MS Game Design Learning Coach Guide

Part A:
Welcome to MS Game Design

Welcome Letter

Dear Learning Coach,

Thank you for partnering with CCA and investing in your learner’s education. This Learning Coach Guide is intended to help you support your learner in their MS Game Design course.

Within this guide, you will find the goals, components, and features of the online course. Please take time to read and review this information so you understand how to help your learner interact with all the course’s elements.

The Learning Coach Guide also includes information about each of the units in this course. On each page of unit information, you will discover the following:

• The Unit Overview will tell you what the focus, content, and skills of the unit will be.
• The Unit Assessment section is a place for you and your learner to preview the graded work in the course. At the start of each unit, work with your learner to look at the unit in edio and find out which types of graded work are in this unit. Write them in the box and use it as a checklist. You can check off each one as your learner completes it.
• The Unit Materials section tells you the materials your learner will need to complete the activities in this unit. You will also find the materials list repeated within each lesson, so that your learner has exactly what they need at the right time.
• The Unit Discussion Questions are optional questions that you may want to ask your learner during the unit to increase home and school connections about what your learner is studying.
• In the Unit Notables section, you may find optional activities, career connections, technology tips, ideas to help your learner if they get stuck, or safety tips.

CCA wishes you and your learner a terrific school year!

Supporting Your Learner

Your role as a Learning Coach is very important. Here are a few ways you can help your learner do their very best in the course.

• Help your learner know what time guided or live class instruction is scheduled for, and prompt them to attend sessions or watch recordings.
• Remember, it is okay for your learner to get stuck. Learning new material takes time. Encourage them to take breaks, keep trying, and even ask the teacher for help.
• Help your learner navigate technology. That may mean helping them type information or upload work into edio.
• Always encourage your learner to do their very best.
• Review the course syllabus for your learner’s course.
• Maintain communication with your learner’s teacher.

Part B:
Course Information

Course Goals

In MS Game Design, your learner will be introduced to the world of gaming and their evolution over time. By the end of the year, your learner will be able to:

• explain the history and evolution of video games;
• identify key people in gaming, both past and present;
• differentiate between various game genres;
• explore different roles and careers in the gaming industry;
• investigate the game design process;
• analyze games for elements of game design; and
• construct a playable digital game.

Course Format

Lesson Components:

Each lesson, your learner will spend 45–60 minutes completing a gaming design lesson. Some days may take less time, while other days may take a little more time. The lesson does not need to be completed in one sitting. Encourage your learner to take short breaks as they need.

This section will help you to understand how your learner’s course is structured in edio.

Lesson Bundling:

Within the lesson bundles, there are different components your learner will interact with. These components will not be used every lesson.

1. Getting Started Lesson: There is one Getting Started lesson in this course. It can be found on Day 1 of Unit 1. This lesson includes important information about the course and contact information for your teacher.

2. Unit Overview: Each unit will include a unit overview. This describes what your learner will learn in the unit and how many assessments the unit will have.

3. Prep for Success: At the beginning of each unit, your learner will find a Prep for Success. This component offers learners tips to be successful in the course, such as study tips, important software information, safety reminders, and more.

4. Knowledge Check: There will be one Knowledge Check in each unit. The Knowledge Check is designed to check prior learning and understanding about key skills and concepts that will be taught in the unit. The Knowledge Check is not a graded assessment.

See example below.

Each lesson has its own components to help guide your learner through the lesson.

1. Lesson Overview: At the beginning of every lesson, your learner will see the lesson overview. This section contains lesson objectives, lesson vocabulary, materials your learner will need for the lesson, and the suggested lesson length.

2. Engage: The first section of the lesson is Engage. In this section, learners will be introduced to the lesson by making a connection to past and present knowledge and will get ready for the lesson’s instruction.

3. Discover: New content and instruction is presented in the Discover section. Your learner will interact with the lesson content through defined vocabulary terms, videos, audio, and Pause and Think activities. Your learner will be able to practice and answer questions as they work through the lesson.

4. Show: Learners will demonstrate what they have learned in the lesson through a series of practice questions.

5. Wrap Up: This section recaps the day’s objectives and prepares learners for a future lesson or assessment.

The course includes assignments and projects. These graded assignments allow your learner to show what they have learned and apply their new skills. All CCA assignments and projects include these components.

1. Assessment Overview: At the beginning of each assessment, your learner will see the assessment overview. This section contains the goals of the assessment, materials your learner will need, the length of the assessment, and directions for completion.

2. Plan: In the Plan section, learners will be introduced to the assignment or project. Learners may be provided with a review of content from the previous lessons, strategies for completing the activity, graphic organizers, and grading rubrics.

3. Do: Learners put their plan into action and work to complete the assignment or project successfully. This section also provides the grading expectations and/or rubric the teacher will use to grade the work.

4. Reflect: In Reflect, learners will think about the work they completed. They will reflect upon the experience and analyze how well they completed the task. These moments of reflection are important and allow learners to think about their learning and their work habits.

In addition to assignments and projects, this course also includes quizzes.

Quiz Components:

• Quiz Review: Before a quiz, learners will have the opportunity to review the vocabulary and content that they will be assessed on in a quiz
• Quiz: A quiz may be given at the end of a topic or the end of a unit. Quizzes can include multiple-choice, short-answer, and long-answer questions.

Course Features

This course includes and uses unique features such as:

• Engineering Design Process: The engineering design process includes the steps from identifying a problem through ideas to creating a solution. The steps will be included in many elective courses as you take a hands-on approach to learning.
• Microsoft MakeCode Arcade: In Microsoft MakeCode Arcade, learners will develop programming skills by quickly creating and modifying retro arcade games using block coding and JavaScript coding language in the MakeCode editor.
• Minecraft Education: In this online platform, learners will apply elements and basics of coding through game-based learning in immersive, imaginative worlds.

Part C:
Unit Information

History of Gaming Unit

Unit Overview

In this unit, your learner will explore the history of gaming and its evolution over time.

Your learner will be introduced to the origins of video games, the modern age of gaming, and gaming in the future.

Unit Assessments

Quiz ___________________________

Have your learner identify which assessment type they see in their unit. Check all that apply.

Unit Discussion Questions

How were video games first created?

How do video games of today compare to video games of the past?

What do you think the future of gaming will look like?

Unit Notables

Your learner will gain more insight into the features and game play of early video games by playing Space Wars online.

Kit Materials

none

Household Materials

none

Test ___________________________

Assignment __________________

Project _______________________

Exam _________________________

Unit Overview

In this unit, your learner will explore the history of gaming and its evolution over time.

Your learner will be introduced to the origins of video games, the modern age of gaming, and gaming in the future.

Unit Assessments

Quiz ___________________________

Have your learner identify which assessment type they see in their unit. Check all that apply.

Unit Discussion Questions

How were video games first created?

How do video games of today compare to video games of the past?

What do you think the future of gaming will look like?

Unit Notables

Your learner will gain more insight into the features and game play of early video games by playing Space Wars online.

Kit Materials

none

Household Materials

none

Test ___________________________

Assignment __________________

Project _______________________

Exam _________________________

World of Gaming Unit

Unit Overview

In this unit, your learner will explore the present-day world of video games.

Learners will study and categorize different genres of video games and also make connections to gaming as a sport and a career.

Unit Assessments

Quiz ___________________________

Test ___________________________

Assignment __________________

Project _______________________

Exam _________________________

Have your learner identify which assessment type they see in their unit. Check all that apply.

Unit Discussion Questions

What do you think are the qualifications required to develop video games as a career?

Why do you think video gaming could be categorized as a sport?

Which genre of video games is your favorite?

Unit Notables

Your learner will complete a gaming project in the span of five lessons in this unit using Minecraft Education. Parts of this project are to be completed during the Live Classroom lessons. Your learner will submit the project in the final lesson of the unit.

Kit Materials

Minecraft Education login

Household Materials

notebook, paper, drawing materials

Unit Overview

In this unit, your learner will explore the present-day world of video games.

Learners will study and categorize different genres of video games and also make connections to gaming as a sport and a career.

Unit Assessments

Quiz ___________________________

Test ___________________________

Assignment __________________

Project _______________________

Exam _________________________

Have your learner identify which assessment type they see in their unit. Check all that apply.

Unit Discussion Questions

What do you think are the qualifications required to develop video games as a career?

Why do you think video gaming could be categorized as a sport?

Which genre of video games is your favorite?

Unit Notables

Your learner will complete a gaming project in the span of five lessons in this unit using Minecraft Education. Parts of this project are to be completed during the Live Classroom lessons. Your learner will submit the project in the final lesson of the unit.

Kit Materials

Minecraft Education login

Household Materials

notebook, paper, drawing materials

Game Design Unit