Courses
MSTU 4039: Videogames and Education
“Exceptional integration between design practice and theory.”
In this introductory course, students learn principles of game design through play assignments, in-class discussions and group game design exercises. Students are introduced to cognitive, social and persuasive theories as they relate to game design, and finish the semester by writing a design document for a game they would like to create using their new skills.
Syllabus [pdf] and sample schedule [pdf].
MSTU 5510: Advanced Game Workshop
“Became a research project that will extend beyond the class … even though it was a lot of work, it was completely worth it.”
This course serves as an intensive workshop for building games and learning how to do research about them. Students choose a real-world issue that games can help address, which in past years have included smoking reduction, micro-lending, and trauma therapy. Over the course of the semester, they participate in a rigorous iterative design process to create a game that both addresses their chosen issue and provides a satisfying play experience.
