Having an absolute blast learning to code using Gamefroot

By Vicki Hagenaars, Whanganui Intermediate School

The students at Whanganui Intermediate School had an absolute blast learning to code using Gamefroot last year. Our school of 560 students is divided into four clusters, with each undertaking two specialist subjects per term, one of which was Digi Tech.

Dan Milward from Gamefroot visited us at the end of 2021 while I was contemplating how to ensure our students had a solid introduction to coding. I had previously undertaken two courses building my own knowledge of game design, which had Gamefroot at their heart. With a mix of Chromebooks and laptops being used, I knew I could not run the previously successful LEGO Mindstorms robotics option for every student. Scratch had been used by at least half of the student population already and I wanted something different. Gamefroot fitted the checklist on every count.

Alongside using the Gamejam card game that introduces students to the elements of game design, Dan also ran through the initial coding lessons, demonstrating how to use both of these tools with all of my students in a class who had members with additional learning needs. The visit gave me not only ideas to borrow but also prompted me along the path of what I really wanted to achieve with my classes. I knew I would have just as wide a range of abilities. It needed to grab, engage and encourage them to persevere. But most importantly I needed to make sure everyone could work at their own pace while engaging with the learning outcomes in the curriculum.

Instant feedback

With these ideas now sorted I explored Gamefroot over the summer holidays. I started each term with Mihi Maker as this allowed me time to get to know the students in front of me quickly, engage with them about their wha - nau and where they were from – the Maslow, relationship building stuff. Then we tackled Blooms and got into it properly with the use of the video tutorials for Platformer 101. The best thing about choosing this path was that even our students with additional learning needs and all of our dyslexic students experienced success. I soon became adept at debugging issues as the students built their playscape, coded a character, added obstacles and had instant feedback from playing their game regarding their success (or not) with coding.

The biggest challenge has come with the change in pricing structure. I totally understand why this has been done. The price that originally covered a year for students now covers a term. With the size of our student population, the pricing change will now limit us to using the free sections only, apart from the students who take building on this platform seriously.

Surprise and enjoyment

The students worked collaboratively and often used their peers to test their game, taking on the feedback to restructure or develop their games further. The use of the video tutorials meant I could have them all working at their own pace, freeing me up to truly facilitate learning – including my own – as we debugged the issues students were having. As we finished each cluster’s time with me they wrote their self-reflections. Most have commented that they did not think they could build something like that and many were surprised by how much they enjoyed it.

On the topic of debugging, the Gamefroot Discord community is an amazing support asset for teachers trying to problem solve.

My own history with coding is long and patchy. I am not a gamer the way the kids are. I play games that stimulate my memory after having a brain injury a few years ago. I have some understanding of game design through the courses I undertook, my own game play over the years and watching what my now grown children play as well.

If you’re considering getting started with coding, I can totally recommend using the free parts of Gamefroot to dip your toes in the water. The video tutorials are clear and easy to follow, and will give you enough skill to build some simple games that will help your students in their learning, allowing you to gamify your classes.