The School of Design’s exploration into the area of game design started several years ago with the App.Farm.
The App.Farm, an innovative studio experience designed to support the interdisciplinary student teams necessary to create games, officially formed in its current structure in 2015. It is a lab where students not only analyze the materials necessary for teaching, but they also design an experience that will excite learners.
In addition to providing an interdisciplinary, collaborative studio, the App.Farm has provided students with opportunities to actively participate in undergraduate research including UT’s EUReCA, Discovery Day and summer undergraduate research assistantships. Students have also been invited to participate in workshops at the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages at Duke University.
App.Farm Games
The following games have been in development within the App.Farm:
The Design(er) METAgame, designed for content exploration and assessment in Graphic Design 150 course, The Idea of Design
ProblemUp!, card game designed to encourage collaborative exploration of the critical thinking skills central to the CEA, Cognitive Enrichment Advantage
Bonne Chance, an innovative approach to language learning in the form of a French immersion game
The Bridges App, being produced in collaboration with the UT HITS research team, to provide burn victims and their support people with references as victims leave the hospital
