Computer coding course uses video game as hook
Grade 8 students learn to work as team and get taste of possible career choices
I would never do such a thing again. It destroyed my family and I truly apologize from the bottom of my heart
JAMAL BAKURIDZE
Students looking for an easy credit or an opportunity to play video games during class are in for a surprise when they take Dave Clampitt’s game design course.
“There’s a lot of kids who come in, they’re like, ‘Yeah I love playing video games, let’s see what they’re like,’ and then they get in here and they go, ‘Oh, that’s actually a lot of work,’” said Clampitt.
The game design course is one of the career-oriented programs offered at Campus Regina Public, which high school students in the Regina Public School division can attend.
However, the middle-level practical and applied arts program also allows Grade 8 students to spend five days learning the basics of computer programming.
A lot of Clampitt’s students are gamers, but it’s not a prerequisite. Neither is programming. One of his students had no prior knowledge about computers.
“She came in and by the end of the semester she was actually the lead programmer in her team,” said Clampitt.
Clampitt’s Grade 8s build a game together using a program called Multimedia Fusion. After they build the base game, students start building their own levels.
When teaching his students, Clampitt compares programming to making up a game on the playground.
You have to tell the person you’re playing with all the rules, except in this case you’re telling the computer.
Emily Sykes, one of Clampitt’s students from Jack Mackenzie Elementary School, isn’t a huge fan of video games, but still sees value in what she’s learning given her interest in computers.
“I’m learning a lot about how there have been designers online who have done this kind of thing, and it’s cool to think about that and how this is kind of art in that sense,” said Sykes.
Yuval Glozman’s love of video games motivated him to take the course.
His current favourite is the popular multiplayer game Player Unknown’s Battlegrounds.
While programming a game can be challenging, Glozman is persistent. “I see it as a more of a test, and if it doesn’t work keep going. Keep trying,” said Glozman.
After he learns the basics, Glozman hopes he can start making some games by himself.
The course is just an introduction to programming, but Clampitt believes students should be getting much more exposure to computer science.
Right now the only exposure kids get to programming is through elective high school courses.
He’s been working with organizations to try to raise awareness of programming becoming an essential skill in today’s society.
“It needs to become a core subject,” said Clampitt.
Just like English, math, social studies and science,” he continued.
Programming isn’t just a geeky hobby anymore. It’s now part of fields such as health care and agriculture.
“It’s becoming more and more prevalent in just about every industry that you need to understand how computers work and how to instruct them and work with them,” said Clampitt.
Clampitt also wants students to know they don’t have to leave Saskatchewan to make games. He used Jared Moldenhauer as an example, who was a lead designer on the hit video game Cuphead while working out of his home in Regina.
“A lot of kids think that to make it in computer science you have to leave Regina, which really isn’t true anymore,” said Clampitt.