[game_edu] It's an interdisciplinary field

[Ian Schreiber]

Your point is well taken, Darius.
 
The catch is this: new departments don't spring fully-formed into being out of nothing. They have to start in some other department, then split into their own in time.
 
An example of this is Computer Science. If memory serves, the field of CS originally started out in most places as an extension of the Philosophy department (since so much of it dealt with truth values and predicate calculus that was already studied in Philosophy). Once it became clear that there were just not enough shared courses between the two, they split and CS became its own department.
 
I agree that Game Design is its own field, borrowing from many but putting its own unique spin on things, and it should be a department in its own right. The question is, before we get there, where is the best place to grow it out of? (Perhaps the answer is, anything, as long as we keep the endpoint in mind.)
 
- Ian

--- On Mon, 3/2/09, Jim Parker <jparker at ucalgary.ca> wrote:

From: Jim Parker <jparker at ucalgary.ca>
Subject: Re: [game_edu] It's an interdisciplinary field
To: "IGDA Game Education Listserv" <game_edu at igda.org>
Date: Monday, March 2, 2009, 10:11 AM

Thanks to Darius for the appropriate story!

The key for me would be how to get a University to grasp this and to do
something sensible. As the tale shows, Universities cubbyhole folks, and this is
the wrong approach for some subjects (like ours). Any experience with convincing
schools to do this? (RIT is in some sense unique here)

Jim

Marla Schweppe wrote:

> It’s an interdisciplinary field, so in my mind it doesn’t really make

sense to put all of ‘games’ into one program. A lot of where the curriculum
will end up at a given school depends on where the expertise is in the faculty
as well.

> 

> Here, for example, we have aspects of game curriculum in a number of

different departments. The *Information Technology *department has a program in
*Game Development and Design*. They teach students to build game engines and
design the interaction in the game. In the *School of Film and Animation*
students work a lot on narrative, animation, and film language. In *Computer
Graphics Design* (BFA in 3D Digital Graphics) students design and build game
assets (levels, characters, lighting, materials) using references from different
time periods, artists, styles, etc. In *Computer Science*, students do graphics
programming. In *New Media,* students focus on 2D game design. All of the
programs allow some flexibility so that students can take electives in other
programs. Then students have the opportunity to work on interdisciplinary teams
like in the real world.

> 

> Since it is so interdisciplinary, is it really reasonable to assume that

everything about creating games will be in one department or one program?
Probably not. An interdisciplinary approach to an interdisciplinary field seems
more appropriate.

> 

> Professor Marla.Schweppe at rit.edu

> RIT, 73 Lomb Memorial Drive, Rochester, NY 14623 - 585-475-2754

> 

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> 

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Dr. J. R. Parker,                    Digital Media Laboratory
Professor of Play                    http://www.ucalgary.ca/~jparker
Faculty of Fine Arts (Drama)         jparker@ ucalgary. ca
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