In September, two members of the Department of Computing Science and ICT at The James Young High School attended a Games Design course at Heriot-Watt University. This 3 day course involved the use of such games as Neverwinter Nights 2 and Adventure Author.Adventure Author is a game-authoring tool designed to support interactive storytelling skills through the use of game technologies. Drawing on traditional role-playing techniques, it moves away from firstperson- shooter game formats, by emphasizing character, plot and narration.
By modifying existing game engine technology, Adventure Author has been developed as a means to guide the young people (10-14 year-olds) through a series of steps, via ‘wizards’, which are aimed at supporting thinking about character and storyline development on a scene-by-scene basis. In addition, an overall map easily allows users to arrange and link scenes to support nonlinear storytelling.
Having authored their own game, the young people can then play this and share it with others. Through this process of play and critical feedback from peers, young people are offered the opportunity to improve their game design and storytelling techniques.
The pupils at James Young together with school staff will be liaising with Heriot-Watt University in a major educational research project during the first half of 2010. Watch this space!
Pleased to see how you are emphasising the narrative opportunities - Masie Rabbit is also glad to feature on your first blogspot! We agree that games don't all have to be about fighting.
ReplyDeleteIt's been good to talk to you about your games design curriculum, and to know that Adventure Author sits in a wider context which allows for progression over a school lifetime. We look forward to seeing how your curriculum for games learning continues to develop!
Good luck with the project, and well done for deciding to run it with all your first year classes.
Cathrin, Making Games in Schools, Heriot-Watt University