Courses

I am enrolled in the Learning, Design and Technology Masters program. LDT is a cross disciplinary program incorporating subjects in education, mechanical engineering, computer science, design, art, and communication. We are required to complete 45 course units, a masters project, a portfolio and an internship.

My focus is on video game design for adult learners. I am particulary interested in developing skills to design, evaluate and prototype learning games. View my list of courses, conferences and tools.


Course Plan

Autumn Quarter
September 25 - December 15, 2005

  • Conversational Chinese (Chinlang6)
  • Analyzing Functions and Needs in Learning Environments (ED333a)
  • Interactive Media in Education (ED106)
  • Seminar in Learning, Design and Technology (ED229a)
  • Human Values and Innovation in Design (ME313)
  • Supervised Internship (ED380)

Winter Quarter
January 9 - March 23, 2006

  • Conversational Chinese (Chinlang7)
  • Supervised Internship (ED380) - Shaba Games
  • Seminar in Learning, Design and Technology (ED229b)
  • Introduction to Qualitative Research Methods (ED151)
  • Curriculum Construction (ED208b)
  • Advanced Individual Work (STS299) - Henry Lowood (syllabus)

Spring Quarter
April 4 - June 14, 2006

  • Conversational Chinese (Chinlang8)
  • Supervised Internship (ED380) - Shaba Games
  • Seminar in Learning, Design and Technology (ED229c)
  • Online Learning Communities (ED 298)
  • Design Sketching (ME110) - website

 

Summer Quarter
June 27 - August 17

  • Seminar in Learning, Design and Technology (ED229d)
  • Master Project (ED185)
  • ATHLETIC 132 Advanced Beginning Swimming
  • MUSIC 65A Voice Class I
  • CTL 118 Public Speaking: Romacing the Room (audit)
  • Ed 380 Supervised Internship (audit)

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Conferences

I attended several conferences this year including:

 

Other conferences I've read about:

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Tools

A suite of tools I'm exploring in my classes and for my research.

3D Modeling and animation

  • Sketch Up - a rapid 3D drawing tool for prototyping. Access a free trial and free tutorials. Great tool for level designers and game designers that need to communicate.
  • Maya - a 3D modeling and animation tool. Growing popularity among game designers
  • Poser - create life-like human animations. Used to create gestures, animations and dance in Second Life.

Video, Screen Capture, and Editing

  • Camtasia - awesome tool for making tutorials by capturing screens from your PC or webcam. Creates video and audio files.
  • Fraps - good tool for capturing game footage right from your video card.
  • Mac iMovie - great video editing tool on the mac. I use it to convert VHS to DVD.
  • Sony Vegas - professional video capture and editing tool. I use it to capture Playstation 2 footage onto my PC.

 

Game Creation Tools/Engines

  • Neverwinter Nights - an rpg game that comes with it's own editor. Can be used to create educational games.
  • Second Life - not a game but a creation tool to visualize anything you can imagine in this online Multiplayer virtual world.
  • Macromedia Flash - popular 2D tool to design simple online games
  • Virtools - a french engine used to make 3D games from adventure to racing
  • Gamemaker - a simple, free game development tool

Audio

  • Audacity - awesome free tool for capturing video. I use it to make mp3 recordings of my projects.
  • Yamp - tool to compress and convert audio files. I put my mp3s on a diet.

Web design and 2D

 

Voice Recognition