K-12 Digital Game Production Microcredential

This microcredential gives K-12 educators a deeper understanding of the research and resulting best practices regarding how, when, where, and why to implement game production in the classroom. Upon completion of this microcredential, teachers will be able to prepare for and implement game production in the classroom.

MICROCREDENTIAL ID: ETEC-TLG-0005
CREDENTIAL: K-12 Teaching and Learning with Games
CREDITS: 1.0 CEU (10 hours)
AUTHOR: Dr. Rick Ferdig

Registration

How to Earn This Microcredential

Participants must submit evidence of learning, implementing, and reflecting on teaching with digital games in the classroom. This includes a written overview of game production, an exploration of a game production tool, and a reflection on lessons learned in this microcredential.

Fees

Participants submitting this microcredential for review will be assessed an administrative fee of $50. Participants who successfully complete the microcredential will receive a certificate showing completion of 1.0 CEU.

Why Get This Microcredential?

This microcredential is part of the K-12 Teaching and Learning with Games Credential. Many of the microcredentials are focused on game consumption and play. This microcredential focuses on digital game production, including future implementation in a classroom.

Important Terms

Educational games – games that are either created for educational purposes , or if not specifically educational they can still be applied for educational goals. Educational goals can be cognitive, emotional, affective, social, etc.
Game Consumption – digital game consumption refers to teachers or students that play existing games that are typically created for them by someone else.
Game Modding – this refers to the process of adapting, revising, or adding additional content to an existing game. This can include games where you build (e.g., Minecraft), but it is more suited to games with open-access code.
Game Production – digital game production refers to learning about, with, and through games in the process of creating rather than only playing games.

Benefits of this Microcredential

Digital and analog gaming impact all aspects of society. Teachers and students often focus on either consumption or production of games in education. While consumption—or gameplay—is important, so is game production. Game production should include the teacher and the students producing games. The purpose of this microcredential is for educators to learn about game production, try out a game production piece of software (or website), and then reflect on future implementation.

Standards

Ohio Learning Standards: Technology

Information and Communications Technology
- ICT Topic 1: Identify and use appropriate digital learning tools and resources to accomplish a defined task.
- ICT Topic 2: Use digital learning tools and resources to locate, evaluate and use information.
- ICT Topic 3: Use digital learning tools and resources to construct knowledge.
Society and Technology
- ST Topic 1: Demonstrate an understanding of technology’s impact on the advancement of humanity – economically, environmentally, and ethically.
- ST Topic 3: Explain how technology, society, and the individual impact one another.
Design and Technology
- DT Topic 1: Define and describe the technology, including its core concepts of systems, resources, requirements, processes, controls, optimization, and trade-offs.

ISTE Educator Standards

2.1 Learner
- 2.1.a - Set professional learning goals to explore and apply pedagogical approaches made possible by technology and reflect on their effectiveness.
- 2.1.b - Pursue professional interests by creating and actively participating in local and global learning networks.
- 2.1.c - Stay current with research that supports improved student learning outcomes, including findings from the learning sciences.
2.2 Leader
- 2.2.a - Shape, advance, and accelerate a shared vision for empowered learning with technology by engaging with education stakeholders.
- 2.2.b - Advocate for equitable access to educational technology, digital content, and learning opportunities to meet the diverse needs of all students.
- 2.2.c - Model for colleagues the identification, exploration, evaluation, curation, and adoption of new digital resources and tools for learning.
2.3 Citizen
- 2.3.b - Establish a learning culture that promotes curiosity and critical examination of online resources and fosters digital literacy and media fluency.
2.4 Collaborator
- 2.4.b - Collaborate and co-learn with students to discover and use new digital resources and diagnose and troubleshoot technology issues.
- 2.4.d - Demonstrate cultural competency when communicating with students, parents, and colleagues and interact with them as co-collaborators in student learning.
2.5 Designer
- 2.5.b - Design authentic learning activities aligned with content area standards and use digital tools and resources to maximize active, deep learning.
- 2.5.c - Explore and apply instructional design principles to create innovative digital learning environments that engage and support learning.
2.6 Facilitator
- 2.6.a - Foster a culture where students take ownership of their learning goals and outcomes in independent and group settings. 2.6.b - Manage the use of technology and student learning strategies in digital platforms, virtual environments, hands-on makerspaces or in the field.
- 2.6.b - Manage the use of technology and student learning strategies in digital platforms, virtual environments, hands-on makerspaces or in the field.
- 2.6.c - Create learning opportunities that challenge students to use a design process and computational thinking to innovate and solve problems.
- 2.6.d - Model and nurture creativity and creative expression to communicate ideas, knowledge, or connections.
2.7 Analyst
- 2.7.a - Provide alternative ways for students to demonstrate competency and reflect on their learning using technology.
- 2.7.b - Use technology to design and implement a variety of formative and summative assessments that accommodate learner needs, provide timely feedback to students and inform instruction.

Evidence Review

Candidates interested in earning this microcredential must submit three pieces of evidence: one piece related to learning, one related to implementing, and one related to reflecting.

When you are ready for your evidence review, submit your pieces of evidence for feedback from a qualified instructor.

Learning

In this first of three sections, you will learn about preparing yourself (and your classroom) for gaming and how to choose a digital game.

Required Resources

The use of educational gaming has risen significantly in past years. This use, however, for the most part, has been concentrated on game consumption. This is the idea that students play existing commercial or educational games. While this use is important, educational gaming also includes opportunities for game design, gamification, game modding, and the purpose of this microcredential, game production. To begin this microcredential, you will read about various studies that have shown the potential of game design by students.
You may or may not be familiar with reading academic articles. If reading academic research is new to you, be patient as you read through. In this case, mostly pay careful attention to the section that is titled “Benefits of Constructionist Gaming.” Look for the personal, social, and cultural benefits of teaching children to design and develop games. Read the article and look for:
- What are some positive outcomes of using game development or production in the classroom?
- What are some best practices mentioned to address some of the challenges?
- As you think about implementing game production in your classroom, what are some things that you will have to pay attention to?

Resources

Research materials
- Kafai, Y. B., & Burke, Q. (2015). . Educational Psychologist, 50(4), 313-334

Required Evidence

Submit a 1-2 page reflection on what you learned from Kafai & Burke (2015). Specifically, consider two questions: First, what are the benefits of using game development and programming (as constructionist gaming) for students? Second, are there any strategies you learned in thinking about those benefits?
Formatting – One to two pages maximum; double-spaced, no smaller than 11pt font.
Use references to support your claims. References do not count towards the 1-2 page minimum/maximum. Any format for references is allowed, but APA is preferred.

Evidence Review Criteria

Criterion 1: Educators will be able to demonstrate an understanding of the benefits of game production (constructionist gaming).

Implementing

In this second of three sections, you will do your own game production.

Required Resources

For ease of description, game production could be broken down into three categories. The first is game coding sites that teach you how to make games while they teach you how to code. The second would be programs that are a little less structured but still have specific guidelines and tools used to help develop games. The third group is tools that generally require expert coders; this category contains development tools and a free range of development options. While this generalization is quite broad, you will often find that the levels progress as does the age or grade levels (i.e., level 1 in elementary grades).
Not included in this list are games that allow you to create levels within the existing game (e.g., Minecraft).
Your goal is to pick one of the game development resources and develop a game.
- The game you develop does not need to be a full, working game. It can be a prototype of the game.
- You could easily develop the game you designed in the Game Design microcredential.
- The game you develop will be somewhat shaped by the level you choose. For instance, if you pick a Level 1 programming tool, you may be limited by the game they ask you to build.
- Game development tools were chosen for their ease of use and free access. You may choose a game development tool you or your district can access that is not listed here (e.g., paid software subscriptions).

Selected Resources

Level 1
- FreeCodeCamp -
- FreeCodeCamp -
Level 2
Level 3
Common Sense Education list of
TechJockey -

Required Evidence

Pick one of the game development tools listed in the Resources section (or use one of your own).
Complete your own game (or some portion of your game) OR complete the requirements that are stated in the game development tool. For instance, if you are using Scratch to develop your own game, complete your game and/or a portion of the game. If, however, you are using Code.org to complete a set curriculum, then complete those tasks.
Evidence of successful completion must be a document in Word or PDF format that contains either:
- A description of the game you created (with the intended audience) and a URL to your game creation (with public access)
  
  OR
- A description of what you completed with screenshots of completing your activities.
There are no length or format requirements.

Evidence Review Criteria

Criterion 1: Educators will present evidence of the creation of a game, a portion of a game, or the completion of set game curricula on a Level 1 website.

Reflecting

In this final of three sections, you will reflect upon your experiences in this microcredential.

Required Resources

If you are new to writing reflections and/or this is your first microcredential, please visit at least one of the additional resources.

Additional Resources

EduBirdie -
Trent University –

Required Evidence

This activity is designed to get you, as an educator, to explore game production. But the overarching goal is for you to reflect on how you might consider using game production with your students.
Review:
- Jon Spike -
- The
Reflect on what you learned during game production. Specifically, focus on:
- What went well? What areas needed work?
- Do you think you would pick the same activity for students to complete?
- Plan game production for the classroom. Talk about areas you might want to introduce this into. Talk about how this might be integrated into content areas, not just as a separate activity.
Formatting – One to two pages maximum; double-spaced, no smaller than 11pt font.
No references are required.

Evidence Review Criteria

Criterion 1: Educators will be able to demonstrate thoughtful reflection on their learning experiences.

Questions?

Email pd@kent.edu.

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