I had a lot of problems with this month's SDA which I want to get into. Honestly, even after having finished (late) I'm still unsatisfied, but this SDA breaks into a topic that I find important. However, I spent all month researching game design programs and I couldn't find a way to express all of that knowledge in a way that I found engaging and creative, so I went with as good an option as I could: persuasion. I used the RPI president and the GSAS (game design department acronym at RPI) program as an example of game design programs needing funding and their importance in culture, community, and the job market. I do believe that RPI's GSAS program and its interdisciplinary concentrations are very important, but I wish I had been able to make contact with someone for an interview. I may keep trying to reach out in hope but I have had no luck, so I used the research I had for this SDA.
The most important part of what I learned wasn't exactly about game design, but it was about the future of gaming in education (which is the fact that the approach is changing). No longer are things solely about programming or graphic design as separate things. Game design students are expected to have experience in many different sections that contribute to the game-making process, including marketing skills and writing competency (storytelling being the biggest part of this as a mandatory class for all GSAS undergrads). I think it's a good indicator that the market is expanding and the way we perceive games is extending to that of an art form that isn't just a source of entertainment. It's exciting and I'm hoping I can use some of this knowledge for my coming research on empathy in gaming for a realistic perspective on what all the research means (how it is being implemented in the real world, for instance).
The links I used (which I will add to my bibliography):