Students as designers of digital games

Abstract

Designing, programming, and using digital games are highly engaging activities and can be effective instructional approaches for supporting student learning. Often, students are users of the games rather than taking on the role of designers and developers, the latter of which requires computational and design thinking skills. This chapter presents a background on digital game design, the rationale for teaching and learning using digital game design, design tools, and examples of students as designers of digital games with links to curriculum outcomes. Drawing on research, the benefits, topics for inclusion, and pedagogical considerations involved in digital game design are investigated. In investigating this area, three vignettes of students as designers of digital games are provided. The main insights of the chapter focus on the multifaceted benefits of involving students as creators of digital games rather than mere consumers. It underscores that designing games helps develop critical twenty-first century skills—creativity, critical thinking, collaboration, and communication (the 4Cs). The chapter illustrates how students can enhance their digital literacy, technical competencies, and computational and design thinking skills by engaging in game design. The process fosters creativity through storytelling, problem-solving, and artistic expression, while also promoting critical thinking by requiring students to evaluate and iterate on their designs.