Games, Gamification, and Game Design

Course Description

This course aims to provide students with an in-depth exploration of games, gamification, and game design methodologies across various modalities (board games, role-playing games, video games, and escape rooms) through theory and practice. The course is designed as a participatory studio workshop, where learning occurs through collaboration and experimentation.

Syllabus

Student Learning Outcomes, Goals, Objectives:

Students successfully completing this course will be able to:

  • Critically analyze games, game mechanics, artifacts, or information.
  • Define and apply gamified techniques in a variety of contexts.
  • Locate and exploit images/videos/resources to use in games.
  • Integrate and cite sources accurately and correctly.
  • Apply design thinking and prototyping during tinkering.
  • Evaluate design failures and validate design decisions.
  • Manipulate programming software.

Course Grading Information:

Activity/Performance Measure Percentage/Points
Assignment 1: Game Blogs15%
Assignment 2: Designing a gamified activity8%
Assignment 3: Reading Facilitation5%
Assignment 4: Design a Board Game20%
Assignment 5: Design Maker Projects12%
Assignment 6: Design a Video Game for Learning30%
Participation/Professionalism: Participation10%

Attendance/Participation:

This is an in-person, hands-on activities course; therefore, attendance and active participation are mandatory.

Course Materials Purchased by the Students:

No course materials are required.

Scholarly Perspectives

This course engages diverse scholarly perspectives to develop critical thinking, analysis, and debate and inclusion of a reading does not imply endorsement.