Introduction to Game Programming Tami Moore
Syllabus, Expectations & Classroom Management
Tami Moore
This class is part of an articulation agreement with Norco Community College -- NCC (which is part of the Riverside Community College District). Students earning the final grade of an “A” or a “B” will receive 3 articulated college credit for course GAM 50 from Norco CC, transferable to most colleges and universities.
NAME OF COURSE: Introduction to Game Programming
DEPARTMENT: Business
CREDENTIAL REQUIRED: Single Subject Business, Computers, or IT
GRADE LEVEL: 9-12
RECOMMENDED PREREQUISITE: None
CREDITS: 5
LENGTH: Semester
LECTURE & LAB HOURS: 90
COURSE CONTENT:
A first course in programming for games stressing fundamental programming principles. Students are introduced to computer programming logic with hands on game development projects using an industry standard game engine. This course will cover the logic structures and design paradigms that allow for fundamental interactions in a visual and object oriented environment.
COURSE MATERIALS &SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIALS:
Possible Textbooks, used as reference
· Creighton, Ryan Henson.Unity 3D Game Development by Example Beginner's Guide. 1st ed. Packt Publishing, 2010.
· Goldstone, Will.Unity 3.x Game Development Essentials. 2nd ed. Packt Publishing, 2011.
OUTCOMES: All students will be expected to excel and perform to the best of their abilities in my classroom. Students will be given multiple ways of learning to accomplish their academic goals.
Revised 1/2017
Introduction to Game Programming Tami Moore
GRADING SCALE:
90-100% A
80-89 B
70-79 C
60-69 D
Under 59 F
Class Participation 30%
Classwork 55%
Final Exam/Project 15% & Photoshop Certification)
Total possible 100%
Note: Class Participation includes participation, being on task and citizenship.
Revised 1/2017
Introduction to Game Programming Tami Moore
STUDENT EXPECTATIONS
• Attendance: You cannot do well in school if you are not here SO be in class and be on time!
• Attitude: Have a Good Attitude. Don't let a bad day make you grumpy.
• Respect: You are expected to respect yourself, each other and the teacher. It is important that you respect the ideas of others. Be polite. Engage in your own learning process.
• Classroom & Homework Assignments: Complete assignments correctly, accurately, and on time. Most work will be done in the classroom, but it is homework if it is not finished during class. Your completed written assignments must include your name, date and period of the assignment. Work will not be graded if there is no name on it. If you do not finish your assignment in class it will be assigned as homework and will be due the next class meeting. Homework is due at the beginning of class. If you do not have a computer at home you can use a computer in the library or make arrangements to come in the classroom during lunch or after school. Computer based projects and assignments must be saved correctly and files named as follows: Period_LastName_FirstName_AssignmentName
• Keep Your Work! Do not throw away your papers. If you have any disagreement in your grade you must have your work to back up your grade. All papers received will be marked with a grade, special stamp or a check mark.
• Progress & Grade Info: I can provide parents with a detailed progress report at any time upon request via e-mail. You can also go to the Q Portal.
• Absences: If you miss one class session, you have until the next class meeting to make up the work unless you have special circumstances. If you miss more than one day, or if you have an extended absence, please see me for details on your makeup work. You are responsible for finding out what you missed when you are absent. It is your responsibility to make up your work and to request missed work. All work, including journals, must be made up even if you are absent.
• Test Make up: If you are absent it is your responsibility to make arrangements with me to set a test makeup date outside of regular class time. Tests must be made up within a reasonable time frame and cannot be made up during regular class time.
• Extra Credit. Extra credit assignments/projects will be available throughout the year. Extra credit will range in points depending on the assignment. Extra credit is assigned as an EXTRA category on Q and is graded by the grading program.
• Bathroom Passes: Students will be issued 3 bathroom passes per quarter. If there is a constant request to go to the bathroom a call home will be made. If a student has a special need for additional restroom privileges please let me know – you must communicate with me.
• Grading: Your grade will be determined based upon tests, daily assignments, class participation and projects. There will be section quizzes/tests to cover assigned material. Quizzes will be given at the discretion of the teacher. Each assignment will receive a point value.
• Composition Books/Journals: o Journal writing is incorporated into this class to promote and improve upon language arts proficiencies (writing and critical thinking skills) in order to expand upon the common core State Standards.
o Journal topics will be assigned normally at the start of every class period. 5 minutes will be allocated to reflect on the journal topic and write a minimum of 3 sentences per journal entry per day. This grade is reflected in your daily activities grade. Please take this writing exercise seriously. Journals will be collected approximately every 3 to 4 weeks. You will be given prior notice to the collection of the journals.
o Additionally, these books will be used for note taking during class lessons and a variety of other activities such as story boarding and idea generation.
• Citizenship marks: This is a reflection of your teacher’s impression of the general behavior, attitudes, values, and habits of the student’s ability to participate in a democratic society in the classroom on a daily basis. The citizenship grade measures personal qualities as they pertain to behavior in the classroom and they measure personal qualities of the student as observed in the classroom setting. The standards are as follows: Excellent -- Is an outstanding citizen; Satisfactory -- Meets citizenship standards; Needs to improve -- citizenship standards are below average and Unsatisfactory is below or fails to meet citizenship requirements.
CLASSROOM POLICIES:
• NO FOOD, DRINKS OR GUM are allowed in the classroom. This is a computer lab and must be working. Please take this standard seriously or there will be consequences.
• Backpacks must be kept on the counter on the south side of the room for safety reasons. This will eliminate them blocking the aisles and becoming entangled in the wiring for the computers and thus eliminating damage or hazards to computer equipment.
• Materials or books that are not related to this classroom are not allowed. Students must do other class work in that class and may not use this class as an Internet Research/Study Hall.
• Be in your assigned seat and ready to work when the tardy bell rings.
• Keep hands feet, and objects to yourself and no sleeping in class.
• Follow the teacher’s directions.
• Follow all school rules.
• Be polite and respectful to others. No profanity, put downs, or other disrespectful behavior directed to the teacher or classmates will be tolerated.
CHOOSE NOT TO LISTEN TO THE RULES???
No warnings will be given. Offenses will be treated as follows:
• FIRST OFFENSE: Zero on class work or homework assignment that day, detention served, or other action decided upon by the teacher.
• SECOND OFFENSE: School detention issued or other action decided upon by the teacher.
• THIRD OFFENSE: School detention, parent letter and/or phone call home describing offenses, or other action decided upon by the teacher.
• FOURTH OFFENSE: To be decided by teacher and assistant principal cooperatively.
EQUIPMENT & COMPUTER LAB POLICY
Our computer lab has desktop computers, accessories, and flat screen monitors. To protect and preserve its life spans, the following policy for the use of technology in this classroom has been adopted. Even the class is not computer based, you and your parents must still sign this form before you will be allowed to sit near and/or use a computer following the second week of class.
EVERY DAY, each student upon entry into the classroom AND prior to departure must evaluate the condition of his/her area by determining:
If the necessary books assigned to location are present.
If electronic equipment is functioning properly.
If the condition/cleanliness of the equipment is appropriate.
If the area is clean - without trash, without desk vandalism, etc.
In addition:
• Students are responsible for good behavior on the computers/Internet. General school rules for behavior and communications apply. The internet is a privilege not a right. You may not use it for work for another class or to check e-mail in class. You are not to be on internet sites deemed inappropriate or that do not relate to this class! The Internet is available to all students unless the parent asks to opt out.
• Network storage areas are to be treated like school lockers. Network administrators may review files and communications to maintain system integrity and ensure that users are using the system responsibility. Users should not expect that files or use will be private.
• The following are not permitted and considered unauthorized uses of the technological equipment:
· “Playing” games during academic instruction
· Surfing internet during academic instruction time periods without authorization
· Sending or displaying offensive messages or pictures
· Using obscene language, harassing, insulting, or attacking others
· Damaging computers, computer systems, or computers networks
· Do not stick objects into the computer drives or play with various buttons on the computer/monitor.
· Violating copyright laws
· Using another’s password
· Trespassing in another’s folders, work, files
· Stealing another’s work
· Cheating by accepting/turning in another’s work
· Intentionally wasting limited resources, including use of E-Mail, Instant Messaging services, “chain letters” and messaged broadcasted to mailing lists or individuals
· Employing network for personal and/or commercial purposes
· Revealing personal address or phone number of yourself or any other person without permission from you instructor
• Do not bring your own software programs, or flash drives to class except to save work. All work is to be stored on the server.
• Computers are to be used for class assignments only.
• Students must inform the teacher immediately if the security system is not working on the computer.
• All work is to be saved to the designated location. Students are expected to learn to save their work properly.
• Students must inform the teacher immediately if they see any signs of vandalism on their computer when they come to class. This includes any marks, adjustments or breakage on the computer. Students must bring this information to the teacher’s attention at the start of class.
• Computers must be “logged off” properly every class session, every day.
• Work areas must be left clean at the end of the period.
• Under no circumstances is food, drinks (except water) or gum allowed in the lab area. All water bottles must remain on the south counters at all times.
• If students misuse the computer (such as playing games) and misuse the Internet during class time e.g. surfing Internet – other class work such as unauthorized use of the computer/Internet that does not pertain to the class or personal e-mail) it is possible that they may not be allowed to use the computer, receive a detention, and/or will be referred to the assistant principal if the misuse continues or is a severe offense.
• Violations may result in loss of access as well as financial assessment and other disciplinary or legal actions.
• Obligations will be issued to individuals where damage can be assessed appropriately. When origination of damage cannot be assessed, stations (the day’s users for a particular unit) will split the obligation/replacement cost.
It should be highly emphasized that students should follow the above procedures to avoid sharing the blame for damage. Since I will not be examining all the equipment between every class, it is imperative that you (your child) discover “issues”, bringing them to my attention before I discover them.
COURSE OUTLINE:
1. Integrated Development Environments
a. User Interface and Layout
b. Build Process and Workflow
c. Design Principles and Paradigms
2. Game Development Basics
a. Primitive Placeholder Objects
b. Materials and Textures
c. Game Space
d. Compile Time vs. Runtime
3. Object Oriented Programming
a. Object Oriented Programming Paradigm
b. Components
c. Attributes
d. Inheritance
4. Variables and Data Types
a. Primitive Data Types
b. Custom / Complex Data Types
c. Variable Declaration
d. Variable Initialization
e. Variable Scope
f. Static Variables
g. Enums
5. Logic Structures and Operators
a. Conditionals
b. Looping Structures
c. Operators
6. Functions
a. Parameters and Arguments
b. Return Statements
c. Passing by Value
d. Passing by Reference
e. Recursion
7. Game Engine Architecture
a. General Processing
b. Graphics and Rendering
c. Physics
d. Input
8. Object Communication
Revised 1/2017
Introduction to Game Programming Tami Moore
STUDENT OUTCOMES:
Upon successful completion of the course, students should be able to:
· Apply the principles of logical programming concepts to develop specific solutions for game development.
· Write functional scripts which interact with a game engine to facilitate user input, player movement and in game physics.
· Demonstrate fundamental programming techniques through visual game development.
· Construct meaningful relationships between simulated game objects to facilitate contextual relationships.
Please READ THE SYLLABUS, complete the bottom portion of this page and return this document by the next class meeting. Complete version of the syllabus can be found on my web page, via the school site.