Pair Programming with Blocksmith

Practicing pair-programming

Pair programming is absolutely possible with Blocksmith! But you should consider expanding beyond pure programming to include pair-design and animation as well.

It is recommended that one student takes the role of driver and the other navigator.
The driver controls the building of the scene, and comes up with ideas on how to proceed. The navigator leads the evolution of the project. That means asking questions, raising concerns, and keeping the creator on the grounded and realistic.

Splitting Responsibilities

Blocksmith is a great tool for introducing students to all aspects of game design. When collaborating on projects, students can really play to their strengths, or the areas they are most comfortable with. Scene design, 3D modeling, animations, and programming are all essential parts of game design that students can specialize in and use to contribute to a collaborative project.

It is recommended to give students the opportunity to experiment with each facet of game design even if they've already chosen a specialty.

Collaborating

Students can collaborate on shared projects easily.

See how to collaborate on experiences.

Peer Review

After collaborating on and completing a project, it is a great idea for each team of collaborators to present their finished project to the group. There are many ways to make this an engaging and fun process such as:

• Have the creator team present how they made their project, and their favorite features.
• Have everyone in the group playtest the game after the presentation.
• Encourage testers to submit constructive criticism and positive feedback as comments on the game's experience page.