Whizkid Games was created by a group of final year multimedia design students from Swinburne’s Faculty of Design in collaboration with Swinburne’s National eTherapy Centre (NeTC) and Bulleen Heights Autism School.  Whizkid Games aims to help autistic children learn life skills. Focusing on areas such as coping with change, recognising emotions and non-verbal communication, the 16 therapeutic games are themed around everyday activities such as getting dressed, going to school and following a schedule.

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According to the iGEA commissioned 2009 Bond University report, 68 percent of Australians play computer games.  This is a market Ben Kilsby, CEO of simulation company Holopoint Interactive, is keen to address.  Kilsby defines ‘serious gaming’ as the application of video game methodology and technology for “purposes that are not entirely entertainment”.

Describing a generation of non-linear thinkers who are becoming decision makers in the workforce, Kilsby expects a new wave of serious games for training and education.

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Director of information and communication technology (ICT) , Adrian Janson is the man behind the subject.  He is embracing new technology and using the world of gaming to increase engagement amongst students, and is having a bit of fun at the same time.

His Game Design class involves Year 10 students learning how to develop games using C# and XNA (a development platform for the Xbox 360).  Adrian has produced the materials for the class and has also been using some of the materials on the XNA Creator’s Club website, http://creators.xna.com/en-AU/.  Although C# has been challenging for Adrian’s students, they have been highly engaged, programming in a language that they know is used in the industry.

Adrian has eased the learning curve by creating tutorials which take students step by step through the game creation process.  By the end of the semester, students are building simple 2D arcade games with full animation, multimedia and multiplayer features.

Adrian has been teaching programming for 18 years and has been using games in the classroom for about 10.  Whilst he has taught a number of programming languages in that time, this is the first time that he has used tools that have enabled his students to write games for a console.  Having access to tools such as these has created a dynamic classroom environment where students are highly engaged and excited.

Adrian spends time introducing his students to the theory of game design, including discussing a history of the gaming industry and the different genres that exist.  His students have definite ideas as to what makes a good game, with some of them stating the need for a good story and concept, or that the games should be multiplayer so that it’s different every time you play.

Commenting on his elective subject Adrian said:

“In the past, we‘ve used lots of different tools, but there’s always been a disconnect between what we’ve been doing in the classroom and what happens in the industry.  This new class using the Xbox 360 has taken everything to a new level.  It’s not like I’m telling students ‘Ok let’s make a tic-tac-toe game.’  Suddenly, we are doing something legitimate. We’re writing a game for the Xbox 360 – the kids go bananas.”

Adrian’s classes are a great start to a positive future for the games industry with many students considering studying the subject further.  Whilst most of his students came into the class with no programming knowledge they leave with a new found understanding and admiration for the industry.

To read Part One of Laura Parker’s feature, take the jump here.

To read Part Two of Laura Parker’s feature, take the jump here.

To read more of the blog from ABC TV blog click here.

Read the full article by Matthew Peters at GameSpot AU

Games with an educational component

Games with an educational component are a significant part of the Australian market with sales averaging 50,000 units per month. In addition to providing entertainment, there are benefits available to children and adults who play computer and video games in a healthy way.

1. Young children are introduced to technology.
2. Playing games gives practice listening, following direction, solving problems and developing strategies to get around entertaining problems.
3. Fine motor skills and spatial skills are enhanced.
4. Games are an opportunity for children and parents to play together.

Games as educational tools

Games grounded in reality are increasingly used to enhance skills in various fields of employment, without the cost of live training on expensive machinery.
As an example:

1. Pilots use flight simulators for training.
2. Racing car drivers use driving simulators for training.
3. Universities use “Sim City” for educational purposes as it contains a model economy.
4. Town planners use the rendering technologies used in games to model the affect of changes to urban environments.
5. Internet advertising uses mini games to sell new products.
6. Firms including IBM and Nokia use quiz games to test workers knowledge
7. The US Army uses a game as a recruitment tool.
8. Pfizer uses a simulation tool to model its drug development process.
9. Pricewaterhouse Coopers use an elaborate simulation to train auditors.

This is a field story about Video Games Piracy.

Watch the Video on the Good Game website