What is it about?
This study explores how students in higher education engage with an Erasmus+ blended intensive program (BIP) focused on teaching virtual reality game creation. The program, hosted by three universities and attended by 22 international students, combined project-based learning with both on-site and online collaboration. The study examined their views on this educational approach through discussions with two student groups. The findings highlight that while teaching game creation to reflect industry practices may seem straightforward, it is challenging to implement. The research also stresses the importance of soft skills and broader competencies, which are essential but often undervalued in game creation education. The study aims to support educators and researchers in enhancing game education in higher learning by sharing ten key considerations.
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Why is it important?
The study is timely because it investigates a relatively under-explored area in game education: how students acquire technical and soft skills in a blended and project-based learning environment tailored to simulate virtual reality game creation. It is particularly relevant given the ongoing challenges in aligning higher education curricula with the rapidly evolving demands of the gaming industry, such as the need for transversal competencies like communication and teamwork. The focus on an Erasmus+ Blended Intensive Program BIP for virtual reality game creation is also novel, as it bridges theoretical knowledge with practical application in a collaborative international setting, addressing the gap between academic preparation and industry requirements. Furthermore, the study is timely in critically examining the technological and pedagogical challenges in such programs, offering actionable insights for educators and scholars at a time when the demand for well-prepared game industry professionals is at an all-time high. The findings, including ten considerations for game education improvement, provide practical and evidence-based guidance for refining game creation education, making it both industry-relevant and educationally effective.
Perspectives
This publication seeks to bridge the tacit knowledge gap between academia and the game industry—an endeavour shaped by my experiences as a game industry practitioner, researcher, and educator. Through this study, I worked with an international cohort of students navigating the complexities of remote-first, small-scale game creation within a multidisciplinary learning environment. The students’ reflections highlighted the crucial need to design learning environments that impart technical skills and foster essential soft skills such as communication and teamwork—competencies often undervalued in traditional game education. By sharing these findings, we aim to contribute to the growth of higher education game-learning experiences which address the competencies required for game creation in a post-pandemic world.
Adam Palmquist
Nord University
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Blended Realities - Higher Education Student Reflections on Acquiring Skills for Game Creation in a Project-Based- and Blended Learning Environments, Games Research and Practice, November 2024, ACM (Association for Computing Machinery),
DOI: 10.1145/3704414.
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