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Unit overview
Pupil challenges To adapt a computer game for Year 3 pupils that helps them to improve their mouse skills. They will: • Make general improvements to the game (Lessons 3.1–3.7) • Adapt the game for specific audiences (Lesson 3.8) • Test their game (Lesson 3.9) • Evaluate their game (Lesson 3.10) This unit is intended to be delivered over 10 50-minute lessons. Subject knowledge needed by teachers Before teaching this unit teachers need to have a basic knowledge of the Game Maker software. Those new to it will find it helpful to work through all the lessons on their own prior to commencing the unit. Some notes on installing Game Maker are provided in the ActiveTeach. More about Game Maker Teachers may find the following helpful: • The Game Maker’s Apprentice: Game Development for Beginners by Jacob Habgood and Mark
Overmars. Published by Apress in 2006 (ISBN 9781590596159) • The distributors of Game Maker have tutorials on their website:
http://www.yoyogames.com/make/tutorials • Game Maker community forum: http://gmc.yoyogames.com/ • Game Maker tutorials, produced by an Australian teacher:
http://www.mindtools.tased.edu.au/gamemaker/default.htm • Website on the educational potential of computer games: http://www.gamelearning.net/ Assessment points • Teacher assessment after Lessons 3.3, 3.7, 3.8, 3.9, 3.10 • Peer assessment after Lessons 3.6, 3.10 • Self assessment after Lessons 3.1, 3.3, 3.7, 3.8, 3.9, 3.10 Submit work points • Planning and design document in Lesson 3.3 • Game in Lesson 3.7 • Revised game in Lesson 3.8 • Test plan in Lesson 3.9 • Report in Lesson 3.10
Key vocabulary • Game • Success criteria • Goal • Environment • Game objects • Controls • Audience • Production cycle • Identify • Analyse • Design • Implement • Test • Evaluate • Publish If short of time • Keep lesson intro to a
minimum and discuss the quotes and article in activities 2 and 3
Learning objectives • Consider why games are an appropriate way to communicate information or practise skills • Identify what makes a successful computer game • Identify the components of games • Learn about the process of creating a game Assessment focuses • Identify components of a game • Understand how a game can be used to improve a skill • Identify success criteria • Understand the system life cycle
• Video of a game designer • Shark game • Links to mouse games websites
Assets From the ActiveBook
Lesson plan
Lesson Introduction Ask pupils what they already know about designing computer games:
• Did they know the game Halo 2 took 190 people over three years and over $40 million to produce?
• Ask if anyone has ever produced a computer game before? If so, what software did they use, what was the game about?
Explain that they are going to produce their own computer game. Look at the unit opener (pp. 96–7). Ask pupils whether they think games can be educational. • Do any of the games they play help develop skills? • How might a game help develop mouse skills? Now look at the quote on page 97. • Do pupils agree with the quotes? • What do they think makes a good game?
Starter Activity 1
Pupils’ notes should cover the following: • A game is a digital interactive experience.
• To make a successful game you need to know and understand the audience, have good graphics and get the game to play right.
• You need to think about the experience you want to create, the characters and their world. It shouldn’t be too difficult to understand how to play.
• The stages of creating a game are design (brainstorm ideas – done by designers); pre-production (start creating graphics and mini versions of the game for testing on the audience – done by designers, artists, programmers); full production (make all the content); testing (make sure the game works properly – done by test team).
Share Objectives Check pupils understand the challenge set in this unit.
Share learning objectives and assessment focuses for the lesson. Try and apply Divide the class into small groups.
Activity 2
Key points that should come out the discussion: • A game is an activity, usually played for enjoyment, but it can be used to
educate. You may compete against yourself, the computer or other players. • It is an effective way of improving mouse skills because it is fun, offers a
challenge and lets you differentiate between different skill levels. • It is better than a demonstration or list of tips because it lets you practise and
develop a skill. Because it is fun you keep developing the skill.
Activity 3 Success criteria for a game could include: not too difficult to understand how to play, good graphics, interesting theme and characters, challenging, enjoyable so you want to keep playing it. Make sure that pupils are clear about how and where to save their list of success criteria. Ask each group for one of their success criterion. Ask why it is essential.
Activity 4 Pupils should work in small groups. The key elements are: • Goal or aim (eat fish to score points, avoid jellyfish to stay alive) • Environment or location (under the sea) • Game objects and resources (shark is the object you control, fish are there to
be eaten, jellyfish to make shark lose lives) • Sounds (bubbles, munching sound when shark eats fish, electric shock sounds
when shark hits jellyfish) • Controls (cursor keys move shark up, down, left and right) • Levels (3 levels) • Audience (youngish children as graphics will appeal and it’s not too hard).
Secure Wrapping it up Activity 5
Discuss the production cycle. Point out that the first three stages involve planning, and that it is not until the fourth stage you start to build the game. • Identify: Can you produce a successful game if you don’t know who it is for or
what it is trying to do? • Analyse: What happens if your ideas about your audience are wrong? • Design: Need to plan your work and check you have the resources and skills
you require. What happens if a game to be bought as a Christmas present isn’t available until mid December? What happens if you spend more money developing a game than you make from selling it?
• Implement: How will your planning document help you? What might happen if you don’t know how to use your software?
• Test: What happens if your game doesn’t work as it should? • Evaluate and publish: How might your game be distributed/published? (e.g. via
a CD given to teachers, on the school intranet) Ask pupils to complete the self assessment checklist on page 101.
Homework For each game, pupils’ notes should cover:
• Mouse skill being developed; e.g. right clicking, or left click and drag. • Suitability for Year 3 with reasons; e.g. Y3 pupils won’t understand the
instructions, or the icon you click on moves too fast. This analysis of games continues in the following lesson.
Learning objectives • Understand the audience and purpose of a game • Identify what an audience wants or needs • Evaluate the effectiveness of a game • Start to plan improvements to a game Assessment focuses • Identify components of a game • Understand how a game can be used to improve a skill • Identify potential improvements to a game • Use a questionnaire to gather feedback • Understand the system life cycle
Lesson plan
Starter Activity 1 For the game viewed: • Discuss the mouse skills being developed: For example, some games only require you to click the mouse, others to the move the mouse to a certain place and then click. Do the skill levels increase as you play? Its suitability for Year 3 pupils: For example, is the game concept too difficult for Year 3 pupils? If they keep losing will they want to come back and play again? Are the instructions too difficult? Is the game fun?
Share Objectives In this lesson the pupils work on the initial phases of the production cycle of a
computer game: identify and analyse. They need to come up with ideas that might work and do some research to check their suitability. The starting point for planning the game is to identify its audience and purpose. For example, brain-training games for the Nintendo DS were brought out to develop thinking skills etc.; their main audience was middle-aged people who would not normally purchase a handheld device. Nintendo brought out the Wii to try and engage the whole family in playing on the console using Wii Play and Wii Sports.
Share learning objectives and assessment focuses for the lesson.
Pupils should work individually. This exercise should not take long, but is intended to check their understanding of the audience and purpose for their game.
• Make sure pupils know how to save a document to their user area. Encourage pupils to re-read the unit challenge on p. 96 before completing the sections on audience and purpose: Audience: Y3 pupils. Purpose: game to improve pupils’ ability to use a mouse accurately Pupils can work individually or in small groups. Make sure all pupils update their planning and design document for each activity.
15 mins
Activity 3 They should identify the following elements of the game. Ensure pupils understand the meaning of each term. Refer them to the list above the activity if necessary. Answers: • Theme: Football. • Goal or aim: Left click on the target/football. • Environment or location: Field/room surrounded by wall. • Effects: When you left click on the ball, a sound is made, the ball jumps to another place (pupils may need a hint to spot this), it changes direction and moves faster, and you score 10 points. When the ball hits the wall a sound is made and it bounces off the wall. • Sounds: Different sounds are played when the ball hits a wall and when you left click on it. • Controls: Left clicking on the ball. • Levels: Ball goes faster each time you click on it. Activity 4 Pupils should discuss problems with the current game in groups. They should then watch the video and discuss how to improve the current game before completing section 4 of the planning document individually. Improvements to the game might include:
• Make the ball go slower. It speeds up so quickly that Year 3 pupils will struggle to hit it and get bored. • Increase the number of points you score as the game progresses. • Introduce extra balls/targets when you reach a particular score, lose/win points if you hit certain objects. This will make the game more interesting. • Make the game fill the screen. • Change the theme. The football is fine but it doesn’t really fit with the rest of the graphics. • Improve or alter the graphics and sounds. Support: Lower attainers may find it easier to consider each element in turn (see Support tab). Ask higher attainers to make improvements based on feedback from the video and justify their ideas.
Activity 5 Ask pupils to share their initial thoughts for improving the game. As a class discuss how
you might test your ideas with the target audience. Possible suggestions: siblings, friends’ siblings, feeder primary school pupils.
Homework Through this homework, pupils should develop an understanding of the preferences of Y3 pupils in areas such as: • Game type; e.g. simulations such as caring for an animal, combat games, games of strategy, role playing • Themes: e.g. police, war, space, animals • Progression: e.g. increasing difficulty, new challenges • Duration • Sound Pupils will discuss this research in the following lesson.
Learning objectives • Use research to improve their game • Introduction to the Game Maker software • Identify the components that make up a game • Understand how rules determine what happens in a game • Create rules for a game
Assessment focuses • Identify the components of a game • Identify rules that control a game • Understand how Game Maker implements rules
Assets From pupils’ own folders • Pupil’s own planning and
design document From ActiveBook • Mouse skills game Key vocabulary • Specification • Game Maker • Resource tree • Sprite • Room • Object • Sound • Event • Action • Background • Rule • Input • Output • Variables
Lesson plan Starter Activity 1
In the class discussion, ask pupils which of their ideas were unsuitable in the light of their research and how their ideas have changed. Activity 2 When selecting which ideas to develop, encourage pupils to keep things relatively simple and not to be overly ambitious. They can make their games more difficult later on. Remind pupils to update their planning and design document. Differentiation: Lower attainers work in pairs. Challenge higher attainers to make appropriate changes based on the feedback they received (see Support and Extend tabs).
Share Objectives Explain that specialised software is used to produce computer games, and that the
mouse skills game they played in the previous lesson was produced using software called ‘Game Maker’. Explain before they finalise their design and planning document, which will detail everything about the game, they are going to learn a bit about Game Maker.
Share learning objectives and assessment focuses for the lesson.
Modelling As the class watches the demonstration of Game Maker software on page 107, ask
pupils to relate the images in the resource tree to the game: the target/football, the wall, the background.
Watch the second demonstration as a class. Pupils should then explain the purpose of each of the following: • Sprites: image/graphic used for the objects within a game. • Sounds: noises played during the game. They should complement the theme of
the game. • Backgrounds: image/graphic used as the background for the game, helps to
make the game more visually appealing. It should complement the theme of the game and the sprites used.
• Objects: parts of the game that ‘do’ something or react with each other. • Rooms: environment where the game takes place. • Events: things that happen in a game; for example player left clicks the mouse
button. • Actions: things that happen in response to an event, e.g. points are score after
the player left clicks the mouse button. Differentiation: Additional questions to help pupils differentiate between objects and sprites (see Support tab). Activity 4 Encourage pupils to be specific about their intentions. For example, target sprite – archery target, click sound – pupil cheering etc. If pupils are struggling to think of alternative themes, possibilities include a fish tank, dodgems, monsters. Pupils can also add other functionality, such as adding other objects that the target could hit and destroy. However, try to keep the games simple, it is very easy to go over the top. Differentiation: Additional guidance to help pupils develop their ideas (see Support tab). Challenge higher attainers to include more than one object in their game. Introduce the pupils to the ideas of rules, inputs and outputs, and events and actions using the text on page 108. Activity 5 Elicit answers to the first question as a class to ensure pupils have grasped the rule ‘If the player left clicks on the football, then football moves off and points are scored’. Pupils can check their each other’s work by swapping their rules table with a partner. When pupils have completed their rules table they should submit their planning and design document via the link on page 109 of the ActiveBook. Pupils may now have the opportunity to complete the self assessment checklist on page 109.
Secure Wrapping it up Activity 6
Ensure the pupils understand that actions are triggered by events. It may help pupils to think of events and actions in terms of an ‘If x (event) then y (action)’ sentence. For example, ‘if the target hits the wall then it bounces’. Ask pupils to articulate the events and actions they have planned for their games in ‘If x then y’ sentences. Events and actions should always be considered together and not independently.
Homework Pupils answers will vary widely, but their rules tables should make it clear: • what happens if the sheep hits an apple • what causes the sheep to change direction • what causes the score to increase.
Learning objectives Assets • Identify the components that make up a game From pupils’ own folders
• Current version of design and planning document
From ActiveBook • Sheep game • Partially completed rules table • Space game • Skulls game • Mouse skills game
• Identify the rules that control the behaviour of objects • Alter the behaviour of objects • Design behaviours appropriate to an audience Assessment focuses • Understand use of rules to manage behaviour • Implement changes to behaviour and create new behaviours • Assess fitness for purpose
As a class identify the actions associated with each event: • Game starts: sheep moves off vertically. • Sheep hits apple: apple disappears, score increases. • Sheep hits a tree: sheep bounces off, ‘frog’ sound plays. • Left click on sheep: ‘hit’ sound plays, sheep starts moving horizontally, score increases. • Right click on sheep: ‘hit’ sound plays, sheep starts moving vertically, score increases. N.B. It may seem that the score increases randomly when the player clicks on the sheep. The score is programmed to increase by 10 when the player clicks on the sheep. However, in Game Maker, a click is defined as the left mouse button held down on the target rather than a ‘click and release’. When pupils create their own game, higher attainers may want to investigate alternative methods of clicking (available in the list of mouse events) and discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each.
Share objectives In the previous lesson pupils were introduced to the elements of a game. This lesson focuses on
learning how to describe and control the behaviour of objects. Make sure pupils are clear about the difference between an object and a sprite: if you talk about the object being like a body, then the sprite is the clothes.
Share learning objectives and assessment focuses for the lesson.
Space game If game starts then ship (target) moves off If spaceship hits the
wall then ‘beep’ sound plays
ship bounces If left click on
spaceship then score increases by 10
high-pitched sound plays ship moves to a new position and moves off
Skulls game If game starts then diamond (target) moves off If diamond hits wall then bounce sound plays
diamond bounces If diamond hits skull then breaking glass sound plays
diamond is destroyed game ends
If left click on diamond then score increases by 1 ‘shot’ sound plays diamond moves to a new position and moves off
Differentiation: Additional help to complete the rules tables (see Support tab)
Modelling Activity 3 Introduces the class to how Game Maker implements rules. The demonstration reinforces this. Don’t expect pupils to grasp everything immediately. However, they should begin to relate the events and actions they see in the Game Maker software to the way the game works.
Try and Apply Activity 4 This is an opportunity for pupils to experiment with changing behaviours in Game Maker.
Emphasize that it is OK to make mistakes. They should use the ‘Can I do this?’ demonstrations to try to solve any problems. If they can’t, they can always create another practice version of the game. Point out that it is always a good idea to have a back up copy of a game when you are making changes. Most pupils will find the Help facility within Game Maker inaccessible – it wasn’t created with Key Stage 3 pupils in mind. Extend: Additional challenges for pupils to implement.
Secure
Wrapping it up Activity 5 Ask pupils with differing abilities what events/actions they plan to include. Now that they’ve had an insight into using Game Maker they should have a more realistic idea about what they can achieve. Make sure that pupils focus on behaviours, not on the appearance of their sprites.
15 mins
Homework: Pupils should reflect on their planning and make any changes they feel appropriate. Differentiation: Challenge higher attainers to include more than one object if they have not done so already.
Learning objectives • Plan and implement improvements to game’s behaviours
Assessment focuses • Identify changes required to behaviour • Implement and evaluate changes to behaviour
Lesson plan
Assets From the pupils’ own folders • Pupils’ current version of design and planning document From the ActiveBook • Mouse skills game for development
Starter Activity 1
Lead a class discussion about the changes pupils planned for homework. Challenge pupils to explain their suitability for improving the mouse skills of Y3 pupils. Encourage them to be realistic about what they can achieve. They should understand that a simple game that works well and is fun to play is more effective than a complicated game with several levels etc that is difficult to master and boring to play.
Share objectives In this lesson, pupils create the behaviours for the objects in their unit challenge game.
Share learning objectives and assessment focuses for the lesson
Try and apply Activity 2
Pupils should finalise their planning and design document and add a rules table for the new version of the game.
35 mins Activity 3 Remind pupils to make their changes one stage at a time, to test their game at each stage, and to save versions of their game so that if something goes wrong they can return to the previous stage. If they do not test the game after each change they may find that the game is no longer working but they don’t understand why.
Secure Wrapping it up Activity 4
Discuss with the class ways in which the graphics could be made more engaging and relevant to the game. What images do they think would be suitable for the theme they have chosen and the behaviours they have created? Pupils should be continually thinking about the suitability of the graphics they choose. As well as thinking about the images itself, encourage them to think about an overall colour scheme/style. The eventual size of the image affects the level of detail that is possible. Homework The pupils need to collect ideas for the images they will use in their game. They will develop these ideas in the following lesson.
Learning objectives • Improve the game by importing or creating new graphics • Give and receive feedback Assessment focuses • Alter a sprite by importing or creating a new one • Alter a background Assets
From pupils’ own folders • Pupils’ current version of
mouse skills game From the ActiveBook • Sheep game • Alternative version of
• Give constructive feedback • Accept and act on feedback • Acknowledge sources
Lesson plan
Starter Activity 1 Establish that both games have the same functionality and only the sprites are different. Ask pupils if/how the sprites within each game relate to each other, e.g. the sheep eats the apple. Do the sprites in the other game ‘make sense’ given what the events and action are? Ask which game they think Y3 pupils would prefer, and why. Use a show of hands to find which game they prefer.
Share objectives The focus in this lesson moves away from how a game behaves to its appearance.
Share learning objectives and assessment focuses for the lesson.
Try and apply Introduce pupils to the sprites provided with Game Maker. Lots of additional sprites can
be downloaded from http://www.yoyogames.com/make/resources/. You could download and unzip some of these files onto a shared area of the network prior to the lesson.
Activity 2 Make sure pupils create a new version of their mouse skills games before loading a new sprite. Highlight that once the sprite is changed it automatically changes for the object it is linked to. For example, if you change the target sprite (football) to an orange, the target object will look like an orange. At this stage you could introduce pupils to creating their own graphics or using other people’s images. However, you could omit this section if you feel it is beyond the class, and limit their sprites to pre-existing graphics, in which case it might be helpful to download some additional sprites. More able pupils could create animated sprites. To do this they edit the sprite to create multiple images. The sprite cycles though these images to show the animation. This can be done via the animation menu of the sprite editor.
Activity 3 As pupils create their sprites note appropriate and inappropriate graphics to use as a focal point in Activity 5.
Activity 4 Before pupils create their background, make sure they appreciate the need for it to contrast with, yet complement, the sprites. The room is created by tiling (repeating) the background graphic, so pupils need to be aware of the visual impact of repeating the graphic many times. The process for creating or changing the background is very similar to that for a sprite. As before note appropriate and inappropriate backgrounds to use as a focal point in Activity 5. Pupils should now have the opportunity to peer assess each other’s work in the assessment area of the ActiveBook.
Secure
Wrapping it up Activity 5 Use examples selected during the lesson as a stimulus for a class discussion about the changes pupils have made. Encourage pupils to give feedback to each other in an appropriate manner. Emphasise fitness for purpose.
Homework Make sure pupils have a copy of the feedback form to record the feedback on the appearance of their game. In the following lesson they will have the chance to make their planned changes to the game.
Learning objectives • Select and create suitable sounds for their game
• Pupils’ current version of design and planning document
• Give and receive feedback
• Pupils’ current version of mouse skills game
•
Assessment focuses • Identify appropriate sounds to improve the game
From the ActiveBook • Add new sounds to the game • Sample audio files • Links to website with sound
files to download
• Identify sources that are free to use • Save work efficiently and appropriately • Use feedback to improve work
Key vocabulary
If short of time • Activity 4 can be omitted. • Activity 5 can be omitted.
Lesson plan
Starter Activity 1
Listen to the sounds as a class. Ask pupils to suggest what the sounds could be used for in a computer game, e.g. game over, object flying away, points being scored, objects being destroyed.
Share objectives In this lesson, pupils create the sounds for their game. (Note: although it is possible to
include background music in Game Maker games, the lesson focuses on changing and creating short sounds in response to events.) Share learning objectives and assessment focuses for the lesson.
Try and apply Activity 2 Pupils should review their ideas for the use of sounds. Remind them to think about fitness for purpose.
Activity 3
• Sound • Wave file • Copyright • Feedback
35 mins
Introduce pupils to the sounds provided with Game Maker. Activity 4 This activity shows pupils how to download wave files from websites. Emphasise the importance of only using sounds that are free to use. Although Game Maker supports the main sound file formats (wave, mp3 and midi), the most appropriate for short sounds are wave files (these have the extension .wav).
Activity 5 Pupils can also record their own sounds. Encourage them to keep their recordings short, and not to embark on anything too complicated. They should plan what they want to do or say before starting to record. It is helpful if recordings can be made apart from the main class to minimise background noise. Pupils will need access to microphones and headphones and the necessary software. Activity 6 After pupils have incorporated their modified sounds, make sure they remember to seek feedback, and act on it. Support: Questions to use when gathering feedback. Activity 7 When pupils have completed their game, ask them to save it to their user area and submit it using the link on page 125. Pupils should then complete the self assessment checklist.
Secure Wrapping it up Activity 8
As a class, share some of the pupils’ games. Ask them to identify why some games are easier, or harder, than others.
Homework This homework introduces the idea of customising a more specific group. This theme is developed in the following lesson.
Learning objectives Assets • Consider the needs of an audience when designing a product From pupils’ own folders
• Pupils’ current version of design and planning document
• Pupils’ current version of mouse skills game
Key vocabulary • Adapt • Test • Feedback • Instructions
• Write instructions appropriate for a game’s audience Assessment focuses • Make changes to meet the needs of new audiences • Test changes • Save work efficiently and appropriately
Lesson Plan
Starter Activity 1 Pupils should think about making simple changes that will achieve results for David. • The most obvious solution is to make the target sprite much larger; the same could
be done for the wall sprite. • You could increase the size of the room. You could make more use of sound. For example, at the start of the game you could have a sound file that contains the instructions; when David clicks the target a sound file might say ‘well done, that is 5 more points’.
Share objectives In this lesson pupils adapt their game for a specific purpose or audience.
Share learning objectives and assessment focuses for the lesson.
Before pupils start to adapt their games for their chosen group, remind them of the importance of planning their changes and testing as they go along. 35 mins • Group 1: a solution is to add another event (right button) to the target object. They
could use the same actions as they used for the left button, but score more points for using the right one. Alternatively they could use one button to control horizontal motion, and the other to control vertical motion.
• Group 2: a solution is to avoid using any of the three colours (black, red and green) that Sean and Darren have difficulty with. They can change the colour of the sprites and backgrounds in the image editor.
• Group 3: To do this, pupils must first adapt the game so that it comes to an end. They should look at the ‘Use an alarm to end the game’ Can I do this? demonstration to help them. It is important that they look at this demonstration before they move on to ‘Add a highest score table’ as this can only be added once they have added the events and actions to end the game.
• Group 4: This can be done by adding a ‘Set alarm’ action to the ‘Create’ event that
will run for 60 seconds, then adding an ‘Alarm’ event so that when the alarm ‘goes off’ the action ‘End the game’ takes place. This is explained in detail in the ‘Can I do this?’ demonstration. Make sure that pupils appreciate that the alarm counts in steps of 1/30 second, and so 1 second is 30 steps.
• Group 5: In both situations, additional object(s) need to created from the original game: – destroy target: add a ‘Collision’ event to the target object so that when it collides with the new object, the actions are to destroy the target and play a suitable sound. – decrease score: add a ‘Collision’ event to the target object so that when it collides with the new object the score action decreases the score by adding a negative amount. These are explained in more detail in the ‘Can I do this?’ demonstrations.
N.B. The list of specified tasks is not exhaustive and some may not be appropriate for certain pupils if their game is already suitable for a particular group. Activity 3 Once pupils are happy with their games they should swap games with a partner, give feedback to each other and make any necessary changes. They should then submit their game via the link on page 129 of the ActiveBook. Pupils should now be in a position to complete the self assessment checklist via the link on page 129.
Secure Wrapping it up Activity 4
The instructions should take account of the following as a minimum:
• Content: the aim of the game, how to start the game (if it doesn’t start automatically), how to stop it, how the controls work.
• Presentation: Written instructions should take account of the reading ability of Year 3 pupils – simple language, large, clear font etc. (Pupils may suggest using illustrations, though unfortunately in Game Maker it is not possible to include these as part of the game information.) Pupils should also consider any further needs the audience may have, e.g. making sure that the colours are suitable for people with colour blindness.
Homework The instructions pupils write will be incorporated into their game in the following lesson.
Key vocabulary • Test • Instructions • Format • Feedback • Evaluate
Learning objectives • Test and finalise game • Give feedback
Assessment focuses • Make changes to the game in response to feedback • Use a test plan to test the game Assets
From pupils’ own folders • Pupils’ current version of
mouse skills game • From the ActiveBook • Video of designer talking about
testing
• Testing the game and keeping a record of the tests
Lesson Plan
Starter Activity 1 The video highlights: • The need to test games so that for anyone buying it, it plays well without problems and
doesn’t break. • This company tests games about 5 months into development using a test team who work in
shifts and play the game 24 hours a day. They test all the language versions in every possible way.
Share objectives This lesson focuses on the importance of rigorous testing. Pupils develop and implement a test
plan. They also add instructions to the game. Share learning objectives and assessment focuses for the lesson.
Try and apply Activity 2
35 mins
Pupils’ test plans need to be specific, not general. They should cover each event and its associated actions. Pupils can copy the event and action columns from their planning document into the first two columns of the test plan to save time. Activity 3 Pupils should work through their test plans systematically; remembering to test that the changes work as intended.
Activity 4 Pupils should use the simple text editor within ‘Game Information’ to format their text appropriately. The formatting tools are fairly intuitive, but there is also a Can I do this? demonstration to help with this.
Activity 5 The pupils should now ask another member of the class to test their game and give feedback on this and the game instructions. The instructions/game information can be accessed by pressing F1. Differentiation: Questions to use when gathering feedback (see Support tab). Activity 6 When pupils have finalised their game they should submit it via the link in the ActiveBook on page 133. They should then fill in the self assessment checklist.
Secure Wrapping it up Activity 7
Lead a class discussion about testing and feedback.
• What problems were found during testing? What caused them? How were they solved? • What did the feedback on your instructions tell you? • What would have happened if you hadn’t tested your game or got feedback? What could go
wrong if professional game designers didn’t test their products? You could also broaden discussion to the impact of testing or not testing other digital products.
Homework This is an opportunity for pupils to reflect on the processes they went through to develop their
game and what contributed to its success. They share these reflections in the following lesson.
Starter Activity 1 The discussion should highlight: • The importance of being clear about the purpose and audience of the game at all times,
and continually measuring work against this. • Testing your own work and getting feedback from others.
Share objectives In this lesson, pupils evaluate their own performance and that of their classmates as they
completed the Unit Challenge. Share learning objectives and assessment focuses for the lesson.
Model Activity 2 As a class listen to the recording • Aim: Produce game to help French exchange pupils practise their English • Went well
– 1st pupil: Audience liked design; understood how to play. – 2nd pupil: Used questionnaire to find out about interests and abilities of the audience; used levels; audience liked the game.
Key vocabulary • Evaluate • Peer review • Feedback If short of time • The final activity where pupils play each
other’s games could be omitted.
Assets From pupils’ own folders • Pupils’ current version of
mouse skills game to share with the class
From the ActiveBook • Recording of pupils
evaluating their performance in a project
• Could be better – 1st pupil: Audience found game too easy; should have got feedback earlier; should have included levels. – 2nd pupil: Colours didn’t work – mistake to choose colours just because they were the audience’s favourites.
• Learnt: Importance of research; importance of testing/feedback at the right stage; only choosing the things that work, benefits of using levels.
Try and apply Activity 3 In their report, pupils should assess the success of their game against the criteria they produced in Activity 3 of Lesson 3.1. Emphasise to pupils the importance of being honest in their reflections; the purpose isn’t simply to give themselves glowing praise! An alternative to writing a report would be for pupils to present their report as an audio or video recording.
Try and apply Activity 4 Remind pupils of the importance of giving feedback appropriately, and when receiving feedback to reflect on it. When they have finished their reports, pupils should submit their work via the link on page 137. They should then be in a position to complete the self and peer assessment checklists.
Secure Wrapping it up
Once pupils have completed everything they can spend the remainder of the lesson trying out each others’ games.
