[game_edu] Brenda Braithwaite's game_edu rant at GDC

[Jim Parker]

Hi all

I have recently designed and taught a course called 'Programming for 
Artists'. It was a fascinating experience, because I have traditionally 
taught computer science students and engineers - people with a math 
background. My former peers could not see how to do this without 'math', 
and that's part of the problem.

Anyhow, it's certain that I have not solved the problem but I'm making 
steps and its entertaining too. For example, the first assignment (in a 
first programming course) was Pong. Everyone handed it in, they all 
worked. I start by using GameMaker, illustrate basic programming ideas 
and get to scripting - then we move to Processing and finish the course 
that way. All assignments have an interactive component of some sort.

My first set of lectures can be found at 
http://people.ucalgary.ca/~jparker/art315/schedule.html as Powerpoint 
files. Of course, some of the associated files are not there (videos, 
audio files), but you'll get the idea.

Jim

Ian Schreiber wrote:

> I think you do a good job of classifying the problem. But is there a 

> solution? Or are you saying that there is no solution, we should just 

> give up and go back to the master/apprentice model?

>

>

> ------------------------------------------------------------------------

> *From:* Katrin Becker <becker at minkhollow.ca>

> *To:* IGDA Game Education Listserv <game_edu at igda.org>

> *Sent:* Tue, March 8, 2011 11:42:43 AM

> *Subject:* Re: [game_edu] Brenda Braithwaite's game_edu rant at GDC

>

> There's the rub: teaching is simply NOT efficient. Learning takes TIME 

> and PRACTICE.

>

> There are ways to do teach programming fundamentals, but most computer 

> science departments still don't know how. I would not, for the most 

> part, look to computer science departments for answers about how to 

> teach programming. They have always been geared to teaching 

> programming to people who:

> 1. really WANT to learn how to program

> 2. are pre-disposed to being able to learn it easily

>

> The teaching methods have a tendency to select only for those sorts of 

> people who learn like they did. They're not normally useful for 

> teaching people who aren't like the teachers. The same is true for 

> quite a few disciplines.

>

> On 3/8/2011 9:19 AM, Simon Etienne Rozner wrote:

>>

>> I would love to find a way that makes the students lifes easier and 

>> my teaching more efficient by being able to avoid the endless one on 

>> one sessions.

>

> -- 

> *Katrin Becker, PhD* /(sent from Mink Hollow)/

> *President, Mink Hollow Media <http://minkhollowmedia.ca/>*

> *Adjunct Professor* School of Interactive Arts and Technology 

> <http://www.siat.sfu.ca/>, Simon Fraser University 

> <http://www.sfu.ca/> (BC, Canada)

> E-mail: becker at minkhollow.ca <mailto:becker at minkhollow.ca> HomePage: 

> http://minkhollow.ca/becker Blog: http://minkhollow.ca/beckerblog

> /In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a 

> revolutionary act. ~George Orwell /

>

> ------------------------------------------------------------------------

>

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-- 
from Plasma611
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
"If knowledge can create problems, it is not through ignorance 
that we can solve them.                  I. Asimov .........................

Dr. J. R. Parker,                    Digital Media Laboratory
Professor of Play                    http://www.ucalgary.ca/~jparker
Faculty of Arts (Art)                jparker@ ucalgary.ca
University of Calgary                403-220-6784      AB606/AB611