532: Sploder Game - Types

Platformer:

I played the Sloder Game: Island Adventure 1. There were qualities that I liked as disliked about this game.

I liked:

• The simplicity of the 2D 
• The simple backgrounds - this was a nice sense of game space
• The health and stamina bars- this showed that there was a cost when you encountered a failure
• The use of the map to navigate and find ways around the monsters - this created the use of more than one skill from the player

I did not like:

• The character did not jump very high, so I fell into the lava and died a lot
• When you died, you had to start back at the previous level
• The navigation on the keyboard was not very smooth
• It was difficult for me to move my person, so I got frustrated easily
• The monsters were not very realistic, so they did not add that much of a rush when encountering them.

Based on the level of frustration I encountered while figuring out this game, I don't think it's the kind of game I would like to make at this time.

Retro Arcade Game:

I played the retro arcade game: Mother's Day.  This type of game is very similar to the Mario game that I grew up playing.  I never really made it in gaming past Mario, so this is what hits home for me.

I liked:

• The familiar Mario feeling of the game
• The simplicity of the 2D made for a good game space
• Being able to use "w" to jump - this made it easier to control the character 
• You had three lives to lose before you had to start the game over from the beginning instead of the level that you died at - this created a cost for failure, but not an instant game-over
• The monsters do more and move in different ways, adding a sense of danger and adrenaline, and adding a variety of challenges

I did not like:

• The background had bushes or plants that were hard to distinguish from the bushes/plants that were bad if you ran into them.  This was a poor game space.
• Level three was hard to get through because there were so many monsters and light beams coming at the character.  There was not the proper preparation before the challenge to ensure the player would be ready for this type of challenge.

As of right now, this is the type of game that I would like to create.

3D Mission Creator:

I played the game, Help Your Father, by deathhoundahd.  This was a difficult game for me.  Even after many tries, I was not able to complete the mission.  It took me a while to figure out that instead of a health bar, there was a health circle by the character's head.  Although it was difficult, there were some take-aways that I enjoyed.

 I liked:

• The 3D format of the game.  It gave the game a more realistic feeling.  This increased the adrenaline of being attacked by a bad guy.
• The 3D format also allowed the character to do more.  The character was able to move in different ways, unlike in the 2D games. There was a range of required abilities.
• The character also made sound effects when he ran into the wall.  This gave the game a more realistic feel.
• Being on a mission, instead of just trying to get through a level. There was a solid core mechanic.

I did not like:

• The controls used to move the player.  I found it difficult to aim the direction of the character with the mouse and also have to press the arrow keys to make the character move.  This made it very difficult to aim and shoot at the bad guys.
• I wasn't crazy about the view from the top.  Along with the controls, this made it difficult to control the movement of the character.
• I thought that there were too many laser beams.  This made it take a lot longer to get through the maze.  Even once you had to restart multiple times, the lasers beams really slowed the process down.  I don't think they should be taken out, I just could do with less of them.  

I would like to create a 3D mission game, but I would definitely rethink the way to control the character.

Shooter:

I played the game, Very Easy.  This was the Ship choice from the Sploder: Shooter quest.  This game was really fun for me.  The feeling and look of the game reminded me of Minesweeper.

I liked:

• After I figured out how to manage the controls, they made the game more fun.  Your movement was more free and you could go in circles.  This provided a range of required abilities.
• I liked the ability to bounce off the walls without it not hurting your health.
• I really enjoyed the 2D format and background.  It made it less frustrating when you got attacked and died. It had a good game space.
• You could attack a spider-looking monster when you were ready.  This created preparation before the challenge. You started with no monsters attacking you, then if you touched one, it came after you.  When you were ready, then you could touch two and have them attack you at the same time. This also accommodates beginners and experts.

I did not like:

• The amount of choices of weapons.  I became a little overwhelmed trying to remember which key was which weapon.

So far, this is my favorite game out of the ones that I have already played.  I'm not sure if it's because it was the first easy level game and I was able to accomplish it without getting frustrated, or if it is because it reminds me of games I actually used to play: Minesweeper and Space Invaders.

Physics Game Creator:

I played a Sploder Physics game.  I did enjoy this game.  I found it interesting and engaging. Here's my list of what I liked.

I liked:

• The 2D format.  The background was similar to the Mario Brothers, which is familiar to me. It had a good game space.
• The ease of the controls.  It was easy to move the turret car and aim where to shoot. It required a range of abilities, without being overwhelming.
• The twenty second time limit.  This added a sense or urgency and when I ran out of time, I really wanted to try again.   This also created an uncertainty of reaching the target while requiring different skills in using required abilities.
• The preparation before challenges.  It started off with an easy level and progressively got harder as you beat each level.
• When the time ran out or you died, you did not have to start clear back at the beginning.  You only had to restart that level.  This eases some frustration.  I think if I would have had to go back to the beginning every time, I would not have played as long.

I did not like:

• The lack of directions at the beginning.  It took me a long time to figure out that I was supposed to hit the little square into the coins.  It was frustrating at first, until I finally figured it out.  Maybe that was the point though; to get me to figure it out on my own.

I did really enjoy this physics game.  It was challenging enough to keep me wanting to try different strategies and different angles, without being so hard that I couldn't accomplish it.

What Makes a Good Game?

There are several features, as stated by Dr. Ruben Puentedura, that make a game a good one.

1. Preparation before challenges.  The first challenge should start small and then get progressively more challenging.
2. A sense of game space.  There should be a physical and narrative space and a definite construct.
3. A solid core mechanic.  There should be activities instead of randomness.
4. A range of challenges.  It is more exciting to have more than one type of challenge, without going overboard.
5. A range of required abilities.  You should have to use more than one skill and more than one button on your device.
6. Skill in using required abilities.  These abilities include: timing, planning, strategy, decision making, etc.
7. Variable feedback.  Players should see greater skills resulting in greater rewards or points.
8. A way to accommodate beginners and experts who are playing together.  The beginner shouldn't get clobbered and the expert shouldn't "bottom feed".  There should be leveling to even the playing field.
9. A definite cost for failure.  There should be consequences when the player runs into a bad guy.  They should lose points and levels at times.

532: Games Can Make the World Better

I watched Jane McGonigal’s TED talk called, Games Can Make the World Better: http://vimeo.com/10236710

Here are some points that I took away from the talk:

• There is a parallel track between the amount of hours that individuals are spending gaming and in school. Students are spending as much time playing games before age of 21 as spent from 5th grade to high school graduation. This is over 10,000 hours. They are spending time learning what it means to be a good gamer. They are getting that constant feedback that provides positive reinforcement. Leveling up, plus one, plus twenty are awards they are receiving for accomplishing a goal. People are trusting them to save the world thru tasks at their ability level. If we spend ten thousand hours studying something, we will master it. We will become virtuoso at it. Let’s have them master something else in the real world by having them spend this much time studying it.

• There are four ways that games make us virtuous.  
• Urgent optimism - extreme self motivation. Gamers always believe that an epic win is possible and they have hope of getting it.
• Social fabric - build bonds with the people we play with. It takes trust that someone will spend time with them, follow the same rules as them, and go for the same goals as them.
• Blissful productivity- we are happier working hard than relaxing. Gamers are willing to work hard if they are given the right task.
• Epic Meaning - gamers have a sense of meaning. World of Warcraft wiki is the second largest wiki. Gamers have added over 80,000 articles about the game. They are building meaning that is purposeful to them.

We are using games to get away from real world suffering. To get away from everything that's wrong in the real world. What if we can take that motivation, engagement, and interest and use it to solve real-world problems?  This makes me think about the possibilities of using games in my own classroom.  I am a second grade teacher, and I can use games to raise awareness for my students.  I can use games to get them to see what is happening in the community and how the can get involved to help out.  What if they watched videos about pollution?  What if they participated in a simulation that shows them what happens to the earth when we litter?  They can complete tasks to get them motivated and interested in helping out the community.  They can come up with a plan to help out.

532: Play This, Learn That

What experience do you have with contextual transposition, using a tool (of any kind) to teach or learn something in the classroom, on the field, or in another environment?

Contextual transposition is taking a game or a tool that was not intended for educational use, and setting parameters to make it educational.  In my experience as a second grade teacher, we have done this a lot in math.  We take common board or card games that students have played before and give different instructions to reach a different outcome.

Here are some examples:

Chutes and Ladders:

Have students use a 10-sided die.  When they roll, they have to add or subtract to five.  If they roll a 2, they get to move the character forward 3 spaces.  (2+3=5).  If they roll a 7, they move the character backward 2 spaces.  (7-2=5).  This works for structuring numbers to ten and decomposing numbers to 5.

Sorry:

Give students two 10-sided dice.  When they roll, they have to add or subtract to ten.  If they roll 8 then they get to move forward 2 spaces.  If they roll 15, then they have to move backward 5 spaces.  They can follow the rest of the rules of the game and slide to knock opponents off the board.  This works on structuring numbers to 20 and decomposing numbers to 10.  

War:

In the traditional game, each player flips over one card and the person with the higher number gets to keep the cards.  In Addition War, students have to flip over two cards at the same time.  Then, they have to add the two numbers together.  Whomever has the higher sum gets the cards.  In Subtraction War, they flip over two cards and subtract the smaller number from the bigger number.  Whomever has the bigger difference gets to keep the cards.  These games work on addition and subtraction fluency within 20 and comparing numbers.

If pressed by an administrator, what are the most redeeming qualities to Minecraft?

As a person who has never played Minecraft before, I learned so much about it that can be beneficial to a school setting.  It is a game that allows students to be creative, critical thinkers, and encourages exploration.  It also provides an environment where it is ok to fail without being judged or penalized.  There are many ways to play the game with different purposes.

I really like how there are different modes that you can play in.  This gives different purposes to the game.  In Survival Mode, the player has to scavenge for items and collect them before they can use them.  They can lose food and health.  This can be used to teach students what they would need to be self-sufficient and also the basic survival needs.  If the player dies, they can respawn and go collect the items from the inventory.  This gives more purpose to staying alive.  If the items are not collected in a timely manner, they will disappear.

In Hardcore Survival Mode, there is not an opportunity to respawn if the character dies.  The player is taken back to the start screen and has to start from scratch.  This gives even more motivation to stay alive and complete tasks.  This keeps students engaged and thinking deeper about protection.

In Creative Mode, players do not have to worry about health and hunger.  They cannot die.  In this mode, the players have access to every block and can build anything they want.  This promotes creativity, and can lend itself to accomplishing tasks set by the instructor.

In Adventure Mode, players are not allowed to destroy anything that another player has created.  This would be beneficial when you have worked really hard to create something and do not want others to ruin it.  A teacher could create a map for the students and the students wouldn't be able to change it.

Another important quality is the EDU version of the game.  This version makes it easier and less expensive to bring into the classroom.  It has a teacher menu to allow the teacher to manage the users and the world, including freezing all of the players when the teacher is trying to get the class's attention.  There are also information blocks, where students can have access to multiple pages of text information.

Some of the uses for Minecraft include:
Spanish Language Learning
Algebra Building a House
Multiplication
Perimeter and Area
Quantum Mechanics
Mendelian Genetics
History
Collaboration and Leadership Skills

For more examples, browse the MinecraftEDU wiki.