GAME-MAKING SESSION REPORT
1. Check the guidelines for classroom observation practice
2. Read through this monitoring report before the class session to remind yourself what aspects are of interest. Add your own indicators if you wish. Have a copy of the report on hand at the session so you can refer to it.
3. Monitor the class sessions using your own log-sheet.
4. After the session, use the data in your log to compile this report. Please use the file rather than a pen &paper version. Reporting is best done immediately after the session when impressions are fresh in your mind and you recall things that you may not have managed to log.
5. Later on, read back through the report to see if your impressions have changed or if you’ve remembered anything you want to add.
6. Save your report on dropbox with a version number. If you want to change it sometime later, either generate a new file or add your changes in revision mode; in both cases attribute a new version number.
Some comments
They didn’t face any difficulty in operating computers. Moreover, they are adolescents, so they are more mature and cognitively advanced. Thus, they focused on given topics and the level of difficulty of the designed game.
Monitor’s name: Katerina (English teacher)
Group ID: The whole class
Group’s profile (representativeness of whole class regarding abilities, aptitudes, attitudes, etc.)
Mix socioeconomic level. Pupils are all computer literate and advanced English learners.
Members: 20 pupils
Class: 1st Grade of Junior High School
Location: 2nd Junior High School of Nikaia (Piraeus).
Date: 13/5/2014
1. Game idea
Were the students set a game-making task/goal? How did the main game idea emerge within the group?All the topics were proposed by the teacher and pupils chose the one randomly. The topics were already taught in classroom the whole academic year. This activity played a revision role.
To help you verify this, look out for the following indicators; simply tick the ones that occur or mark the number of times they occur.
indicators / no / rarely / moderately / often / v oftenproposed by one student / ü
negotiated jointly / ü
developed through exploration / ü
inspired by a model/example / ü
copied from another group / ü / ü
other ______
2. Collaboration
Did the children collaborate during the game making session?
no / rarely / moderately / often / v oftenü
To help you verify this, look out for the following indicators; simply tick the ones that occur or mark the number of times they occur.
indicators / no / rarely / moderately / often / v oftendiscussion / ü
negotiation / ü
working together / ü
mutual support/encouragement / ü
seeking and/or accepting peer feedback / ü
other ______
Write any comment, event or situation supporting your observation
The group was very energetic and enthusiastic during the programme implementation. All the student were very supportive to one another and enjoyed it greatly.3. Engagement
Were the children engaged during the game making session?
no / rarely / moderately / often / v oftenü
To help you verify this, look out for the following indicators; simply tick the ones that occur or mark the number of times they occur.
indicators / no / rarely / moderately / often / v oftenindividuals physically staying together with their group unit / ü
individuals actively participating / ü
all group members actively participating (no inactive members) / ü
concentrating / ü
reacting positively / ü
other ______
Write any comment, event or situation supporting your observation
Due to the fact that the level of English language was advanced the pupils didn’t require any help or clarification. However, they designed their games in Greek.4. Motivation
Were the children motivated?
no / rarely / moderately / often / v oftenü
To help you verify this, look out for the following indicators; simply tick the ones that occur or mark the number of times they occur.
indicators / no / rarely / moderately / often / v oftenInterest in continuing with game making in class / ü
Interest in continuing with game making out of class / ü
Interest in game ranks or awards / ü
Interest in dissemination of games / ü
other ______
Write any comment, event or situation supporting your observation
Our pupils were easily motivated by the beautiful sceneries of the Magos backgrounds but they preferred to have an easily accessible picture database.5. Problem solving[i]
Were problem solving skills and strategies apparent in the session? These may regard processes, tools, products.
no / rarely / moderately / often / v oftenü
To help you verify this, look out for the following indicators; simply tick the ones that occur or mark the number of times they occur.
indicators / no / rarely / moderately / often / v oftendiscussion / ü
Recognise and define problem/s
including constraints or obstacles encounteredwithprocesses, tools, products / ü
Reflect on and develop solution strategy
e.g. forward planning, hypothesis forming,decision-making procedure, etc. / ü
Gather and analyse ideas / data
e.g.brainstorming,problemdecomposition,analysis of overall game, seeking root cause, inference forming / ü
Consider/try alternatives
e.g. adopt a previous solution, out-of-the-box thinking, transform into previously-solved problem, trial-and-error / ü
Evaluation of implemented solution
e.g. assess result, reconsider strategy, refine solution / ü
other ______
Write any comment, event or situation supporting your observation
6. Creativity[ii]
Was creativity apparent in the session? This may regard attitudes, processes and products.
no / rarely / moderately / often / v oftenü
To help you verify this, look out for the following tentative indicators (these are suggestions and not intended as precise markers). Simply tick the ones that occur or mark the number of times they occur.
indicators / no / rarely / moderately / often / v oftenAttention to game’s aesthetic appeal and potential to engage
e.g. game description , background elements, theme approach to choice of elements / ü
seek to put a personal stamp on game
e.g. generate and integrate novel ideas and solutions in mission / ü
make original / unforeseen connections
e.g. integration of elements and mission / ü
deal with conditions, constraints & problems in unorthodox / imaginative manner
e.g. seek/identify alternatives, brainstorm and cross-fertilize ideas / ü
Propose or implement solution that goes beyond set task
e.g. ambitious mission that pushes boundaries of assigned theme or system possibilities / ü
Other ______
Write any comment, event or situation supporting your observation
If the level of difficulty of the game had been more advanced the pupils would have been more creative.7. ICT Literacy[iii]
Were ICT literacy skills apparent in the session? These may regard attitudes, processes and products.
no / rarely / moderately / often / v oftenü
To help you verify this, look out for the following indicators; simply tick the ones that occur or mark the number of times they occur.
indicators / no / rarely / moderately / often / v oftenUnderstand technological environment
e.g. explore environment, explore & use functions, identify limits & constraints, draw on help appropriately / ü
Use technology productively
e.g. select appropriate functions & features, appreciate and exploit affordances, deal with limits & constraints, produce playable game / ü
Apply existing ICT knowledge
e.g. make comparison with other applications & functions, display familiarity & confidence in environment / ü
Apply versioning to game making
e.g. troubleshoot game on-the-fly, integrate feedback, refine intermediate versions / ü
Demonstrate design thinking
e.g. assume player’s viewpoint in game design, evaluation and revision; consider, plan & reflect on global design/production process / ü
other ______
Write any comment, event or situation supporting your observation
8. Practitioner interaction with pupil group
Was practitioner/pupil interaction fluid and fruitful?
no / rarely / moderately / often / v oftenü
To help you verify this, look out for the following indicators; simply tick the ones that occur or mark the number of times they occur.
indicators / no / rarely / moderately / often / v oftenGroup (member) proactively sought:
… practitioner’s support for game making task / ü
… practitioner’s help with the digital environment / ü
… practitioner’s mediation in group collaboration or engagement / ü
… practitioner’s encouragement, recognition, praise, etc. / ü
… interaction at ‘peer’ level with practitioner input regarded critically / ü
Teacher intervened:
… to offer suggestions about game making task / ü
… to help with using the digital environment / ü
… to mediate group collaboration or engagement / ü
… stimulate, encourage, offer recognition / praise, etc. / ü
… more as a ‘peer’ than as an authority figure / ü
other ______
Write any relevant comment, event or situation
9. Further observations or notes (including comments on the monitoring process and report)
The pupils loved the activity, the idea, the sceneries, the variety of colours and heroes.However, due to the maturity of the pupils some of them got bored rather quickly.
3
[i]problem-solving
- the ‘problem-solving cycle’ (Bransford& Stein, 1993);
- Frensch, P. A., & Funke, J. (Eds.). (1995).
- Complex problem solving: The European perspective. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates;
- International Society For Technology In Education – National Educational Technology Standards (Nets) Profiles For Technology (ICT) Literate Students
- Problem Solving for Tomorrow’s World - First Measures of Cross-Curricular Competencies from PISA 2003 (OECD)
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[ii]Creativity
- Cropley, Creativity in Education and Learning, London: Kogan Page, 2001
- T. Amabile, Creativity in context: Update to the social psychology of creativity, Boulder, CO: Westview Press, pp. 35-36, 1996.
- J.A. Plucker, R.A. Beghetto, Why creativity is domain general, why it looks domain specific, and why the distinction doesn’t matter, Creativity: From potential to realization, ed. R. J. Sternberg, E. L. Grigorenko, and J. L. Singer, 153-68, Washington, DC: American Psychological Association, 2004.
- E. Villalba, Computer-based Assessment and the Measurement of Creativity in Education. In The Transition to Computer-Based Assessment. New Approaches to Skills Assessment and Implications for Large-scale TestingFriedrich Scheuermann& Julius Björnsson (Eds.)European Communities, 2009.
- NACCCE, All Our Futures: Creativity, Culture and Education , Report to the Secretary of State for Education and Employment the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, UK, 1999.
- F. Frossard, M. Barajas, S. Alcaraz-DomÌnguez, A. Trifonova and J. Quintana (2011). GBL Design for Enhancing Creativity in the Classroom. In Games and Creativity in Education and Training. Barajas, Trifonova, Delli Veneri, Frossard, Mellini (Eds.). Fridericiana Editrice Universitaria. ISBN: 978-88-8338-117-1
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[iii]ICT literacy
- Ferrari, A. (2012). Digital Competence in practice: An analysis of frameworks. Seville: JRC-IPTS; International Society For Technology In Education – National Educational Technology Standards (Nets) Profiles For Technology (ICT) Literate Students