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Teachers Guide
By Jakob Damgaard Laursen – [email protected] Content
Content ............................................................................................................................................. 1
Teachers Progress ................................................................................................................................. 2
What is Coding Pirates Game [TL;DR] ............................................................................................... 4
The technical .................................................................................................................................... 4
What is the purpose of the game? .................................................................................................... 5
Login ................................................................................................................................................ 7
Gramps Treasure Map (beginner) .................................................................................................... 7
The fortified Islands (novice) ........................................................................................................... 7
The infinite Sea (expert) .................................................................................................................. 8
Level Editor...................................................................................................................................... 8
Why should I use Coding Pirates Game when I teach? ....................................................................... 9
Game-based-learning ....................................................................................................................... 9
The Goals ......................................................................................................................................... 9
FEEDBACK................................................................................................................................... 10
Function examples ............................................................................................................................. 11
If, turn left, if else go straigt forward. ............................................................................................ 11
If, turn right, if else, turn left, if else go straight. ........................................................................... 11
If, turn right, then if turn venstre, if else go straight forward. ....................................................... 11
2
CODING PIRATES GAME Teachers Progress
Start-up
(~15 min)
The First Isles
(~60 min)
DEBRIEFING
(~15 min)
Class activity, see page 12
Create users with the students,
help them using their emails and
creating passwords. See “Ĺogin”
If possible, let the students play
solo on a device working to-
gether in pairs, or small groups.
Start by playing the first two
campaigns.
Round up as a class discus-
sion. Ask questions as; what
was fun? What was difficult?
What problems did you solve?
When did you get three stars?
Why?
Before you start playing, talk
with the student about the
reason behind playing the game
in class.
The students can startup
without or with only a short
introduction. They learn when
figuring out the mechanics and
functionality of the game.
If you got the time, let some of
the students show off their solu-
tions and talk about them.
2 CREATE
Introducing the level
editor
(~15 min)
Level editor
(~60 min)
Publish og debrief
(~15 min)
If you did not follow up on
students earlier solutions do
that now. Then repeat the goals
of the game. Let students who
have not completed the first two
campaign have some time to
play on.
In pairs, let the students create
levels. Make them use their time,
designing and playing their own
levels. Invite the students to
think about the solution, while
they design.
If any students finish a level,
check it, and let them publish.
When a level is published it can’t
be edited, so be sure that
everything is tweaked as they
wanted. Have the students spent
time to think about the name and
description? To organize the
levels of your class you could use
a common nametag.
Show the students briefly how
the level editor works. See Level
editor
Let them be creative. Make
them be aware of details. How
can their level be more fun or
challenging?
Finish with the students speaking
out their experience. How was it
to be the creator?
3
3 MASTER
Test and vote
(~30 min)
Free play
(~30 min)
Evaluation
(~30 min)
Students that already published
a level starts testing other
students levels. Students who
haven’t puplished a single level
tries to get that done.
Let the students explore and
play the game, on their own
conditions. They could Try to get three stars in
previous levels.
Design a new level, based
on their newly achieved
feedback
Try out the expert
campaign
You can evaluate by bringing up
several solutions. Discuss with
the students, why and how they
work. Make the students put
words behind their thoughts. Did
the just guess? Did they use
trial and error? What levels did
they like the most, and why?
After a level is completed make
the students give each other
feedback by telling what was
fun, voting levels and telling
where they could improve..
The last levels are pretty tough.
Let the students try them out,
but don’t expect them to get
three stars. The difficulty makes
the lifetime of the game longer.
Round up the course by focus-
ing on what was learned. How
can they use their problem solv-
ing abilities later on? Why is
coding important? How was it
learning through games? What
could have been improved? etc.
4
What is Coding Pirates Game [TL;DR] In The Coding Pirates Game you help Captain Hack or Miss L33t find the treasure by
programming their path using symbols. Through the campaign, your skills will improve as
the difficulty increases and you learn to move, turn and navigate with “if-expressions” and
“go-to statements”.
The focus of the game is to utilize the benefits of visual coding instead of textbased syntax.
This makes the game fun and playable for younger students, even though it still can be
difficult to make a short and functional code. The game requires no introduction, though it
is recommended that the teachers plays through the game before using it in class, to get
a feeling of the mechanics of the game.
The technical The game is available on www.codingpiratesgame.com, where a teachers guide also is
presented. We are using WebGL which is why the game only works on certain browsers
such as:
Google Chrome
Mozilla Firefox
Microsoft Edge
Apple Safari
The best experience is achieved by playing on
iPad or Android tablet. You can find or down-
load the game on App store, Google play or
www.codingpiratesgame.com.
5
What is the purpose of the game?
1. Captain Hack: In Coding Pirates Game you help Captain Hack finding treasures on
different isles around the world.
2. Treasure chest: A level is scored, when you hit the chest.
3. The key: In some levels the chest can only be opened when you have the key.
4. Code bits: To move Captain Hack you need to use different code bits. They wil be
introduced as you play through the game.
5. Treasure map: Drag the code bits to the treasure map, to tell Captain Hack what
to do
6. Play: When you think your code is done, try pressing the play button. If you’ve made
a mistake a skull will be shown on the map, and you have to go back, change or add
something and try again.
6
Code bit Command Function
Walk Walk one square forward or backward
Turn Turn left or right
Go-to Lead you to another place on the map. Can be used to create
loops:
If in front of The “If in front of…” code bit makes the pirate do one thing if he
stands in front of something or, something else if he does not.
ex. If in front of a palm or stone: Turn right, if else; walk forward.
Often used combined with go-to.
---->
If on “If-on” points to the ground the pirates is standing on. Ex. If on
grass, do something, if not, do something else.
Functions as If in front of.
If in pos-
session of
This code bit checks if you are holding stuff like the key or loot.
Functions as If in front of.
Wait Wait one tick
7
The game
Login To get started students need an account so their progress will be saved. Help them creat-
ing an easy username and password, so they know how to login themselves. This will also
be a useful skill later on in other in their school life.
Gramps Treasure Map (beginner) The game is designed to help the student without the need of instructions from a teacher.
The students must use trial and error principles to discover the mechanics of the game. It
is recommended that the students work in pairs, on one or two devices. In Gramps treasure
map you will be introduced to Captain Hack or Miss L33t and be taught the functions of
the first code bits. The students will work their way through the maps in different
ways. While some will focus on attaining stars and go for the most efficient solution, others
will just aim to complete the game. Make sure that your students are challenged and stim-
ulated at their individual level - It should neither be too difficult nor too easy.
The fortified Islands (novice) The fortified Islands are designed to
teach students the concepts of “go-to
functions” and “if-conditions”. The two
code bits can be difficult to understand,
but as soon as you have understood
them, they can be used in uncountable
ways. Most maps will probably have to be
played through several times if you want
three stars in all of them.
8
The infinite Sea (expert) The infinite Sea (expert) is somewhat more difficult than the previous campaigns. This is
to empower and challenge the students problem solving abilities and to motivate them to
keep playing, also while home. While working in pairs, the students can help each other,
and slowly work their way to the treasure. Take time to look through the solutions of the
students, and make them reflect on their thoughts behind their code.
Level Editor Entering the level editor, students can
challenge their own ability to design levels.
Here, both aesthetic and logical compe-
tences will be developed as students cre-
ate levels to themselves and each other.
Who can make the most beautiful level?
Who can make the most challenging level?
Before they start designing, it is suggested
that you talk about what components is
that is necessary to design a complete
level. Ex. A treasure chest, a pirate,
ground, a solution and a name. The stu-
dents must use their imagination to deco-
rate and develop levels which are both fun
and challenging. They could include traps
or a key, or add more loot to the map. A
level can be edited and saved as many
times as you want. Take notice of the three marks at the top of the screen. When three
checkmarks are shown, the level is ready to be published and shared with the world. When
a level is published, it cannot be edited or deleted.
9
Why should I use Coding Pirates Game when I teach?
Game-based-learning Learning through digital games is fundamentally different than learning through the com-
monly used instruction paradigm. It is based on challenge, reward, learning by doing and a
guided experience, in comparison to tell-and-test education.
Studies show that learning games has po-
tential, but as any other, learning media
it has both strengths and weaknesses.
Some of the strengths can be seen on
the map to your right.
When you use Coding Pirates Game, be
sure to clarify the meaning of playing the
game in class, so student does not just
play for the sake of playing. Communi-
cation is important. When playing Coding Pirates Game, students will be introduced to cod-
ing principles in a fun and challenging way.
The Goals The teaching with Coding Pirates Game, is based on an experimental and dialogue based
way of learning. The students individual learning should fit their prerequisites, their engage-
ment and work effort.
Common goals that could be in focus while playing the game:
Understanding of simple coding principles, through introduction and repetition.
Development of problem solving and symbol processing competences.
Development of digital skills.
The Strenghts of learning games
The user experience and skill level makes
a difference.
Using newly achieved knowledge the stu-
dent interacts, and gets challenged.
Games gives you constant feedback as a
part of the learning process.
Games are often designed to a balanced
skill level and offers constant progression
10
Starting of try not to control the process too strict. Give the students opportunities to dis-
cover the solutions themselves, or with a partner. At the end of a Coding Pirates Game
session achieved goals could be:
The student understand how single code bits can be combined to make a function.
The student has worked independently, and solved problems to progress.
The student has been creative and reflecting while creating new levels.
The student has collaborated and participated in class discussions about the game.
FEEDBACK
An important part of learning through games lies in the evaluation of the student experi-
ence. You can do that rounding up, collecting the discoveries each pair have made while
letting the students share their stories and findings. The learning gets exposed when stu-
dents share and show off their progress. You could pick out a level and make the students
compare their solutions. Make sure not to focus on the best solution, but on the thought
process each student or pair who solved it. The game has a build in evaluation mechanism
that gives the student stars when a level is scored. The shortest code, that leads to the
shortest route, gives three stars. Still it is a good idea to keep evaluating the students
efforts and discoveries while they play the game to keep the student focus on the learning
potential of the game. Let students reflect on what they do when they play, and which
methods they use when encountering problems. Meet the students with questions to make
them reflect. Are they even agreeing with the way the games gives you stars?
11
Function examples
If, turn left, if else go straigt forward.
If standing in front of a palm or stone, turn left, if else go straigt forward – ”go-to”’s to
check again
This functions checks if the pirate is standing in front of a palm or not. If he does not, he
takes one step forward, then checks again. If he at somepoint encounters a palm or
stone, he turns left, and checks again.
If, turn right, if else, turn left, if else go straight.
If standing in front of a palm, turn right, if standing in front of a stone, turn left, if else go
straigt forward – ”go-to”’s to check again
If, turn right, then if turn venstre, if else go straight forward.
The first time you encounter a palm, turn right, the next time, turn left.
