Interweaving Game Design into Core CS Curriculum

Computer Science departments across the country have embraced computer gaming classes as part of the core curriculum. However, instructors need to define guidelines that accommodate students’ proficiency in game development and consequently address the growing needs of industry. We develop and evaluate a Game Authoring Class in an attempt to begin to close the gap between industry and academia. Learning objectives include students applying game development concepts to implementation of 2D and 3D games for multiple platforms. Subsequently, we evaluate the course based on two factors: formal assessment of students’ understanding of game design principles and students’ perceived learning. The results of our evaluation serve as the basis for establishing effective pedagogical strategies for game development curriculum.