csdt: beadloom game acey boyce unc charlotte. we love virtual bead loom our most successful csdt ...
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CSDT:BeadLoom Game
Acey BoyceUNC Charlotte
We Love Virtual Bead Loom
Our most successful CSDT
Extremely effective at teaching Cartesian Coordinates and Geometry
Free play results in very creative products
Free Play Results
Free Play Results
Free Play Results
Problem
Students tend to use “easiest” tools available in a free play environment
Very rarely utilize advanced tools to create patterns
Avoids learning iteration
Example Goal
Ideally…
Ideally…
Ideally…
Ideally…
Ideally…
Ideally…
Total Creates Used: 6
Really…
Really…
Total Creates Used: 117
Questions
How can we “force” students to use advanced tools and think in terms of optimization?
How can we do that AND still allow the kids to have fun?
Solution Convert the VBL into a puzzle game!
The Game
Given a goal image try to create that image in the fewest moves possible
Each time a draw button is clicked the move count goes up by 1
The Game
Ideal solutions require advanced usage of iterative tools and painters algorithm (Layering)
Players are awarded medals based on performance and high scores are maintained
What I Have Done Created over 30 puzzles and found ideal
solution to each
What I Have Done Puzzles range from traditional to modern
What I Have Done Created a system to display puzzles
and check student work against goal
Implemented the system for local score keeping, puzzle unlocking, and medal earning
Developed tutorial puzzles to introduce players to each tool
Trial By Fire
Used game at 2 Summer Camps Camp 1: 20 Middle Schoolers Camp 2: 18 High Schoolers
Each group played game for about 30 minutes a day for 4 days in a competitive setting
Results
Kids had fun!
Fought Tooth and Nail to win each contest
Three High Schoolers even asked for a copy of the game to play with at home
Results
Middle Schoolers (Aided in finding many bugs): Average Rating: 3.74 out of 5
High Schoolers (90% of bugs removed): Average Fun Rating: 4.27 out of 5 Average Educational Rating: 4.27 Average Overall Rating: 4.33
What they learned
Sadly the Pre/Post Test for middle school camp did not focus on game
Students did however seem to have a deeper understanding of painters algorithm and iteration
What they learned Had to tell students not to use
iteration for some puzzles
Complexity of Free Play designs went up as puzzle difficulty increased
According to game logs students made fewer errors as week progressed
What they learned
High School Pre/Post Test divided into 3 sections: Cartesian Coordinates Iteration Painter’s Algorithm
What they learned
Iteration Pre Test Average: 75.3%
Iteration Post Test Average: 84.0% (8.7% Increase)
Painters Pre Test Average: 33.3%
Painters Post Test Average: 52.8% (18.5% Increase)
Painters Note* I believe in future
testing this will be even higher increase
The Pre Test question did not print correctly
Future Work
Addition of a Timer
Addition of a multiplayer high score table
Creation and implementations of more puzzles
Future Research
What makes a game? What makes a game fun?
Use three versions of game Bare Bones: Just Scoring Competitive: High Score Table Advanced: Customizable User
Interactions
In Closing
Thank you for creating CSDTs and providing me the inspiration for this game
It has lead to me accomplishing a major goal in life:Kids enjoying and asking to play a game I created