BA6: Final Work

After adding pipes and barrels which I had created from a previous project to the scene it was finally complete! Here are some images of the assets which were from a previous project.

Overall I felt the project was successful, I completed what I set out to do. However I feel more variety would have helped complete the scene. While running into a few texture issues they were easily resolved, and Maya had minimal crashes this project!

Self Directed Work

I practised using Maya over the break, creating 3D assets and models.

This is artwork created while completing BA6.

BA6 Update

After meeting with our tutor as well as other students I have been finishing up textures, correcting scaling them as well as adding normal maps to all objects which was pointed out as a possible area of improvement. I did this by correcting UVs, making them take up slightly less overall space but the bricks on the texture are fully scaled all around it.

Wall and windows texture

Roof texture

One student commented on the missing normal maps, while I was already planning on making them it was interesting to see how much their absence had been noticed!

Normal map for the windows and wall.

Normal map for the roof texture.

Reference Images

Games within education

I have been looking into games used within education, and peoples views on such a topic. It was interesting to read and listen to such comments.

“Gamers are virtuosos at weaving a tight fabric. There's a lot of interesting research that shows that we like people better after we play a game with them, even if they've beaten us badly, and the reason is that it takes a lot of trust to play a game with someone. We trust that they will spend their time with us, they will play by the same rules, value the same goals, they will stay with the game until it's over.”

Jane McGonigal, game designer.

http://www.ted.com/talks/jane_mcgonigal_gaming_can_make_a_better_world.html

Do we want children to “barely notice” when they develop valuable skills? Not to learn that hard work plays a role in that acquisition? It’s important to realize early on that mastery often requires persevering through tedious, repetitive tasks and hard-to-grasp subject matter.

Pamela Paul, children's book editor.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/17/sunday-review/reading-writing-and-video-games.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

I think if parents actually understand what it is, umm, realise that video games aren't all the same. You know like books aren't all the same, there's Fifty shades of gray, and then out humanities text book, for example. And movies, there's Jackass and there's a documentary about what we are learning in school. And then there is a video game, there is Call of Duty and there's MinecraftEDU.

Eric Walker, teacher.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K5Recp9xpYY

Minecraft in Education

Videos:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K5Recp9xpYY : Exploring history and humanities using a special map designed for this purpose, importantly it is not compulsory and it is within students spare time, rewards are given within school for code words to help encourage them to learn at home.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eybEx960Wj4 : The balance between ecology and student goals.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8BBvYyo1VCQ : In use.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g7x6pf09hfs : Learning English for Japanese students, now teaches Japanese for anyone around the world! Once again mainly people who chose to learn.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NBh3K4NR00U : Building using contour maps. Working together to create a mountain from contours, interesting to hear students working with each other, even though there is a bit of tension between some with comments within the game, such as "GET OUT OF MY WAY"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jPiLAyq9vbI : Creating 3D representations of cells in the body, note one group did not do what was expected of them and overall the time scale is an hour and a half, a very long time for such a simple task.

Essay

I have decided to look at collaboration games, looking into their history and how effective they have been. Since they are focused on working together rather than working against other players, can they teach us anything?

After a little confusion over the task I have refined my essay title down to "What are collaborative games, and how can they be used within education?"

With this in mind I am going to look into the use of Minecraft for teaching children in schools all around the world. What are they trying to teach, and will it fit the requirements of a traditional education game?