A course in gaming? Are you serious?

Posted on June 28, 2010 by UWinnipegDCE

Yes, a university course in serious gaming!

Nintendo, X-Box, Wii, Playstation: all gaming systems, all billion-dollar companies that drive an entire economy that stretches further than I am sure any of us can even imagine.

I own a Wii, a PSP, and a Gameboy – that is just with one kid. Imagine how many gaming systems are owned by larger families and then the amount of actual games they own for each of those systems… mind-boggling to the say the least.

So… with such a huge industry that is so ingrained within the ‘Gen Next’ culture, the potential is endless. However, the talent to sustain and grow that industry needs to be developed.

Over a year ago I had a meeting with a great friend of mine, Khal Shariff (Twitter, Facebook). Khal is a former University of Winnipeg ISSD student that went on to great success, while always remaining loyal to his UWinnipeg DCE roots. He started a project called ‘Project Moonwalk‘.

Project Moonwalk is a game, a serious game! It is an online game and simulation that allows us to walk in the footsteps of the Apollo Missions and beyond. It was released to elementary schools across Canada, if I recall correctly, to over thirty thousand kids! The premise is to teach kids about science, math and physics in a fun environment.

This is the entire premise behind serious games, kind of like hiding vegetables in other foods. It is good for the kids but they don’t even know it.

Khal and I had this amazing idea to develop a certificate that is comprised of courses designed to prepare skilled and experienced developers for employment in the Serious Games Industry (Game Developer Stream). It also includes a set of theory and pedagogical courses designed to prepare educators to use and understand the new world of game-based learning, the re-purposing of games for use in education, and the nature, structure and elements of game play and game design (Educators Stream). Out of that we developed the Serious Games Summer Camp.

This summer we hope to spark some imaginations and inspire some youths to consider this industry as a viable career path though the Serious Games Summer Camp. The camp is for youths 15 years of age and over and runs for two weeks, Mon to Fri from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. The camp is scheduled to run July 19-30, 2010 and will be delivered by Khal Shariff and his company Project Whitecard.

Project Whitecard is currently working on a simulation (aka: Serious Game) for NASA! The camp is sure to be spectacular with the final day ending with a LAN Games Tournament for all the participants.

The camp includes the following:

  • Learn the video game design process as practiced in the industry today.
  • Develop essential skills.
  • Join a development team.
  • Build a playable game.
  • Create a professional presentation.
  • Special events include LAN gaming tournaments.
  • One scholarship will be awarded towards the Serious Games Certificate.

For the full scoop on this amazing camp, visit the UWinnipeg DCE Serious Games Camp outline.

Stevi Dram, Director
Information Technology
University of Winnipeg Division of Continuing Education
Tel: (204) 982-1168
Email: s.dram@UWinnipeg.ca
Web: dce.UWinnipeg.ca
Web: dce.UWinnipegCourses.ca

Related Information Technology Links:

Other Related Links:

Filed under: Information Technology, Technology Edge Seminars, UWinnipeg, UWinnipegDCE | Comments Off on A course in gaming? Are you serious?

Our New Home: The Buhler Centre @ 460 Portage Avenue Winnipeg Manitoba

Posted on June 4, 2010 by UWinnipegDCE

University of Winnipeg Buhler Centre - 460 Portage Avenue Architect's rendering

University of Winnipeg Buhler Centre
460 Portage Avenue Architect’s rendering

I have been with UWinnipeg for over eleven years and in that time I have moved my own office seven times and the entire division has moved three times. This fall we will be moving into our own home. ❤

I feel like a new home owner, watching the building go up. As it grows, so does my own anticipation, anxiety and a huge sense of excitement.

I was fortunate enough to have been involved with some of the design at a very early stage of the process. The blueprints for the building periodically crossed my desk throughout the development cycle. To tell you the truth, I wasn’t very interested and didn’t see the architects’ vision or understand the true elegance and beauty of what they were creating.

A few weeks ago I was able to go on a tour of the building. Wearing a hard hat and steel-toed runners (yes, runners) that weighed a ton, I was lucky enough to view the interior of the building. All that came to mind was WOWEEE!!!!

The building is unlike anything I have ever experienced or could have even dreamt up (and I have some crazy dreams). The interior has many sharp yet brilliant angles throughout. There are streams of natural light flowing in from a glass roof that runs all the way down the entire four floors of the building and meets up with a wall of glass on the south side. Along this column of natural flowing light there are balconies where one can look down upon art and fellow students. I can tell you about it but, when trying to explain how amazing it is, I am at a loss for words. You really need to experience it to appreciate it.

I am not easily impressed. I am typically ‘cool, calm and collected’ so if you know me you know it has to be something pretty special to catch my attention.

I am going to end this by saying I have heard from many people that my new office is the nicest in the building 🙂 and that may be swaying my excitement a bit. We are to be in the building by early October (if not sooner); the building went up extremely quickly due to our warm winter. On behalf of the DCE staff we look forward to seeing you all walking through our building and enjoying it along with our wonderful offering of courses.

University of Winnipeg Buhler Centre - 460 Portage Avenue Architect's rendering

University of Winnipeg Buhler Centre
460 Portage Avenue Architect’s rendering

Filed under: UWinnipeg, UWinnipegDCE | Comments Off on Our New Home: The Buhler Centre @ 460 Portage Avenue Winnipeg Manitoba

For the Love of Coffee

Posted on June 1, 2010 by UWinnipegDCE

Tim’s, Timmies, Tim Hortons… Buckys, SBux, Starbucks

Those are all words close to my coffee-loving heart ❤ and those of the students who abuse the heart-pumping, energy-giving caffeine. Hey, it is what they require for those all-night cram sessions – not that I condone studying that way at all, 🙂 although that is my preferred way to write those 20-page papers. I just chalk it up to, 'I work better under pressure,' and not at all to the fact that I procrastinate and put myself in that situation.

But back to coffee… what do you prefer? Does your preference dictate your social status, how mature your palate is, or even your patriotism?

Tim Hortons is a symbol of Canada, so one can surmise that, if you drink it, you are patriotic. It is also relatively affordable and is the every-person’s coffee. They even add the cream and sugar for you (just like mom did) so that it is the same every time you order it. You may screw up adding your own cream and sugar so you just shouldn’t be trusted (just like mom said)!

To many people, Starbucks is symbolic of capitalism at it worst. In some cities there is a Starbucks on every corner; Winnipeg alone has roughly five in the immediate downtown area. One can surmise that, if you drink it, you are perhaps more highly educated and of an upper social status than those drinking a Tim Hortons coffee. That may also be based on the cost for Starbucks vs. Tim Hortons. There is also the art of ordering at SBux; it is a language all unto itself. (I kinda feel like a member of a secret society when ordering 😉

A Venti, extra hot, no-fat, decaf, double shot chai latte. LOL!

This just makes me think more and more of the whole notion of coffee-status. I don’t think I judge people when I see what type of coffee they are drinking. However, drinking either one does invoke different feelings in me. When I have a Tim’s, I feel patriotic, like one of the fellas, and almost like I’m doing something good for my country. When I have a SBux, I feel kinda powerful, like a ‘real’ career women – I just wanna pull out my Blackberry and walk hastily around Portage Avenue like I’m really busy and important (or, even better, do the Mary Tyler Moore hat toss thingy – but, alas, I don’t wear hats; my head is to big).

After writing this, all I can conclude is: drink what you want, drink what you can afford, and drink whatever makes you feel good. (We are still talking coffee here, people.) Please stay away from the cream, though; milk is just as good and is way better for you. 🙂

Stevi Dram, Director
Information Technology
University of Winnipeg Division of Continuing Education
Tel: (204) 982-1168
Email: s.dram@UWinnipeg.ca
Web: dce.UWinnipeg.ca
Web: dce.UWinnipegCourses.ca

Related Information Technology Links:

Other Related Links:

International Conflict: Tim Hortons vs. Starbucks (part 1)
Today I decided to conduct a second experiment as part of an ongoing investigative-series determining what it means to be Canadian. In the first experiment I answered the question about whether or not drinking a six-pack of Molson Canadian made a person feel more Canadian. It was determined that, no, drinking six bottles of this beer did not make one feel more Canadian. It was a tough experiment that pushed my body and mind to the limit, but it was worth it, scientifically speaking. I plan to re-visit this experiment sometime in the future. For now, I decided that I would experiment with a different type of liquid; coffee, focusing on the coffee of a national chain, Tim Hortons.
Tim Hortons tiptoes into Starbucks territory
Coffeehouse Tim Hortons is making a cautious foray into the Starbucks zone, doing a test market run selling espressos, cappucinos and lattes in what could lead to the “Walmartization” of specialty coffees.
coffee coffee coffee coffee coffee
Coffee. The elixir of life. Over the last few years I’ve come to love this aromatic brown liquid: especially for its ability to get me through a day of fish mongering back when I worked at the ole’ grocery store. Now, I love coffee as much for the entire ritual as much as anything else: there’s nothing more eagerly anticipated than a Saturday morning spent roasting, grinding, and slowly brewing a cup of coffee in a vacuum brewer or French press. During the weekdays I tend to enjoy an espresso before I get to work. Once there, Starbucks is my supplier of choice: partly for its location (though the BCE Place location has to be one of the busiest in Canada, the service is blindingly fast and efficient), and partly for other reasons. My affection for Starbucks and, well—the perception of my attitude in general—has unfairly pegged me as a “coffee snob”. (Okay. Maybe I am. A bit.) Certainly I can drink no coffee better than the cup I make at home: high quality green beans, fresh roasted, etc. etc., but the truth of it is that I will drink any coffee, anywhere, and as long as it tastes good then who cares? (And, in fact, even if it tastes awful, bad coffee is better than no coffee.

Filed under: Information Technology, UWinnipeg, UWinnipegDCE | Comments Off on For the Love of Coffee

  • Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

    Join 5 other subscribers

  • Meta

  • Delicious Bookmarks