Activities/Blocku: Difference between revisions

Line 42:

I think it's great. Three points:

1) Users probably don't want to play many games of the same operation

(e.g. x+y=10), and the teacher probably doesn't want to create a new game

for every operation. You should allow users to select a range of

operations (e.g. numbers up to 12, + - and *) and have the game select a

random operation from the set for each game.

2) There are some interesting possibilities for using network collab

between users and teachers, but work on that last. To start, users should

just punch in the operation (or range of operations) when the activity

launches. Teachers can just tell the students what settings to use, and

then look at the screens to verify.

3) The visual structure of the game seems almost identical to Gnome's

Tetravex. In the spirit of Open Source, you should consider reusing the

Tetravex gameboard display code.

--Ben

*Wade Brainerd (via email)

Looks great Mark! Feel free to get in touch with me if you need any

help with implementation.

I agree with Greg that this would be a good target for PyGame.

Regarding the game design, you should consider adding some sense of

progress, or else players will get tired quickly. Some ideas:

- Start with two cards, gradually ramp up to 9.

- There needs to be a good "snapping" mechanism when dropping, so

users don't get frustrated by trying to line the cards up.

- Adding the ability to rotate the cards in 90 degree increments would

add to the challenge.

- Your notion of customization seems limited to replacing the square

with a graphic, which might obscure the number. Is this really a good

way to customize it?

- I agree with Ben that when you start the game you should first

select which types of puzzles (* + - / etc) you want, how many

squares, whether rotation is allowed. No need for the teacher to be

involved.

- Why limit it to numbers? E.g. how about comparisons like "X is

heaver than Y" and on the sides of the cards are things like

"elephant", "bacteria", etc. Or "X is newer than Y", etc. This is

where customization would be cool. Let the teacher define a

relationship, and input a series of terms, and define which pairs meet

that relationship. This would be called a "set", and could be

exported to the Journal.

Good luck with your project!

*David Farning (via email)

Line 89:

1st grade niece played with it for over half an hour. It will be a

hit on her XO.

david

*Greg DeKoenigsberg (via email)

Mark, this looks like a brilliant little activity. Simple, fun gameplay, extensible. Really great.

Some thoughts:

1. I'd love to see this as primarily a PyGame activity, with just enough "Sugar" to run it on Sugar

easily, but also easily available as a Windows or Mac activity. If done well, this is precisely

the sort of activity that could cross over. (Which is, in fact, how I'd like to see most Sugar

games built.)

2. Always think a little bit (but not too much) about assessment. The student knows they're

getting better because they are "leveling up". The teacher knows the kid is getting better

because... how? Game data is pushed up to a server... somehow? Dunno if anyone is paying

attention to this question, but it would be great if there were a simple way to allow teachers to

attention to this question, but it would be great if there were a simple way to allow

aggregate "high score" data, which really doubles as assessment data in cases like this.

teachers to

A great start. I look forward to seeing what it becomes.

aggregate "high score" data, which really doubles as assessment data in cases like this.

@@ Line 42: / Line 42: @@
   I think it's great.  Three points:
 )  Users probably don't want to play many games of the same operation
- (e.g. x+y=10), and the teacher probably doesn't want to create a new game
+     (e.g. x+y=10), and the teacher probably doesn't want to create a new game
- for every operation.  You should allow users to select a range of
+     for every operation.  You should allow users to select a range of
- operations (e.g. numbers up to 12, + - and *) and have the game select a
+     operations (e.g. numbers up to 12, + - and *) and have the game select a
- random operation from the set for each game.
+     random operation from the set for each game.
 )  There are some interesting possibilities for using network collab
- between users and teachers, but work on that last.  To start, users should
+     between users and teachers, but work on that last.  To start, users should
- just punch in the operation (or range of operations) when the activity
+     just punch in the operation (or range of operations) when the activity
- launches.  Teachers can just tell the students what settings to use, and
+     launches.  Teachers can just tell the students what settings to use, and
- then look at the screens to verify.
+     then look at the screens to verify.
 )  The visual structure of the game seems almost identical to Gnome's
- Tetravex.  In the spirit of Open Source, you should consider reusing the
+     Tetravex.  In the spirit of Open Source, you should consider reusing the
- Tetravex gameboard display code.
+     Tetravex gameboard display code.
   --Ben
 *Wade Brainerd (via email)
- Looks great Mark!  Feel free to get in touch with me if you need any
+   Looks great Mark!  Feel free to get in touch with me if you need any
   help with implementation.
- I agree with Greg that this would be a good target for PyGame.
+   I agree with Greg that this would be a good target for PyGame.
   Regarding the game design, you should consider adding some sense of
   progress, or else players will get tired quickly. Some ideas:
- - Start with two cards, gradually ramp up to 9.
+  - Start with two cards, gradually ramp up to 9.
- - There needs to be a good "snapping" mechanism when dropping, so
+  - There needs to be a good "snapping" mechanism when dropping, so
- users don't get frustrated by trying to line the cards up.
+    users don't get frustrated by trying to line the cards up.
- - Adding the ability to rotate the cards in 90 degree increments would
+  - Adding the ability to rotate the cards in 90 degree increments would
- add to the challenge.
+    add to the challenge.
- - Your notion of customization seems limited to replacing the square
+  - Your notion of customization seems limited to replacing the square
- with a graphic, which might obscure the number.  Is this really a good
+    with a graphic, which might obscure the number.  Is this really a good
- way to customize it?
+    way to customize it?
- - I agree with Ben that when you start the game you should first
+  - I agree with Ben that when you start the game you should first
- select which types of puzzles (* + - / etc) you want, how many
+    select which types of puzzles (* + - / etc) you want, how many
- squares, whether rotation is allowed.  No need for the teacher to be
+    squares, whether rotation is allowed.  No need for the teacher to be
- involved.
+    involved.
- - Why limit it to numbers?  E.g. how about comparisons like "X is
+  - Why limit it to numbers?  E.g. how about comparisons like "X is
- heaver than Y" and on the sides of the cards are things like
+    heaver than Y" and on the sides of the cards are things like
- "elephant", "bacteria", etc.  Or "X is newer than Y", etc.  This is
+    "elephant", "bacteria", etc.  Or "X is newer than Y", etc.  This is
- where customization would be cool.  Let the teacher define a
+    where customization would be cool.  Let the teacher define a
- relationship, and input a series of terms, and define which pairs meet
+    relationship, and input a series of terms, and define which pairs meet
- that relationship.  This would be called a "set", and could be
+    that relationship.  This would be called a "set", and could be
- exported to the Journal.
+    exported to the Journal.
- Good luck with your project!
+    Good luck with your project!
 *David Farning (via email)
@@ Line 89: / Line 89: @@
 st grade niece played with it for over half an hour.  It will be a
   hit on her XO.
   david
 *Greg DeKoenigsberg (via email)
- Mark, this looks like a brilliant little activity.  Simple, fun gameplay, extensible.  Really great.
+   Mark, this looks like a brilliant little activity.  Simple, fun gameplay, extensible.  Really great.
   Some thoughts:
 . I'd love to see this as primarily a PyGame activity, with just enough "Sugar" to run it on Sugar
- easily, but also easily available as a Windows or Mac activity.  If done well, this is precisely
+    easily, but also easily available as a Windows or Mac activity.  If done well, this is precisely
- the sort of activity that could cross over.  (Which is, in fact, how I'd like to see most Sugar
+    the sort of activity that could cross over.  (Which is, in fact, how I'd like to see most Sugar
- games built.)
+    games built.)
 . Always think a little bit (but not too much) about assessment.  The student knows they're
- getting better because they are "leveling up".  The teacher knows the kid is getting better
+    getting better because they are "leveling up".  The teacher knows the kid is getting better
- because... how?  Game data is pushed up to a server... somehow?  Dunno if anyone is paying
+    because... how?  Game data is pushed up to a server... somehow?  Dunno if anyone is paying
- attention to this   question, but it would be great if there were a simple way to allow teachers to
+    attention to this   question, but it would be great if there were a simple way to allow
- aggregate "high score" data, which really doubles as assessment data in cases like this.
+    teachers to
- A great start.  I look forward to seeing what it becomes.
+    aggregate "high score" data, which really doubles as assessment data in cases like this.
+    A great start.  I look forward to seeing what it becomes.
   --g
 ==Comments==