GAME-MAKING SESSION REPORT
1. Check the guidelines for classroom observation practice
2. Read through this monitoring report before the class session to remind yourself what
aspects are of interest. Add your own indicators if you wish. Have a copy of the report on
hand at the session so you can refer to it.
3. Monitor the class sessions using your own log-sheet.
4. After the session, use the data in your log to compile this report. Please use the file
rather than a pen &paper version. Reporting is best done immediately after the session
when impressions are fresh in your mind and you recall things that you may not have
managed to log.
5. Later on, read back through the report to see if your impressions have changed or if
you’ve remembered anything you want to add.
6. Save your report on dropbox with a version number. If you want to change it sometime
later, either generate a new file or add your changes in revision mode; in both cases
attribute a new version number.
Some comments
They didn’t face any difficulty in operating computers. Moreover, they are adolescents, so they
are more mature and cognitively advanced. Thus, they focused on given topics and the level of
difficulty of the designed game.
Monitor’s name: Katerina (English teacher)
Group ID: The whole class
Group’s profile (representativeness of whole class regarding abilities, aptitudes,
attitudes, etc.)
Mix socioeconomic level. Pupils are all computer literate and advanced English learners.
Members: 20 pupils
Class: 1st Grade of Junior High School
Location: 2nd Junior High School of Nikaia (Piraeus).
Date: 13/5/2014
1. Game idea
Were the students set a game-making task/goal? How did the main game idea emerge within
the group?
All the topics were proposed by the teacher and pupils chose the one randomly. The topics
were already taught in classroom the whole academic year. This activity played a revision role.
1
To help you verify this, look out for the following indicators; simply tick the ones that occur or
mark the number of times they occur.
indicators
no
proposed by one student
rarely
moderately
often
v often


negotiated jointly

developed through exploration

inspired by a model/example
copied from another group


other _____________________
2. Collaboration
Did the children collaborate during the game making session?
no
rarely
moderately
often
v often

To help you verify this, look out for the following indicators; simply tick the ones that occur or
mark the number of times they occur.
indicators
no
rarely
moderately
often

discussion
negotiation


working together
mutual support/encouragement
seeking and/or accepting peer
feedback
v often


other ______________
Write any comment, event or situation supporting your observation
The group was very energetic and enthusiastic during the programme implementation. All the
student were very supportive to one another and enjoyed it greatly.
2
3. Engagement
Were the children engaged during the game making session?
no
rarely
moderately
often
v often

To help you verify this, look out for the following indicators; simply tick the ones that occur or
mark the number of times they occur.
indicators
no
rarely
moderately
often
v often
individuals physically staying
together with their group unit

individuals actively participating

all group members actively
participating (no inactive members)

concentrating

reacting positively

other ________________________
Write any comment, event or situation supporting your observation
Due to the fact that the level of English language was advanced the pupils didn’t require any
help or clarification. However, they designed their games in Greek.
3
4. Motivation
Were the children motivated?
no
rarely
moderately
often
v often

To help you verify this, look out for the following indicators; simply tick the ones that occur or
mark the number of times they occur.
indicators
no
rarely
moderately
Interest in continuing with game
making in class
Interest in continuing with game
making out of class
v often



Interest in game ranks or awards
Interest in dissemination of games
often

other ________________________
Write any comment, event or situation supporting your observation
Our pupils were easily motivated by the beautiful sceneries of the Magos backgrounds but they
preferred to have an easily accessible picture database.
4
5. Problem solvingi
Were problem solving skills and strategies apparent in the session? These may regard
processes, tools, products.
no
rarely
moderately
often
v often

To help you verify this, look out for the following indicators; simply tick the ones that occur or
mark the number of times they occur.
indicators
no
rarely
moderately
often

discussion
Recognise and define problem/s
including constraints or obstacles
encounteredwithprocesses, tools, products
Reflect on and develop solution
strategy
e.g. forward planning, hypothesis forming,decisionmaking procedure, etc.
v often


Gather and analyse ideas / data

e.g.brainstorming,problemdecomposition,analysis of
overall game, seeking root cause, inference forming
Consider/try alternatives
e.g. adopt a previous solution, out-of-the-box
thinking, transform into previously-solved problem,
trial-and-error
Evaluation of implemented solution
e.g. assess result, reconsider strategy, refine
solution


other ________________________
Write any comment, event or situation supporting your observation
5
6. Creativityii
Was creativity apparent in the session? This may regard attitudes, processes and products.
no
rarely
moderately
often
v often

To help you verify this, look out for the following tentative indicators (these are suggestions and
not intended as precise markers). Simply tick the ones that occur or mark the number of times
they occur.
indicators
Attention to game’s aesthetic appeal and
potential to engage
no
rarely
moderately
often
v often

e.g. game description , background elements, theme approach to
choice of elements
seek to put a personal stamp on game

e.g. generate and integrate novel ideas and solutions in mission
make original / unforeseen connections

e.g. integration of elements and mission
deal with conditions, constraints & problems
in unorthodox / imaginative manner

e.g. seek/identify alternatives, brainstorm and cross-fertilize ideas
Propose or implement solution that goes
beyond set task
e.g. ambitious mission that pushes boundaries of assigned theme
or system possibilities

Other _______________________
Write any comment, event or situation supporting your observation
If the level of difficulty of the game had been more advanced the pupils would have been more
creative.
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7. ICT Literacyiii
Were ICT literacy skills apparent in the session? These may regard attitudes, processes and
products.
no
rarely
moderately
often
v often

To help you verify this, look out for the following indicators; simply tick the ones that occur or
mark the number of times they occur.
indicators
no
rarely
moderately
often
Understand technological
environment
v often

e.g. explore environment, explore & use functions,
identify limits & constraints, draw on help
appropriately
Use technology productively

e.g. select appropriate functions & features,
appreciate and exploit affordances, deal with limits &
constraints, produce playable game
Apply existing ICT knowledge

e.g. make comparison with other applications &
functions, display familiarity & confidence in
environment
Apply versioning to game making
e.g. troubleshoot game on-the-fly, integrate
feedback, refine intermediate versions

Demonstrate design thinking
e.g. assume player’s viewpoint in game design,
evaluation and revision; consider, plan & reflect on
global design/production process

other _______________________
Write any comment, event or situation supporting your observation
7
8. Practitioner interaction with pupil group
Was practitioner/pupil interaction fluid and fruitful?
no
rarely
moderately
often
v often

To help you verify this, look out for the following indicators; simply tick the ones that occur or
mark the number of times they occur.
indicators
Group (member) proactively sought:
… practitioner’s support for game making task
no
rarely
moderately

… practitioner’s mediation in group collaboration or
engagement

… practitioner’s encouragement, recognition, praise,
etc.

… interaction at ‘peer’ level with practitioner input
regarded critically

Teacher intervened:
… to offer suggestions about game making task

… to help with using the digital environment

… to mediate group collaboration or engagement

… more as a ‘peer’ than as an authority figure
v
often

… practitioner’s help with the digital environment
… stimulate, encourage, offer recognition / praise, etc.
often


other ________________________
Write any relevant comment, event or situation
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9. Further observations or notes (including comments on the monitoring process and
report)
The pupils loved the activity, the idea, the sceneries, the variety of colours and heroes.
However, due to the maturity of the pupils some of them got bored rather quickly.
i
problem-solving
 the ‘problem-solving cycle’ (Bransford& Stein, 1993);
 Frensch, P. A., & Funke, J. (Eds.). (1995).
 Complex problem solving: The European perspective. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates;
 International Society For Technology In Education – National Educational Technology Standards
(Nets) Profiles For Technology (ICT) Literate Students
 Problem Solving for Tomorrow’s World - First Measures of Cross-Curricular Competencies from
PISA 2003 (OECD)

ii
Creativity
 Cropley, Creativity in Education and Learning, London: Kogan Page, 2001
 T. Amabile, Creativity in context: Update to the social psychology of creativity, Boulder, CO:
Westview Press, pp. 35-36, 1996.
 J.A. Plucker, R.A. Beghetto, Why creativity is domain general, why it looks domain specific, and why
the distinction doesn’t matter, Creativity: From potential to realization, ed. R. J. Sternberg, E. L.
Grigorenko, and J. L. Singer, 153-68, Washington, DC: American Psychological Association, 2004.
 E. Villalba, Computer-based Assessment and the Measurement of Creativity in Education. In The
Transition to Computer-Based Assessment. New Approaches to Skills Assessment and Implications
for Large-scale TestingFriedrich Scheuermann& Julius Björnsson (Eds.)European Communities,
2009.
 NACCCE, All Our Futures: Creativity, Culture and Education , Report to the Secretary of State for
Education and Employment the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, UK, 1999.
 F. Frossard, M. Barajas, S. Alcaraz-DomÌnguez, A. Trifonova and J. Quintana (2011). GBL Design for
Enhancing Creativity in the Classroom. In Games and Creativity in Education and Training. Barajas,
9
Trifonova, Delli Veneri, Frossard, Mellini (Eds.). Fridericiana Editrice Universitaria. ISBN: 978-888338-117-1

iii
ICT literacy
 Ferrari, A. (2012). Digital Competence in practice: An analysis of frameworks. Seville: JRC-IPTS;
International Society For Technology In Education – National Educational Technology Standards
(Nets) Profiles For Technology (ICT) Literate Students
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