Course Teaches Students How to Design Online Games in Flash
SEATTLE — March 1, 2010 — Giant Campus, the nationally recognized leader in innovative technology education programs for youth and adults, today announced the Software and Information Industry Association (SIIA) has named the company’s Online Game Design course a finalist for the prestigious CODiE Awards in the Best Instructional Solution in Other Curriculum Areas category. The Online Game Design course, available through licensees, Giant Campus Academy, and tuition-free Giant Campus of Washington, teaches high school students how to design Adobe® Flash® games for online play. Student enrollment for this Giant Campus course has grown more than 300 percent from 2009 to 2010.
“The Online Game Design course teaches programming skills in the context of game design—a passion for so many students across the globe—yet a subject not offered at most high schools,” said James Peters, Vice President of Product Development, Giant Campus. “Besides being incredibly engaging, this course helps students advance their college or career interests by learning basic technical skills. We are honored the CODiE awards program is recognizing the educational impact of our Online Game Design course.”
Giant Campus’ Online Game Design course is aimed at students that want to learn how to design Flash games online. The curriculum helps students develop the skills they need to design a variety of games for the Web using Adobe Flash, the world’s most popular authoring tool for online games such as Bejeweled and FarmVille. Students also learn basic programming concepts using ActionScript®, the native scripting language of Flash. Students develop a fully functioning multi-level game that they can share with peers online by the end of the course.
“This is the twenty-fifth year we have recognized excellence in the software, education and information industries through the CODiE Awards program,” noted Ken Wasch, President of SIIA. “In this economic climate, companies are doing even more to innovate. Giant Campus has demonstrated a commitment to innovation and quality that is reflected in their selection as a finalist for the CODiE Awards. I am pleased and proud to have them listed among the candidates, and I wish them the best in the final round of voting.”
The Online Game Design course underwent an intensive review by subject matter experts, industry analysts, journalists, and others with deep experience in the field. Winners will be announced in May 2010.
Giant Campus provides technology and business courses to high school-aged students around the world. The company’s courses help students explore degree and job interests in preparation for college and careers in the global economy. Giant Campus courses allow students to supplement their public, private or home school coursework with cutting-edge technology classes, including Game Design, Digital Photography and Graphics, 3D Art – Modeling and more.
Giant Campus offers two online school programs for high school-aged students. Giant Campus Academy is an online school for students across the globe. Giant Campus of Washington is a tuition-free, accredited school for high school students in Washington State. Additionally, Giant Campus licenses classes to schools that are interested in offering the classes directly to their students. Schools are quickly adopting the benefits of online instruction as Giant Campus has surpassed 10,000 enrollments in the Fall 2009 which represented approximately 165 percent growth over the previous Fall.
The next enrollment phase begins March 1, 2010. Students and parents interested in Giant Campus Academy can go to Giant Campus Academy. Students and parents interested in Giant Campus of Washington can visit Giant Campus of Washington.
For more information about the CODiE Awards Program, contact the SIIA Awards Program Manager, Lisa MitchellBrooks, at 202-789-4458.
About Giant Campus
Giant Campus is an education and learning experience company that empowers teens and adults through in-person and online technology classes. These programs provide education on cutting-edge technology including game and Web design, digital photography, video production, computer programming, business applications, and much more. Students are encouraged to reach their full creative potential, with classes focused on building collaboration, communication and critical thinking skills. Millions of students worldwide have participated in Giant Campus programs since 1997 in a wide variety of environments, from K-12 classrooms to U.S. military installations, and at camps at prestigious academic institutions such as Duke University, MIT, Stanford University and UCLA. For more information on how Giant Campus is connecting people with technology, visit www.giantcampus.com.
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