprite moves but, if it keeps walking, it will disappear off the edge of the screen

We need it to turn around and walk back

Scratch

Open the Motion tools (blue)

Drag to under your ‘wait’ block

Drag another to under your other ‘wait’ block

Scratch

Test your animation

What happens when the sprite reaches the edge?

Scratch

To stop it turning upside down, we need to tell it that the cat cannot turn upside

In the sprite info at the top of the screen, select the ↔ icon (‘only face left-right’)

Scratch

The last thing we will do with this sprite is add a sound

Before we do, we need to make sure your computer will play sound.

Scratch

Open the Sound tools

Add the block to the bottom of the script blocks, under the repeat block

Scratch

Congratulations!!

Now, to make an interactive game...

Conclusion

Conclusion

Games are a part of society and part of your pupils’ lives

Games can enhance learning and support other teaching methods

Off-the-shelf games available – cheap and easy to use

Bespoke games – made by teachers, made by pupils


Where do we go from here?


Thank you

Any Questions

Putting Pacman in the Classroom

Documents

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