SOUTH ORANGE COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT
SABBATICAL REPORT FORM
Submit your completed Sabbatical Report as an email attachment (*.doc file, only), within 60 days of your return to duty. Send your report to the Vice Chancellor of Human Resources, David Bugay
(bjohnson@socccd.edu).
The first page of this document should be the first page of your report.
Submission of a final Sabbatical Report is a component of the sabbatical process. (See SOCCCD 2007-2010 Academic Employee Master Agreement, Article XXVI, Section K-1, “Upon completion of the sabbatical and within sixty (60) days of the faculty member’s return to duty, a narrative report shall be submitted to the Sabbatical Committee for Review and acceptance (or non-acceptance).”
COMPLETE ALL OF THE FOLLOWING: Name: Robert D. Stewart, Ph.D.
College: Irvine Valley College Division/School: Business Science Period for which your sabbatical was granted:
Academic year__2010
Fall_X___ Spring______ Both______
Date and location of required presentation: March 1, 2011 Business Science March Department meeting
Description and location of materials produced for college/district use (if applicable): The narrative and curriculum regarding a Gaming program at IVC are in the Business Science Department offices.
1. Activities
a. Describe in detail and c. Provide a timeline
The activities of my sabbatical were to investigate the potential need for software gaming developers program at Irvine Valley college and to investigate any additional software that might be necessary to implement such a gaming major or certificate.
August and September
In an effort to investigate gaming programs or education in areas other than Southern California I looked into the bachelor of team software development program at Westwood College the bachelor of science in game design at full sail University the bachelor of science in game design and development at Rochester Institute of Technology in Rochester New York the bachelor of science degree in games and simulation arts and science at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Albany, New York and the game
production specialization bachelor's degree at Champlain College in Burlington, Vermont.
October and November
I continued my investigation of gaming programs on the West Coast specifically in Southern California by looking into the course offerings at the Bren School of
Information and Computer Sciences at UCI, created by Dan Frost which is very heavily concentrated in computer science and programming. The state Chancellor's office
recognizes three community colleges with gaming certificates and they are Southwestern, College of the Canyons, and Golden West College. All three of those programs are listed under a tops code of 614.20 – gaming. These three colleges offer one or two courses in gaming and the rest of the certificates are made up of art – drawing classes, animation classes, and/or computer science programming classes. The best community college program in Simulation and Gaming is at Moreno Valley College, part of the Riverside Community College District. The program was written by Matthew Barboza but he did not prove terribly helpful in the interview as to the success of the program.
December
The continuation of my investigation into certificate programs turned up the Academy of Game Entertainment Technology in Hollywood, the Art Institute of California in Orange County, UC Fullerton and Platt College in San Diego all with certificate or degree
programs and a number of surrounding community colleges such as Cyprus, Fullerton, Grossmont, and Rio Honda all with individual courses in gaming.
In addition to looking into certificate programs and courses related to a gaming certificate, I also started investigating the gaming industry in the United States and specifically in Orange County with articles such as: "How Video Games are Changing the Economy" and the environmental scan "Emerging Trends in Game Development", a report made for the California Community Colleges in September of 2008. Additional background information has been obtained by "Horizon Report, 2009 Economic Development Addition" from the New Media Consortium.
b. How these activities achieve the goals stated
After investigating these programs certificates degrees and courses in other universities, colleges and community colleges I have been able to determine that there are a number of different emphases within the gaming development curriculum. My goal is to compare and contrast the key elements of the existing programs in order to determine how a successful gaming program might be included in the IVC, Business Science Department. Some of the programs such as at UCI are computer science – programming driven, some fall within the Art Departments and some are intra- departmental with elements of business science, art and drawing, animation and simulation, and computer programming.
IVC has a number of existing courses that can be incorporated into a new major or certificate in gaming courses from Business Science - Photoshop, Flash, 3D Animation and Digital Media Arts - Graphic Design, Color Theory and figure drawing classes from the Art Department.
Without investigating the courses necessary for other major and certificate programs it would be difficult to determine those gaps in the curriculum at IVC would need to be filled. New courses in: Simulation Game Design, 3D Modeling & Texturing, Gaming 3D Animation, Game Dynamics - Rendering, Storyboarding, and Mobile Game
Development would be needed to flesh out a program at IVC.
d. Evidence
The narrative is available at the Business Science Department offices and it will be used as the basis for the proposed State approved Gaming Certificate that is being developed by the author and Dr. David Gatewood, ATEP.
The new courses are:
Simulation and Game Development
An introduction to the field of simulation and computer gaming. Course provides an introductory look at the fundamentals of simulation and computer games used in various industries—entertainment, military, finance, medical, education, and law enforcement. Topics include licensing and franchising, marketing, business development, game design, storytelling, and development life cycle.
Gaming - 3D Modeling
Create computationally efficient 3D digital models of both living and inanimate objects and then implement them in a real-time interactive simulation or video game. Topics include model construction using tri meshes and splines, applying basic surface detailing, understanding how model design effects computing performance, importing vertex and edge vectors into a game engine, and applying basic user and game world interactivity to one or more rigid bodies.
Gaming - 3D Animation
Animate both living and inanimate objects created with a 3D modeling program and then implement them in a real-time interactive simulation or video game. Topics include linear and non-linear attribute interpolation, path, forward and reverse kinematics animation. Additional topics include understanding how animation parameters affect computing performance, importing vertex and edge vectors into a game engine, and applying basic user and game world interactivity to a rigid body.
Gaming Dynamics - Rendering
Create dramatic cinematic sequences based on 3D animations of both living and inanimate objects. Topics include combining animated models with simulations of real world dynamics such as wind, water, fire, smoke, and gravity. Short animated sequences will be modeled, animated, and then rendered into frames. Hardware and software rendered frames will then be composted and added to a game engine.
Mobile Game Development
This course offers an overview of the gaming products for platforms involving anything handheld, including cell phones, PDAs and Pocket PCs. Students will learn to develop mobile games for the portable platforms of their choices.
Storyboarding for Animation
Introduction to storyboarding and the planning processes of visual storytelling. Translation of concepts such as shot or cell types, continuity, pacing, transitions and sequencing into a visual narrative. Exploration of gaming vocabulary and story board technique in the creation of both personal and professional expression.
2. Impact on teaching and learning, the students and the District:
The Impact of this sabbatical project has the potential to be far reaching. It could lead to the development of a needed program that is in demand. Such a program has the potential to impact the college and what is taught at IVC. Students will be provided a highly desired certificate program that trains them for available jobs in a growth industry. This can be seen from the 2008 report below:
“The educational benefits of video games are extending into higher education. Ludology, scholastic video game study from a humanistic perspective, now qualifies students to pursue careers in computer and video game design and programming.
More than 200 American colleges, universities and technical schools, including New York University, the Art Institute of Seattle and Marist College, offer programs and courses in video game design and development. Carnegie Mellon University and the Georgia Institute of Technology offer master's degrees in game development, while the University of
Southern California offers a graduate degree in interactive media and an undergraduate degree in video game development.
Despite the movement's infancy, the positive impact is tangible. The DigiPen Institute of Technology in Redmond, Was., which grants undergraduate and graduate degrees in video game development, has helped transform the Seattle area into one of the nation's leading game-development regions. With a new research lab at the prestigious Parsons Design School in New York on track to develop video games for training public officials, students and professionals, the impact is only just beginning.
Video games are also proving to be a lucrative career path for young graduates with starting salaries significantly higher than other industries. The video game industry's average compensation per employee is more than $92,000.
Source:
Author Vschmidt Associates, 2009 for BESAC
The benefits to the students and the district are the potential development of a Gaming program that enhances student success which feeds a burgeoning Southern California job market. The success of this proposed program will bring a positive image to the college and paint us as
leaders in this new area. By gaining knowledge about this developing field, I have discovered the potential for a new program that will talk to our current students and bring in countless more.
Products of the sabbatical
a. A narrative in support of a proposed Gaming Program. Curriculum for the proposed Gaming Program:
Simulation and Game Development Storyboarding for Animation Gaming – 3D Modeling Gaming – 3D Animation Gaming Dynamics – Rendering Mobile Game Development
b. If appropriate, state the location and accessibility of these products. All products are located at the Business Science Department offices
3. Dissemination of results
a. Demonstrate that you have followed the dissemination plan indicated in your proposal.
It states in my Sabbatical proposal that I would disseminate the information about the proposed Gaming Program at the March meeting of the Business Science Department
The March meeting of the Business Science Department occurred on March 1st at 2 pm. A handout was provided and 20 minutes of discussion occurred about a number of issues. First, whether the proposed program would be funded at all due to budget issues or would it stay in Computer Information Management at IVC or possibly go to ATEP. Second, would teachers be available to teach these new advanced offerings. Third, would there be a demand for this kind of program. In general it was decided that it would be a valuable addition to our program, school, college and district.
