Game Design by George Haines' 4th Grade Class
By George Haines
Grades/Uses:
Subjects:
Description
A group of 4th grade students were asked to design and create a level for a video game with clear objectives, challenges, and strategies, then had game designers review their submissions. The VoiceThread served as a platform through which the students could describe their work and designers could give constructive feedback.
Assignment
Students designed a level using several components:
- different types of blocks (as obstacles or design elements)
- coins
- “star blocks” for goals
- a time component
- enemy NPCs (non-player-characters) to defeat or avoid
Students took a screenshot of their design, which was uploaded to a VoiceThread slide, then recorded their description using the Doodler tool for annotation. The VoiceThread was shared with game designers, who provided thorough feedback and critique of each submitted level design.