Creating a Game Development Course Using Teaching Contextually and Situated Learning Theories

Abstract

This capstone project endeavored to create a course curriculum designed to instruct intermediate level college students on how to develop a video game. This project was built upon the idea that students have a fundamental understanding of video games and an interest in furthering their skill sets in game creation. The design and development created draws inspiration from the theories of Teaching Contextually and Situated Learning. The objectives of this project were to gain experience producing teaching materials, motivating students, creating an engaging classroom discussion, learning how to implement gamification, and refining my own career ambitions. These objectives have allowed this project to serve as a future reference when developing course materials, as well as help minimize potential challenges involving course assembly. Furthermore, this project has provided insights into the advantages and disadvantages of using a course structure based around the theories of Teaching Contextually and Situated Learning. The project can be found at this URL link below: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1aJ0YNrGgNqNc7oCzpa-itjBcgejh4r1S?usp=sharing Here are the key takeaways from this project. Applying theories into the course material facilitates student learning. Contributing factors to student engagement are time, interest, and willingness. Implementing drastically new teaching methods too quickly reduces learning effectiveness. The teaching profession has many facets that influence the learning environment.