Graduate Student Mish McIntyre Presents at NERCOMP

Inside a burnt out factory, down a dark hallway where a naked light bulb flickers and hums, there is an open green door, its surface scraped and worn. This is the office of the Mr. Humbart Nicklus, the sole accountant for the Mericul Automotive Parts factory. The office is in disarray, stacks of invoices and memos with “last notice” typed in neat letters, lie scattered on the floor and furniture. A one way flight confirmation to Peru lies on top of a dirt stained keyboard. It is now your job, with the help of your team, to put the books back in order. Your employer, a self-made entrepreneur, will be here in one week to close the books on this business and position the assets for buyout. Make sure to apply all that you have learned in Accounting 101 so far.

Wouldn’t you like to take this accounting class? This assignment is created using game-based design pedagogy. Where gamification only uses a few principles, game-based design utilizes game elements and rich storytelling to engage learners in blended and online courses. Mish McIntyre, a graduate student in the Instructional Design Graduate Program, recently presented a Gameful Learning Professional Workshop in September for the NorthEast Regional Computing Program (NERCOMP). “This sort of game-based design can take a textually-based course and transform it into a vibrant, dynamic learning experience. My goal is to add game-based learning to the higher education and instructional design toolbox. Learning effectiveness, engagement and real-world application are easily obtainable through game-based design,” Mish states. “Game Designers use the ADDIE model to create games. So we already have understanding of the development process. The big part is learning game mechanics and terminology.”

Mish McIntyre is a working Boston artist, educator, and instructional designer. She received her MFA from Massachusetts College of Art & Design and her M.Ed from Suffolk University. Mish currently is the Foundation Studies Program Coordinator at the New England School of Art & Design (NESAD) at Suffolk University. In addition, she is an Instructional Design Assistant for Instructional Services at UMASS Boston. Mish is also a Thesis Advisor for the MA in Graphic Design Program at NESAD.

For more information about game-based design contact Mish McIntyre on twitter @mishmcintyre, or email at mishmcintyre@gmail.com.