[Year 12 SofDev] GDAA conference panel - advice

[Tony Forster]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Steven Bird" <sb at csse.unimelb.edu.au>
> I worry that a games focus appeals mainly to boys

There's a lot of stuff on games and gender, Van Eck argues that game playing 
and making can improve girls' attitude to technology
http://www.innovateonline.info/index.php?view=article&id=209&action=article
Providing girls with more positive experiences with technology may impact 
their overall attitudes toward technology ... a study of 92 fifth- and 
sixth-graders participating in game playing and authoring

the following article analyses girls' engagement:
http://www.edgelab.ca/publications/inkpen_cscl95.pdf
This paper describes studies focusing on how gender and grouping affects 
performance and attitudes of children playing a puzzle solving game

(My recommendations are:
girls only classes
work in pairs
create narrative style not action style games)

also:
http://programservices.etr.org/gcgweb/
An after school and summer games program for girls
http://www.cse.ohio-state.edu/~bbair/WIC/games4girls/
Studies suggest that kids who play computer-based games increase their 
understanding of knowledge structures, spatial intelligence and cogitative 
ability. Girls just know that computer games are fun!
http://www.girlstart.org/itgirl/
Play for change! IT Girls are creating educational games for children around 
the world.
http://www.youthlearn.org/afterschool/GirlsCreatingGames3.htm
Girls Creating Games is an after-school program for middle school girls 
developed by Education, Training Research Associates (ETR). The participants 
are girls in grades 6-8.

Tony Forster,
Computer Game Design, Programming, Multimedia and Mathematics Cluster.
http://schoolgamemaker.rupert.id.au/