Game Making as a Learning Strategy for Chemical Engineering

Abstract

This document introduces the learning approach and projected outcomes of the author's ongoing PhD research, which aims to deliver guidelines for the use of game-based learning techniques, with game making at its core, in chemical engineering education. Since making games requires some technical knowledge that chemical engineering students do not usually possess, the author is developing a custom-made editor to make games intuitively without needing programming skills. Additionally, a game design workshop is included in the learning experience to ease the difficulties of beginners when creating games. All in all, the strategy facilitates hands on sessions that extend traditional education, during which chemical engineering content is approached differently than in a conventional class. Students work in teams, embrace a constructivist learning approach to create an educational game and participate in a hackathon-like event (game jam) to mention some of the features included in this learning experience.