EDTECH 536 : Project Outline

Note: I had originally planned on using Android, but I think I will now use my PC and concentrate on the HTML5 format so my students can access it.

Project Outline

Objectives and Assessments:

This will be a number sense math games that focuses on the decomposition of numbers as a strategy for addition. Students will be given a target number and must pick 2 numbers that equal it when added together.  There will be various levels with difficulty and complexity increasing with each level. Players will not be able to advance to the next level until they have successfully completed a more basic level/concept.

Examples of concepts covered in levels:

1. identifying 2 numbers that equal 10 - 3 + 7 = 10
2. identifying what number and 9 equals the number - 9 + 5 = 14
3. identifying what 2 numbers add together equal 20 - 13 + 7 = 20
4. doose the 2 numbers that equal the target as if that number was broken into expanded notation - 40 + 7 = 47
5. will choose 3 numbers that equal the target number - 30 + 20 + 6 = 50
6. will choose 2 numbers that equal the target number - 36 + 20 = 56
7. will choose 2 numbers that equal the target number - 42 + 31 = 73

Audience:

This game is intended for second graders. It may also be applicable for some first graders and some third graders. Students will already need to understand the concept of adding single digit numbers. Students will need to have an understanding of place value.

I have 2 ideas for a game that will achieve these objectives. I would love to have some input o which would be the best and a game that I will have the ability to create.

IDEA #1: Escape from Once Upon a Time - Adventure Game

Game Contents and Mechanics:

Each level of the game would be based on a different fairy tale. The player must complete each level to acquire a tool that will help them defeat the “Big Bad Wicked Step Witch” at the end of the game

example: Level one might be about the story Hansel and Gretel. The player walks through the woods following the breadcrumbs trying to find their way home in order to escape the witch in the candy house. They must collect pairs of crumbs that equal 10 as they go. If they pick up a pair that doesn’t equal 10 they get sent back to the witch’s house to start again. When they make it home, they find a magical key. This will later be used to defeat the most evil fairy tale villain of all.

After this level they would then advance through the table of contents to the next story. I have ideas for each level but would rather wait until I know which idea I’m going to use. Another story could be Snow White. I might involve poison apples and the Seven Dwarfs. I like this idea but I am concerned it could get very big and difficult to execute.

Materials and Media:

Fairy Tale book with the table of contents showing chapter titles and game progress.

Storybook characters

Scenes - forrest, homes, castles

Items to collect - bread crumbs, poison apples, 7 dwarfs, bales of gold, etc…

Special tools - key, bucket of water, cage, Prince Charming, woodsman, etc…

IDEA #2: The Quarterback - RPG or Action Game ? (I’m not sure)

Game Contents and Mechanics:

• The player becomes the quarterback and is trying to score a touchdown every level.
• Every time a question is answered correctly, the team moves down the field 10 yards.
• When 10 questions are answered correctly they score.
• The quarterback has a player to throw to each time. The player has a # on his jersey. The quarterback must choose the 2 balls to throw that equal that #.
• If they take too much time they are tackled.
• If they are tackled 3 times they must begin that level again.
• If they complete the level within a certain amount of time they can earn a timeout.
• Timeouts can be used to stop the play clock if they need more time to think about a harder problem.

Materials and Media:

playing field

quarterback

receiver

opposing team

play clock

timeout count and button

scoreboard balls

EDTECH 536: Mobile Game Reflection

Bumps Arcade: link
Summary - This would probably be considered a strategy or physics game. It does have a storyline connected to it to get the player involved. Aliens came and captured all the creature on the planet (balls) and encapsulated them in a bigger ball. Only a few balls were not captured and it is their mission to capture all the keys to let out all the others. There are several different levels to the game. It starts out fairly easy by rolling a ball on ramps to capture the keys. It gets harder fairly quickly. Then balls are dropped to push other balls to bounce and roll to capture the keys.
Educational Uses - This is something I could actually use with my second grade students with our forces and motion science unit. It shows the effects of gravity by placing the ball on different points on the ramp. It show the user what happens when other objects are pushed. I am sure there are some higher level science or math classes that could use this as well. Students could even draw illustrations of the game level to show what happens. They could be required to try each level in several different ways and record that information as well. Generalizations could then be made. Younger students might only do one or two levels while older students could do more. (I teach second grade and always think young.)

The Secret of Grisly Manor: link
Summary - This is an adventure game where the player needs to go to Grisly Manor to find the missing grandfather. There is a good deal of problem solving in this game. When you click on certain items a message will appear that often gives clues to finding items that will be needed to solve the mystery. Personally, I love mysteries, but games like this kind of drive me crazy. I don't like to feel like I am wandering from room to room and outside just clicking on things to find items I might need. However, I am sure there are many who enjoy it,
Educational Uses - This would be a great game for reading and following directions. The reading level is fairly low so younger students could use it. It would also be great to tie in to maps. It would be very helpful to map out the inside and outside of the house and mark locations of items and items that will need to be revisited. I think students could work with a partner to map it out and find all the objects. Writing out the sequence of events or procedures would also be great.

Balloon Pop: link
Summary - This is an action game that is very simple. The object is to pop ballons of the right color. There is one balloon to the right that changes color. As it changes you need to pop that color.
Educational Uses - This could be appropriate for very young children except that it might move a little to quickly for them. It could be used for color matching. It would be beneficial if they could play with an adult to verbalize the color names as they were playing. The adult could also call out the needed color and they could pop those balloons.

EDTECH 536: Mobile Learning and Game Genres

What is Mobile Learning?

Mobile learning should follow universal instructional design practices and pedagogies as does traditional or e-learning but has the advantage of being more personalized, portable, situated, and authentic. According to Traxler, what makes m-learning so personalized is that it "delivers learning to the learner when and where they want it" (p.7). Mobile learning is situated because it takes place whenever and wherever needed. Learning can happen immediately when needed and can take place in a variety of environments. Traxler emphasizes the idea of authentic learning in the m-learning realm because a learner is an active participant and "should be engaged in exploration and inquiry" (p.7) and "should have opportunities for social discourse," (p.7) in "learning that involves real-world problems and projects that are relevant and interesting" (p.7). Elias discusses how m-learning is unique because information is often presented in "small chunks" (p.4) which leads to the elimination of nonessential information and material. It becomes imperative to stay on topic.

Both articles mention how mobile learning is also inherently tied to technologies and devices and their capabilities. However, these articles were written 4 and 7 years ago and capabilities and usage has changed tremendously since then. Another aspect both articles mention is the advantage that mobile learning has of reaching people in more remote locations and reducing the digital divide.

For me, Traxler sums up mobile learning when he states "Learning that used to be delivered 'just-in-case,' can now be delivered 'just-in-time,' 'just enough,' and 'just-for-me.' Finding information rather than possessing it or knowing it becomes the defining characteristic of learning generally and of mobile learning especially, and this may take learning back into the community" (p.5).

Elias, T. (2011). Universal instructional design principles for mobile learning. International Review of Research 

             in Open and Distance Learning, 12(2), 143-156.

Traxler, J. (2007). Defining, discussing and evaluating mobile learning: The moving finger

writes and having writ.... The International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning, 8(2).

Game Genres

There is a difference between game genre and game style. Genre is the type of game and style is the type of gameplay. It is similar to the movies. A movie may be a comedy, but there are different types of comedies. It could be a romantic comedy or mindless humor. There are four types of genre: action, adventure, strategy, and simulation.