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Using Nintendo Switch Development Environment to Teach Computer Game Programming and Virtual Reality

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Conference

2020 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Location

Virtual On line

Publication Date

June 22, 2020

Start Date

June 22, 2020

End Date

June 26, 2021

Conference Session

Pre-college Engineering Education Division Technical Session 18

Tagged Division

Pre-College Engineering Education

Page Count

12

DOI

10.18260/1-2--35467

Permanent URL

https://peer.asee.org/35467

Download Count

958

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Paper Authors

biography

Arif Sirinterlikci Robert Morris University Orcid 16x16 orcid.org/0000-0002-3272-0649

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Arif Sirinterlikci is a University Professor of Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering and the Associate Dean of Research and Outreach at Robert Morris University School of Engineering, Mathematics, and Science. He holds BS and MS degrees, both in Mechanical Engineering from Istanbul Technical University in Turkey and his Ph.D. is in Industrial and Systems Engineering from the Ohio State University. He has been actively involved in ASEE and SME organizations and conducted research in Rapid Prototyping and Reverse Engineering, Biomedical Device Design and Manufacturing, Automation and Robotics, and CAE in Manufacturing Processes fields.

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biography

John M. Mativo University of Georgia

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Dr. John Mativo is Associate Professor at the University of Georgia. His research interest lies in two fields. The first is research focusing on best and effective ways to teaching and learning in STEM K-16. He is currently researching on best practices in learning Dynamics, a sophomore engineering core course. The second research focus of Dr. Mativo is energy harvesting in particular the design and use of flexible thermoelectric generators. His investigation is both for the high-tech and low tech applications. In addition to teaching courses such as energy systems, mechanics, mechatronics, and production, he investigates best ways to expand cutting edge technologies to the workforce.

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biography

Johnny Thien Pham Robert Morris University

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Robert Morris University student majoring in Software Engineering (BS ‘21) and Engineering Management (MS ‘21)

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Abstract

In this initiative, Nintendo Switch development environment was chosen for teaching middle and early high school students game development. A two-day game development workshop was designed after two months of preparation and offered to twenty middle and high school students in two sections in the summer of 2019. Students were taught the basics of the Nintendo Switch development environment along with basics of virtual reality (VR), and asked to design a simple VR game. Nintendo Labo VR kits were also utilized in the workshop. This paper illustrates the design of the workshop including the features of the Nintendo Switch development environment in addition to the Nintendo Labo VR kits. The participants were given pre- and post-workshop surveys and demonstrated their products to their peers at the conclusion of the workshops. Each student was rewarded with a Nintendo Lab VR kit with the successful completion of their workshop. Lessons learned from these workshops including the need of increasing the duration of the workshops and feedback from the participants are also included in this paper, and will be employed in improving these workshops. The workshops will also be offered at the elementary school level and utilized in other outreach events such as Carnegie Science Center Sci-Tech Festivals and the National Engineers Week events. The paper is concluded with future possible outreach project ideas, based on the technical programming content and ability of Nintendo Switch development environment and the Labo VR kits.

Sirinterlikci, A., & Mativo, J. M., & Pham, J. T. (2020, June), Using Nintendo Switch Development Environment to Teach Computer Game Programming and Virtual Reality Paper presented at 2020 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access, Virtual On line . 10.18260/1-2--35467

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