Students who like to play video games have the opportunity to design, program and create their own games in the animation and game developer program offered through the Marshall Community and Technical College.
Introduction to Gaming I is the first of four required classes to complete in the animation and game developer program offered through the MCTC. This spring Intro to Gaming II will be offered for the first time, and eventually four classes with areas of emphasis on gaming will be in place, said Patrick Smith, information technology professor in the MCTC.
The MCTC has partnered with Globaloria, a social network for learning web-game design and simulation production, invented by the World Wide Workshop Foundation. The online network seeks to create technology-based education through virtual learning networks and connects students from around the world, Smith said.
"This is a new initiative for us and a truly different approach to what most students would expect in a class," Smith said. "Students and teachers collaborate online through our MCTC wiki and through this we create our own living breathing text book."
A wiki is an online network that, like Wikipedia, is built and sustained by information input. Through the online wiki students create their own profile, view course curriculum, post their flash-based assignments and create a blog.
"When a teacher buys a text, if they have problems with it, they are stuck with that book," Smith said. "With a virtual text we can go semester to semester and weed out what doesn't work. It is an ongoing process."
The animation and game developer program is an initiative to teach varying concepts and to use gaming as a vehicle for learning, Smith said.
"Our students learn valuable concepts of gaming; they learn the marketing side, how to explain and sell their creative ideas through oral communication," Smith said.
"When people hear about a gaming class they automatically think it's going to be like Halo, and sometimes they don't immediately see the educational value in gaming," Smith said. "We use positive games with a purpose. Students showcase their creative side, use programming skills and convey technical ideas through their oral and written communication skills. There are many concepts being taught."
Katlyn Goots can be contacted at goots@marshall.edu.
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