General OverviewThe programme has the following general educational aims:
• To develop the students' intellectual, analytical and critical evaluation powers; their understanding and judgement; their problem-solving skills; their ability to communicate; and to evaluate technology within the games context.
• To heighten the students' awareness of the benefits and the impact of computer systems and their associated technologies
• To develop students who can build creative interactive programs for a wide range of marketplaces using a range of development approaches, and to critically evaluate these products
• To stimulate an enquiring, analytical and creative approach, encouraging independent judgement and critical self-awareness.
• For the Honours programme, to provide an environment for the student to carry out a significant piece of independent and original work related to the specific course aims.
Course specific aims cover the development to the level required of a body of knowledge and skills appropriate to the field of study and reflecting academic developments in the field.
The course specific aims are as follows:
• To develop in the students the skills needed in order to create a wide range of games for the indie (independent) and casual games marketplace with a focus on web and mobile games. There will also be a particular focus on utilisation of Game Engines including Game Maker, Unreal Engine and Unity
• To encourage students to create products that work across a range of developing personal technologies
• To create a working understanding of the interface between code, imagery and sound in a games or other creative product
• To develop an understanding of the different people and skills required to create a successful video game product
Students may develop the areas of study relevant to computer games development, and be assisted in their personal development towards a career in computer games. Although the primary output will be as a games programmer, the students will also become suitable for employment in the wider software industry.
In the process of making games students will learn about the software development process (planning, design, implementation, testing and documentation) which will be relevant in the wider software industry.
It is expected that the BSc (Honours) graduates should be capable of independent work of an advanced nature. This does not necessarily imply that the graduates should be advanced in terms of computing science skills. It implies that the graduates should be capable of working in conjunction with other specialists – marketers, the press, the public, etc - so that effective cooperation is established with those outside the development studio
Teaching:
Formal contact with students is via lectures, tutorials and laboratory work. Classes are divided into smaller groups for laboratory work and tutorials. Seminars and group work are used where appropriate. The teaching of programming is largely based on practice, where students learn through problem solving, developing algorithms and writing and testing code to produce working solutions to common requirements in computer games. In modules throughout the programme, students work in groups and learn how to manage the team working experience. This includes project management, written and verbal communication and presenting their work for criticism by their peers and tutors.
Learning:
The programme views the student as being at the centre of the learning process and students are expected to take responsibility for their own learning and to construct knowledge through active engagement with learning resources supported and guided by teaching staff. Students are expected to undertake independent study both to supplement and consolidate what is being taught and to broaden their individual knowledge and understanding of the subject.
Assessment:
The assessment methods used are specified in the individual module descriptors and are identified against specific module learning outcomes. The modules each have either one or two assessment categories and there is a high emphasis on in-course assessments. None of the core modules of the programme are assessed by end-of-term formal examinations, though these are used in some of the recommended options which have a high emphasis on theory. There are extended pieces of assessed project work in both the third and final years of the programme. Modules in which artefacts are developed often ask for a sequence of assessed deliverables, rather than a single overall submission at the end of the module, to allow for feedback on earlier implementation phases before later phases are completed. Class tests are widely used to allow feedback on the students’ grasp of concepts and principles in the modules during the term.
Sandwich Placement
With the skills and knowledge they have acquired in the first two (or three) years of the programme, students may if they wish proceed to a paid placement position, of a minimum duration of 36 weeks, in an games company or games-related setting which may be based in the UK or abroad. This provides an opportunity to experience the practice of computer games professionals in solving real-world problems and addressing business and organisational requirements. Support in finding a placement, and in the academic supervision of it, is provided by the School’s Placement Officer and the University Employability Link. While the programme facilitates placements it is the responsibility of the students and not staff members to find these placements and prepare themselves acacdemically and industrially for such a placement.
Summary
Students will have strong software development skills and will be well qualified to pursue a career or further studies in software engineering related fields, as well as being able to offer services to companies developing games for the casual and Indie markets.
The entire programme with all component modules should compass all "I am UWS" graduate attributes and in particular Universal(Critical Thinker, Analytical, Ethically-minded, Collaborative, Research-minded), Work Ready(Knowledgeable, Digitally Literate, Problem-solver, Effective communicator, Motivated, Enterprising), Successful(Autonomous, Innovative, Creative, Imaginative, Resilient, Driven).
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