Course Syllabus
History of Gaming and eSports

Description

In this course, students will learn about the technologies and design principles that have been the foundation of the development of video game technology over the last 50 years. Students will examine and discuss the impact of video games on culture and the economy. Students will learn about the current gaming and e-sports landscape, including strategies and techniques of top teams and individuals. This course will also discuss the risks and dangers of video games and understand how to set appropriate time and content parameters. Finally, the course will identify career paths and opportunities for those who are passionate about gaming. Prerequisites:  None

Course Objectives: Upon completion of this course, students will be able to...

• Describe how technological advances have contributed to changes in video games
• Examine basic technologies that underpin video games
• Define how various styles of gameplay evolved with each successive generation of consoles
• Compare genres of video games
• Discuss the video game sector’s impact on the economy, jobs, and culture
• Evaluate business decisions of video game companies
• Identify potential negative effects of video games such as violent content, screen addiction
• Describe gamification and how game principles are used outside of gaming for motivation and engagement
• Evaluate the size, dynamics, participants, and games of the e-sports industry
• Identify potential career opportunities within the video gaming industry

Course Outline:

Module 1: Atari and the Introduction to Video Games

Module 2: Nintendo and Game Boy

Module 3: Super Nintendo, Sega, and Computer Games

Module 4: PlayStation

Module 5: Xbox

Module 6: Wii, Kinect, and Active Gaming

Module 7: Mobile Games

Module 8: Augmented and Virtual Reality Gaming

Module 9: History and Current State of E-sports

Module 10: Contemporary Issues in E-sports

Resources Included: Online lesson instruction and activities, opportunities to engage with a certified, online instructor and classmates, when appropriate, and online assessments to measure student performance of course objectives and readiness for subsequent academic pursuits.

Additional Costs: None

Scoring System: Michigan Virtual does not assign letter grades, grant credit for courses, nor issue diplomas. A final score out of total points earned will be submitted to your school mentor for conversion to their own letter grading system.

Time Commitment: Semester sessions are 18-weeks long: Students must be able to spend 1 or more hours per day in the course to be successful. Summer sessions are 10 weeks long: Students must be able to spend a minimum of 2 or more hours per day, or about 90 hours during the summer, for the student to be successful in any course. Trimester sessions are 12-weeks long: Students must be able to spend 1.5 or more hours per day in the course to be successful.

Technology Requirements: Students will require a computer device with headphones, a microphone, webcam, up-to-date Chrome Web Browser, and access to YouTube.

Please review the Michigan Virtual Technology Requirements: https://michiganvirtual.org/about/support/knowledge-base/technical-requirements/

Instructor Support System: For technical issues within your course, contact the Customer Care Center by email at CustomerCare@michiganvirtual.org or by phone at (888) 889-2840.

Instructor Contact Expectations: Students can use email or the private message system within the Student Learning Portal to access highly qualified teachers when they need instructor assistance. Students will also receive feedback on their work inside the learning management system. The Instructor Info area of their course may describe additional communication options.

Academic Support Available: In addition to access to a highly qualified, Michigan certified teacher, students have access to academic videos and outside resources verified by Michigan Virtual. For technical issues within the course, students can contact the Michigan Virtual Customer Care by email at customercare@michiganvirtual.org or by phone at (888) 889-2840.

Required Assessment: Online assessments consist of formative and summative assessments represented by computer-graded multiple choice, instructor-graded writing assignments including hands-on projects, model building and other forms of authentic assessments.

Technical Skills Needed: Basic technology skills necessary to locate and share information and files as well as interact with others in a Learning Management System (LMS), include the ability to:

• Download, edit, save, convert, and upload files
• Download and install software
• Use a messaging service similar to email
• Communicate with others in online discussion or message boards, following basic rules of netiquette
• Open attachments shared in messages
• Create, save, and submit files in commonly used word processing program formats and as a PDF
• Edit file share settings in cloud-based applications, such as Google Docs, Sheets, or Slides
• Save a file as a .pdf
• Copy and paste and format text using your mouse, keyboard, or an html editor’s toolbar menu
• Insert images or links into a file or html editor
• Search for information within a document using Ctrl+F or Command+F keyboard shortcuts
• Work in multiple browser windows and tabs simultaneously
• Activate a microphone or webcam on your device, and record and upload or link audio and/or video files
• Use presentation and graphics programs
• Follow an online pacing guide or calendar of due dates
• Use spell-check, citation editors, and tools commonly provided in word processing tool menus
• Create and maintain usernames and passwords

Additional Information: None