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Articles 1 - 4 of 4
Full-Text Articles in Game Design
Medulla: A 2d Sidescrolling Platformer Game That Teaches Basic Brain Structure And Function, Joey R. Fanfarelli, Stephanie Vie
Medulla: A 2d Sidescrolling Platformer Game That Teaches Basic Brain Structure And Function, Joey R. Fanfarelli, Stephanie Vie
Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works
This article explores the design and instructional effectiveness of Medulla, an educational game meant to teach brain structure and function to undergraduate psychology students. Developed in the retro-style platformer genre, Medulla uses two-dimensional gameplay with pixel-based graphics to engage students in learning content related to the brain, information which is often pre-requisite to more rigorous psychological study. A pretest posttest design was used in an experiment assessing Medulla’s ability to teach psychology content. Results indicated content knowledge was significantly higher on the posttest than the pretest, with a large effect size. Medulla appears to be an effective learning tool. These …
Towards A Unified Theory Of Play: A Case Study Of Minecraft, James Hooper, Penny De Byl
Towards A Unified Theory Of Play: A Case Study Of Minecraft, James Hooper, Penny De Byl
Penny de Byl
Researchers in the fields of game design, childhood development, learning, and movement studies discuss the concept of play. However, the term has been frequently redefined resulting in a divergent understanding of the concept. This paper presents a Unified Theory of Play that aims to provide a holistic examination of the domain that will enhance understanding of play by delivering a tripartite framework for critical analysis of a variety of computer games. Minecraft is presented herein as a case study analysis using the proposed framework.
Clairvoyant Learning: The Strangeness Of Playing Games, Jeremy Shipley
Clairvoyant Learning: The Strangeness Of Playing Games, Jeremy Shipley
Graduate School of Art Theses
In retelling multiple stories of my research, this document serves as a quest to archive my interest in games as evolved systems of play that continue to manipulate the way we view literacy. In describing the subtly of these terms while examining the folkloric histories that contextualize the language of this media, I have doubly manipulated the form of my paper to be like a choose-your-own-adventure tale, reflecting the estrangement of time and authorship unique to the narrative space in games. Unlike the formal structures found in literature or cinema, games animate collaborative and nonlinear systems that return the craft …
Experimental Boss Design And Testing, Joseph P. Mistretta
Experimental Boss Design And Testing, Joseph P. Mistretta
Undergraduate Honors Theses
Over the years, gaming has developed rapidly from simple pixel-based experiences to fully blown three-dimensional worlds. As developing technologies improve, so does the complexity and flexibility of what can be created. Encounters, along with all aspects of any gaming experience, have evolved along with the technologies that create them. These intense combat instances, often times referred to as “bosses”, represent a chance for the developer to challenge player skill, cooperation, and coordination. In addition to being major challenges, encounters also allow players to feel a sense of progression as they learn and adapt to mechanics incorporated within an encounter’s design. …