2. In Association With
Andrew Hicks & Katelyn Doran

3. Game2Learn REU 2008 Andrew Hicks and Katelyn Doran
Katie: Good afternoon, my name is Katelyn Doran
Drew: and I’m Andrew Hicks and we have been working with the Game2Learn Project this summer
Katie: Our project is EleMental: The Recurrence
Andrew Hicks and Katelyn Doran
Mentor: Tiffany Barnes
Graduate Student Mentor: Amanda Chaffin
Game2Learn
REU 2008

4. Andrew Hicks & Katelyn Doran

5. Motivations
Andrew Hicks & Katelyn Doran

6. Educational Gaming Motivation Student Gamers Interactive Learning
Andrew Hicks & Katelyn Doran

7. Why Recursion? Important Computer Science Concept Difficult to Teach
Even Harder to Understand
Drew: EleMental: The Recurrence is an educational game
Katie: Educational gaming is [insert info about educational games here]
Drew: To make a good educational game you must effectively integrate your educational concepts [info about implement educ. concepts here – generalize]
Katie: It is also very important to provide strong visual feedback [info about visual feedback]
Andrew Hicks & Katelyn Doran

8. Obscure Illustration of Recursion
Towers of Hanoi
Obscure Illustration of Recursion
Andrew Hicks & Katelyn Doran

9. Solution
Andrew Hicks & Katelyn Doran

10. C# using the XNA Framework Features an in-game compiler
Game Engine
C# using the XNA Framework
Features an in-game compiler
The game engine we are using was created in Spring 2007 as part of the Advanced Game Design course here at UNC Charlotte, the engine has provided us with several incredibly useful tools such as the in-game compiler, and terrain modification. Our work on EleMental: The Recurrence has had an effect on the engine. For instance, an events manager was implemented which will make it possible to build role playing games based on the engine.
Andrew Hicks & Katelyn Doran

11. Code Modifies World Data “Structures” Learning Styles Game Interaction
Andrew Hicks & Katelyn Doran

12. In-Game Compiling Alternative to traditional assignments
Goes beyond multiple choice
Code errors can be visualized
Andrew Hicks & Katelyn Doran

13. Game Play
Andrew Hicks & Katelyn Doran

14. Progress
This first video shows how the game is laid out in the form and walks through the menu screens (explain game plot) as well as the first coding challenge (explain about compiler)
Andrew Hicks & Katelyn Doran

15. Progress
This second video shows some of the traversal of the tree, explain the controls, the event manager triggering mechanisms, and terrain mod
Andrew Hicks & Katelyn Doran

16. Progress
This third video shows the “challenge” aspect of the tree walkthrough, where two bridges are built. Explain how this allows players to demonstrate their knowledge of the traversal and give them visual feedback.
Andrew Hicks & Katelyn Doran

17. Progress
This final video shows the second coding challenge, explain how this works, get into a bit about parsing the code and the potential to allow user code to take you in the wrong direction, etc.
Andrew Hicks & Katelyn Doran

18. Future Work Challenges Visualization Instructions Study
Explain future plans for challenges, how the visualization of the code needs to be fine-tuned, how instructions need to be clearer and better implemented into the game (based on play test feedback) and plans for a study (integrate a coding assignment into the game, give the same assignment as just an assignment)
Andrew Hicks & Katelyn Doran

19. Questions? Comments? Tiffany Barnes: tbarnes2@uncc.edu
Amanda Chaffin:
Katelyn Doran:
Andrew Hicks:
The Game2Learn project is housed within the Games + Learning Lab in Woodward 453.
Ask people for questions. Duh.
Andrew Hicks & Katelyn Doran