Teaching "Creating Games"

Looking up at the dark, nighttime New Hampshire sky, a friend once told me that learning the names of the constellations would take away the “magic” of that sky.

Two students in my first year student seminar called “Why Do People Believe Weird Things?” told me that they were glad that they had learned how to evaluate arguments but they hadn’t expected the class to be so “serious”.

These two conversations come to mind as I prepare to teach a general education class called “Creating Games”. The class will be “serious” in the sense that the students will have to reflect on their experiences with games to try to figure out what makes a game work. I think this reflection will add to the “magic” of games but I know that a lot of people will disagree. One of my main goals in this class will be to get students to see that thoughtful examination of a game and its mechanics can enhance our enjoyment of that game. The last thing I want to do is make students feel as though we are taking the fun out of playing games.

I wonder what other folks do to ensure that the process of education adds to the enjoyment of gaming.

Cathie LeBlanc