Goals
This seminar is follwing a project-based approach.
Goals are a theoretical approach to learning/playing, an analysis of game examples and their mechanics, a connection of own interests and topics with a game based approach, and a reflected draft of a game concept or a prototype.
With other words, this means translating an abstract topic into a medium of interactivity, challenge and fun. If the topic would be “learning how to collaboratively work on a challenge” or “learning how to get around in Germany (for a Fin)”, you could ‘translate’ this into a radio drama, a TV show, a novel – or a game.
A game is a medium with its own restrictions and liberties, its own strengths and weaknesses. By trying to ‘fit’ a topic into a new medium, one learns as well about medial possibilities as about the restraints of the topic itself: It is Marshall McLuhan’s assumption “The medium is the message” put in practice.
Requirements
- participation on chat sessions
- reading texts relevant for one’s project approach
- posting and commenting in the blog
- working on a draft and/or playable prototype, including a set of rules to play
- writing a documentation and reflection on design decisions
- presenting the game concept (Jan 24th/25th 2013)