Effectiveness of Game Jam-based iterative program for game production in Japan

Abstract

In this paper, we will introduce a game production program to iterate multiple game development cycles in a limited period. In one semester, we executed a game development process thrice, changing members every time. Students had the opportunity to gain experience, working with different people; also, by being provided a time limit for the development process, they learned how to manage development time effectively. Furthermore, by implementing the plan–do–check–act (PDCA) cycle [ASQ] in each development, students had the opportunity to identify and solve problems during the semester. Using this framework, we worked on the following three educational problems in Japan:(1)Mixed development with students of diverse ages and educational levels(2)Consciousness of development time(3)Understanding of each individual׳s strong and weak pointsFinally, we compared three types of programs (this program, Global Game Jam, and a mentor-based development program) in order to evaluate the aspects of game development that can be learned by them. We discussed how to develop a curriculum using a Game Jam framework. CR categoriesK.3.2 [COMPUTERS AND EDUCATION]: Computer and Information Science Education—Curriculum K.3.2 [COMPUTERS AND EDUCATION]: Computer and Information Science Education—Self-assessment.