Course Handbook BSc [Hons] Computer Games Design and Programming 2016-2017

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Contents

Section

Page

Sources of Additional Information

2

1.

Welcome

3

2.

Your Course Team

5

3.

An Introduction to your Course – Aims and Intended Learning Outcomes

9

4.

The Structure of your Course

12

5.

The Staffordshire Graduate and Employability

14

6.

Learning, Teaching and Assessment on your Course

15

6.1

Learning and Teaching

15

6.2

Placements and Work-based learning

17

6.3

Assessment

17

6.4

How to Submit Assessments

18

6.5

Feedback on your Work

18

6.6

External Examiners Appointed to your Course

19

7.

Extra Costs

20

8.

Communication

20

9.

Support and Guidance [Including Personal Tutoring]

21

10.

The Student Voice

21

11.

Rules and Regulations

22

Appendices

23

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Sources of Additional Information This handbook provides useful information about your course, how it will be delivered and how you will be assessed. It does not try to give you all the information you will need during your time at the University, but rather the most important information directly relating to your course. The on-line student guide [http://www.staffs.ac.uk/student/guide] provides important information about the University and the services available to students, including:                 

Welcome Week Student Cards e:VisionStaffs Portal Our Student Charter The Staffordshire Graduate Term Dates Timetabling Student accommodation Campus and travel information Finance, fees and support Disclosure and Barring Service applications Visas Course and module enrolment Recognition of Prior Learning Changing your course or modules Withdrawing or intermitting from your course University rules and regulations

              

Disciplinary matters including academic misconduct Appeals and complaints Referencing and study skills [including guidance on completing assessments] What to do if you can’t hand in work due to circumstances beyond your control Examinations Getting feedback on your work The student voice Employability and careers IT services and support Disability and dyslexia Counselling The Nursery The Multi-Faith Chaplaincy Graduation Certificates, Transcripts and Verification Letters

Module Handbooks Your course is made up from a number of individual modules. Detailed information on each module is provided in separate module handbooks. Your module tutor will tell you how to access the handbook for their module. The Blackboard Virtual Learning Environment [VLE] Information and learning materials for your modules will be provided on the Blackboard online Learning Environment. Blackboard will form an important part of your learning experience. Please let your module tutor know if you encounter any problems accessing this material.

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1. Welcome Welcome to the Faculty of Arts and Creative Technologies You are joining a vibrant community of staff and students who are concerned with a wide variety of disciplines from those that involve mostly reading and writing to those that are largely practical. This diversity makes us quite unique; you will find yourself making many friends studying subjects different to yours, and you will come in contact with lecturers from many different subject backgrounds. It is this richness that will make up the fabric of your study for the next few years. Over these years, we will provide you with an up-to-date and relevant learning experience which will be enjoyable, fun, stretching and rewarding and will prepare you to reach for your next goals in life. My colleagues – your lecturers and all support staff – will do their best to make this happen. What we in return expect of you is a real hunger for learning and the kind of curiosity for the subject you study that will turn all hard work into reward and fun. You will find that this Faculty will provide you with a friendly environment where support and guidance are readily available. I hope your time with us will be fulfilling and challenging, thought-and action provoking, exciting and most of all happy. For the next few weeks I really wish you will settle in well, make loads of new friends, attend and engage with all your lectures, seminars and workshops and come back for more. I wish you good luck, all the best and a smooth and happy start into your first semester with us. Astrid Herhoffer Dean, Faculty of Arts and Creative Technologies

Welcome to the Games Technology Department Hello, I’m Bobbie Fletcher. Welcome to your Games Technology course! I am the head of the Games Technology Group and I’m responsible for managing the staff in the games design department. You can find out more information about the staff you will be working with in this document, all of which have skills of expertise in the areas you will be studying. We have a long list of graduates who have gone on to be a success in the game industry, and we look forward to working with you so you can be amongst them. You can find a list of our graduates, where they have worked, and where they now work on the following webpage: http://www.staffs.ac.uk/schools/art_and_design/gamesdesign/honour-roll/ Remember to let us know where you end up working so we can add you to the list of our many successful students. Thank you for studying with us and I look forward to meeting you in person during your welcome week and beyond. Bobbie Fletcher, Academic Group Leader Games Technology 3

Welcome to Computer Games Design and Programming Hi there, I’m Yvan Cartwright and I’m the course leader for Computer Games Design and Programming. You are one of many people who see the need to have more than one skill in a dynamic creative industry. Alternatively, maybe you are not yet sure where your talents lie? Either way, you need a course that offers you a range of subjects with the ability to allow you to tailor your studies as you see fit. This will enable you to develop yourself as well-rounded member of a games studio that can work and engage effectively within a multi-disciplinary team. With the experience gained form this course; you will also have the knowledge of the three main areas within a games studio allowing you to more actively lead a team of your own. I designed this course for people like yourself to ensure that you can graduate with the skills, knowledge and understanding required to enter the games industry in a variety of roles. To this end, I planned this course to have a heavy emphasis on the areas that will allow you to accomplish this: games programming, games engines, gameplay design and 3D modelling. If you have any questions during your course, then please come and speak to me at the first opportunity. Email and telephone are normally the quickest ways to get a response, but you’re also welcome to visit my office. You can find contact details for me in the next section. I look forward to seeing you progress through your career at Staffordshire University and beyond. Yvan Cartwright, Course Leader Games Technology

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2. Your Course Team The Games Team at Staffordshire University is made up of a strong mixture of academic experience and practising games industry professionals. Below are the main points of contact for Computer Games Design and Programming students and a breakdown of the staff that will be teaching you on the course. Games Area Leader Dr Bobbie Fletcher Dr Bobbie Fletcher has been the AGL [Academic Group Leader] for Games Technology at Staffordshire University since it was formed. During this time she has successfully grown the department into one of the most respected gaming departments in the UK. She is an experienced project manager and has undertaken extensive research into Reward in Games, Reward and Demographics in Games, as well as Immersion and Audience interaction with Augmented Reality. Her PhD is in Mathematical Modelling and Simulation. Research includes being the project leader for ‘Diversity in the Classroom’, a €300,000 European project, two TSB [Technology Strategy Board] projects where she served as Principle Investigator and Co-Investigator, and a ‘Lifelong Learning Challenges in the Digital Age’ project, funded by the Leonardo-Gruntvig Project. She has several conference proceedings, covering a wide range of areas from home smart meters, to rewards within games. Outside of academia, she has engaged with media and has been on television [The Big Questions, BBC1], radio [BBC Radio Russia] and in the international press [Capcom]. Finally, she has been core to several of the relationships that Staffordshire University has with industry. These include Epic Games, CCP and Flix Interactive to name a few. Room Number Phone Number Email Address Staff Page

L321 01785 353204 [email protected] http://www.staffs.ac.uk/staff/profiles/bdf1.jsp

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Computer Games Design and Programming Course Leader

Dr Yvan Cartwright

Dr Yvan Cartwright has over 30 years of experience in programming, scripting and many other technical areas. He will be supporting you during your studies when you are using games engines, programming/scripting languages and other technical aspects of development. He mainly focusses on rapid gameplay prototyping and AI using the Unity games engine but has a long standing interest in all things space-related and mathematical modelling & simulation which were core to his PhD. He has made several games engines of his own and has a detailed working knowledge of many programming languages, including C#, C++, Java, Python, Lua, VB.NET, C and JavaScript. In 2011, he took over as course leader for Computer Games Design and Programming. His redevelopment and management of this course has led to it being named as the number one course in games design and development in the UK by leading online publication Alphr [PC Pro]. Research and involvement with many games companies has been conducted during his time at the University, including Epic Games and Monumental Games where he worked on a browser-based game client and server integration as part of a successful Technology Strategy Board project. Room Number Phone Number Email Address

L312 01785 353277 [email protected]

Other module leaders and teaching staff Adrian Gurney Adrian joined Staffordshire University in 2007 where he redeveloped the core games engines modules shortly after joining. He is an experienced games and web developer who has worked with or for several Indie studios, both external and as part of his University duties and he has a principal focus on using Unreal technology. These include Digital Native Academy, Applio, and Monumental Games as part of Technology Strategy Board projects. He has supported Epic Games at various events, including doing technical support at ‘Make Something Unreal Live’ and presenting teaching experiences at conferences like the ‘Unreal Engine Educational Summit’. He has taught many students who have gone on to work at Indie companies or start their own. This includes CCP, Traveller’s Tales, White Paper Games and Auroch Digital. Separate to games, Adrian has done extensive research around web based technologies and has produced systems that are critical to the running of the Games Technology department. He uses these skills to integrate games and web further, using cutting edge features to produce systems that have not been done before. Conference proceedings include MMOGFest at Staffordshire University, where an examination of Games Engines and MMO games was done. 6

Room Number Phone Number Email Address

L312 01785 353277 [email protected]

Paul Roberts Before joining the university in 2013, Paul was a games industry programmer for over 7 years with Astraware, Team17, Activision and TT Fusion, working on titles such as The LEGO Movie: The Video Game, Call of Duty: Strike Team and Worms Revolution. He is an accomplished C++/C# games programmer who works in a mixed platform environment using a variety of games technologies. He also runs his own Indie games company which specialises in creating mobile games for iOS and Android devices. Paul will be the lecturer that introduces you to the C++ language and developing games from scratch by combining other industry technologies with your burgeoning programming skills. Room Number Phone Number Email Address

Mellor 01785 353502 [email protected]

David Edwards David is the course leader for Games Technical Art, but also brings his expertise to other areas of the University. He is a 3D modeller with experience in many technical aspects alongside this, including MAXScript, development pipelines and Motion Capture. He has successfully run the Indie Games Conference events which have included arranging and planning talks from leading industry professionals. Room Number Phone Number Email Address

L310 01785 353716 [email protected]

Greg Penninck As the course leader for Games Design, Greg brings his experience of developing mobile games to various modules across multiple courses. He specialises in creating assets for games engines using 3D Studio Max, Blender, Substance, 3D Coat, Z-Brush and Photoshop but he also has experience as a freelancer of developing within Unreal and Unity. Greg also is a director of an Indie company which focuses on mobile games creation for iOS and Android as well as consultancy for games education and training. He has authored learning materials for 3D Palace and every year he runs the week-long Boot Camp at the university with the aim of creating a mobile game in a week with a team of students. Room Number Phone Number Email Address

L310 01785 353532 [email protected] 7

Nia Wearn Nia is a certified Scrum master and brings her expertise to your Junior / Senior modules at levels 5 and 6. She works closely with industry and brings this experience to the University in the form of arranging extracurricular activities, such as the annual Global Games Jam [we are currently the largest in the UK]. She is actively involved with research and has published several papers. In addition, she works on European and Internal projects to stay at the cutting edge of games design and specialises in using social media for education. Room Number Phone Number Email Address

L312 01785 353493 [email protected]

Dominic Nash Dominic is a part-time member of staff at the University who supports many of the modules you will be taking. He has a large amount of experience in both Unreal Engine 3 &4, along with Unity and other bespoke engines. Experienced with many scripting languages, including Unrealscript, C#, Blueprint and Python, he will support your studies across your entire degree. Room Number Phone Number Email Address

L310 01785 353384 [email protected]

Michael Beardwood Mike has experience with both 2D and 3D Games Engines. He will support you in your studies when using software that falls into these categories. In his spare time he makes and publishes Indie games which can be found on the Google Play store. Room Number Phone Number Email Address

L310 01785 353384 [email protected]

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3. An Introduction to your Course First, let me welcome you to Computer Games Design and Programming at Staffordshire University. I am your course leader, Yvan Cartwright. If you have any questions about the course you are enrolled on, please contact me so I can assist you. Module questions should be aimed towards your module leader, but otherwise I should be your first point of contact for any other questions or issues. I took over the leadership of this course in 2011 and redeveloped it around the needs of the games industry. This put a greater focus on developing skills in design, programming and modelling. These three core areas cover many of the job roles advertised by the games industry worldwide and allow a graduate to cast a wide net when it comes to applying for a games studio role. This mix of skills also makes graduates from this course ideally suited to joining Indie teams where the need to be flexible in a role is particularly valuable. Covering these three areas within a single course is a challenge and not every student would wish to learn all three skillsets or they might want to focus on a subset as they progress. It is for this reason that the number of possible routes available through all three years is greater than for any other course we offer here in Games Tech. This allows you to tailor your course to suit your own needs and the role you want to have in industry. I continue to monitor industry requirements and apply these needs to the course where appropriate to maintain this course as the best in the UK for Games Design and Development. The aim of this course is to produce graduates who have a range of core skills to match the needs of the majority of the games industry. The course has a strong focus on programming games with C++, games engines [Unreal Engine 4 and Unity], gameplay design and 3D modelling, which will allow students to create and publish their own games with their own content using a variety of tools and in-depth knowledge. To achieve this aim we have a number of objectives to fulfil: 

To develop the students’ programming knowledge and skills so they can create 2D and 3D games using the games industry’s language of choice [C++].



To develop the students’ games engine skills sufficiently that they can prototype, make and publish games.



To develop the students’ skills in gameplay loop construction and deconstruction so these can be implemented in a games engine.

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To develop students’ games production work flow, games documentation and project management skills.

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To develop students’ abilities to create their own 3D assets for use within a games engine whilst understanding the restrictions of their chosen platform [console, mobile, PC etc.] and the game design.

 A breakdown of core modules over the three levels is as follows: Level 4 [usually year one for most students] concentrates on ensuring you understand the fundamentals of games engines, games design and games programming. This is important

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as you will be using them extensively to design and prototype different games during the course. You will have an option to specialise in either Rapid Games Prototyping in which you will be taught core gameplay design and prototyping using C# in the Unity games engine or 3D Modelling for Games using 3D Studio Max. Level 5 [your second year] will build on your existing games engine and games programming knowledge. For programming, you will continue to develop your C++ knowledge and expertise to include 3D environments, physics, sound and AI. For engines, this involves looking more in-depth at gameplay design and construction using game loops, GUIs, advanced Blueprint and design patterns in more sophisticated game prototypes. Separate to these two areas, you will be part of a team that works on a game for two semesters. This module, ‘Junior Collaborative Game Development and Testing’ will give you the nearest experience to working in a studio we can emulate in a University environment. At Level 5, you will be assigned a ‘junior’ member role by the ‘senior’ group members who are in Level 6. There are many options at Level 5 that allow you to either further specialise or widen your knowledge. Some of these options can only be taken if you have studied the appropriate module at an earlier level. It is a good idea to ask me or the appropriate module leader what is studied on these optional modules so you can make the right choice for you and your career. Level 6 has a prototyping and AI module where you will look at prototyping gameplay within an existing game framework and presents you with challenges built using it that require AI programming to defeat. This module has been designed to give you an experience similar to that when you join an existing studio that has been working on a large game framework for some time. This is run alongside the senior aspect of the junior/senior module as well as your final year project. These modules are there to ensure that you are prepared for the games industry when you graduate. They cover the main areas common to all game studios allowing you to apply for a wide range of roles, giving you the best possible chance of a career when you leave university.

Your course outcomes Your course has a set of written learning outcomes that describe what you should be able to do by the end of the course. These statements are designed to help you understand what you need to do to pass your course and receive your course. The outcomes for your course can be found in appendix A of this handbook. Each module you study has separate learning outcomes which join together to enable you to demonstrate that you have achieved the overall learning outcomes for your course. The learning outcomes for your modules can be found in your module handbooks. The specific learning outcomes for your course and modules have been matched to eight university wide learning outcome statements [knowledge and understanding; learning; enquiry; analysis; problem solving; communication; application; and reflection]. These 10

standard statements describe the abilities and skills all Staffordshire University students should demonstrate in order to pass their course. The statements have been designed to meet national expectations contained within the Framework for Higher Education Qualifications. This ensures that the learning outcomes for your course are equivalent to similar courses at other UK universities and colleges. A table showing how your module learning outcomes have been aligned with the eight university learning outcome statements can be found in appendix B of this document.

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4.

L E V E L

The Structure of your Course

Teaching Block 1

CORE GAME40214 Introduction to Games Design

CORE GAME40213 Introduction to 3D Games Engines

CORE COSE40638 Games Engine Creation

CONDITIONAL CORE GAME40250 Rapid Games Prototyping OR CORE GAME40400 Introduction to 3D Modelling for Games

[30]

[30]

[30]

[30]

CORE GAME50170 Junior Collaborative Game Development & Testing

CORE COSE50639 Advanced Games Engine Creation

[30]

[30]

CORE GAME60247 Senior Collaborative Games Development & Testing

CORE GAME60193 Individual Games Technology Project

CORE GAME60175 Advanced Games Prototyping & A.I. Scripting

[30]

[30]

[30]

Teaching Block 2

4

L E V E L

Teaching Block 1

5

Teaching Block 2

L E V E L 6

Teaching Block 1

CORE GAME50180 Advanced 3D Games Engine and Scripting

[30]

A] OPTION

[30]

OPTION

Teaching Block 2 [30]

12

Options LEVEL 5 Teaching Block 1 - 2 Games Design Route

Cats

GAME50172 OR GAME50261

Gameplay Applications

30

Game Interface Design and Implementation

30

GAME50168 OR GAME50356

3D Character Modelling for Games

30

3D Hard Surface Modelling for Games

30

Games Programming Route

COSE50581

Further Games and Graphics Concepts

30

Games Engines Route

GAME50251

Social & Mobile Game Development

30

Design Route

GAME60177

MMOG Design, Communities and Narratology

30

3D Modelling Route

GAME60174

Advanced 3D Modelling

30

Games Programming Route

COSE60512 AND COSE60510

Advanced Windows Game Programming

15

Advanced Programming for 3D Graphics Applications

15

Games Production Route

GAME60282

Military Games Design and Development

30

Games Engine Option

GAME60271

Individual Games Technology Portfolio

30

COSE60595

Mobile Games Development

30

COSE60587

Advanced Graphics and Real-Time Rendering

30

3D Modelling Route

LEVEL 6 Teaching Block 1 - 2

Cats

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5. The Staffordshire Graduate and Employability The Staffordshire Graduate represents a set of qualities that the University passionately believes is necessary for success in the 21st century. The Staffordshire Graduate is a reflective and critical learner with a global perspective, prepared to contribute in the world of work. The Computer Games Design and Programming course equips graduates with far more than academic skills, real-world knowledge, and discipline expertise. All courses nurture and develop attributes and qualities which will prepare you for success in your career, their endeavours in the jobs market, and the undertaking of lifelong learning. On the Games Technology courses, you will be at the forefront of your chosen discipline. You will gather expertise from using valuable industry standard software and hardware though a large variety of the modules. For example: The Autodesk Creative Suite, our Motion Capture Studio, and the Unreal and Unity games engines. Using professional techniques acquired through lectures, tutorials, seminars, and industry workshops, you will develop a portfolio of industry standard work. All courses in the program area have a strong emphasis on ensuring the readiness of you being able to work as part of a team in a games development studio. To ensure that you are ready for this working environment, all students on Games Technology courses complete the ‘Junior and Senior Collaborative Games Development and Testing’ modules. These modules replicate the collaborative team working setting of a development team. You will learn to develop your communication skills, as you disseminate information amongst your colleagues and peers. During this process, you will be progressing your games design ideas from concept to reality. You will be required to interact with all team members throughout the development and realisation of your game design. Furthermore, you will be required to communicate through presentations to peers and staff, and through the production of documentation and videos to promote the game. In the games industry you will be required to work with people that have varying and a wide range of skills, which is reflected in the environment of the Junior / Senior module. The computer games industry is a global business worth billions of pounds a year. You will understand this world-wide marketplace, along with the multi-national publishers and Indie developers who produce some of the most successful games. You will have the skills and attributes to contribute to this global trade through roles in small Indie studios to large AAA organisations, academia, or through the production of smaller viral games on mobile platforms on your own. The games industry is constantly evolving and lifelong learning is at the heart of every team member in a development studio. Modules on Games Technology courses like Rapid Games Prototyping, Introduction to 3D Modelling and Introduction to 3D Games Engines cultivate a sense of ongoing, critical and reflective learning through up-to-date learning materials and methods. These include video tutorials, asynchronous forum discussion boards, seminars, and interactive web based content. All of the above help to develop the “Three E’s”. The “Three E’s” are: Enterprise, Entrepreneurship and Employability. Graduates of our courses are employable and ready for work; this can be seen through the previous employment statistics. However, to ensure this is the case we constantly work with employers, studio and industry professionals to ensure the course is as relevant as possible to studios. 14

You can see a list of our graduates in our ‘honour roll’ located online at: http://www.staffs.ac.uk/schools/art_and_design/gamesdesign/honour-roll/ You are encouraged to develop your skills according to your ambitions within the games industry with a mix of core and optional modules designed to support your learning at all levels. The Computer Games Design and Programming course has a strong emphasis on teaching the three core skills desired by the games industry: design [level and gameplay], programming [C++ and C#] and modelling [AAA and mobile]. The Junior and Senior Collaborative Games Development and Testing modules combine students from levels 5 & 6 to make a cross level games studio module. Students will dedicate half a day a week in a studio environment for 24 weeks at both level 5 and 6, producing a total of two publishable games by the time they graduate for these modules alone. This number will rise depending on the specific assignments for other modules. More information on the Staffordshire Graduate can be found at: http://www.staffs.ac.uk/study/staffordshiregraduate/

6. Learning, Teaching and Assessment on your Course 6.1 Teaching and Learning Level 4 Modules The strategy for teaching is to formally support you at Level 4 in the form of lectures and tutorials. Often a method of combined lecture/ tutorial is used, where lectures are delivered in a lab alongside tutorial style interaction. Concepts are discussed and then techniques demonstrated which are then attempted by you. There is a lot of teaching support at this level along with ‘milestone’ checks – this allows the staff to catch and solve any potential issues you’re having mid-semester. Learning is done mostly through content that is taught in class sessions within a laboratory environment. A lecturer will typically be presenting content in the form of slideshows and directly in the software that is being used. This is designed to ease you into University life and successfully make the transition from schools/college to Staffordshire University. At this Level, subject specific skills are learnt in the form of principles and technologies that underpin the subject. Transferable skills in knowledge and understanding are of primary importance at this level to provide a solid foundation for learning at higher levels. Level 5 Modules The Lecture/Tutorial scheme continues but you are encouraged to seek out your own sources of research material. You are expected to engage to a greater extent with other materials such as video tutorials available through the virtual learning environment. You are offered support in surgery sessions and assignment workshops. Learning time is split between lectures / tutorials and your own self-managed time, using resources like video tutorials, books, and online presentations from industry. Subject Specific Skills are learned by applying the principles and technologies from the previous level and building up more advanced knowledge and technical skills. Transferable skills in problem 15

solving and application to real world scenarios are emphasised at this level. Presentation skills and skills at group working are developed and milestones are used to introduce you to working to intermediate deadlines, as you will be expected to do in industry. Level 6 Modules You will be given some combined lecture/ tutorials, but the expectation is that you drive your own learning. The formal teaching element is replaced by tutor support when needed, for work you have done outside of the timetabled sessions. This support is given by your ‘Project Supervisor’ and module tutors. You are guided by the assignment criteria for each module. Self-guided study is heavily emphasised Learning is done mainly outside of the lecture/lab environment and led by you. By this point in your university career, you will have had time to reflect upon your strengths and will be encouraged to use these strengths in your own project choice. Interest and strength in a subject is a very good self-motivator. You should be attempting more advanced techniques in a ‘trial and error’ method to find solutions that work best to your requirements. As you’ll be using cutting edge technology, this is often the best approach and is how games studios operate. Placement Year In line with other games courses we run, there is no requirement for you to take a placement year. This is because we are unable to guarantee a placement for every one of the hundreds of students on our games courses. In addition, the games industry is very secretive. Companies are apprehensive to take on anyone for a period shorter than the length of the project. This is mostly due to legal constraints like NDAs [None Disclosure Agreements]. Even though there is not a requirement, we do recommend you try to find a placement year. The placements team at the University can help with this, but please be aware that placements are quickly filled as competition is high. You are encouraged to seek out your own placement as well as using the facilities the University has on offer. In the games industry, contacts are incredibly important. Make sure you are attending conferences and relevant community events. Many of our students have gained placements through meeting people at these events, so they are something you should actively engage with as much as possible. If you decide to do a placement, the University and the Games Department takes great care to ensure that you can only be on a placement that is relevant to your degree. You will effectively learn ‘on the job’ by being immersed in an environment that uses your existing skills, while learning new valuable ones. In the majority of cases, you will be assigned tasks that you are currently capable of doing, but with scope to expand your knowledge in that area. Your learning will mostly come from listening to peers and other employees who will help guide you. Staffordshire Graduate In levels 5 and 6 the strategy for learning replicates many of the elements found in the games industry. Students will work across the academic years in a group studio environment for half day a week. The day will start with a ½hr group meeting to set out what is expected in that working day. The day will finish with a ½hr group meeting to monitor what has been achieved that day – this is often referred to as a ‘wash up meeting’ in the games industry. 16

The Level 5 students take on the junior roles within the games studio and they will be led by the Level 6 students who take the senior roles. Each group produce one game and students are assigned roles reflecting the structure of a games company. As the student moves from Level 5 to Level 6 they then progress from being a junior member of a team to a management role as a senior, creating a sense of progression through a company. 6.2 Placements and Work-Based Learning The Faculty Placements Team is located at Stoke Careers Centre, Trent Building [the old Business Village], Leek Road. You can find further information on the Staffordshire University website located at the following address: http://www.staffs.ac.uk/support_depts/careers/placements/ Staff in this department will provide you with support in finding a placement. As part of the process of finding a placement, you will need to have a suitable CV. We recommend you bring your existing CV to the Careers Centre [listed above] for checking and recommendations on improvements that can be made. Once a suitable CV is ready, they will then be able to discuss what sort of placement is suitable for your skill and is relevant to your degree. The member of academic staff responsible for placements in games technology is: Mike Woods, Room 312 [Flaxman], 01785 353716, [email protected] 6.3 Assessment Level 4 Modules The assessment strategy is based on what is best to assess the learning outcomes at Level 4. In general these are technical based projects that are assessed against a clear marking criteria that reflects what would be expected in industry. In many cases, reflective criticism would form part of this, in the form of a written element – usually online. Assessment of work is often done with you present, so you can get instant feedback against the marking criteria. Level 5 Modules At this level the assessment of work aims to reflect an industrial situation by having you reflect on your work against industry produced content. This includes log books, working to milestones, self-assessment and peer reflection; all of which would be encountered in industry. Group work and presentations are also used as assessment methods to replicate standard industry practice. Level 6 Modules Assessment at this level is focused around peer-to-peer and self-reflection in conjunction with lecturer feedback. Where applicable, assessment will use peer-to-peer evaluation methods along with visiting industry professionals. This can be seen in the ‘Creative Enterprise in Your Practice’, as well as the ‘Senior Collaborative Game Development & Testing’ module. 17

As in a games company, you will be expected to gain feedback and constructive criticism from your peers. You are required to be proactive in doing this to ensure you produce the best work possible. You are assessed on your ability to take charge, plan, manage, and produce work to your own brief. You are also assessed on your ability to demonstrate constructive criticism and reflect on work you have produced. This should help facilitate lifelong learning. Placement Year At the end of your placement, you will need to do a critical reflection of your experiences and what you have learnt from the year working in industry. The placement year is considered as either a pass or fail with the pass contributing to the course of Sandwich degree. There are no specific credits at any level allocated to the placement year. 6.4 How to Submit Assessments The Games Area uses a variety of Submission systems, you will be informed by module leaders as to which to use. Most games modules submit via an electronic form where appropriate, the most common systems are: a) Digital Academy http://www.staffs.ac.uk/digitalacademy b) Blackboard http://blackboard.staffs.ac.uk c) D.I.S [Digital Information System] https://gamestech.staffs.ac.uk You must submit all pieces of assessment required for each module on or before the submission date for each piece of assessment. Failure to do so is likely to result in failure of the module overall. There may be occasions when you are unable to submit or undertake a piece of assessment due to circumstances beyond your control. The University has put in place a procedure for dealing with such extenuating circumstances. You can find more information on the University’s extenuating circumstances procedure at: http://www.staffs.ac.uk/extenuating/ 6.5 Feedback on your Work You will normally receive feedback on all assessments, other than examinations, within 20 working days following the date of submission. We aim to release feedback for most of your modules at the same time, within a set week. This means you’re likely to receive your feedback for most of your modules at the same time. The date for this is announced on Blackboard in advance. One exception to this is modules that have an interview at the end. Typically, in these situations you will sit down with a lecturer and get feedback on your work directly. These sessions are normally recorded, so you can listen back to the feedback at a later date. They will still fall within the 20 working days after your submission. Feedback style / type does vary between modules depending on what is most suitable. You can expect to receive feedback via email, forums, interviews, videos and Blackboard. In most cases it will be digital and you will be told how to access it in your module handbook.

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We use the 7 principles of assessment for feedback and learning. These are: 1. Clarify good performance – you will be given examples in class / on your VLE as to what your work should be aiming towards. Goals and the criteria will be clear. Typically these will be industry examples of work or past student submissions. 2. Encourage time and effort on task – modules will normally have ‘milestones’ where you are required to demonstrate that you have learnt from the tasks that have been set. This is done by demonstrating that you can implement your own solution to a problem that is similar, but not the same in nature. 3. Deliver timely and high quality feedback – Feedback will be given within 20 working days that will show aspects that can be improved and where you were successful. The feedback we give will ensure you know how to self-correct your work in a clear manor. 4. Provide opportunities to act on feedback – You will be offered the opportunity to act on milestone feedback to improve your work towards your final submission. For your final submissions, you will be able to act on the feedback that is given to improve your work. 5. Encourage positive motivational beliefs – All of our feedback will be beneficial to you and constructive. One of the reasons we offer different types of feedback per module is because the suitability of each is dependent on what has been studied. We will ensure that we encourage you by being positive about what has been achieved and not simply list areas that need improving. 6. Develop self-assessment and reflection – We will promote the notion of self and peer-assessment in many of the modules you study. This will be particularly noticeable in group modules where group assessment is done. You will take responsibility for your learning and what you produce heavily at Levels 5 & 6. 7. Encourage interaction and dialogue – You’ll be engaged with dialogue in class, in group work and at any conferences we run. This will be most noticeable at Level 5 & 6 where you will need to engage with your group and staff to achieve the best result possible. You’ll be encouraged to take this further by visiting external conferences and events. 6.6 External Examiners Appointed to your Course External examiners help the University to ensure that the standards of your course are comparable to those provided by other universities or colleges in the UK. More information on the role performed by external examiners can be found at: www.staffs.ac.uk/externalexaminers/ The external examiners for your course are: Simon Reed – University of South Wales Daryl Marples – University of Huddersfield We use two external examiners due to the large number of students enrolled. It is not appropriate for you to make direct contact with your external examiner. They are listed here to promote transparency. 19

7.

Extra Costs

You are advised to have access to your own computer outside of class times. The computer should be spec’d high enough to be able to run Unreal Engine 4, Unity, 3D Studio Max, Microsoft Word, Photoshop, Open Screen Broadcaster and Microsoft Visual Studio. A computer of this nature should include a) A high end graphics card such as NVidia 980 GTX cards b) A high end i7 Intel processor c) Plenty of RAM – 8GB minimum, 16GB [or more] for running multiple applications simultaneously d) Plenty of hard drive storage for games projects e) A working backup solution. Cloud storage is recommended so you can access your work easily in the event of a computer failure f) Standard computer hardware such as sound card, wireless card, USB drives etc. Game development software used on this course is available to you at no cost in the labs and library. All of this software is free for home use, apart from the Adobe suite. Software you are likely to need during your studies is: Unreal Engine 4 - https://www.unrealengine.com/ Unity – https://unity3d.com/ Various Autodesk software - http://www.autodesk.com/education/free-software/all Microsoft Office http://www.staffs.ac.uk/support_depts/infoservices/it/student_helpdesk/office365.jsp Microsoft Visual Studio - https://www.visualstudio.com/en-us/products/visual-studio-devessentials-vs.aspx If you want to use Adobe products outside of the University, you will need to purchase the suite via the following link: http://www.adobe.com/uk/creativecloud/buy/students.html The labs and library have the Autodesk Suite installed, so you will have the opportunity to use the software outside of timetabled sessions on campus.

8.

Communication

At many points during your course, you will need to contact your module leader or course leader. In these situations it is important that you either email or phone. Most issues we encounter can be solved in the first email or call. If this is not the case, you may visit the office of the staff member required for assistance, but we will often need to book an appointment for this due to teaching hours and the number of students on the course. If you’re having an issue relating to a module you are studying, your first point of contact should be the module leader. You will be able to find out who this is by checking your module handbook on Blackboard. If you still feel like you need to talk to someone after this, you should contact the course leader, Adrian Gurney who will try to assist. Your module tutors will contact you via Blackboard Announcements and Email. Please make sure that your inbox has sufficient space in to receive emails at all times. Having a full inbox will not be a valid reason for missing important information. You may keep in contact with your peers via the following link 20

https://www.facebook.com/groups/staffsgamesdesign/ Our twitter page is useful to follow. We often retweet events and jobs: https://twitter.com/StaffsGamesTech You should be aware of normal working hours when contacting staff on social media. It is not a given that you will have direct contact with staff on sites like Facebook and you should not be contacting staff members outside of 9-5 / normal working ours. On average staff will try to respond to questions within 2 working days though this can be slower during term time. Complex issues within the software that we use will often require us to see your work. For this, we will normally need to book an appointment or see the issue in the next lesson. For important course issues, email and phone are considered to be the only valid methods of communication. Please do not send us important correspondence over Facebook or Twitter, as we do not monitor these in the same way we do our email.

9.

Support and Guidance

You will be assigned a personal tutor during the beginning of Level 4. Your personal tutor will contact you twice a year where by you will be given the opportunity to meet. During these meetings you will be able to discuss any issues regarding your introduction to the University. It is often the case that your personal tutor will refer you to other areas of the University for more specific / appropriate advice. Your tutor will be available during the academic year as well however it is expected that you attempt to solve any academic issues first via your module tutors and then your course leader. During your final year you will work with a project tutor and meet for 20 minutes each week continuing the close work with games staff. Information on University support services can be found in the on-line student guide, available at: http://www.staffs.ac.uk/student/guide/ The Student Advice Centre run by the Students’ Union provides independent, impartial and confidential advice to students free of charge. More information on the Students’ Union can be found at: https://www.staffsunion.com/

10.

The Student Voice

During the course you will have the opportunity to share your views and opinions on your modules, course and the University. Your feedback is key to ensuring that we get an accurate picture of what it is like to be a student at Staffordshire University and enables us to enhance the learning experience for current and future students. Your opinions and feedback is hugely valued in the games area. The following mechanisms are in place for you to provide feedback on your experience at Staffs; a) Course Management Committees happen twice a year. They allow student representatives and the games team meet to discuss the progression and development of the year. You will be able to contribute ideas to presentations / 21

stand for election if you wish. Ideas will be discussed and potentially integrated into the course scheme. b) Module Evaluations; at the end of a semester you will have the opportunity to complete online anonymous surveys via Blackboard. The results are taken into consideration when developing the following year’s curriculum. c) Annual Surveys such as the NSS, SVS, PTES and DLHE will give you he chance to leave detailed responses based on the course structure and employment information. d) Conferences; The team try our best to run various conferences and events each year. During these events you will be able to discuss your opinions and concerns with a wide range of academic and industry people. Each year the team completes Annual Monitoring which details course issues and challenges. Your voice is present in this document. You will be able to see this document and the external examiner report at various meetings to see how the team has reacted upon student feedback.

11.

Rules and Regulations

The University’s Academic Course Regulations can be accessed at: http://www.staffs.ac.uk/regulations Course Specific Regulations The Level 5 Junior Collaborative Games Development and Testing module cannot be compensated. If students fail this module they can only retake with attendance. They may not proceed to the Level 6 Senior Collaborative Games Development and Testing module until they have passed Level 5 Junior Collaborative Games Development and Testing. The placement year is considered as either a pass or fail with the pass contributing to the award of Sandwich degree. There are no specific credits at any level allocated to the placement year. It is prohibited for the 30 credits of the Individual Games Technology Project or the 30 of the Individual Games Technology Portfolio to be compensated. If a total of 300 Credits are achieved over Levels 4, 5 and 6 instead of the required 360 credits for the Honours Degree, then it is assumed that the student has not fully demonstrated the qualities of Staffordshire Graduate. In this case the student will be offered a Non-Honours Degree.

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Appendix A – Level Breakdown & Course Learning Outcomes

Common Learning Outcome Statements

Discipline Based Level Learning Outcome: Level 4

Discipline Based Level Learning Outcome: Level 5

Non-Honours Degree*

Discipline Based Level Learning Outcome: Level 6

Knowledge and Understanding

Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the principles that underpin the structure of games using programming languages or games engines, as well as their design, asset requirements or core gameplay [depending on option]. Make judgements of merit based on the concepts and principles gained.

Show critical understanding of how established games design techniques and principles of games engines and programming languages are used by others may be used for original production.

Show a systematic approach to the analysis of games engines and programming languages and how they can be appropriately used.

Show a systematic approach to the analysis of advanced games engines and programming techniques, including AI. Show understanding of the games market and how this will impact a game.

Show critical interpretation of the current level of knowledge and understanding.

Demonstrate an understanding of the context of knowledge acquired.

Enquiry

Show the ability to evaluate and interpret technological information.

Show a professional approach to research and information gathering.

Analysis

Evaluate and interpret concepts and principles of games programming, games engines and design, 3D modelling or core gameplay [depending on option].

Demonstrate an understanding of the methods and avenues of enquiry in games programming and games engines. Analyse the effectiveness of existing techniques and technology in terms of usefulness

Demonstrate an understanding of the context of knowledge acquired and how this will impact their future studies and / or life-long learning. Show a professional approach to research and information gathering against specific complex identified issues.

Learning

Analyse the effectiveness of existing techniques and technology in terms of usefulness

Analyse the effectiveness of others and your own use of technology and techniques for specific production situations. Analyse the business

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Problem Solving

Understand and discriminate between different approaches used in games programming, games engines and design, 3D modelling or core gameplay [depending on option]. Undertake the fundamentals in the field of games programming and games engines in an applied form.

Show the ability to critically appraise solutions of others and how these can be used against your own problems.

Demonstrate the ability to discern between a complete and incomplete solution to a technological problem.

Apply prior knowledge and understanding in a practical and flexible manner to produce a computer game.

Reflection

Show the ability to be able to reflect upon approaches used in problem solving.

Show the ability to be critical of the approaches used in problem solving.

Apply critical reasoning and argument to show the ability to apply concepts in different contexts for games creation. Demonstrate the ability to reflect on the effectiveness of specific technological solutions.

Communication

Communicate principles and concepts to support work undertaken in the field of programming and games engines.

Develop interpersonal skills and decide upon the appropriate style of communication

Application

Communicate interpersonally either in the form of written or oral expression in a professional manner to a variety of audiences

aspects of the games industry relative to your game idea. Demonstrate the ability to discern between a complete and incomplete solution to a technological problem relative to complex situations. Apply critical reasoning and argument to show the ability to apply complex solutions against different game creations. Demonstrate the ability to reflect on the effectiveness of specific technological solutions against different types of games. Communicate interpersonally either in the form of written or oral expression in a professional manner to a variety of audiences, including those in the business world.

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Course Learning Outcomes Knowledge & Understanding Understand how established games design techniques and principles of games programming and games engines can be used to design, prototype and deploy a game or other interactive content derived from the software. Learning Set realistic goals for learning and become a confident independent learner who could impart their knowledge to others. Enquiry Understand the methods and avenues of enquiry in the field of games programming and games engines technology and show a professional approach to research and information gathering. Analysis Show the ability to analyse a problem through critical thinking and constructive argument backed by data and research. Analyse the effectiveness of techniques and technologies in terms of usefulness and the effectiveness of the way others use technology and techniques for specific production situations. Be able to analyse the current gaming market and assess if a game is suitable for the current climate. Problem Solving Identify the problem and use skills of decision making to choose the appropriate method to obtain the best solution within a codebase or games engine. Have the ability to discern between a complete and incomplete solution to a technological or theoretical problem and any issues that may be involved. Communication Communicate interpersonally either in the form of written or oral expression in a professional manner to a variety of audiences in order to communicate ideas, problems or solutions. Be able to communicate effectively to funding bodies, as well as companies that require you to agree licencing terms and sign none disclosure agreements [NDA]. Application Apply critical reasoning and argument to show the ability to apply different technical solutions to a given problem. Be able to apply your understanding of the games industry onto marketing aspects such as blogging and vlogging. Reflection Demonstrate the ability to realistically reflect on the quality of your work and put in to place a plan of action to improve your current skills.

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Communication

x

Reflection

Analysis

x

Application

Enquiry

x

Problem Solving

Learning

Title

Knowledge and Understanding

Appendix B – Curriculum Maps

LEVEL 4 CORE GAME40214

Introduction To Games Design

GAME40213

Introduction to 3D Game Engines

x

x

COSE40638

Game Engine Creation

x

x

x x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

OPTIONS GAME40250

Rapid Games Prototyping

GAME40259

Introduction To 3d Modelling For Games

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

LEVEL 5 CORE COSE50639

Advanced Games Engine Creation

GAME50180

Advanced 3D Games Engines & Scripting

GAME50170

Junior Collaborative Game Development and Testing

x

x x x

OPTIONS GAME50172

Gameplay Applications

x

GAME50261

Game Interface Design and Implementation

x

GAME50168

3D Character Modelling for Games

x

x

x

x

x

GAME50365

3D Hard Surface Modelling for Games

x

x

x

x

x

COSE50581

Further Games and Graphics Concepts

x

x

x

GAME50251

Social & Mobile Game Development

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

LEVEL 6 CORE GAME60193

Individual Games Technology Project

x

x

GAME60175

Advanced Games Prototyping & A.I. Scripting

x

x

GAME60247

Senior Collaborative Game Development & Testing

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

OPTIONS GAME60177

MMOG Design, Communities and Narratology

x

x

GAME60174

Advanced 3D Modelling

x

COSE60595

Mobile Games Development

x

x

COSE60587

Advanced Graphics and Real-Time Rendering

x

x

GAME60271

Individual Games Technology Portfolio

GAME60282

Military Games Design and Development

x

x x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x x

x

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Appendix C – The Staffordshire Graduate COURSE TITLE: Characteristic

Work-ready and employable

Computer Games Design and Programming Course Module[s] including Method of Assessment level and number of credits Junior Collaborative Games Students will work across the academic years in a group studio environment for one day a Development and Testing week. The day will start with a ½hr group meeting to set out what is expected in that working [L5 30 Credits] day. The day will finish with a ½hr group final meeting to monitor what has been achieved that day. Senior Collaborative Games Development and Testing [L6 30 Credits]

Understanding of enterprise and entrepreneurship

Understanding of global issues and their place in the global economy

Communication skills

Junior Collaborative Games Development and Testing [L5 30 Credits] Senior Collaborative Games Development and Testing [L6 30 Credits] Junior Collaborative Games Development and Testing [L5 30 Credits] Introduction to Games Design [L4 30 Credits] Junior Collaborative Games Development and Testing [L5 30 Credits] Senior Collaborative Games Development and Testing [L6 30 Credits] Introduction to Games Design [L4 30 Credits]

The Level 5 students take on the junior roles within the games studio and they will be led by the Level 6 students who take the senior roles. Each group produce one game and students are assigned to roles reflecting the structure of a games company. As the student moves from level 5 to level 6 they then progress from being a junior member of a team to a management role as a senior, creating a sense of progression through the company from a junior to a senior role. Students will be assessed on how they apply the games marketing skills to the marketing of their game. Students will be assessed on their ability to understand the process of bringing their game to market and releasing it to a global games distribution network Students will be assessed on their ability to understand that the games industry is a global market and to that end design a game that does not alienate parts of the global market. Students will be assessed on their ability to demonstrate what they have learnt about games, genres and the social context of games globally Students will need to demonstrate that their game is suitable for a larger worldwide market as part of their developed game. This includes being culturally sensitive and aware of issues that their game couple potentially cause. Formative assessment by Tutors Students will be assessed on their ability to communicate the principles of genre and competitive analysis

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Presentation skills

The ability to interact confidently with colleagues

Independence of thought

Skills of team working

Ability to carry out inquiry-based learning and critical analysis

Introduction To 3D Modelling For Games [L4 30 Credits] Junior Collaborative Games Development and Testing [L5 30 Credits] Senior Collaborative Games Development and Testing [L6 30 Credits] Junior Collaborative Games Development and Testing [L5 30 Credits] Senior Collaborative Games Development and Testing [L6 30 Credits]

Students will be assessed on their ability to communicate current industry technologies and workflows used in the production of the environment. Junior members of the team will be expected to contribute to the presentation of the final game in a way which demonstrates the qualities of their product in the best light.

Individual Games Technology Project [L6 30 Credits] Introduction To 3D Modelling For Games [L4 30 Credits] Rapid Games Prototyping [L4 30 Credits] Social and Mobile Game Development [L5 30 Credits] Advanced 3D Games Engines And Scripting [L5 30 Credits]

Individual project demonstrating the students’ ability to study and work independently

Game Interface Design and Implementation [L5 30 Credits] Senior Collaborative Games Development and Testing [L6 30 Credits] Introduction to 3D Game Engines [L4 30 Credits] Introduction To 3D Modelling For Games

Breaking down of existing user interface examples, conclude why they work [or don’t] and then create their own off this analysis.

Senior members would be expected to present their vision not only to the junior members of the team but also to the executive producers. This will be observed formatively by tutors when presenting their pitches, progress, and final end product. This will be observed formatively by tutors during the normal weekly meeting for the group. Each group has a staff member of staff assigned throughout the running of the module. They will be responsible for input on the assessment.

Students will be assessed on their ability to reflect upon suitability of the environment for the chosen game engine through comparison with professional works and critically evaluate the piece and determine improvements. Students will be assessed on their ability to design and develop their own gameplay prototypes based on an initial criteria. Students will be assessed on their ability to design and develop their own publishable game for a mobile platform. Students will be assessed on their ability to reflect on the success of the creation process.

Tutors will monitor the success of students on this module in their ability to work in a team as a senior member in a managing or guiding role Testing of content that has been made in a group environment. Students need to work together to improve the quality of their work. This module will assess the ability of students to apply appropriate techniques to create and modify 3D game assets by evaluating and applying a variety of industry production techniques.

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[L4 30 Credits]

Skills of problem solving and creation of opportunities

Advanced 3D Games Engines & Scripting [L5 30 Credits] Advanced Games Prototyping and AI Scripting [L6 30 Credits] Introduction To 3D Games Engines [L4 30 Credits] Introduction To 3D Modelling For Games [L4 30 Credits]

Games Engine Creation [L4 30 Credits]

Technologically, digitally and information literate

Able to apply Staffordshire Graduate attributes to a range of life experiences to facilitate lifelong learning

Advanced Games Engine Creation [L5 30 Credits] Introduction To 3D Games Engines [L4 30 Credits] Game Engine Creation [L4 30 Credits] Introduction To Games Design [L4 30 Credits] Individual Games Technology Portfolio [L6 30 Credits] Junior Collaborative Game Development and Testing [L5 30 Credits]

Analysis of a games engine and use of inquiry to dissect current implementations. This understanding will then be illustrated through a coursework project. This module will assess the ability of students to apply appropriate techniques to create a series of AI behaviours to defeat a series of challenges in a 2D environment. Students will be assessed on their ability to use a broad range of functions within a games engine to create a multiplayer and single player game levels. These modules all at Level 4 form the bedrock of the different technological and digital skills required. They also assess a breath of skills in games technology required to inform and support the modules at a higher level. The assessment method for these modules is evaluating the work against a technical marking criteria. They are divided into sections which the student must tackle. These criteria are established with industry and reflect the real world industry requirements. Students will be assessed on their ability to use the C++ programming language and additional game libraries to create 2D and 3D games that incorporate aspects of asset management, UI, physics, sound and AI. The assessment method for these modules is evaluating the work against a technical marking criteria. They are divided into sections which the student must tackle. These criteria are established with industry and reflect the real world industry requirements. These modules all at Level 4 form the bedrock of the different technological and digital skills required. They also assess a breath of skills in games technology required to inform and support the modules at a higher level. The assessment method for these modules is evaluating the work against a technical marking criteria. They are divided into sections which the student must tackle. These criteria are established with industry and reflect the real world industry requirements. 1 x 4000 Word Essay focussing on the results gained from their artefact / service images or item[s]. This module covers lots of life experiences: team work, creation, investigation, recording of work done, presentation and more which are applicable here.

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