[Yr7-10it] Gamemaker assessment task

[Roland Gesthuizen]

VELS Bingo Russell! If you add other activities around the programming
activitity, you can create a string of very rich Info Tech lessons,
chockablock full of suitable assessment points and activities that nicely
fit into the VELS ICT domain.

Last year when I ran our programming lesson with GameMaker, students
sketched out and scanned their plans, blogged about their learning
experiences, reflected on their problems with some discussion forms, added
to a collaborative wiki then we finished creating some movies with voice
overs that demonstrated their final games, all inside the authenticated
environment of Moodle. You can see some samples of this work on the VCAA
website.

No, I didnt have all the programming answers to their problems but it was
fun to work out how to solve these together. Once we got past the initial
stepwise tutorial and learned how to use the software, the rest of the
activity scaffolding that I set in place supported a constructivist and
collaborative model for learning with increasing emphasis on self direction
and learning.

Whilst I have an eye on some of the exciting stuff that is happening with
VPython etc, for now I am happy to run along with the mix of GameMaker and
Moodle.

Regards Roland

On 26/03/07, Russell Edwards <edwards.russell.t at edumail.vic.gov.au> wrote:
>
>
> A quick question for the gamemaker enthusiasts.
>
> Have you had any issues from parents or staff regarding putting
> gamemaker in your elective IT subjects?
>
> I am thinking of giving it to my 9/10 "Advanced Computer Skills"
> elective class, however I have already stretched that subject, being
> originally advertised in the course handbook as "Advanced Word
> Processing" (boooring!). So far I have given them blogs and XHTML/CSS up
> to a fairly advanced level. For next term I was thinking of going for
> gamemaker but I would worry that some people would rather that the kids
> were learning more directly tangible practical skills, i.e. advanced
> topics in Word/Excel/Publisher/PowerPoint/Access etc.
>
> What would you do in this situation?  Just do it? Or have the Course
> Handbook for changed to advertise it first (i.e. wait for next year)?
>
> Russell
>
>
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-- 
Roland Gesthuizen - ICT Coordinator - Westall Secondary College
http://www.westallsc.vic.edu.au

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change
the world; indeed it is the only thing that ever has." --Margaret Mead
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