Based on the paper that I read about possible issues and ambiguity of assessment –Learning outcomes and assessment criteria in art and design. What’s the current problem (2012). It made me think about the course I help to deliver (BA Games Design) and the difficulty of assessment. That paper highlighted that courses outside of arts and design have a longer and more robust history of assessment, whereas art and design lack that. This made me think of my Games Design course as it in an interesting position – where art meets science.
To further elaborate this thought, there are aspects of Games Design such as: idea conceptualisation, process and game-play development – that are traditionally associated with art and do not have a one “correct answer”- hence there can be ambiguity in assessment.
However, there are also more “concrete” aspects of Games Design that can lead to a better game: for example – there are efficient methodologies of producing game assets and developing game mechanics, there is a concept of “play-testing” – which is essential to game development – it is based on constantly improving gameplay based on players’ feedback; these aspects are easier to measure and therefor easier to assess.
As a lecturer in the subject, I tend to draw the line somewhere in the middle with a slight preference for the arts aspects- because fundamentally Games Design is the art of crafting experiences for others, and player engagement is the highest desired outcome. (K. Salen and E. Zimmerman, 2004)
I want to illustrate this reasoning with two hypothetical examples of submissions:
For comparison: If a student submits a rushed game, with game-breaking errors and game design process in not fully documented but the gameplay itself is unique and fascinating, then that game should still be considered as a superior game compared to – a student who submits a technically brilliant game, the game does not contain any technical errors but the gameplay itself is not creative and lacks engagement.
In my experience, I believe that there is no one correct approach to teaching Games Design, in fact more “flavors” of teaching should be available. But the difficulty of the correct approach comes from the fact that Games Design cannot exist without Game Development, which itself is part of Software Development. (Please see the diagram below)
Another conclusion is more student centric – since Games Design sits in this peculiar position; it can be taught in more arty way or in more scientific way – both options are valid- and it can be great for accommodating students with different skill-sets and interests. While saying this, I also believe that completely separating art from science in context of Games Design would harm the subject – as I believe that a good games designer is someone who understands and appreciates art and science and knows when to apply a particular aspect.
Reference:
arts.brighton.ac.uk. (n.d.). Learning outcomes and assessment criteria in art and design. What’s the recurring problem? – Arts and culture. [online] Available at: http://arts.brighton.ac.uk/projects/networks/issue-18-july-2012/learning-outcomes-and-assessment-criteria-in-art-and-design.-whats-the-recurring-problem.
Salen, K. and Zimmerman, E. (2004). Rules of Play: Game Design Fundamentals. Cambridge, Mass. The Mit Press.
Belbase, S., Mainali, B.R., Kasemsukpipat, W., Tairab, H., Gochoo, M. and Jarrah, A. (2021). At the dawn of science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM) education: prospects, priorities, processes, and problems. International Journal of Mathematical Education in Science and Technology, 53(11), pp.1–37. doi:https://doi.org/10.1080/0020739x.2021.1922943.