AED 811: CyberGame Pedagogy

ALICE Virtual Setting

Teacher: Eleanor Voyvodich

Grade: 7th Grade

Lesson Length: 5 Days, 45 Minutes Each

Essential Questions:

What is game design?

Where have you seen/used/expereinced this kind of animation?

How did you create your setting?

How is game design and programming applicable for real world purposes and careers?

Theme/Big Idea: 3D design and Setting a virtual scene

Rationale: 21st century students love computer media, especially video games. Learning through gaming has large implications for students to apply design and programming skills to an increasingly dependent digital world which they are essential to being a contributing part of. This kind of non-traditional learning is a refreshing break from the standard format of the classroom while students find joy in learning, teaching, and demonstrating competency through assessment. The ALICE platform is educational and much safer from other online programs that are more prone to inappropriate use and experiences for children.

Learning Objectives:

Students will be explicitly taught via ALICE tutorials and be able to demonstrate how to place, resize, and move 3D game objects. In this lesson, they will be imagining, inventing, designing, and editing the setting for a scene in a virtual gaming/educational program called ALICE. Students who excel with the scene setting lesson will be permitted to escalate their skills by self-teaching and practicing basic programming skills with the characters and objects within their scene, customizing what their scene already has by manipulating presets and possibly adding animation. Students will understand that the ALICE platform can be potentially used to create stories, games, and quests that come with a great bit of experience and practice.

Materials Needed for the Lesson:

-20 Computers equipped with keyboards/mouses and compatible with ALICE Software

-Headphones

-ALICE installed on computer fleet

-Reference tutorial videos@ Alice.org

-Jump drives to store work, possibly take home for enrichment and experimentation

-Project Rubric

References Consulted

http://www.alice.org/resources/lessons/building-a-scene/

http://www.alice.org/resources/lessons/programming-in-alice/

Lesson Procedures

Starting the Lesson
Introduce lesson by having students brainstorm a recent game they have played or loved and WHERE it took place. Have students share their experienced virtual worlds.(Sequential Restorative circle share).
Students are prompted to discuss what game/3d design/animation means to them (non-sequential circle share).
Introduce careers and artists that use 3d design, programming, and animation skills.
Shezad Dawood uses VR to have viewers immerse themselves in his world that are based on real geographic locations (https://youtu.be/FJEOk-PbTvU)
Elizabeth Edwards makes extremely vibrant virtual worlds that have extreme detail (https://skfb.ly/VHEL)

Introduce the ALICE program and explain how it will help them build a 3D world of their own.

Distribute and explain rubric and expectations for project
I do, we do, You do
Students watch each tutorial from their computer station and see teacher perform task.
Create new scene
Switch between editors
Save game to jump drive/load game
Add object
Undo
position object
scale object
Turn/rotate object
Use/change camera view
Manipulate joints
We will ______ objects/views.
Students try on their own.
Monitor student's pace, assist as needed, and repeat.
Ending the Lesson

Students save their starting camera view in order to share their virtual world with classmates.
Talk about the outcome of their virtual scenes and how they came out differently/similar. Talk about obstacles. Talk about good technique and successes with each setting. (Circle non-sequential)
End with essential questions being asked and reflected on in writing.

Lesson Sequence

Day 1:

20 minutes circle

15 minute introduction

10 min getting signed up, and picking a background

Day 2:

10 min switch between editors and save progress

5 min add object and undo

5 min position object

5 minute scale object

10 minute turn/rotate object

5 minute finalize and save progress

Day 3:

5 minute find and load project

15 minutes changing and navigating with camera views (reveals a lot of edits needed)

15 mins manipulate joints

10 minutes save and export project

Day 4:

45 mins Experimentation and enrichment

Day 5:

10 minute for final touches

25 minute critique from circle

10 minute written reflection on essential questions and critique questions

Assessment of Student Learning:

To assess student learning, students will be graded on a standard rubric that seeks effort, quality, Elements and Principles, and Technical requirements (see jpeg below). Formative assessments through questioning, discussion, and critique in restorative circles will inform student beginning perspective and growth. The written project evaluation will examine the student’s grasp on the concept of 3d design, virtual worlds, design technique, and reflective self-critique.