Portfolio of games developed by schools
In this section each school provides extensive information about their game implementation including; the story, the challenges, the plot, and the game play.
Teachers and cultural workers participated in defining the learning objectives, type of game (e.g. competitive, collaborative, role play, simulation), content, assessment, feedback and levels of difficulty. Parents have been involved in contributing ‘stories’ and content relevant to their localities. Teachers received extensive support in the early stages of implementing and testing the games platform, following initial training at summer schools.
The nature of the games resulted from the particular needs of the curriculum, but eMapps.com encouraged activity outside the traditional classroom. The pedagogical matrix is included in the description. Several different content games of varying complexity have been developed and updated, based upon eMapps platform, leading to the creation of generic and local Games Portfolios capable of adaptation by teachers.
The approach taken to games development was scenario-based and iterative, building on experience from each experimental ‘release’ in real world test environments. Content created by children and teachers was positioned, where possible on a multilayered map, then enriched with new content which enabled subsequent development of the game itself. The objects uploaded can be seen in Game Desk. (See Game portfolio under Games Toolkit menu)
eMapps.com platform supported the development of a number of game types drawn from popular genres such as: adventure/quest; simulation; race games; maze games; edutainment activities; creative model building; and shooting/arcade games. The concept involves adding or retrieving information reflecting the cultural diversity - the traditions, stories, music, monuments and languages - of the participating countries and regions through time-specific map-based screen displays.