Week 7 – I Have Always Wanted to Learn How to Make a Video Game

I have always wanted to learn how to make a video game.  I don’t have a deadline – but, I would like to make consistent progress towards that goal.

I have quite a collection of books on this topic – including What Video Games Have To Teach Us About Learning and literacy by James Gee, Chris Crawford on Interactive Storytelling by Chris Crawford, Digital Storytelling: a creator’s guide to interactive entertainment by Carolyn Miller, and the Gamification of Learning and Instruction: Game-based methods and strategies for training and education by Karl Kapp.  I have many others.  I want to read these books – but, with school, and work, and life – I am lucky if I get to read a few chapters in them before they end up back on my shelf.

I have read about it online – in articles such as “5 Teaching Tips for Professors—From Video Games” by Jeffrey R. Young featured in the Chronicle of Higher Education.

http://chronicle.com/article/5-Lessons-Professors-Can-Learn/63708/

I spent time exploring sites whose focus is on how the creation of video games supports learning at sites such as Globaloria and the World Wide Workshop.

http://www.globaloria.org/

From sites like this I found people that I wanted to hear more from such as Idet Harel Caperton who founded the World Wide Workshop for Children’s Media Technology & Learning.

I am interested in Kurt Squire’s work and writings on this topic and his web page has links to many of his activities that connect video games to learning.

http://website.education.wisc.edu/kdsquire/

Mark Overmars developed software that allows someone like me to create games that are really neat.  It is called Game Maker and you can really learn a lot by using his book, The Game Maker’s Apprentice that he wrote with Jacob Habgood.  This walks you through tutorials that are awesome and fun. I was able to complete a couple of chapters before life took over once more and – I dearly want to go back and try some more.

http://www.staff.science.uu.nl/~overm101/

The Game Maker is showcased and at this site and has quite a community of enthusiasts. It is located at:

http://www.yoyogames.com/

I sometimes feel discouraged that this interest must always be put aside while I rush through my day barely meeting my obligations to work, studies, and the realities of daily living.  But, someday – I would like to commit time to learning more about video games and how they can facilitate learning.  I want to read these books, follow the communities that these people are involved with, and learn how to make video games.