Serious games

Since 2009, the Seine-Saint-Denis County Council has been backing “la Culture et l’Art au Collège (CAC)”. This project is based to a large extent on the presence in class for several weeks (40h) of an artist or scientist whose mission is to engage the students in a process of research and creation. 

Tutors : Colin GALLETTO, Christophe HENNES, Sylvain PAYEN, Adrien PELOV,  Thomas PLANQUES/ game designers

Project manager: Mathieu Marion

Objectives: 
This project incites the pupils to think about their relation to mathematics by making a video game. The videogame world has greatly diversified and game playing nowadays can be combined with more serious, thoughtful aspects. The objective for the classes in this project is to design a game by sharing the mathematical aspects and trying to make the serious side of this discipline attractive by a playful form, interaction, rules and objectives.

Workshops: 
In this workshop the pupils worked on the scenario, the storyboard and the dynamics of the game.

Working out the scenario
The pupils, teacher and game designer chose the parts of the mathematical curriculum they wanted as the basis for the scenario.

Game design 
Using various examples, the pupils drew up five or six game rules. The tutor helped the groups to understand what a rule is: an objective, obstacles and solutions.

Gameplay 
The tutor explained what gameplay is and how it developed. The pupils picked out the rules to be followed to construct a good game and listed the elements to be included (obstacles, clues, etc.). The game was built with Gamemaker.

Graphics, sound and final construction
Identifying all the audiovisual features of a videogame and understanding their function. Constructing the final model. At the end of this stage, each class had its own game.

Exhibition: 
The video games designed by the 6th grade classes were presented at the 4-day 13th Mathematical Culture and Games Fair in Paris. Consoles set up at the fair allowed over 5000 visitors see their work and play their games. Each console was then set up in the participating schools.

Outings (selection):
- VISIT TO THE VIDEO GAME SPACE AT THE GAITÉ LYRIQUE,
- DISCUSSION ON VIDEO GAMING JOBS WITH A PROFESSIONAL FROM UBISOFT
- VISIT TO THE GAME STORY EXHIBITION AT THE GRAND PALAIS
- VISIT TO THE PALAIS DE LA DÉCOUVERTE ON THE THEME OF “FROM GAMES TO MATHS”
- VISIT TO THE VIDEO GAME COLLECTIONS AT THE CNAM.
- VISIT TO THE 13TH MATHEMATICS SHOW

Participating schools:
- Class (5th), Collège Christine de Pisan, Aulnay-sous-Bois 
- Class (6th), Collège Pierre de Ronsard, Tremblay en France
- Class (4th), Collège Jean Moulin, Montreuil-sous-Bois
- Class (5th), Collège du Descartes, Tremblay-en-France
- Classes (6th and 6th SEGPA), Collège Gustave Courbet, Romainville
- Class (5th), Collège Pablo Picasso, Montfermeil