Showcase
This showcase features a wide array of multimedia projects that I have submitted throughout my Graduate Certificate in Serious Games and Master of Arts in Educational Technology program at Michigan State University. My graduate work is focused on providing ed tech solutions geared towards families and adult learners, which range from board games to structured lesson plans for finance professionals. A selection of my solutions for improving quality of life at home and in the workplace are presented below according to media type: videos, interviews, podcasts, websites, lesson plans, and other exercises.
Videos:
Video 1: Pitch for Testdrive USA
I designed a board game to help teenagers learn how to drive. Say goodbye to those DMV handbooks with pictures that haven't been updated since 1972 and say hello to Testdrive USA! Five percent of profits are donated to Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), a 501(c)3 organization.
Testdrive USA from Joy Hopkins on Vimeo.
Video 2: News Game Analysis - SPENT
In this presentation, I conduct an analysis of the online game, SPENT. SPENT addresses issues of poverty by challenging players to get through one month working as a low-wage earner. This award-winning game was designed by Durham, NC-based advertising firm, McKinney, for pro bono client, Urban Ministries of Durham in February 2011.
SPENT Game Analysis from Joy Hopkins on Vimeo.
Video 3: Funding your Serious Game
In this mini-lecture, I discuss several different funding options for bringing your serious game to market. The majority of commercial games do not produce profit, and most extraneous expenses are incurred between the prototype and production stages. The risk is highest in AAA games where a publisher is needed to ensure the product pipeline and production schedule stays on track.
Access my presentation below to discover ways a game developer can alleviate those financial burdens post design process and still meet production expectations.
Funding Serious Games Mini-lecture from Joy Hopkins on Vimeo.
Click here to download the pdf version of the mini-lecture on Funding Serious Games.
Video 4: A Lesson in Visual Communication
In this video, I create a digital story about students struggling to learn a concept and eventually mastering it. I was encouraged to apply educational theories to demonstrate effective teaching methods. For this project, I introduce Brian and Julio to the wonderful world of sign, starting with the American Sign Language alphabet. The two struggle at first, but after some observational learning and personalized instruction, are eventually able to sign their names correctly. I purposely chose the topic of a visual language, because it lends itself well to this multimedia format.
Length: 05:00
A Lesson in Visual Communication from Joy Hopkins on Vimeo.
Interviews:
Interview 1: Serious Game Alumni Interview
This is an interview that I did with Lissy Torres of Michigan State University about my transition from the corporate finance world into education and serious gaming.
Click here to access the interview.
Podcasts:
Podcast 1: Play Testing for Nosomnia
I created a podcast to document my first play testing session, also known as Wizard of Oz testing, for a relaxation game created a week prior called Nosomnia. Nosomnia aims to slow the heart rate of adults who suffer from insomnia or otherwise experience trouble winding down before bed.
In this podcast, I walk the tester through her beta version of the game available in PowerPoint to understand how he would interact with the game. I'm primarily concerned with understanding what features of the game are intuitive to the tester and how the tester interprets different play elements of the game so that I can iterate and improve the game's core mechanic.
Length: 14:14.
Podcast 2: An Experiment in Understanding Students' Understanding
I produced an audio podcast geared at understanding students' understanding. In the audio production below, I am a host of a fictional radio talk show, Global Perspectives: Science and Technology edition. I interview an earth science enthusiast and provide subtle insights and assessments of his understanding throughout, striving to make it engaging for listeners from start to finish. Enjoy!
Length: 09:03
Podcast 3: Podcast on Sustainable Technology Project
In this podcast, I propose a low cost, sustainable technological solution to help prepare aspiring first generation college students for the realities of college life.
Length: 17:40.
Websites:
Website 1: Testdrive USA Website and Gameplay Video
Please access the link below to view the final website I had prepared for the very first board game I has developed, Testdrive USA. In the Play the Game section of the site, you will find a short gameplay video where I simulates gameplay in real time.
Click here to access the website.
Website 2: Creativity In Teaching and Learning
I created this website to showcase the research I have conducted on creativity in teaching and learning environments. This site contains a semester's worth of work in this area culminating into a white paper, which addresses seven cognitive tools that can be utilized to develop creativity in and outside of the classroom.
Click here to access the website.
Website 3: Learning Technology Through Design
On this site, I walk visitors through The Stanford d. School's design thinking methodology, including the empathize, ideate, define, prototype, and testing phases. I introduce viewers to a real problem of practice, which focuses on designing a strategy for scaling my business dedicated to empowering college-bound and college students through financial literacy and mentorship. It is fun to see how my problem of practice is refined in real time by walking through each module on this site. Modules 2 through 6 are dedicated to exploring each of the 5 phases of the Stanford d. School's design thinking model in detail.
Click here to access the website.
Lesson Plans:
Lesson Plan 1: Jing for Finance
I've outlined a lesson plan to teach a group of eight finance professionals how to use Jing, a screenshot and screencast software, with the goal to create a robust set of desktop manuals and training materials for the finance team. The lesson plan was designed using the Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPCK) framework made popular by Michigan State University's Punya Mishra and Matt Koehler.
Click here to download the file.
Lesson Plan Implementation and Reflection: Jing for Finance
The purpose of this document is to describe and reflect on the lesson plan geared to teach a group of eight finance professionals how to use Jing, a screenshot and screencast software.
Click here to download the file.
Other Exercises:
Other 1: Prezi Presentation on Managing through Complex Change
In this presentation, I address 5 critical success factors in managing through complex change. The concepts are based on a model originally proposed in Ambrose's book entitled Managing Complex Change (1987).
Click here to view the presentation.
Other 2: Physical Prototype & Playtest Report for Testdrive USA
In this presentation, a summary is provided of my physical prototype design and first playtesting session of the first board game I designed called Testdrive USA.
Click here to download the file.
Other 3: Gamification Exercise
In this exercise, I chose to gamify the experience of household chores. I aim to increase household members' engagement and commitment to shared responsibilities through a points system.
Click here to download the file.